scrappy doo

You may recall a while back when I was excited about my new scrap system of color separated plastic bins.

I thought, at the time, that this would make sense for me.  I thought I'd need a piece of orange and be able to head right on over for some orange!  It would save me time and since those scraps were so organized I'd surely use them more right?  Sure it was taking up a bunch of space on my shelf, but it was going to be worth it!  All in theory of course. {smile}

Fast forward to now.  Do you know how many times I opened those boxes in the last five months?  Less than five.  Do you know how many times I actually "filed" my new scraps?  Less than one.  Turns out, the super organized scrap storage systems are not for me.

The new plan?

1) be more judicious about the scraps I keep. 

2) throw them haphazardly into scrap basket. 

3) when the basket it full, cut, share, and trash. 

So decide on a scrappy project and CUT what I need.  SHARE what I don't, TRASH the itty bits.

My Mom is working on a new quilt that I think will turn out similar to this one that Crazy Mom Quilts did (which I LOVE) using mostly my scraps.  For the past few Fridays we've sat for an hour or so going through my scrap bins.  I cut out a square to keep for a hexie (you can read why I'm keeping one hexie of each at this post) and Mom cuts whatever she wants out of the rest.  I tossed anything tiny and gave the small but usable stuff to a friend.

 I'm currently down to just a little more than this.

Ahhhhhh....

It feels so good to be using up and sharing all that fabric that was just sitting there.....aaaannnndddd......I cleared off enough room on my shelf to bring my scrapbooks up from the basement!  I'm excited to be able to have these out to look at and share with the Little Miss - after all I made them for her!

Scraps out.  Scrapbooks in. Happy me.

I have to thank Jenny for inspiring me to really think about my scraps.  She's been a woman on a mission cutting her scraps to use and it really got my wheels turning.  Thanks Jenny!

crafternoon

Crafternoon this weekend was paper covered lids!  We scraped up all the recycled food jars we could and hauled out the Modge Podge to make these fun covered lids featured over on design sponge many moons ago.  Fabric would be just as cute and maybe even a little bit easier to manipulate.  

highlight of my day

In the waiting room at a doctor's office a few days ago I was delighted to be able to spell the word "quilt" while playing Scrabble.  Seriously, made me giggle with joy.

It truly is the little things.

pretty pillowcases

The St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild is working on collecting pillowcases for the All People Quilt 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge and I finally had a chance to sew up a handful.

This was my first attempt at pillowcases and I was delighted at how fun and easy they were!

(I used the Roll It Up Pattern) 

I couldn't resist sewing up a special little case for the Little Miss.

I had just purchased this cute purple sheep fabric at The Quilted Garden intending on making some PJ's, but the lure of the pillowcase was too strong.  I couldn't resist.

Here it is on her bed with her Santa-made heart pillow and Panda No. 2

(yes, there is a Panda No 1) 

{smile}

oh dear

No no, I don't have unusually petite hands and use Car's Band-Aids.

This is Little Miss.

First thing that happened was her hand getting smashed in the car door across the knuckles.

You can see the bruising.

As if that weren't enough, she then somehow found one of those little yellow Olfa containers.

{Quilters, you know were this is heading}

Long story short she had picked up a small rotary cutter blade out of the container and cut her fingers.

She silently came into the living room to give the empty case to my Mom and that's when we saw the blood.

As I was rinsing and cleaning her right hand in the sink trying to see where the cuts were, I noticed her other hand was bloody and she had it clinched tight.  As I unfurled her fingers, looking for more cuts, I discovered the rotary blade in the palm of her hand.

How on earth it didn't cut her little hand I'll never know.

It could have easily been so much worse.

We thought everything dangerous was put up and she had an adult less than two feet away.

It all happened so fast.

Sigh.  I guess this is why they say accident's happen.

We all felt terrible though.  

One because the blades were there in the first place, another because he was sitting 'right there', and me because I should have taught her about rotary blades and how sharp they are (I use one practically every day for crying out loud!).

Kids are so amazing though.  She was completely healed up in a weeks time.  

I honestly think as adults we were more taken aback by it than she was because we possess the knowledge regarding how much worse it could have been.

Phew.

excess

Having decided to participate in the Sparkle Punch quilt a long over at Oh Fransson, I pulled out my stack of DS Quilts fabric from Joann's to start cutting.  I thought, "Yes!  This is really going to make a dent in all that fabric!".  I probably even subconciously thought, "...and justify all those fabric purchases!".  Halfway through the cutting I realized I was wrong.  Really really wrong.

Seriously - the stack doesn't look any different.

Notes to self:
1) You do not have to have every print in every Denyse Schmidt or Anna Maria Horner Line.
2) Just because Fat Quarter bundles don't count as yardage on Hawthorne Threads doesn't mean you have to buy 1/2 yard sets.
3) Repeat after me: Fat Quarters are your friends.
4) It's only fabric.
5) Something you like more will eventually come along so use what you have NOW.
6) Don't buy more of something just because you are afraid of the Flea Market Fancy Effect*.
7) Remember how stupid and gluttonous you felt when consumed by the FMFE?
8) Remember how you had FMFE fabric remorse and sold/traded it all at a loss because you felt bad selling it a price as high as you paid for it?
9) Keep saving a hexie sized piece of your favorites; having a small piece helps you let go of the rest.

*The Flea Market Fancy Effect (FMFE) is when a fabric line becomes hard to find and desirable once it's out of print selling for ridiculous amounts of money.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this conflict of hoard vs. use. In every other aspect of my life I am quick to purge unused items. I'm ruthless with my scrapbook supplies, clothes, books, and household goods etc. Fabric is the one exception.  Of course, not all fabrics fall in this category.  For me, it's primarily Denyse Schmidt and Anna Maria Horner fabrics.  All my other fabrics I use like normal person, with no strings attached.

In 2012 I'm making it a priority to sew more often with the hoarded fabric and practice conservatism on new purchases.  With the upcoming Flea Market Fancy re-release and new DS Quilts lines hitting Joanns every 4 months or so I would be wise to heed my own advice.

12 days gift 2011

I almost forgot to share what I made for Midwest 12 Days!  

I made 20 of these cute little organizer wallets.  Yes 20. 

The tutorial is available over at lbg studio if you'd like to make your own.

Why so many?  

Well 12 for Twelve Days of course, then I made a few as gifts for friends.  

The rest I'll use as teacher gifts!

These were completed before vacation and before the grey plague (mostly dead - ha!)

 I'm currently fighting; I just forgot to share!