Fabric storage - the latest edition

Over the years I have stored my fabric in a variety of ways. I've never really found a way that works for me until recently.

Prior to the latest change I was wrapping the fabric around comic boards (too flimsy), or foam core board cut to size (too much work). Then I switched mostly to cardboard. I was cutting up medium flat rate postal boxes and that was working well for the most part. The problem I had was the cardboard took up space on the shelves. Each mini bolt was only a few inches wide so I ended up having to rows of mini bolts on each shelf. Of course I couldn't see what was behind the first row.

Then I came across a video showing how to use your 6" x 24" quilting ruler to fold your fabric. Brilliant! The above picture shows one shelf of double rows neatly folded. That leaves me a lot of breathing room or room to buy more fabric.

Miss Mocha likes this new fabric storage too. The bottom shelf has denim, faux leather, wool, etc. I've since added an old sheet to cover all the fabric on the bottom shelf so it doesn't collect kitty fur. Also, don't look too closely at my floor. This used to be Robbie's bedroom and it had those sticky linoleum tiles and most of them have become unstuck. I'm not 100% sure what I will be doing with the floor but for now I have these garage floor foam padding tiles layed down where I iron and cut. I have an area rug for my sewing area and desk.

Here is the finished bookcase. I have the fabric in groupings like holidays, novelty, solids, and the fabric that is only for projects for me and not the shop or friends. I can easily see what I have and I can find a fabric so fast now. If I want to make a fish quilt I can see at a glance if I have enough fish fabric or if I need to order some. It only took me two days to sort and refold and that wasn't even full days working on it. I think this is going to work for me for the long term. 

With a little help from my friends

A couple of quilting friends from a quilting forum I like to hang out at knew I was collecting red/white/cream/blue strings to make string blocks for QOV quilts. They were very generous and sent me some of their scraps. It's fun to play with other quilter's scraps! 

A little Easter shopping

I went out and did a bit of shopping a couple weekends ago. I had a coupon for JoAnn's that was just begging to be used. It was 25% off the total purchase including sale items. I just couldn't let that coupon go unused.

Most of the Easter fabrics were gone but I did find a few that I liked. The Easter fabrics were 40% off so it was a good deal. I also found some other fabric that was calling my name from the sales bin. I love discounts.

I also hit the dollar bins at the front of Target. I found these fun socks and Easter towels. I love pastel colors and these towels will look great in the kitchen. Every time I see fun little socks I buy them. I have a drawer full now. I love to make sock creatures with them. I haven't made any in a bit but that doesn't stop me from buying more socks.

A lady I work with had a birthday last week so I picked up a few things for her also. These socks will actually be worn unlike the ones I picked up for me. She loves to wear fun and funky socks each day. She has quite a collection of silly socks. I also picked up an Outback gift card. Her and her Husband like to eat there so I thought it would be a nice thing for them.

I also picked up a bunch of supplies to make some Easter baskets. I found these fun sand castle pails that have a shovel attached to the handle. When I make baskets I like the basket part to be just as useful as the things inside the basket.

This is what they look like after I put everything inside them. These will be going to a local church that is collecting baskets for 3,000 local kids. Yes, you read that right...3,000 Easter baskets are needed. This church also has a grade school and the kids are making baskets. The baskets will be going to kids in Foster Care, or that have parents that are addicted to drugs or in jail, etc. In the past we have needed help and were very fortunate that there were people out there to help us. Now, whenever we get a chance to give back we like do what we can to help someone else out. I think it is a very good lesson for the kids to help others also.

While making these baskets I did realize that I enjoy making gift baskets. I think I might do it a bit more often. 

New addition to the family

Jane had a sale recently in her shop. Looks like it's still going on. If you love 30's repro fabrics now is the time to stock up. I ordered 30 fat quarters. Jane said in her listing if you order 30 you will get one of each with no duplicates. There are some adorable prints in this stack. I'm almost tempted to order another bundle.

I'm thinking about making a Dresden Plate quilt with these. I just need to decide on a background color. Do you think solid pastels would work?

Or maybe butterflies or wonky stars :)

New Arrivals

I had a little "found" money recently so I place an order with Connecting Threads. Of course I went straight to the Clearance "aisle" to see what goodies I could find.

Some pre-cuts...sweet and sour strips and charm packs, and some canning day charms. Do I have any plans for this fabric? Of course not lol.

A table runner kit that makes either the sunflowers or snowmen. Based on the colors I'm thinking of doing the sunflowers but will make the snowmen in different fabric. I like my snowmen in the traditional blue and white colors.

I LOVE these owls! I think this would make a nice wall hanging or baby quilt. 

I love email!!

I've always loved going out to check the mail each day. It's something I've enjoyed doing ever since I moved out of my parents house. I used to even enjoy junk mail. I used to order samples and other fun things that would fly their way to my mailbox. Even the kids get a little antsy waiting to see what fun things Mom has ordered and is in the mailbox. It could be boring (to them) quilt magazines, food samples (Robbie's favorite thing) or swap goodies. Now that we do Netflix there might even be a new movie to watch. We don't have too many bills so I don't normally have a mailbox full of them (thank goodness).

Now, I think my email in box is my favorite! I opened my email inbox today to find out that I have won a terrific give a-way.

(picture borrowed from Scarlet Fig)


Laurie Wisburn over at Scarlet Fig    has a gorgeous new line of fabric that it is coming out this month. It is called Tufted Tweets and is being distributed by Robert Kaufman. The chairs themselves are fun but then Laurie added little birds to them and made them that much more adorable. I love the quilts Ashley from  Film in the Fridge made from this gorgeous fabric.

Thank you so much Laurie! Now to start watching the mailbox again :)

Moda Bake Shop Sampler

 

I'm sure most (if not all) of you have seen the Moda  Sampler box. I've been tempted to buy one since I first saw them popping up all over the internet. Well, I just gave in and ordered one. I couldn't come up with a good reason to spend the $40 until today. While I was playing around on Facebook I saw a post by Piece N Quilt. They are having a one day sale on the Moda Sampler box. For today only it is $20 ! I just couldn't let that kind of deal pass by now could I?

This is a little description I found for this sampler box:

Moda Bake Shop Sampler

This box includes twelve packs of 40 - 2.5" x 2.5" assorted fabric squares. Each box contains a pack of the following collections: Bar Harbor, Butterfly Garden, Collection for a Cause: Charity, Eden, Frolic, Garden Party, Lakeside Resort, Looking Back, Martinique, Spring Fever, Verna and Whimsy. Also included are charm pack projects and a history of charm quilts.

It also comes with a history of charm quilts and charm pack projects! All that for just $20! Come on, if you have been on the fence like me now might be the right time to grab it.




(I haven't been compensated for this blog entry. I was just a bit excited to be able to grab this fabric and thought someone else might like the same deal)

Squishy Balls

 

I like to keep some hand sewing in a little soft case for those times that I have to sit and wait. I also take it with me to work so I have something to do during break times. I was making lots of hexagons but then I got bored. The only surprise there is that it took much longer than I expected. Still loving the hand work, I decided to switch to pentagons instead. This way I can make a bunch of balls instead of quilts, purses, placemats, etc.

 

I joined 2 different I spy Swaps recently. One was for 4" squares and the other was for 5" squares.  I  took the 4" squares and turned them into pentagons using freezer paper. This is the same way I do my hexagons. You stitch 5 around a center pentagon. You do that twice. Then stitch the two halves together (inside out). I leave 1.5 sides unsewn, turn and stuff very well. Sew the opening closed. They make fun little balls for the little ones. My big kids (and the dog) have been having fun with them too. I think they would make great additions to a baby shower basket.

Beautiful weather for a Picnic

I finished the last few inches of the binding this morning. Finished just in time once again. I added an extra black border after the brights. I wanted it a bit bigger plus I think the black helps "end" the quilt. Without it the quilt just didn't look finished.

Once again there is a slight breeze blowing when I went outside to take the picture. Never fails. It is beautiful outside though. A nice day for a picnic. Too bad there is school and work.

This is the first time I tried this kind of piecing on the back. I had a bunch of left over pieces of the brights from piecing the border on the front and decided to add it to the back like other bloggers have done.  I like it and it wasn't very hard to do either. It gives the back a nice touch I think. Sure is hard to get a good pic of it though.

Here is an inside picture. This looks a bit better. I did some wandering quilting in the larger black areas only.

This quilt was a fun one to work on. I didn't learn any new techniques this month but I did learn patience and perseverance. I also learned the value of a good seam ripper lol.

More vacation finishes

I think you will be seeing more of these chair shots for awhile. At least until I get bored with them lol. This is Jess' quilt all quilted and with binding attached. I picked up a dark blue sheet at Walmart for $2.50 and used that for the back. Nice bargain! I always check out the sheets when I go to Walmart because they mark their flat sheets down alot. They work nicely for backs, borders, and bindings.

For the quilting I just followed the lines from the blocks and tried to stay out of the big chunks of white since I was using blue thread. Now I just need to make labels for all 6 quilts going up north. Better get to that soon.

Jess' husband Dan is a big golf fanatic so I decided to make him a quick golf quilt. The base of this blanket is one of those really soft fleece blankets. I picked it up at the after Christmas sale last year. I also had a "GOLF" applique that is meant for hats that I ironed on and then stitched down. I made a green or whatever it is called, added a flag and felt ball and called it a day. The picture doesn't do it justice. It actually came out pretty nice.

What I did on my vacation...

Do you remember back in school when you had to write a report about what you did on summer vacation? Well, here is my report...


I started my week sick for a couple days. Then I had to go for an MRI on my neck and shoulder. I have been having problems with a pain in my shoulder for a few months and finally dragged myself to the doctor to get it checked out. The brief summary is that I have some problems with my neck starting with a bulging disc. I'll find out the rest when I go to the neck doc on the 8th. Later in the week my asthma flared up and felt sluggish for the rest of the week. So much for a restful vacation. Anywho, I did get a few things accomplished:

 

I quilted up the pink DNP quilt and finished up a Viking hat. I have a group of ladies that have buying Viking hats from me for a bit now. Each time a new baby arrives where they work, they buy them a new hat. I decided to send them this quilt as a thank you for being such loyal customers.  I haven't heard from them yet, but I hope they like it. I'm sure the new Grandma will love it, who wouldn't?

I used a piece of purple fabric that was sent to me as a RAOK a few months back. I also used that same purple as the binding. I use purple thread to quilt it in a meandering wander to tie it all together. I kind of hated to see this one go but it will be wonderful for a new little baby girl.

I've seen a few blogs where people used chairs to take pictures of their quilts and I love it. Just had to try it out with this quilt. Kind of fun :)

I also finished up my Fall table topper. I really love the way this one looks on the table. It looks great with the wood. I didn't finish the turkey for it yet though. It will have to be for next Thanksgiving I guess. No worries.

I'll show you some more of what I finished tomorrow.

Little shopping and a litte crafting

My daughter and I hit the Target after Halloween sale Wednesday.

I found the basket at 75% off. I think I ended up paying around $2.50 for it. I loved the leaf fabric inside it. Too bad there was only one because I would have bought more if they had more.

I found the Smurf figurines in the dollar baskets in the front of the store. I have always been a Smurf fan. I guess they are making a come back because I also saw some little tote bags. One of them said something like you have been Smurfed. Too cute.

The pattern I bought off Ebay. If I ever get the fabric for it he will be my centerpiece for the living room table.

Oh Yea...we also bought about 10 bags of 50% off candy too lol.

Take 20 Christmas cards leftover from a couple years ago (good thing I buy extras at the after holiday sales) ...

Add in 20 handmade Snowmen ornaments and you have a finished swap!! I have been working on these guys bit by bit for a couple weeks now. Good thing they are done and in the mail because they are due on November 15th.

 

My November Schnibble arrived from Quilt Taffy . I just had to grab some of the yummy dessert fabric too.  That will be put away until I figure out just the right pattern to use it on.

I also grabbed some of these brights from Etsy. I plan on doing this month's Schnibble in black and brights.

Curb Alert Lisa

My sister Lisa LOVES to check out Craig's List for curb alerts! I was surprised when she called the other day to tell me she found fabric at a curb alert. Wasn't too sure what she would bring me lol.

She found this large piece of faux leather type material. It is very soft and flexible. I think this would work well for purses or parts of stuffies (jackets or hats maybe).

 

Then there is the piece of upholstery type material. It looks like something you would have covered your couch with back in the day. For us, it will be throw pillows. We love to have fluffy pillows for the couch and for the kids to toss on the floor. I think I will either buy or make inserts so that the covers can be washed.

Thanks Lisa!

shopping update

 

We managed to get lots of shopping done on Sunday. We filled the upright plus the two fridge freezers.  We did get a few fun treats but mostly lots of meat. It is so much cheaper here to buy in bulk from BJ's versus Walmart or Publix. I can get 3 times the amount of meat at BJ's than the other stores. I don't mind buying in bulk either. Just takes a few minutes to divide into meal size packets. My family LOVES the freezie pops that come in the plastic tube. At BJ's I can buy a box of 250 for just under $7.00. Our family of 5 usually goes through around a 100 in a week or so. 

My kids really, really, really, LOVES gummy bears too. 

Before BJ's we hit JoAnn's. Hubby picked out the blue fleece for the back of his Giant's quilt. I will work on that later in the week I think. The motorcross bikes and the dogs and fire hydrants were in the remnants bin. I like to grab these little bits for I spy type quilts. The dinosaurs looked like they would be great for some little guy quilts. The solids are for another quilt that's in progress. The green is for the back of the jungle quilts. Hubby picked that out for me and I really think he did a great job. The other piece is a Florida Santa piece. It has Santa in his Hawaiian type shirt and flamingos and other cute stuff. Hubby picked that out just as I was going to the cutting station. Don't know what I will make with it yet. I think there needs to at least be a purse made from it. Then maybe a stocking or two.

 

I also picked up some sewing machine needles, a new seam ripper, and another felt kit. I've seen this Santa in an airplane in catalogs but didn't want to spend the $25.00 for it. Clearance is right up my alley though :)  The thread is for the Giant's quilt.

New fabric in the mail

I placed an order with JoAnn's online awhile back. I never thought it would take a couple weeks for it to show up at my house. I don't think I will be doing that again anytime soon. Plus, the colors are different in person than on my screen. I have had no problems buying from Etsy or ArtFire...go figure. I think I will stick with the little guys who have much  better service.

Anywho...I needed a bunch of grey for sashing on an in progress quilt. I got a bunch of grey, but not cotton. It has the feeling of those nylon gym shorts the kids wear on one side and a fuzzy soft something on the other side. This won't work for my quilt. I think it might be good with the fuzzy side out on scarves though. I will have to make a test run to see how it washes up. Maybe on a coaster first.

 

I loved this fabric. I thought I might be able to use this as a full panel quilt. Or it would make a good backing on a little guy quilt.

  

I also ordered a world map quilt and a U.S. (not pictured)  I think I can make 2 baby/lap quilts out of each piece since tha patterned repeated twice.

 

Suzi likes to check all fabric that comes into the house. She is my crafty dog. She loves to smell fabric and yarn. lol

Suzi approves of the pink fabric :)  She wanted to keep it as a pillow. Sorry Suzi...you shed way too much.

another swap package received

I received my other swap package from the swap bot stash swap. I've never seen these fabrics before so they will be a nice addition to my stash.


There was also this fun piece of bowling fabric.


Love these buttons! Especially the Mrs. Claus looking one.

Swap mail

I joined a scrap swap over on swap-bot. We had two partners and needed to send them each a 6" X 9" envelope with at least 10 scraps from our stash. The pieces needed to be at 2" square. This is one of the packages that I have received so far, I don't normally buy flower fabric so these will be a nice addition.




I want to try to make at least 3 string blocks each week. Probably won't happen but it's nice to have goals :) They are good to make when I want to sew but my mind is too fuzzy to work on a block that needs to be "perfect". There's no math in a string block. If you do anything that isn't quite right...who cares. As long as my foundation fabric is covered, I'm a happy camper.