Quilt'm by Sunflower Designs

So I’m standing there at the ironing board pressing some freshly pieced poppy fabric blocks 

when I get a notification on my phone, it’s a forward email from my mom of new blog post she found interesting. She sends these to me from time to time and it’s great to see how different quilters tick. But tonight the first thought that goes through my head is, 

I’m awful at blogging.

Maybe not the writing part, but the taking the time to write part. As I grab the next block, 

 (isn’t it pretty) I begin to brainstorm and “Friday Scraps” came to me. If I can commit to write once a week with the happenings, that is a start. Short or long with a couple photos, share the life and quilts of this quilter, that might be enough. So here goes, the first of “Friday Scraps”. 

The first of a new year. I usually take three weeks off from the business quilting to get some of my own stuff done. Do some organizing, cleaning, repair work, and catch up on some of my own quilts.  

Last week, I didn’t touch any fabric, hardly went into the quilting room, aka garage and didn’t think much about quilts. I had to detox a little after the Christmas rush.  After relaxing for a bit I got my paperwork in order. I purchased a garage sale filing cabinet last winter along with hanging folders and they sat in the drawers all year. Last week I took paperwork from 4 different locations and put it in order in 1. Check the first item off my to do list. 

  I have accomplished quite a bit this week. 

Over Christmas we had let a large pile of boxes turn into a leaning tower. This is where I started. The garage had to be cleaned. Boxes were broken down, 

customer’s projects organized by completion date, the falling over pile of fabric was move to empty dresser drawers and dog beds made with old pillowcases and fabric/batting scraps were started. 

I have long wondered what to do with fabric/clothing scraps and left over batting. I posted a question on a Facebook group and heard a lot of ideas. I needed something that took minimal effort. One quilter said she gets an old pillowcase, places it by her machine, tossing in fabric scraps, and sews the top seam when it is full.  I thought, “I can do that”. I had enough at the time for 3 beds. I have another pillowcase lining a 5 gallon bucket ready to be filled. The beds will find their way to a dog shelter. And the scraps get used at least 1 more time. 

Once everything was cleaned and organized, I could play. I found 2 quilts that were cut out last winter break that we’re never finished. 

I pulled those out and added them to the to do list. I have a friend that is having a baby in a few months. I sketched the layout and cut the fabric to prepare it for piecing. I also added my impulse buy poppy quilt to the stack. 

Cut the “layer cake” and got it ready to piece also. Maybe it was wishful thinking but, that gave me 4 quilts to finish by next week. 

Monday and Tuesday found this top finished. 

 The fabric is from a trip to Santa Cruz over 5 years ago. They don’t really match, but they revolve around a sewing theme… I guess that is as good a reason as any to put them together in a quilt. I found backing 

and binding fabric (that looks like bias tape and goes with the theme) 

 in my stash to finish it up. 

I then started on the baby quilt. I have a thing for ABC fabric. My mom says I come by it naturally. Wednesday and Friday night found that top complete and back prepared. 

 I was lucky to find backing that works on 75% off if I bought 5 yards. I only needed 3.5 but 5 was cheaper. 

I very gladly added that 1.5 yards to my stash. 

And even though my domestic machine is throwing fits, I got the poppy blocks pieced tonight. 

They really are lovely and I can’t wait to see how they come together. 

Besides all that, I hemmed 3 skirts for a friend, broke 2 needles in the process because I was rushing. I walked the dogs a couple times. Checked out a couple neighborhoods for a possible future home. Hired a new girl at work to help ease the load. And reflected much on how much I have grown in my walk with God over the last several years and where I hope to be in the future. 

It’s been a good, busy week. 

Welcome to Friday Scraps. 

Good night.