New Scraps

 

As you can see in the photo, my scrap basket is empty! I pre-cut into the sizes of strips and squares I save, and now that they are all pressed and in usable sizes, I've already used some of these! The messy pile in the back is strings, which have already been sorted by color into my string bins. I've got most of these scraps put away now, but I'm not quite finished putting away the strips. All the squares are put away. 

I also finished the quillow for DD#1.

I had only a fat quarter of this really large scale print, so I figured a quillow pocket was a good place to use it. 

I've still been being careful with my RSI, even though it's doing so much better. Piecing blocks is much easier on my RSI than assembling quilts or FMQ, so I've been assembling blocks made out of leftover units from other quilts. I'm going to end up with a couple kid and lap quilts from that, and I feel pretty good about using up random leftovers. 

Since I've made a deal with myself that for a while I only want to use UFO's or scrap projects as my leader/ender projects, I keep having to hunt down more UFO's, especially the barely started ones. I found some Dresden plates I cut out over six years ago when I was making a baby quilt for one of my granddaughters. My plan for them was to applique the Dresden plates into the open areas of an Irish Chain quilt. I never cut the background for that quilt out, but I did cut a bunch of the squares I needed for the chain, as well as a bunch of Dresdens. Even though I hadn't sewn a stitch on the project, I still consider it a UFO because I had so much of it cut. I found it when I opened my 1930's repro bin, since that project is all 30's repro.

I wanted to use 30's repro for a doll quilt for my youngest grandaughter, who is getting the doll cradle my grandfather made me when I was young. I've re-made linens for that cradle multiple times now. I made new linens when my girls were young, then again for my oldest granddaughter. Now I'm doing it again for my youngest granddaughter. DH is going to spruce up the cradle itself, and with new linens and a new baby doll, I think it will be a good 1st birthday present. My oldest granddaughter is ten now, and more into Barbies than baby dolls, so she was willing to pass it to her cousin.

Since I came across the cut Dresden plates, I decided to add those to the leader/ender queue. Yesterday I got all the tops of the Dresdens wedges sewn up, and I'll be turning and pressing the points over the next few days. I figure I can assemble the Dresdens as leaders/enders, and then put them aside until I want to make that project my main project. Having the Dresdens ready to applique will make that project go much faster when the time comes. 

I have started assembling one of the quilts I had in rows. I'm working on the sunflower quilt because I had light colored thread in the Bernina where I like to assemble quilts. I should be able to finish assembling the quilt center today, then I'll need to cut borders. I finally decided what I wanted to do for those, nothing fancy, but I'd like to bring the quilt up to twin size. 

I'll switch the Bernina over to a darker piecing thread once I get the sunflower quilt center together, because I have to finish assembling the I Spy quilts for my grandsons so I can quilt them! I'm running out of time on that. As long as I have those assembled by the end of February, I should be fine. I got extra wide backing for both of those, so once they are assembled it's straight to basting, no borders on those quilts, and no backings to piece. I'd like to get both the I Spy quilts finished in March. 

Sometimes I find the way I work pretty funny. I always have projects at multiple stages on purpose, it's easier on my joints to switch up which activity I'm doing. What I find funny is how a project I didn't need nor had planned to do will take over, like the sunflower quilt. I came up with that idea around Christmas, and here it's almost a finished top. 

On the other hand, I have projects like the 1930's Irish Chain with Dresdens, and I can let it sit around for years, knowing someday I'll finish it. I can even work on the Dresden plates and still feel no pressure to just get it done. Someday it will be that quilts turn to be the main project, it just hasn't happened yet. 

I do think in a couple years I should have a break from deadline quilts. After this year, I'll only have four unmarried nieces and nephews out of fifteen. I try to make them all wedding quilts, but I'm almost done with those. I make all the grandkids a baby quilt, then another for a big bed for their second birthday, figuring they'll move out of the crib around then. Unless someone surprises me, I think I've got all the grandkids I'm going to get, and the last one will turn 2 next year. Now, after that, my grandkids can get a new quilt whenever they ask for one, so I have made new quilts for the older grandkids, but those are never a planned thing. It's literally just whenever they ask for something different. As far as event quilts go, I should be coming to the end of that for a while. Baby quilts will always be a thing, but those are fun to make, and I can get one made in a week pretty easily, faster if I need to. I make all the great nieces and nephews a baby quilt, as well as other people I know.  It's mostly the BIG deadline quilts that should be coming to an end. I'll still be making quilts to gift, both to family and charity, but it will be able to be more on my timeline than someone else's, and I think that's something to look forward to. 

Besides sewing, I'm finally starting to deal with my recipes, and I bought a recipe binder and page protectors, so I can finally get stuff into one space. 

Today I've been having fun working with a new-to-me Roomba. DD#2 bought a new robotic vacuum that both vacuums and mops, so she gave her old one to me. It misses some spots, but I can already tell it will be great to use in between big vacuuming days. When my RSI is bothering me vacuuming is not happening unless DH does it. Maybe I'll eventually buy the one that mops too, who knows? For now, a hand-me-down Roomba is quite a blessing, and definitely fits the budget better.