Quantity Issues

 

I've been trying very hard lately to cut back on buying excess office supplies. It's been a thing for me for many years. Usually it's pens that I tend to "oversupply" but sometimes it's other stuff. When we had the Metro Twist presentation at Sew Day, the idea of using the tag style post-it notes to mark on your ruler was raised. So I ordered some on Amazon, a "24 Pack" which I pictured as 24 of the 1"x3" tags. Seemed like a lot, but it was the smallest quantity that I could find.

Upon receipt I realized my error, this wasn't 24 of the tag sized post-its. It is basically 24 pads of normal 3x3" post-its that have been cut up into thirds. I now have more than a lifetime's worth of these things. They're useful, for sure absolutely. But am I ever going to use them all up? Not a chance. Good thing they were cheap. My DH is thrilled, apparently he loves this size of post-it, so maybe together we will use up some reasonable percentage of these things. 

The other two things I ordered were for the dyeing class I'm taking in October with Jane Dunnewold. We're going to be labeling the samples that we dye, she suggested little tags and safety pins. Got them! But OY the quantities involved. Luckily they don't take up much room to store.

I think they'll work really well. I can write this small if I really need/want to.

The bigger safety pin is one of the ones I use for quilt basting, this is for size comparison. They really are quite petite these safety pins. And now I have 500 of them. Sigh. Again, this was the smallest quantity I could find. Same with the labels, also 500, so at least that matches up right? I probably needed at most 50, but instead I now have 10X as many. 

Obviously this is all a 100% silly 1st world problems kind of complaint. Not earth-shaking or really all that important of course. I'm calling this the Old Lady Complaint Department now. Still it's annoying to realize that the massive consumer culture I'm participating in has no end of options, except as to quantity. More and more and more is always better or expected. This means all this excess has to get stored somehow, in containers or furniture, which ends up meaning a bigger living space is needed, and on and on. Unless I just throw away the ones I don't use. It's all so wasteful. That's what gets to me the most I guess. At least the containers I'm using for the dyeing class are all recycled glass or plastic containers from food. 

Cut On Dotted Line?

 

Oh the joys of fabric panels. I decided to cut the new one up so I could mix it up with the previously purchased panel and see how it went together. Before I got to that point, I realized there might be a problem. Can you can see my issue already? The little dotted lines between the image blocks are placed right on the bottom of the image. If you cut on the dotted line line, as I did with the snow man, then when you sew, you'll lose 1/4" of the image. 

So is it better for these to cut out with a 1/4" around the dotted lines and use those lines as the sewing line? The chances of me actually sewing right on that dotted line are slim. Which would leave little printed black dashes which would really show on that white background.

I had already cut out the previous panel images, all on the dotted lines. But none of those images are running into the same issue, they're all very centered compared to the new panel's images. It's good to see they're really close to the same size, which would make them easier to use together in one quilt design.

I'd forgotten how great these animals on the first panel are, they're really cute aren't they? And peaceful too, somehow.

This is the other fabric I bought to go with the original panel.  A jelly roll of Moda Christmas prints, and a matching red, green and brown. The grey was stored along with it, but I can't remember if that was my plan or not. Probably.

These animals really make me happy. They're stylized in a way that is so simple, almost elegant, but to me they're not too cutesy. 

 Yes, they match pretty well, and I think the background fabric is even close enough for my eye in color. This new panel is also offered on a decidedly off-white background but these are both white (phew). 

It's quite a lot of cuteness but of slightly different types. Instead of mixing them up, I may have the animal panel featured on one side and the snowman/santa/reindeer/polar bear over on the other. I think I'll have to put them all up on the wall together to decide. And then it's time to design a quilt to use them well. EQ8 here I come.

Back Addendum

 

I was going to sandwich the Stitch Happens quilt top, but then I remembered that the backing I made was a skosh too small. About 2 1/4" too small in one direction.

I added a strip of scraps from making the quilt top with a little of the background solid on either end. Then I added one more small strip of the background to seal in those scraps. This will be the straight edge that I begin with when I do the sandwiching to make sure that line of scraps doesn't get trimmed off.

I really like this combo of the green orange red/magenta and purple pink in this picture. Striking.

Did I like the quilt backing as it was before? Yes. Should I have just added a big width of just the background solid instead of the pieced column of scraps? Maybe. But I think it looks just fine.

Still a bit unnaturally obsessed with how the teeny HST's turned out.

Now I can get to some sandwiching.

Two Finished Donation Quilts

 

I finished off the quilting for the Ends n.17 (plaid) donation quilt.

I'm calling these Casual Curves. I tried to not get too dense with the quilting as these are lap quilts and they need to be soft and fluffy and comfy.

And these are Casual Triangles.

Casual curves and triangles. 

I made two bindings for the two donation quilts. The red one is for the Plaids quilt and the blue is for the Bars quilt.

And here it is, all bound up!

I did an all machine binding because I think it's more secure for a quilt that will be washed a lot.

And here's the second one done!

Glad these two are finished and I'm looking forward to turning them in.

Ends n.17 (plaid) Quilting

 
The quilting is getting done on the BAMQG donation quilt that just happens to have been made by friend Jaye. Her name for it is, Ends n.17 (plaid). I'm enjoying working with the really nice plaid colors and I have grown fond of this taupe fabric that was giving her so much trouble.

I think that this is the first time I've quilted over batting tape. It's not noticeable at all when you're sewing. The pieces of batting are very secure and staying together which is the main thing.

It's a great way to use up all those strangely shaped pieces of batting you end up with. Guess I ought to try the batting tape I bought ages ago now that I know it works so well.

Here's how it's looking at this point, I'd say it's almost halfway done.

Four Months Down

 

I finished off April's column of my Temperature Quilt, so I put it up on the design wall with January, February and March to see how the whole thing is looking. 

A closer view of some of those hotter days in April.

Such a big change from month to month.

More Magenta

 

It all started with a post on Instagram from Blue Nickel Studios. My very favorite ergonomic Olfa rotary cutter has been released in two brand new colors, magenta and blue. I got the magenta one as you can see. I never really liked that bright yellow orange of the original. The non-ergonomic Olfa cutter is my go-bag and I really do not like it much, having to click it open and closed each time is annoying and so I don't do it 100%, which is of course dangerous and a big no-no. I always hear Rosalie Dace in my mind reminding me that it's only important for the fingers I want to keep.

While I was shopping for the rotary cutter I picked up some very on sale fabrics as well.

Plans for this rather odd assortment of fabrics are as follows: 

The Christmas panel is by the same designer of another Christmas panel that I bought and started up a quilt design for a while ago. I think I'll figure out how to use them both together in one. 

The blue fabric with Christmas tree lights is for making new gift bags. 

The two colors of cool beans fabric is to make another one of those mini drawstring bags that I made for friend Jaye's birthday. 

The two scissors fabrics are also going to be paired up for mini drawstring bags, maybe for BAMQG? 

And the two bark cloth mod prints? Heck if I know. I honestly am struggling with that one.  I like the fabric design, and I do like bark cloth, but what did I have in mind for these two? Not enough yardage for clothes, or a quilt really, maybe a reversible bag or something like that? Or I was just in a mood because I was in the sale section. That's probably closer to the truth.

I  also picked up some really cute quilt block illustration washi tape, and some new glass head pins. You can tell this is an order from Sewtopia because of the Hi-Chew candy they always include, and that I always immediately enjoy, yum.

April In August

 

As promised, as I move on to the month of April, it starts getting a lot more varied in the Temperature Quilt. Higher highs are happening which of course is not surprising, but it's fun to see the colors in my quilt change. For your reference, the near neon yellow is 76-80 (3 days), yellow is 81-85(5 days), and the cheddar yellow-orange is 86-90(2 days). 

I've got my little pressing station set up right next to my sewing machine. I'm using a shot of Best Press spray on each piece as I press each little seam open. Hopefully all that starching will help stabilize things a bit when I'm sewing the columns to the sashing. And then I lay down the wooden clapper on it just to get it locked in and flat. As long as I do this sewing before it gets too hot in my sewing room it's fine to be so close to the hot iron. Honestly I think that the wool mat that I'm using seems to absorb the heat.

The first six days of the month are all sewn together and it's looking good so far.

I went through my temperature data versus the number of pieces of fabric I have cut for the next few months, and I definitely have some dyeing to do before I can move on to May and beyond.

Specifically I need these two for May, plus something for the 91-95 range which will be an orange. Time to get going on some dyeing. Fingers crossed that I can come close enough color-wise.

Plaid Time

 

I came home from Sew Day with another quilt to get quilted and bound for BAMQ Community Giving. Yes, I was drawn to the backing fabric that was showing. Frida Kahlo+Dia de los Muertos so of course.

But then I realized it was friend Jaye's wonderful plaids top that she'd just finished and turned in to be quilted. I don't wear much plaid at all, but I really love the look of plaid. I used to wear my Mom's wool tartan skirt to high school or my great grandpa's plaid wool overshirts in college. It's probably leftover from my fascination with the 80's Vivienne Westwood punk looks. (Ballgowns in tartan, etc.).

Anyways...I'm excited to get to work on this lovely. I got it all ironed and then smoothed out the quilt sandwich up on the design wall with a 24" ruler.

 I carefully took it down and draped it over the ironing board to pin baste. Ready to quilt! I think I'll try to do a plaid motif.

Wandering Wednesday - Hopes for Maui

 

I saw the bad news about the fires in Maui last night, and woke up today to see it's even worse. I'm hoping that some of old-town Lahaina has survived. It was such a beautiful unique place and it's hard to imagine it just being gone. Also very scary to imagine being there as a tourist during something like this, no cell service or 911, very few roads in or out, etc. Really hope people are okay.

The downtown streets of the small town were lined with old wooden buildings. I didn't take many pictures when we walking around there because it was just so charming.  This picture of vintage spools was one of the few, I took it in a hat shop. I'm guessing this store and/or building are no longer standing.

When we were there in 2017, we happened upon a birthday party for this massive Banyan tree that takes up acres in downtown old town Lahaina. It was a community thing more than a tourist thing, with local kids performing and that sort of thing. Just lovely. The idea of a community party for a tree is really something isn't it?

I really really hope that the tree has somehow survived. 

One of the other fires yesterday, was located on the downslope of Haleakala, which is one of the driest parts of the island. This is a picture from our visit to a really great lavender farm in that neighborhood. I thought it was really something to have a thriving lavender farm on a tropical island, but those plants love hot temperatures and they only got a fraction of the rainfall in that spot. So pretty perfect for lavender. 

Fingers crossed for all the people to be safe. Buildings and businesses can be rebuilt, and trees regrown, lavender replanted etc.