Lots of paid (and some unpaid) work over the last few weeks has slowed my sewing down. As has my slackness at times - I'm too ready to sit down and read or watch TV. At least when I watch TV, I'm doing hand sewing.
I've also been working on clearing some of my scraps - this week sewing more QAYG strip blocks. Despite making 25 blue blocks, the strip box is hardly emptied! Other sewers have said the same thing about their scrap containers. Of course, I made the batting for the blocks by sewing together batting scraps. It makes me feel good to be using up stuff that I didn't want to throw out. And its a project where I don't have to think much about my sewing.
The blocks are 10" finished and I'm not sure whether to sew them into a 40" x 60" quilt, or a 50" square quilt, or make some more blue blocks for a quilt that will finish bigger. I would need at least 10 more blocks for another one, and I'm over blue at present!
As you can see there three other blocks in different colours. I'll probably wait to use those in a different quilt.
Sue Daley's Quattro quilt caught my eye a few years ago, and I started piecing it about three years ago. It took a while before my first stitch, as the fabric needed to be cut around the templates. Then each piece needed to be glued to its paper (a method I'm enjoying more than thread basting in the past). I've finished - pretty much - the centre. Of course, although I've cut all the fabrics, I don't have heaps of papers so am only basting a row or two at a time. The box was resurrected in January and I'm slowly working away at this (very) long-term project. Don't expect to see it finished any time soon! And then I'll have to quilt it - presumably by hand? We will see.
A few weeks ago, I made a fabric box for the granddaughter's toys, sized to fit in an Ikea bookshelf. My daughter likes the look of the homemade ones, rather than the plastic boxes you can find at any large store. I'm happy to oblige. The first one was for practice, and I know there will be changes for the next ones I make. I haven't got a photo of the first one but will chase it up so I can show it with the second and subsequent boxes I make. I have some Bluey fabric that is just itching to be used in something for my granddaughter.
Goals for the next blog post (I think it is all achievable):
- Finish the Hopscotch mat
- Make a bag for the Hopscotch mat
- Finish piecing the William Morris blocks into a top
- Try piecing together the blue QAYG blocks
- Glue baste grey blocks for next round of the Quattro quilt
- Start on a new fabric toy box for my granddaughter
- Get a photo of the first fabric toy box
