Thursday, January 21, 2016

Let the Fun Begin!

Cleanin' and Organizin'

Stage 1 -- Inventory the unquilted tops. This included measuring, photographing, noting if back and/or binding had been prepared, and starting a spreadsheet to track.

First 20 of the unquilted tops
Altogether I counted over 30!!! A few I plan to keep for myself, including one that my husband admired as I had it spread out on the dining room table to measure. The rest will probably go to charity. I know one local guild needs to replenish its supply of bed-size charity quilts. Some would be appropriate for wheelchairs and a couple are crib size. I am amazed at how much floor space has appeared throughout the house!

Stage 2 - Organize/reorganize the stash.  One of my blog friends (sorry, I don't recall exactly who) mentioned that she is making string blocks (among other things) for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. That became my next organizational task -- do something with the enormous pile of strings (wish I had thought to photograph it) that had accumulated over the last 6 months. First I pulled out all the blue strings (January's color); the rest went into a large plastic tub, but not before I went through a second large tub of scraps looking for anything thin and blue. I also took that opportunity to pull out strings of other colors to go into the string bin.

String blocks and a string border
The studio is already looking neater after I made about thirty 6-1/2" string blocks, a length of 2" wide sashing/border, and about sixty 2" 4-patch units.

Itty-bitty 4-patches
Even my light squares came from the blue pile!! In the end I had a few strips that could go in labeled strip drawers and a few chunks that could go in the blue scrap box. And the surface next to my machine is clear ... for now!

I think this much progress is whoop-worthy so I'm linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.



9 comments:

  1. Good for you for getting organized Libby! I don't have many ufo's, but I have quilts that I haven't started at all. My scraps are not organized at all either. That might be something to start when I'm snowed in over the weekend!

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  2. Knowing what you've got is a good place to start. Over 30 isn't too bad. Congrats on making a dent in all your blue scraps. You've got some very pretty blocks out of the deal.

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  3. Isn't it fun getting reacquainted with your quilt tops...even if you plan on passing them along? It becomes necessary at times. I've a bin of strings and chunks that will some day become something...or pass to my heirs, lol.

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  4. Wow, you're really making some progress in the sewing room! Stay warm -

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  5. Yea for organization. Also, brilliant to put unquilted tops in a spreadsheet. I do that with batting pieces but rather ignore the tops. On the other hand my unquilted tops numbers around 10. Now ufos... that's a much higher number. I'm still trying to deal with scraps... I've been thinking string quilts also..... Good job so far!

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  6. Holy cow! 30??? The beginning of every year is the best time to start to organize! Good luck and maybe try to get a little sewing in too!

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  7. I love what you're making in your organizational efforts! String blocks are on my 'someday' list - I love seeing other people's!

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  8. Your blue string blocks are looking great! Good for you getting organized (something I aspire to do one of these days, LOL). It's a lot of work but definitely worth it.

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  9. Nice work on the studio clean-up and all the Strings and squares that got sewn into blocks!!

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