Friday, May 29, 2009

String Block Tops

   Since I started working on making string blocks, they have completely taken over my sewing room. I think they are breeding at night! I am still not out of shirt strings, and I am determined to get all of those sewn up. I will not start on the other strings I have because this is just taking much longer than I thought it would. If I get finished with the shirt strings I'll be happy.


  This is my first ever string quilt top. ^ I am amazed how far strings go. I used to throw all of these pieces away. When I trim up the blocks, I could save the trimmings to use in crumb blocks, but I decided I needed to draw a line somewhere. I am throwing all of the trimmings away. I feel OK about that, after all, I'm already making blocks out of what I used to consider trash. Lately the only yardage I've been using is for borders and backs. I have been scrap crazy.


    Here is the second top I finished. I don't know if you can tell, but the solid lights are a mixture of white and cream. I thought it made it a little more interesting. I have enough blocks for another one of these tops, which I will hopefully get together tomorrow. The next top will only have dark strings, no lights. It will still have the white and cream solids.
    I am also working on another string quilt, a little different than these two. Add to that I'm  sewing up the leftovers from my mystery quilt into another quilt top. Oh, and I trying to figure out a pattern for my bonus HST's from my flying geese quilt. Perhaps the reason this is taking so long is because I am working on so many projects at once? hmmmmm. I kind of consider all the string blocks one project. I'll end up with multiple lap quilts but my goal was singular- sew up all my shirt strings. Now the mystery quilt, the bonus quilt from the leftovers of that, and the bonus HST quilt, OK, they are separate projects from the strings.
    At least I got enough blocks sewed up that I had room on the cutting table to cut the borders. That is an improvement! If I get a couple more of these lap quilts sewn up, I might actually have enough room to start cutting the quilts I owe my kids.

2 comments:

Kristie said...

Oh my goodness! You are really sewing right along on those string blocks!!! I haven't tried those yet but everyone says that they are addictive!
Kristie

Michelle said...

Those are so pretty!