2019 Fabric Moratorium
03-13-2019, 02:22 PM
#733
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,053
Thanks for the positive comments on the purple project. With my declining vision I look for "simple but effective" patterns and need fairly high contrast in my fabrics and designs. I'll be making the pointy pieces by drawing a diagonal on the corner of the rectangle and sewing through it, not going to stress myself cutting the points and trying to properly piece them.
I got the whites cut, I'm hoping I have one other large piece I held out for the borders. Otherwise I have plenty of assorted whites to do the borders with them. While I was at my Mom's I sorted out my purples and I seem to have plenty, have 22 of the 42 cut but it was time to pack up and leave. And I still have to sew the Not Quite Y2K border units I pinned at small group, then layout the border sections -- shouldn't be too hard since they are 80% unique squares but the way I work I just can't let go and let things happened, lol, I've already done so much of that in this project -- letting go is hard to do!
You might notice I am absent from the UFO group. I have way too many unquilted tops, and honestly I have no time-line on when either the Not Quite Y2K or the Purple quilt will be quilted, but I consider a completed top as a completed project -- just not quite a quilt. I need to find someone who likes to quilt as much as I like to piece, and together we could go places.
I did go to three thrift stores, and I bought no fabric for me. I have a box of flannel pieces I will be sending out and found a couple nice pieces to throw in there, they were each about 2+ yards for $1.99, it's amazing how much stuff I can put in one of those flat rate boxes... I did, however, buy a smaller rolling suitcase to take on these overnights to my mom's (she's aging and lives about 90 minutes away, I'm going out there once a week to help add some structure to her week and to do chores, be company, etc.) for $8.00 at St Vincents, it's a Laurel Burch cat design fabric
Also found a wonderful little 1970-ish mixmaster mixer (judging by the harvest gold color) complete with dough hooks and instruction book for $12 but it was 25% off. I don't have mixer and the little hand mixer I bought back in about 1982 for $14 has seen it's better days...
I got the whites cut, I'm hoping I have one other large piece I held out for the borders. Otherwise I have plenty of assorted whites to do the borders with them. While I was at my Mom's I sorted out my purples and I seem to have plenty, have 22 of the 42 cut but it was time to pack up and leave. And I still have to sew the Not Quite Y2K border units I pinned at small group, then layout the border sections -- shouldn't be too hard since they are 80% unique squares but the way I work I just can't let go and let things happened, lol, I've already done so much of that in this project -- letting go is hard to do!
You might notice I am absent from the UFO group. I have way too many unquilted tops, and honestly I have no time-line on when either the Not Quite Y2K or the Purple quilt will be quilted, but I consider a completed top as a completed project -- just not quite a quilt. I need to find someone who likes to quilt as much as I like to piece, and together we could go places.
I did go to three thrift stores, and I bought no fabric for me. I have a box of flannel pieces I will be sending out and found a couple nice pieces to throw in there, they were each about 2+ yards for $1.99, it's amazing how much stuff I can put in one of those flat rate boxes... I did, however, buy a smaller rolling suitcase to take on these overnights to my mom's (she's aging and lives about 90 minutes away, I'm going out there once a week to help add some structure to her week and to do chores, be company, etc.) for $8.00 at St Vincents, it's a Laurel Burch cat design fabric
Also found a wonderful little 1970-ish mixmaster mixer (judging by the harvest gold color) complete with dough hooks and instruction book for $12 but it was 25% off. I don't have mixer and the little hand mixer I bought back in about 1982 for $14 has seen it's better days...
03-14-2019, 02:08 PM
#735
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,414
Last night I finished the last of the 5 baby quilts I started a couple of weeks ago. I did the steps for all of them at one time... Cut all the fabric, then made the blocks, then did all the tops, sandwiched all ... you got the idea ... and finally put the last hand- stitch in the last one's binding.. It feels great to be able to say, "I finished 5 quilts today!"
Today, I found four little piles of scraps of fabric with the same design ( little rows of "baby" in small print in white) in four different colors (red, yellow, blue and green). I'm planning to add some white also. Everything comes from stash as usual. I think I'll try to get 4 more quilts done this way, using the same fabric in different patterns.
I wish I could show you pictures, but I don't have a fancy camera, or a fancy phone... and probably couldn't be able to figure it out anyway.
Today, I found four little piles of scraps of fabric with the same design ( little rows of "baby" in small print in white) in four different colors (red, yellow, blue and green). I'm planning to add some white also. Everything comes from stash as usual. I think I'll try to get 4 more quilts done this way, using the same fabric in different patterns.
I wish I could show you pictures, but I don't have a fancy camera, or a fancy phone... and probably couldn't be able to figure it out anyway.
03-15-2019, 07:30 AM
#737
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,053
I'm still working at cutting the purples. I had a couple of pieces of fabric that were regrettably just too small to use. A couple more that I could have gotten what I needed, but made cutting mistakes -- at least one of those pieces was plenty big to start with but even if I seamed a piece I was still one piece short. And so far two of the blocks do have a unit that was pieced from scraps. But the process has been good for me.
I've been in the process of reducing my stash for the last few years. First I got rid of all my non-quilting and craft stuff. Then it's been using and reducing the stash. I know some serious fabric hoarders, and I know some people who just have a lot of fabric, much more than me, but prior to my reduction I was in the running for the "she with the most fabric wins" -- some of you probably would think the amount of fabric I still have is huge. When my eye condition was finally diagnosed, I had a look around and realized that no, not even I could use up the amount of fabric I have. So far I've cleared out about 10 large plastic garbage bags worth of stuff to various people and organizations. Lots of people willing to take "usable" amounts of fabric.
I have a nice friend on the board who takes my cutting scraps and crumbs. The way I quilt, I have lots of scraps and crumbs... I keep a flat rate postage box by my cutting area and put in stuff until it gets full. I had finally accepted that I didn't even want to keep the little bits, but I feel so much better sending those 2x4" or whatever chunks to someone who wants them instead of throwing them away.
In the last couple of months (since I've been on the board and while I was lurking in last year's thread), I've come to realize that while yes, I do need a wide range of fabrics to do scrappy style, I don't need a lot of yardage of those fabrics. Sure, you need some larger pieces for particular projects, but typically I don't use more than 1-4 pieces of any given fabric, or maybe like with the purple quilt, one block made of each fabric. I've decided that for ease of storage and use that what I really want are 6.5" strips, down to a 6.5" square. After that, the pieces go in the crumb box. While I will happily and often fussy cut, I hate ragged ends or holes in fabric, so those areas get trimmed and into the crumb box. Badly cut tapering ends, those too go into the box, is pretty amazing sometimes how fast the box fills up.
So it's been nice working with these fabrics. Using up the little bits, and letting the rest of them go, all the while my remaining fabrics get refolded and better sorted/organized as well as reduced. And it's fun just to play with the box of fabric
I've been in the process of reducing my stash for the last few years. First I got rid of all my non-quilting and craft stuff. Then it's been using and reducing the stash. I know some serious fabric hoarders, and I know some people who just have a lot of fabric, much more than me, but prior to my reduction I was in the running for the "she with the most fabric wins" -- some of you probably would think the amount of fabric I still have is huge. When my eye condition was finally diagnosed, I had a look around and realized that no, not even I could use up the amount of fabric I have. So far I've cleared out about 10 large plastic garbage bags worth of stuff to various people and organizations. Lots of people willing to take "usable" amounts of fabric.
I have a nice friend on the board who takes my cutting scraps and crumbs. The way I quilt, I have lots of scraps and crumbs... I keep a flat rate postage box by my cutting area and put in stuff until it gets full. I had finally accepted that I didn't even want to keep the little bits, but I feel so much better sending those 2x4" or whatever chunks to someone who wants them instead of throwing them away.
In the last couple of months (since I've been on the board and while I was lurking in last year's thread), I've come to realize that while yes, I do need a wide range of fabrics to do scrappy style, I don't need a lot of yardage of those fabrics. Sure, you need some larger pieces for particular projects, but typically I don't use more than 1-4 pieces of any given fabric, or maybe like with the purple quilt, one block made of each fabric. I've decided that for ease of storage and use that what I really want are 6.5" strips, down to a 6.5" square. After that, the pieces go in the crumb box. While I will happily and often fussy cut, I hate ragged ends or holes in fabric, so those areas get trimmed and into the crumb box. Badly cut tapering ends, those too go into the box, is pretty amazing sometimes how fast the box fills up.
So it's been nice working with these fabrics. Using up the little bits, and letting the rest of them go, all the while my remaining fabrics get refolded and better sorted/organized as well as reduced. And it's fun just to play with the box of fabric
03-15-2019, 05:32 PM
#738
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 3,198
While patting myself on the back for almost get a scrappy top finished this week, I have jumped off that wagon twice. First for "# not be to disclosed" spools of thread ($7 for the large Aurifil at QIAD- white only on a daily special) and then while getting Kona online for a bee challenge some 108" wide backing and another piece landed in the cart. So back to the scrappy and then to piece some backing for it. Still cutting fabric scraps for leader/ender projects, filling the trimmings bag for the dog bed lady, sewing batting pieces together and putting together giveaway fabric & patterns for upcoming sew days.
03-17-2019, 06:54 PM
#740
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,414
How are y'all doing on the Moratorium wagon? We're more than half way thru March. I have glue on my britches so I can't fall out! And, I can start seeing some dents in the stash! I was able to empty two big tubs of fabric from the floor! That's good news, but I have about 10 more, several totes full, 6 shelves stacked tightly and 6 big boxes full! I used up a closet full of batting and I think I'll run out of the fluffy stuff soon. I may have make just the quilt tops and crib sheets for a while... or I may have to ****buy**** some batting! 
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