Getting organized

Sometime each winter, usually right around New Years, I  get ambitious about cleaning out and getting organized. In this years’ round of organizing, I ended up with an extra clear  shoe-organizer thing-y.

I decided to put it back to use, to hold my small scraps. They’d been in plastic bins, roughly color-sorted, but having them laid out like a rainbow there, is definitely encouraging me to use them more.

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Destashing

I did some fabric sorting and organizing recently — And found a bunch of fabric that I’ve got more than I really need.

It’s the excess I get from buying yardage, with 1/2 yard or yard minimums. I’m keeping some of each of these fabrics, but putting the extra fat quarters in my shop. Some is already listed, some is coming over the next couple of days as I have time.

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Art Deco Inspirations…

Just because I haven’t had time to sew much lately, doesn’t mean I haven’t had time for fabric shopping…

Has anyone else noticed a group of new art-deco inspired fabrics?

I love art deco motif’s, so I’m quickly acquiring a pile of them in both warm and cool colors.

I haven’t decided what I’m doing with them yet, fussy cut somehow, I think, to show off the flourishes. Any ideas?

ETA – The fabrics are from Perch, by Alice Kennedy (on the left here – I think it’s my favorite of them all), and two from Filigree, by Art Gallery Fabrics (the whole collection has an Art Deco feel). The yellow is “Garden Tile” from Clothworks.

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Quilting with solids

I doubt I’m alone in this, but I’ve been thinking about solids alot lately. My “Daydreaming” quilt – inspired by City Quilts –  still needs to be quilted – but I’ve been doodling more solids quilt ideas on envelop backs and the like. And, then, look what landed in my mail box for my Fresh Modern Bee II – some gorgeous colors and some black and white dots.

And, did you know there’s a group on flickr that’s all solid quilts ? Here are a few inspiring examples:

(Click through to flickr for the links to individual photos)

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Getting Ahead of Myself

I have four active projects as I type, not to mention my monthly bee blocks, that all really need my attention.

This is not one of those projects – I don’t need another project, but I went and pulled this stack of fabric from my stash anyways.

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Two fabric orders

I’ve been shopping lately….

And, the donation blocks to go with them…

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Planning a new Quilt

I’m planning a gift quilt for a family birthday in September.  I love making things for people I love, but gift quilts are often the hardest to plan, since the recipients often have a more traditional style than I do, and I want the gift to reflect their tastes and mesh with their home.

Nicey Jane’s vintage feel, though, should bridge the gap. I’m planning a simple quilt with fussy cut roses framed by the green kona and pink tiny-gingham, with the stripes for the backing. I think we’ll both be happy with the result.

How do you reconcile your style with those of recipients?

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New fabric, new block

As I said here, new fabric = charity block. So a couple of yards of Alexander Henry geometric prints, and a sunny yellow block for Rainbow Around the Block

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A new practice

I found myself staring at my fabric stash, with a fabric order open on my laptop, contemplating new fabric I could buy, and decided I need a new practice in my quilting life. Because, much as I love fabric, and getting pretty new fabric, I hate mindless consumption.  (Modern American culture is full of it, and the world can’t take it anymore) So, new commitment: every time I order new fabric (or buy it at a local shop) I will stop and make a charity block from fabric I already own. A sort of “sewing grace”, if you will. A pause in the buying and a ritual to slow down and remind myself that I don’t “need” new fabric – just want it – I have plenty and not just of fabric.  A gentle practice to put my own buying back into perspective for myself.

So, here’s the first block:

A modern square in square block headed for Anna Maria Horner’s Rainbow Around the Block which is making quilts for families in Tennessee effected by floods earlier this year.

If anyone else wants to participate, details are here and blocks are due by Sept. 1 — And there’s a whole flickr pool of inspiration

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