I seem to have made the UFO situation much worse with my latest efforts to tame the scraps. I suppose I shouldn't call these UFOs, because I've only just started them, but I've added 7 new projects in a matter of weeks. I'm up to 40 projects on my Works In Progress list, and that's making me a bit uneasy. I don't really have the storage for that many projects, but it's been so much fun that I can't regret it, and I really have made a difference to the strip drawers. The blocks on the ironing mat are 6 of the things I started in February/March alone. Housetop blocks; I have 26,  need ..read more

I'm gradually getting back to my sewing, just short bursts of activity until my eyes start hurting and I literally can't see straight. At the machine I'm using a pair of 2.5 readers that I can look over, because my old glasses just don't work anymore. I had to remove one of the lights I was using by the machine because I don't need it to see what I'm doing now. It's mostly good, including not needing any glasses to cut fabric or work on the computer. It's pretty amazing. I made another 4 Housetop blocks; 6 more needed, but I decided to take them off the design wall for now. I need that spac ..read more

 5 days after surgery, and I'm almost ready to resume my sewing. There was a bit of drama on the day after surgery, when I reacted very badly to the iodine they used; a quick trip to the hospital for antihistamines and pain killers and flushing my eye with lots of saline and I felt human once more. Poor Mereth had to wait on me that day; I'll have to buy her some fabric as a thankyou. And when she has her cataracts done she knows to answer YES when they ask her if she's sensitive to iodine. I've been reading dreadful novels from the library, and catching up on blog reading with my one g ..read more

Oh my goodness, the last 5 days have been dreadful. 41° (105° F) and the night time temps above 25°. Yech! The weather didn't get the memo about summer being over already. It hasn't been too hot this year, so I didn't really miss my AC, but this heatwave did me in.  It was miserable. It's cooled down a bit today, and so of course I got a phone call saying my new AC has arrived and will be installed tomorrow. I'm just happy that it's here and ready for the next hot spell; we often get nasty hot weather into April here. While the world outside was sweltering I stayed in our shop with the ..read more

Before it gets better. The mess on my cutting table is certainly worse, but there has been much progress. I have 20 Housetop blocks finished, and more cut out. I have no set ideas on how big I want to make this, but more a couch size quilt than a bed quilt I think. If there are still scraps left, then I'll pick another pattern to use them up. The little Log Cabin blocks are multiplying, I have about 18 of them that just need another round of strips. And to deal with the 1.5" strips I may have started a Half Log Cabin project. I've always wanted to make one, so I just began. It's so ea ..read more

My strip boxes are overflowing. I need to get them under control. I made 4 Housetop blocks with varying width strips to see if I liked making them and I did, but I can't cut them out of scraps alone. Those outer rings take 30" of a strip, and most of mine aren't that long. And the 1.25"strips are what I really want to get rid of.  So I drew up the Log Cabin block I wanted to make using only 1.25"strips, and went through the boxes and pulled out every bit that wasn't 18" long. My chart showed every rectangle I needed to cut, so it was easy to measure a little strip, then cut the long ..read more

 Everyone across Blogland is making little nine-patches, thanks to Taryn at ReproQuiltLover.  She is replicating an antique quilt with truly tiny nine-patches, and offers tutorials for 3 sizes. She calls then Teeny Tiny (1/2"squares), Tiny (3/4"squares) and Small (1"squares). I was intrigued, but not tempted to join in; I have enough to be going on with, until my eyesight improves. However. On a recent visit to Mereth's sewing room she showed me an old Quilters Newsletter Magazine with an interview with Lee Porter. One of the quilts on a bed was a beautiful old 9patch with pink sash ..read more

I started with this collection of scraps and leftovers, plus some more in various other piles. I've been assiduously cutting for days, not thinking about the final destination of this fabric, just trying to get it cut down into useable sizes. So many decisions are involved, but to make it simple I just tried to get the biggest strip or square that I could from each piece. It's very satisfying to see an empty container, and know that everything in it has been trimmed and assigned a new home. These are my little strips, and I emptied that white tray cutting these little bits. They ..read more

I'm mighty sick of the mess in my sewing room. every surface is piled high with random collections of fabric and strange containers full of scraps. Not to mention the shirts draped everywhere. Enough is enough! First up I pulled out a bunch of light blue and white scraps and cut enough wedges for another 7 Dresden Plates. Now all the rest of the shirts can go back where they belong while I piece these together. I'll have to find enough fabric for the background squares, but I'll deal with that later. What is most urgent is sorting out 5 containers of strips and scraps, some dating from ..read more

 I've certainly had enough time off from the blog, time for a catch up. I haven't blogged in so long because I don't like complaining on here, but I've done a mighty lot of that in real life. Problems with my eyesight, problems with the Statler, problems with several customer tops that had many, many issues, catching some sort of cold/flu from the grandkids after Christmas that floored me for 3 weeks. Plus my dear old AC just blew up, so there is no respite from the heat. I wasn't remotely inclined to go near the sewing machine, which is so unusual for me. I guess it's because I can't se ..read more