Red and white stars, small and a bit fiddly but oh they make my heart sing! I had the worst time trying to decide which fabrics to choose out of my stash, as they are small so I needed small prints. 
This pattern was free and came from All People Quilt they call them Sawtooth stars, but I call them Ohio stars, especially as that is on my wish list! I used a white print for the background, one of the few that I had in my stash, because I find it really really hard to buy white fabric. In fact this had been relegated to the chuck out pile, until Bonnie Hunter suggested that you cut a big square, fold in half to make a triangle and then sew it into the corner of your quilt back, to use as a label...genius...only one folded edge to hand stitch down and uses up ugly fabric. However I hadn't got around to doing that...luckily! Besides I have a zillion pre printed quilt labels...most of them I don't like and I am beginning to see their new future on a trading table at some point. So Bonnie's idea will come into use, but I HAVE to get over my fear of buying white fabric first! So back to the stars....they were flat until I decided to try steam in my iron....never again :-( So they have been sitting in my sewing room for a few weeks, neglected.
But they are red n white and therefore have the potential to fit the February theme (without hearts!) ....or I could start afresh and make this.....February block from Aprils Making Ends Meet blog.
What do you think?
This is another project I started with enthusiasm in January. The houses at the top are from the blog challenge Building houses from scraps which I was really excited about, until I made a few. They are gorgeous, peoples interpretation of them are gorgeous, including the myriad of cute animals and people they put in windows...BUT...I cannot do scrap...I love scrap....BUT I couldn't bring myself to make all the sides and roof from different fabrics, they HAD to coordinate, which too time, which reduced the fun, so I stopped, rather then drive myself insane. As you can see they are small, 3.5", so fiddly, perfect for scraps, perfect project for the year, to make a dent in my colour coordinated scrap boxes. Perhaps if I have therapy first I MIGHT be able to cope?! LOL!
The houses at the bottom of the picture are also foundation pieced but from a pattern published in Australian Patchwork Quilting magazine, by Kerry Gadd. They are also fiddly, because they are so small, but there was not pressure to make they multi coloured. Still I was driving myself nuts because as you can see I couldn't think of colour ways that didn't involve, blue sky, red roof and green grass!
Then finally as a means of regaining some sanity I have been piecing wadding scraps and cutting fabric to make hum bug bags. What's a hum bug bag you ask? Well its basically a quilted purse with a zip, perfect for pencils, toiletries or small ones work for make up, coins or what ever you want really. I want to make 15 as they are given to the girls who graduate from this amazing program...Girls on Track run by The Smith Family and Girl Guides Australia. I am hoping to make my 15 before my next all day sewing day, so I can start a new lot, with the help of my fellow quilters! As life is indeed serendipity we received three HUGE bags of fabric scraps at my charity group last week, with the instructions that we can do what we want with it...Elaine looked at me and I knew she was thinking....little stuff = hum bug bags. Hmm there wasn't "much" little stuff (only about 1 large shopping bag!), but boy did we get some beautiful fat quarters... yes I will be scoring as many scraps as possible! Oh and we got all her wadding scraps, bonus! :-) AND then another lady came and promised us her "old" machine, because she had brought a new one. BONUS! Given that we are using sewing machines that Elaine literally picked up from the curbside (hard rubbish), then a sewing machine that has recently been loved, used, is working AND apparently has a quilting foot is a total DELIGHT..!
Happy quilting, Sue.
Your generosity with your sewing time is admirable. I'll be interested to see one of these bags when you've made some :) I'm hoping to make a couple of bags this weekend...yeah, that means not finishing the couple of nearly finished quilt tops I have here! Love the red and white stars! Is it going to be any bigger?
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome effort making the Hum bug bags. Thats a fabulous achievement. And for fabric to turn up just as you need it. Perfect timing.
ReplyDeleteI just love your red and white stars. They are just so timeless.
You could make a pin cushion with the houses. I wouldn't have thought it mattered if your sky was all the same blue. Do what you are comfortable with. I don't believe you can't do scrappy. I can't do wonky/improv. My brain just won't let go there.