Oh. Oh.

There's something tempting about a Jelly Roll and Layer Cake still in their wrappings. (Maybe I should have taken a photo? Oh well... I couldn't help ripping open the packaging).

I've been looking and patting the fabrics for a while, taking them out of their storage er... paper bag (Yes, they have been with the other PIGS - Projects In Grocery Sacks - for quite some time) with the intention of making "Persian Tiles" - designed by my friend Carol.

Well, today is the day... I just had to cut them up. I fancied some simple straightforward sewing. I filled three bobbins (as I usually do... because I just HATE it when the bobbin runs out 2 inches from the end of the last seam).

So, I've filled three bobbins, and the machine is threaded... then I realised I had to select which squares to keep, and which to cut up. Then I had to cut strips. Oh. Oh.

So, all I've done is this:

Two sides added onto each of the 25 block centres.

Too much blabbing and too much buying

For someone who is trying to use up their fabrics, I don't seem to have been very good when it comes to buying more fabric.

I haven't gone out of my way to buy more, it just happens!! And, I am certainly buying less than I used to. I have NO EXCUSE to buy whatever for the sake of it.

In the last month or so, I have bought various novelty fabrics (trains, world maps, paper dolls, pigs). Maybe that's where the "gap" in my stash was.... or maybe I find it hard to go past a bargain.

In any case, here is all the fabric I need for the mystery quilt, right out of my stash.

We get cutting instructions this Saturday, then some piecing instructions each week for a couple of weeks.

Anyway, what I have been blabbing on about (all the extra fabric) includes this fabric I bought a few months ago - probably just pre-blog.

My intention was to make funky aprons from the fabric. Perhaps I still will, I'm just not in a hurry anymore. Hey! They could be for Christmas! Maybe my sister can have one.... Hmm... Lucky I am writing it here, I've got a brain like a sieve and might forget before then.

Back to the fabric, there are 8 prints on each bolt. I bought a metre of each, so there are 8 skinny 1/8s of each print on the bolt. Perhaps I will piece stripes, or use these as trims on the aprons.

P.S. I am stitching the 4th Mammy block. Go me!!

Lost and Found and Found and Found...

Well, I didn't stick a stitch in yesterday. I sorted all day. I now have about 50 magazines to sell and about 30 to give away.


How is my space looking?

some more fittings to come e.g. the trays will become drawers

I kept finding stuff.

5 UFOs: SCQuilters sig swaps from 2003 retreat, smoking jacket, papercut windows, snowflake quilt blocks, 295 quilt. The snowflakes, sig swaps and papercut windows can make nice flip-sides for other quilts.

6 PIGS to add to the list: Easter bunnies, Aussie fabrics, monkey socks, Dargate violet and chocolate pack (no, not actual chocolate, that would have been eaten - it's purple and brown fabric), hexagon box, an armchair pincushion partly prepared (this was a gift at a retreat) and a dress with a pattern.

Where do I fit it all? here.

None of it is left on the floor!

This is the armchair kit:




LOST: one box of novelty fabrics.... (maybe I divided them all up into PIGs???) I can't remember!!

What does a PIG look like?

A few years ago (Ack! Maybe even 4 or 5 years ago! Sandra bought me some lovely fabric. I bought more to go with it.

It is a Project In a Grocery Sack (PIGS). An unstarted UFO. Not even a future project, just a lovely group of fabric in a box or bag ready to go (usually kept in the shopping bag it was purchased in).

NB Although we don' t use the term "grocery sack" in Australia, it's such a good acronym I am stealing it.

Why haven't I started it? Same reason for not using the red and green Robyn Pandolph fabric I bought 8 years ago. Still looking for the "right" pattern. Actually, now I look at this fabric, it probably needs a little zing in there somewhere. I know I will find it.

Anyone know of a good pattern??? LOL! This fabric makes me think of Persian carpets and Moroccan tiles.

Cecile Whatman is organising a challenge: create either a self portrait or an abstract self expression quilt. Download the forms and send a donation for the N.S.W. Cancer Council (in Australia) and you will receive specific challenge materials to use in your small quilt.

You need to register by 12th September (hurry!!), but you don't have to hand in your mini quilt until December... that's good news!!!

P.S. One side left on the final border of Eureka chain.

Working my way through the list...

What a full and busy weekend I have had! Here's the red, white and yellow cherries PIGs (Projects In Grocery Sack) I started with.

And here is my rough drawing. It's a lot rougher than I usually start with, but I feel like ad-libbing. It won't matter too much, it is a baby quilt.

I can't remember exactly what I had in mind when I bought these fabrics, but the ric-rac was in the box, so I used it.

Here are some of the 32 blocks I put together - very easy - 6.5 inches unfinished.

Ric-rac added... it does give some pizzazz. Not all the blocks have ric-rac, so placement will be important when I set them all out and play with positioning.

The big list appears

I finished my mystery quilt top. I need to piece the backing and hand over to Mum for quilting on the longarm. It's such a big quilt that I couldn't photograph it properly. It covers the top of our King size bed.

This is the final picture of the mystery quilt designed by Cathy Stevenson.

Here is part of my final quilt - the colours are very different! Mine are all repro fabrics, but they are vivid and bright. Not one bit of brown.

But I must go ACK! again!! I found 3 UFOs today that I had completely forgotten about... so I bit the bullet and made the big list. It's on the right column down the bottom. There to haunt me until the numbers go down somewhat. *sigh*. I am not panicking. Not yet.

I won the 6 redwork squares Christmas 2006 or 2007 at our end of year do... still to make them into something.

These baskets are made from 1930s feedsacks. I have made 42. I have fabric for 2 more baskets I think - but that's an odd number. I must check my design plan.

Also found the eau de nil or 1930s green fabric I bought to go with it. Was it for sashing or binding??? We are talking about 2 years ago. Sandra, Rosie, Andrea and I all started working on our feed sack quilts together.

Finally, I found a stack of 1930s squares cut out to make a baby quilt Irish chain.