Well, this lock down is starting to make a teeny tiny dent on my fabric. One of the ladies in my Tuesday Group (which has shut down "for the duration" as we say around here) is having a hard time getting started on projects but is rather enjoying quilting down. So I offered her the two preemie tops I had made last year. Think those lasted the afternoon... today she is picking up that Horse with No Name project and last year's Confetti top along with a couple other smaller thrift store tops I've picked up along the way. I added enough fabric suitable for backs and she has a roll of batting so things are going to get done.

For new members, the Confetti top was made out of a box of squares I was given last year. At our Tuesday group we circulate fabric but the rule is if you take it, you have to deal with it -- no bringing back! There was a bag of precut squares that looked fun and I glanced up and said "I'll take all the squares", meaning I'd take that bag... I didn't know that the entire bottom of the box was just full of precut squares, some more precise than others, and varying from about 4-7" but apparently according to the group I was stuck with the whole lot. I pulled out all the juvenile and bright "adult" squares and cut them into the project attached, it made a slightly more easily used bundle of squares and I took all the metallic ones and made Scrap Metal which I am keeping for myself. I was done with the squares at that point and sent them on to another quilter. I think what was left was a lot easier to work with once I took all the funky bits and made the Confetti quilt!

And then I just got back from my neighbor's we set up my 301 on their covered porch (weather is lovely out here) and Matt is going to make some face masks! His wife is still working from home so he's going to start making them for their large extended family. Printed off the pleated version, made a "pattern" of the rectangle size out of a manilla folder, grabbed a cheap pair of scissors, my portable pin cushion, and some fabric and brought it next door.

Apparently I need to get more "guy" stuff out of the stash... Hard to be thug apparently with happy strawberries across your face!

Great tops and a great way of helping people stay busy by giving them things to do, Iceblossom.

Wonderful tops, Iceblossom!

Ice you have a heavy foot...you speed through projects...nice finishes.

Those were last year finishes! Just posted because they are going to actually be gone and donated this year. I still have I think 4 completed projects done too, like the Here Kitty Kitty (that does need a couple tiny quilting stitch fixes). At least the stack on that end of the couch is getting pretty tall.

I'm still working on the bunny star but have gotten distracted by finally starting to make masks. I'm finding them rather fun... mostly I'm making the pleated style with bias trimmed down from my quilting leftovers as ties.

Bunny star did really good on all the square corners but one. I'm not sure if that is the first one I pinned the first triangle into but I hope so, because one side was great, the other side not so good. I figure by the time I'm done with all 48 of these things I will have gotten the technique down. The second set was a bit better, and the third one -- I don't know what I did but it was time for a seam ripper and a coffee break, still haven't quite where I went wrong but I sure sewed two of the wrong seams together some how!

So back to the bunnies with me.

I posted a pic on the UFO thread of that 1 1/2 year old kitted project that was sitting on the shelves. The quilt top is done so now I'm prepping for quilting.... My next project is a new King quilt for our bedroom...I kinda changed the decor when we moved...lol...so now, I need to a new quilt. Bummer...lol..

So I got 2 jelly rolls from Amazon! Whoo-hoo! Plus the donated fabric, from which I've made 6 masks. I used ribbon for ties since I had no elastic. My daughters have a couple with elastic & they say it makes.their ears sore, so they prefer the ribbon ties. Some of the donated fabric was ok for quilting, so I'm making a baby quilt for the September arrival of my first great grandchild, a girl. My oldest brother is looking forward to the arrival of his first grandson, also in September, so I'm using some of the jelly roll strips for a quilt for that baby. I have added to my fabric, but I'm content with it.

Conchela - I'm so happy for you that your fabric arrived. I would be really bummed if I couldn't sew right now. So I feel ya girl!

Iceblossom, I applaud you for all the good deeds you are doing with your time and talent.

Help help Internets!
I accidentally over bought the hedgehogs fleece for another project but I had scrap from 3 other projects and made the 9 patches and then the WIW was a stash purchase and presto: Irish chain.baby blanket.*

Here is my quandary- the top is just a wee bit larger than the fleece back. Its not pressed yet in the picture. Perhaps 2-3" of overage. If it was regular cotton (or regular times) I would go into my stash and find something to piece in the middle or on the edge and be done. But its fleece. I dont have any more fleece. I have flannel and regular cotton. I don't even know- can you piece fleece? How can I get this finished? So advice please?

*I'm trying to keep it gender neutral. I'm pioneering a charity quilting project at my church. The 98x98 top (large queen? Small king?) Is almost finished and I'll need about $300 for backing, batting and quilting. I'm going to offer this little guy for a $100 and hope to get the other 200 just from donations. It will go to Habitat for Humanity.

Ok, so several options -- we can do this.

First off tolerances would be tight and it would be a lump along the edge but you have enough left on the one side to cut into a strip for the other side. I'd consider cutting the remaining strip into a long skinny triangle and off set it a bit to get the other length instead of cutting two super skinny strips.

Likewise, I don't think you have quite enough but you just might be able to cut your existing piece into triangles and slide them down just enough. That would leave a large undesirable seam in a large scale fabric so not your best choice maybe, but a possibility.
http://blog.ilovefabric.com/2009/03/...-flynn-method/

Next option -- any white flannel in the stash? Or a color that otherwise goes with either the top or the back? When adding fabric in cases like this, I like to make sure stuff fits easily, so I'd actually trim off a bit from the width and put two edges on, about 8" each, so there would still be a couple inches to quilt with. Normally on back seams you do cut at 1/2" and press open. In this case, I'd still have a 1/2" seam but I'd fold the flannel over so the fleece lies flat -- if that makes sense.

Here's a "more fabric" option. Add a border around your top and make it bigger! Then frame the fleece with same fabric, and bind with the same. If you aren't using batting, consider a layer of flannel or very thin batting in the cotton to cotton sections.

My first attempt at using fleece had a piece that turned out just a smidge too small, and I pieced in a bit of the coordinating binding fabric. Not ideal but you can see a triangle about 1/2" wide x 3 inches long and it made it possible to finish. Once done you really have to look for it. You can see the back side of the cotton pieced in fabric in the photo.

Edit: The final choice is to simply design and make a new top for the hedgehog fabric and use the existing top on a different back. I'm really rather notorious for changing my mind and making a different back for a project which then means I have to find a project for the rejected back. With some of my fabrics that can be more easily said than done!

Conchalea, I hadn't thought of using ribbon! What width of ribbon are you using? My son gave me permission to cut down some of his old T-shirts that he left here, so I am going to try making the 'T-shirt yarn' for ties. I haven't decided how I will try attaching them.

Joe'smom, I had a couple of rolls of ribbons and trims that I got for when I finally make my kuspuks.
https://www.lapassionvoutee.com/what-is-a-kuspuk/

I'm concerned that silky ribbons won't hold a knot well, but one of the ones I had was a good color of red with like a hibiscus textured embossed design that provided some grip. I had already done a wash test with it, sewing both sides on to a white piece of fabric and watching for how well it held up, did it bleed, and did it shrink and it passed all tests. I have a limited amount of the textured grosgrain type ribbon, that works well for the knots. The thicker more embroidered trims are just too heavy to fold over, but if you had a spool of 1/4" woven that would be fine.

I'm making "walking around masks" despite Florida beaches being open, our parks in the Seattle/Washington area are still closed and we aren't supposed to be going to them. When we do go out just in our own neighborhood, "they" want us to wear masks. These are not meant for people with compromised systems, or for first line workers but for the rest of us. They are washable, just remember that "pleats go down" which makes sense, you want stuff to fall off you and not be stuck around your face.

Anyway, my masks are very simple and since Seattle is out of elastic and since I have yards and yards of strange fabrics that I've used for quilt bindings, I'm encasing the raw edges of the mask in double-fold bias binding. The ribbon I had was 7/8" and folded into a tie that worked nicely. I just zigzag up binding.

Somewhere between 1.5-2" is a good width for the raw fabric for the binding. In the picture below (which is my mask!) the yellow strings were 1.5" cut, folded in half, then the raw edges folded in again. Two bindings are cut at 36", centered on mask raw edges. It is much easier to work with yard long pieces than long lengths, and that way you know ahead of time if you have enough and not cut one exactly and have the next 4" short...

A good size for large adults, I start with a rectangle, 8.5x16". This has no pocket, so just sew the seam with right sides together, since no pocket I just use 1/4" seam. I press open, turn right side out, and slightly offset the seam, make my pleats, stay stitch. Then after I have some, I pin on the bindings and set to zig zag.

Joe'smom, I'm using ribbon from my stash & my daughter's. I think it's 3/8-1/2 inch strips. My first ones I cut too short, so I'm now using pretty long pieces. Both of my daughters said the ribbon feels better than elastic. I made the strips long enough to tie them, not to just go around the ears. I thought tiring would be more comfortable for long times of wearing the mask.

Thanks for that info, Conchalea and Iceblossom! I'll try starting with 1.5" strips for the sewn ties.

Rff 1010
Another idea, make the top smaller to match the back.

I used another 9 3/4 yards of stash fabric making my second showering stars quilt, all scraps except the blue background fabric which was 5 yards. I will use another 3 yards of a wide backing when I get to quilting it.

My oldest son (41 yrs) lives in Kentucky, last year in November I sent him a new sewing machine and some supplies for his birthday. Life was busy and although he was excited to receive it he hadn’t taken any time to use it- although he read the manual a few times. When he lost his job a month ago due to our pandemic he decided he had time to try it out. He started just trying out every stitch, playing around- then he started making face masks, trying to find the one that fit best- then he expressed a desire to maybe make a quilt. He was sending me texts and pictures. Knowing he and his wife have had a rough stressful winter and have been struggling due to large, unexpected financial hits I asked him what supplies he had. I packed up a box with a cutting mat, rotary cutter, couple rulers, pins and clover clips and some fabric, then I parked a second box with about 20 yards of fabric ranging from 1/2 yard to 2 yard pieces . So, that’s about 23 more yards out of my stash. Between the 2 boxes. He was so excited when he received that big box. Today he was sending me pictures of star blocks he’s making- they are so good!
inhad sent him a note with the box saying to visit ( quilters cache) for block patterns.

there is actually some room on my shelves! Pretty soon I will spend a day organizing, straightening up the shelves- seems like I’ve been just cramming for so long. I am working on another scrap quilt too. I’ve been able to stay motivated and productive through this isolation so far.

Way to go, ckcowl! I'm happy your son is enjoying learning to sew and create.

joe'smom: I made tshirt ties and was planning on wrapping the bottom around my neck and then tying the loose ends behind my head. Then my son said something about cutting elastic and tying it behind the ears so I tried that with the tshirt ties and it works. I'm going to untie the knots, however, and overlap the ends and try to run a few stitches back and forth over the knit so it won't be so bulky behind/under my ears. I used the same method for making a place for the elastic to go through for my tshirt ties. I added a 2" binding type of edge for them.

Teen....the BOM you posted on another thread is wonderful. Makes me smile and think that spring may finally arrive in my corner of the world. I guess it’s good keeping people indoors but enough already....I need some sunshine!

Ice blossom, you are a treat! The boats are adorable.

For the last couple of years there hasn’t been too many clearance FQ bundles I haven’t jumped for and I finally dove into the pile a couple of weeks ago.

I separated into three groups. Bright ‘solids’ for a jewel box, greens, aquas and muted blues for a SAS and what was left over for a 60o triangle strip.

The SAS has a long way to go.....need over 300 more blocks. My goal is to do 10-20 blocks per week whilst working on other projects. This is the one I have wanted to do for a very long time.

I love how the strip turned out, I only wish I had been able to make it bed size.

The jewel box is OK...I had higher hopes for it and think I will add a small black border once I am able to get more of the solid black batik.

Lovely projects all, Cattitude!

I've really gotten distracted by making bias bindings. I've used up my leftover bias bindings by this point and am now taking yardage and turning it into bias the standard way (take a square, cut along diagonal, make "fangs", draw lines, stitch). And now I'm turning it into double fold. Already mentioned here I think that 2.5" jelly roll strips are too wide and you want to be 1.5-2" wide. I'm using 1 yard (each side) for my masks, think it would be fine to be full width of fabric if you are going straight grain.

Don't know how many of you know this method of using paper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR7sWFwo48g

I'm using something similar to help me with ironing my binding since I want to to have it all raw ends encased. Helps my eyesight issues and from getting my fingers burned! I've tried various combinations of things, there is a lot to be said for that smaller 3-4" width, mine is longer but I do press down the end part when I'm pulling the next segment through, and the end is more of a funnel prompting the fabric into the right turns.

Don't know if any of these show it, but in case you wonder why I wear my wedding ring on my left index finger -- it's because that's where it fits now as opposed to where it fit 100 pounds ago :p

Great projects, Cattitude!

Thanks for the bias tape link, Iceblossom. Also congratulations on losing 100 pounds! That is an awesome accomplishment.

Conchalea, been thinking of you. I'm willing to give you an "itchy fingers and empty hands" on-line shopping excursion pass, I don't think any fabric you might get now counts since you don't have access to stash.

One of my Tuesday group ladies took 2 yards from my stash for her project. Originally she had asked about large pieces of solids, and then amended that to reads as solids or small prints. I pulled out about 10 pieces, one of which was sort of like my Minions choice -- it fit the design criteria and that was the one she chose. I had figured that next to last in most likely to go -- glad it found a project.

I have both my machines in the shop. The Bernina shop is "closed for the duration" which should be May 5 here now. The other dealer is my preferred repair guy anyway and he'll take care of it as well as find a suitable vintage replacement foot for my Remington. They were closed but applied for and got an exemption as an essential business and said that they are busy enough they are calling back their vacuum repair person. I finally got the foot pedal opened and found it was a much more complex mechanism inside than I would have ever guessed! There was this channel thing in the middle made of bakelite or some early plastic, and that is what shattered when I dropped it from desk height. Plus there was the definite black mark of an electric short, no repairs on that one just replace.

So here's the latest picture of some of masks I made yesterday. Made a ton of binding that still needs to be pressed for today's batch. These made for my son/DDiL and their friends. We can't hide it that we are wearing them, so we might as well make some sort of statement...

Iceblossom: Your masks brought a smile to my face.

Love the masks Iceblossom. Hope your machines are up and running soon.

Rob

Thanks for the kind thoughts and comments all! I'm not counting up my stash usage in masks, but the size I'm making uses up a half yard pretty well to make 4-5 masks, not including the binding. So the face part of that larger cheetah print was a half yard used up, same with the fake Indonesian batik to the side. I get two out of fat quarter. Feels good to (finally) use up my long left overs of bindings, some of them have been around awhile. Anyway, not counting yardage or masks made but it's a few of each.

They are my preferred machines, Rob -- but I still have plenty more to go.

My neighbor is enjoying sewing the masks with the 301. He's been a construction type guy most of the time and really liked the line I got from Leonf (I think) about sewing machines being power tools with needles. I read Adam Savage's book Every Tool's a Hammer (which the hubby read recently too, not on my recommendation but by finding it himself). He describes what he does as being a "maker" and has a section in there about one of the few times he ever really lost his cool was when one of the shop assistants used his fabric scissors for cutting a wire stemmed floral piece. When/if Matt gets done I'll see about the teenage girls next door and if they would like to use it -- but Matt is semi-afraid he might have a new hobby and a future in fibers so I don't know if that will be any time soon, we chatted over the fence yesterday because he wants to keep sewing a bit more.

So I have the cheapo Brother set up and chugging away on the masks and a bit of quilting here and there. I still have the vintage Pfaff which is the stand to a rarely watched tv in my bedroom, all I have to do is take the tv and put it somewhere. And if that goes, hubby brought his grandma's machine when he moved here. I think it's a White? Free? Rough textured, no nice decals, it was in working condition when he got here 15 years ago but could probably use some attention from me. It was a machine that received heavy use and is in the memory of all the kids/grandkids as a part of the household. It currently acts as a lamp stand under a picture my grandmother painted.

I've gotten the Bunny Star blocks done and next step is to see if I have enough fabric to do the setting I want to do... I think I do but it's going to be close so while I still have options I'm going to measure first or maybe 2-3 times even! Also putting together the back of the Cherry Goose top. When the Bernina is working, I really like the serpentine stitch in large block/grids, most likely will just run that through with that, give sort of a rickrack look which will work with the cherries. I'm actually sort of looking forward to running a couple of these projects through Bernie, the Wonky Bright project from last year will probably come back up with a large meander to hold it together.

My Tuesday lady who got the stash fabric also brought back the Confetti top (unquilted). That one I always intended that it be done with the serpentine stitch. She's used to preemie/small projects and it was just too big for her comfort level, is basically a twin sized.

I love your bright masks, iceblossom, especially the floral on black in the back. I'm slowing down - made three yesterday between sandwiching a quilt, which didn't go well. Then I got a message from yet another grandson that his family would like some. I asked some questions and haven't heard back. I'd like to do the children's tonight, but I won't press it - the ball is in his court.
The quilt is sandwiched, but I can't decide how to quilt it. I think I'll just do an allover large meander and throw in some spirals and maybe some hearts - it's for a new great grandson.

I'm to have my grocery list messaged to my daughter by bedtime - she shops early and I sleep late. It's hard to think a week ahead without being in the store. I do appreciate her willingness to take care of me, so I'm not complaining. She returned my carpet cleaner today - her husband was in the car, but wouldn't come in. He does the computer systems for the prisons in the state and knows he is around the dreaded virus, so he's not going to come in the house of an elderly person. C doesn't give me hugs for that reason. I think that is the hardest thing about this. One of the cats is hugger, but it's not the same as a human. Okay, enough whining. Off to walk the dog. I took a nap - the dog was on her bed on top of mine, one cat on my hip and one in the crook of my legs.

Iceblossom, I enjoy seeing the results of your stash adventures. I got the top pieced together for my great-granddaughter's quilt. It still kind of freaks me out to say or write that! But quilting it will have to.wait until I move. All my special quilting feet are in storage, along with the thread I use to quilt. I tried to do some straight-line quilting with the regular foot, but it didn't work too well, so I'll just leave it. I've also made 4 log cabin blocks for the quilt I plan for my brother's grandson. When my 2nd jelly roll gets here I'll make more blocks & put the top together. The sewing is therapeutic.

Well, I'm about a yard short for the back of my Cherry Goose project and there is just nothing in stash that will work. I'm going to go ahead and buy 3 yards each of black and white yardage, and a piece of white on white polka dot for the Cherry Goose. If I had any plain white, it would have worked but I used all of that up during the Bonnie Hunter Frolic/Hand Dye excursion.

I've always bought Kona solids so that my black/white is true to each other but I'm going to change brands and switching all my solids to American Made
http://www.clothworks.com/AMB

So I went to equilter.com, apparently my moratorium ways are working on me, because I'm not adding anything to the order! Ok, I would have if the piece of Cat-it-tude by Benartex was still on sale but it was gone. I notice that all the sales pages are heavily picked over and less offerings than usual. They did have some other fabrics from that line (and now there are a dog and a horse similar lines!), but they didn't make it into the cart. I did some looking and more than one "ooo that's nice" but made it out with only my 3 pieces.

Way to stay strong IceB!

A couple of months ago I went through my scrap bin and kitted up for six projects. This week I was getting bored with a couple of tops I am working on that seem to be dragging on a bit and nothing cheers me up like working on a scrappy.

This pattern is Carolina Crossing, one of Bonnie Hunter’s. I picked it up in a free supplement that came with a quilting magazine. I scaled the blocks up from 4.5” to 6”. The original pattern used lighter neutrals for contrast however I don’t have many in my scrap bin and decided to rainbow it instead. Also instead of going scrappy for the setting triangles I used a constant.....pieces of leftover backing I was going to make binding out of.

Nice top, Cattitude! I like it just the way you did it. I went over and saw Bonnie's, I think your rainbow gives it a lot more life.

I also like the way the setting triangles make a definite end/edge. Your eye sort of runs over the rest of it but says "ok, can stop here!".

What I noticed was, for the most part, the warm color small squares run vertically and cool run horizontally. Nicely done, Cattitude/

Wonderful top, Cattitude!

An excellent colorful top, Cattitude.
My LQS is opening this week and I don't need anything. Limited hours, 4 people in the store at a time, mandatory masks and they well be sanitizing your debit card. Restrictive, but it's a start. The one I need to open is a computer repair - my favorite monitor is ailing.

Due to another thread, I am owning up to my "unfinished tops that aren't quite quilts" today and I made my first album of pictures connected to my profile.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/member...bums20314.html

Notice: I'm not joining the UFO challenge, just trying to keep myself on track.

Realistically, I only see myself getting the last year's Confetti and Wonky Bright done in the near future. I'll be able to do the current Bunny Star project too. I might be able to do something really basic with the serpentine stitch on the Minions and Cherry Goose this year too.

But I'm in the group to use up fabric, not to finish quilts!

Do any of the rest of you have albums? I've seen them mentioned but today was my first day to find out about them.

Ice, you have a beautiful collection of UFO's. Just whittle away at them as you can.The group does not put pressure on you. I am in the UFO group and some months I have one or two finishes, but other months nothing. I am doing better with the fabric moratorium group. Many of my UFO's are finished with fabric from my stash, so they count in both groups. Keep on, and reduce your number of UFOs and stash in your own way. We all love to cheer when someone gets a finish!

A nice collection of flimsies, Ice. I'm like WMUTeach with flimsies to finish and fabric to use up, and not always in that order! Recently I finished a UFO flimsy and felt good about it, but not good enough to find backing to really finish it. It's waiting for just the right mate (fabric), haha! Meanwhile I'm creating another small quilt from stash and dreaming about what I will use for backing, so this one will be seen through to the end.

Have a good day everyone.

Placed an order today. 7m of 4 different solids and 3m of prints. All will go towards 5 different projects using stash so I feel OK about it.

A little torn on this Moratorium thing.....I am learning a lot about my buying habits by working through my stash. On the other hand I miss the excitement of going to a LQS or online shop and picking up something just because. I am not a shopper otherwise, just quilt fabric! Staying firm for now!

The fabric moratorium is a growing and changing (often challenging!) thing for each of us, Cattitude. Collecting fabric is not a bad thing, but then it should be cherished and curated and treated as a collection and not in forgotten heaps and piles :p I have friends with entire basements or storage units of fabric, some are like shops and some are like hoarders, and I was getting somewhere closer to the hoarders.

I still love textiles. I still covet textiles. I still see things all the time that tempt me, so one thing I do is not tempt myself too much. I don't shop as a hobby and I don't want regular emails enticing me to buy things, I do get one a week from equilter, some times I look and other times i don't.

It really took the diagnosis of my eye condition and that no, I really wasn't going to be able to use up all this fabric while I still had eyesight remaining that made me get serious about reducing my stash and therefore, using my stash. To many, I still have a huge stash because to them I do, to others not so much. I'm aware though that it is maybe 1/4th of what it used to be...

I had to ban myself from physical fabric shops maybe 10 years ago or so... and try to only go in when I need something. It's sort of like fabric lock down! But I still buy fabrics from the thrift store, thrift store shopping is one of my hobbies and I'm sadly missing it, even Goodwill is "closed for the duration" in Seattle. I have several things I look for, fabric is only one of them. The thrill of the hunt and how cheap the deal are part of the attraction, it's just not the same thing for me shelling out hundreds of dollars as it is with "all that for less than $20!".

This is my 2nd year in the Moratorium, it helps me be mindful of my purchases by owning up to what I get and do I want to use it or do I just want to acquire it. Hubby has a hard time with the "but it's such a good deal" sort of thing, we don't drink soda but one of the markets had the 2 litres of name brands for 0.33 each, and he was so tempted just to buy $20 worth and take them to work to give to people because it was such a good deal. But he's learning too -- sometimes it's a better deal for someone else than it is for us.

Hi, everybody.
I haven't been able to post for a while, but it looks like you guys are keeping up the fight without me. Plus, we have gotten a few new joiners. Yay! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/thumbup.png

I also got a couple of tops done about 6 weeks ago along with some pillowcases to go with my mom's birthday quilt. The cases were out of the remainder of the border fabric. Thank God, she asked for them before I got that cut up. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...s/rolleyes.png

I also managed to get a few things crochetted up for charity and some lessons.