Some things I should like better than I do

I have been hunting for something I misplaced for quite some time now -- unsuccessfully I might add. Anyway I have come across some things that I really should like alot. After all I bought them didn't I? Must have liked them, right? And I do like them, but they are just not quite right somehow. I thought I would share a few. First up is a make do. Very popular in the prim world, right? And from my very favourite prim store, but, I don't know, maybe a little too purposely contrived as prim? Or how about these boxes? I was quite pleased when I discovered them at the thrift store, but no matter where I put them they somehow just do not float my boat.

Or this. Also thrifted. Cute as can be, right? Well, maybe not so much. Very retro '50's. I just have no clue what to do with it.

Now here is someone's mega project. This was in a plastic sack at the thrift store. It was hard to tell its size. Turns out it is about a foot wide and several feet long. I think it was made a while back based on the fabrics. Yo yos are really popular. I am not a very good yo yo maker. Maybe it's because I don't like them as much as everyone else.

Doesn't it seem like there are cycles or trends in the quilting world? Redwork for a while, aprons for a while, tote bags still seem to be really popular. Oh, and pillowcases are the latest thing, aren't they?

I had to rescue this and I do appreciate the labour that went into it. I just don't seem to like it all that much. Oh, did I mention how heavy it is? A full size yo yo quilt would way a ton I think.

As you know I LOVE Christmas. And when I found these (also at the thrift store) I had big plans for replacing the fabric centers. Years later, and have I done it? No. And I suppose I never will.

Here's another set of primitive boxes. And I have seen this set in oodles of primitive and country magazine photos. Again I was delighted when I found it at the thrift store. And I have placed it in many places in the house. But, nope, nowhere seems to be the right place for it.

And hearts, you know I love hearts. We do an ornament swap every year at work as part of the 12 Days of Christmas and this was the one I won a few years ago. Old fashioned -- check. The look of mercury glass -- check. Heart shaped -- check. And yet, I have never hung it on my tree. That little twist on the bottom just doesn't work for me.

Oh, here we go, an item from Gooseberry Patch. It's a collectors' item now, right? Since they have discontinued their catalog. Hearts, gingham, cute curly wire. But it is a garland and you all know I am garland challenged. I have never found the right home for it either.

And these are red, snap on to Christmas tree limbs or other things, but, hmmm. Nothing.

Another Gooseberry Patch item. What could be better than plaid stars and hearts? These items have graced many a bowl and basket trying to find the perfect spot. Even the Christmas tree. And yet they have spent more of their life in a box then anywhere else.

One last item, then I will change the subject. I have a red one of these that I love and when I found this one I thought immediately of my lack of spring time decorating items and pounced on it. At a real store, not a thrift store I might add. And I have put different things in it every Easter and spring for the last few years. But, no, just doesn't quite do it for me.

So, do you have things like this? Things that for some reason or another are a disappointment? One person's disappointment is another's happy find. I am thinking some of these items will be featured in upcoming giveaways. Just because they don't make me happy doesn't mean they won't make someone else happy. So stay tuned.

Meanwhile I have something new to share. In keeping with the bummed out theme of the last few weeks though, it wasn't easy to acquire. I have been thinking of purchasing one of these ever since I saw in Sweet P's blog that she was using a similar item to cut circles for penny rugs. And when I researched it on the web as far as I could tell everyone who used one loved it.

I had that JoAnn's gift card burning a hole in my pocket and this seemed the perfect item on which to use it. Except it is not carried in the stores, only online. Well, okay, I received an email with a 40% off coupon and free shipping a few weeks ago. Time to order. Not. JoAnn's web site doesn't allow you to use 2 coupons. Grrr. Frustrated, I didn't place an order and hunted elsewhere on the web for it.

And this sad tale goes on and on, but enough of the whiney downer stuff -- finally I got my hands on it. What is it you ask? Well, look and see...

Now, I don't scrapbook. In fact, if it weren't for this blog I wouldn't take pictures either. But after learning that this will indeed die cut fabric, even wool, I really wanted it. So right off the bat, I had to test it out. What do you think?

Cute, aren't they? And look what else you get! Oh, okay, these probably are supposed to be thrown away. But there must be something you can do with them, don't you think? I just know it.

So look at this stashlet! Isn't it cute? Fun, fun fun.

Oh, and there is one more stashlet to share. Now I have 22 of them and that is enough. I know you are wondering what I have planned for them. I guess I can share as none of the folks who work for me read my blog. Or even know it exists.

I think I mentioned that I am planning on retiring at the end of the year. Every year I have tried really hard to find unique (and inexpensive -- there have been as many as 30 of them some years) Christmas gifts for my folks. I usually hunt all year long and they always look forward to them. So this year, stashlets for all. That way they will have something to remember me by. And that's the reason I wanted so many colours and styles. I don't really know their tastes. So I figured if I have enough for all plus some spares they can choose something they like. I just haven't figured out quite how to do the gifting so they have a chance to choose. But hey, I have plenty of time to get that figured out.

Continuing saga of the stashlets

Another weekend, another pile of stashlets. I almost have enough made now for what I have in mind. I actually am working on the last one but ran short of time today. You will have to wait for next time to see that one. Meanwhile, here is this week's production.

You know I don't do a lot of blue quilts but for this purpose blue is good I think because most people seem to like blue and don't have my prejudice against it. I like this one. Another citrus-y one.

And on to another blue. Some of these blue fabrics are old, old, old since they are from my blue period. It is nice to get to use some up

I decided to make another of these. But only one more as all the little squares do get tedious. Since this image is patriotic it seemed right to add some red into the squares.

This one actually looks tons better in real life than in the photo. The various shades of purple actually look really ygood together.

I like this one alot. Yesterday apparently was my red, white and blue day as these two were the first ones finished. I used to buy my fabrics at JoAnns and So Fro and the other companies that JoAnns seemed to buy up. Lot's of these fabrics are from those days. Mainly it was an issue of price. These days I am definitely a quilt shop fabric snob. Even though it kills me to pay $9.00 plus per yard. Not that JoAnns is so cheap anymore. I still buy backs there and even when they have sales the prices aren't as good as they used to be.

Here is the other RWB one. I don't like it quite so much although Mr THQ seemed to like it alot.

This project was not nearly so much fun this weekend as last. I think it is because I have been pretty bummed out about everything the last few days. Among other things my sewing room was a complete mess from having so much fabric out for this project. And I had un-decorated for Easter and just hauled everything up and plopped it on the floor and my tables. I think the degree of mess finally got to me so I got the fabric re-stashed and the Easter goodies put away. (Except for the ceramic eggs still on the mantel that I didn't even notice until a few minutes ago -- it seems like I always totally miss something!)

So once I finish up the 9 patches for the last stashlet it is time to get back to quilting all the quilts I pinned a while back -- remember that? Starting to quilt my way through that pile was what I was doing when my machine took a dive and had to go to the hospital for a little TLC.

Anyway I can't pin all these until I quilt enough of the larger quilts to free up my pins. So next weekend it will be time to get the gloves on and get going!

So as I was getting ready to publish I changed the font to Trebuchet. It is one of my favourites. I always have to change it because I can't figure out how to make it the default font. Anyway, changing it made me remember an article in our local paper recently. It said that if you are tring to save ink or toner you should always use a font with a serif because they are generally thinner so they use less ink. Times New Roman was recommended. Eeuw. I just don't like fonts with serifs and is there a more boring font than TNR?? I guess I will just be an ink waster! And proud of it!

Stashlets, stashlets everywhere

And still not quite enough although I am getting close. It's really amazing how much using the already sewn blocks has sped up this process! And look, I have even made binding for a couple of them! This has been a lot of fun although I am afraid I am getting obsessed with it. I am really enjoying finding really weird things in my stash and figuring out a way to use them. But last night I found myself dreaming about how I was going to make one. So I got up and made it!

Don't look too closely at this next one. This was a block that definitely did not come out right. Either I sewed it poorly or trimmed it poorly but there is hardly a point that did not get lopped off. Dressed up though, it is almost cute, or at least no longer forlorn! One thing I have noticed is that I seem to be making borders way too wide. I have been cutting down the inside ones but have decided to leave the outside ones until they are quilted. I have also been doing lots of "un-sewing" since sometimes I don't realize a better way until I have put some of the pieces together. I guess I should be planning better in advance but it seems like it is more fun to just "free-sew". Uh, oh, speaking of "un-sewing" I spy a twisted block I had not noticed before in this one. Oh, well, it's a planned mistake now!

I particularly had difficulty with this one and it ended up with more center stripes and blocks than I intended. I am not quite sure why but everytime I tried to put it together the white ended up next to white and the green next to green. To make it worse I was watching Martha Stewart while I was working on it. I guess the more perfect she was the more imperfect I was!

For some reason some of the colours on this one really washed out in the picture. The green is light, but not THIS light.

A little more of the happy bluebird fabric. There is only the tiniest bit of it left now.

This pattern is wonderful for using up stray blocks. Half square triangles and 4 patches are easy to come by in my block stash and this pattern uses them up!

It's hard to believe it is April already and that quilt show season is approaching. A quilty friend and I made plans last week for our first show of the season the last week in April. And wouldn't you know it's in eastern Idaho and we will have to drive right by my very favourite quilt shop in Rupert. How d'ya like that!

I have not ever been to any shops in Pocatello or Idaho Falls so am really looking forward to getting a chance to do that. Hmm, better stop in Rupert on the way home or there won't be any funds for the new shops!

Welcome to the sixties

I saw that line in an article a number of years ago about Linda Ellerbee. I remembered to take my camera to work and take pictures of the signs my folks made for my surprise party. Didn't they do a great job?

Hmmm. You get to see my bookshelf full of stuff collected over the years. That poor Bugs Bunny looks pretty pitiful doesn't he? He has a very slooooooooooow air leak.

The ones on this wall are my favourites. It cracks me up that some of my folks are so young they don't know which way is up for a peace sign. I really love the rainbow one with the round "peace" in the middle. It just blows me away that they did all this right under my nose!

Back to quilty things. I have been working on a bunch of small quilts for something long term I have in my mind. I have decided to call these "stashlets" because they are little quilts made from my stash. After I had done a few it occurred to me that this would be a good way to use up left over blocks. I always save them -- don't you? Every once in a while I think about trying to make a quilt out of them but never quite do it.

I didn't realize that I had collected so many that I had 4 FULL plastic shoe boxes of them.

It was kind of fun digging through and thinking about the quilts they are leftover from.

Before I thought of the left overs (or should I call them planned overs like women's magazines do) I had already made a couple of stashlets. Here is the first one. I got this fabric really inexpensively and before this have only used it as a backing fabric.

Cute, but lots of sewing, don't you know! Then I decided to head back to the fat quarter bin and add some coordinated nine patches. This one is nice and happy I think.

The border fabric in this one was from that thrift stash sack I told you about a while back. Not my ordinary colours. I had to brighten it up!

I guess you can tell that I hang little things like this from skirt hangers from the wire shelving I keep my fabric on. It's handy that way since they don't hang over my clothes drying rack very well and they don't require re-ironing when it's time to quilt them.

Another fat quarter nine patch combination. I think this is a happy little bluebird.

From the block stash I had these nice little 9 patches already made. It went well with the pumpkin fat quarter. Another thrifted one. Actually the watermelons were in that sack, too. Oh, and the bluebirds. I am seeing a theme here!

This border is a little too big I think but I will leave it alone until it's quilted. Sorry the picture is a bit washed out.

Here is another that came from the block stash. I made a Country Threads quilt a few years ago that alternated these flag house blocks with stars. One too many houses were built. Sounds like an analogy for the current real estate situation.

Look, the math actually came out so that the block border fit. Sometimes I surprise myself!

One last one. You remember my citrus top. I had a couple of extra blocks from that, too, and a bunch of leftover half square triangles that just cried out to be pinwheel blocks. What do you think?

Well, that's a pretty respectable accomplishment, I think. For what I have in mind I need 17 of these little stashlets. So I have a ways to go. And then, of course, they need to be pinned and quilted. Oh, and bound. I have not been making binding as I go on these so that will be a bit of a job.

Apologies for the light posting. Work has been extremely busy. And frustrating. I keep going in early only to find internet issues that prevent us getting to our primary application since it is on a hosted internet site. Oh, well, it's almost the end of March, so only nine months to go! Oops, I promised I wouldn't start the count down yet!

Where have I been?

Well, I have been lost in one of my favourite places -- my scrap bin. And after this foray it even closes!!! You do believe me, don't you? It's actually kind of amazing to me that when I work on scrap quilts I work pretty much randomly and just pull pieces that are big enough out and use them. Just about the opposite technique from when I am working on a non scrap quilt. Then virtually every piece of fabric is planned and matched. So maybe I like to make scrap quilts because they are a break from my normal control freakiness? Dime store psychology -- what do you think!??

So what is this pile you ask? It is sort of Chunky Churndash from Bonnie at Quiltville.

I mostly considered these blocks 2 colour blocks. Background and churndash. Well, except for the center square. I just cut a bunch of those out of light fabrics and pretty much chose them at random. In general, unlike many of the blocks on Bonnie's quilt my corners and sides of each churndash are the same fabric. Except for the occasions when I was short a piece and just subbed something similar -- more like old timey quilts, right? Making do.

Anyway, I cut away for while and then sewed for a while and ended up with 59 blocks. In her quilt Bonnie used 61 plus hourglass blocks in between. I was thinking of not using the hourglass blocks so I made 5 more blocks thinking I could make the quilt 8 blocks x 8 blocks. They are 6" finished blocks so with borders that would make a nice sized lap quilt. I am still rethinking the hourglass blocks, though, because I really like the way they make the churndash blocks look like they are set on point.

The other place I have been is shopping. I recently turned 60 and Mr THQ gave me 3 gift cards worth $60 each to my favourite places -- the local quilt shop, Joann's, and Craft Warehouse. Then my group at work threw a surprise '60's themed bday party for me that included a $100 Joann's gift card. I need to take my camera to work and take a picture of my office now. They all wore tie dye shirts (and there was one for me), wigs, bandanas, John Lennon tiny coloured glasses, and were carrying colourful picket signs. I hung them all on over my office. Wait until you see them! It was a fantastic surprise and lot's of fun. Makes it almost okay to get this old. Almost.

Anyway, I had to start using those gift cards, now didn't I? I have been kind of looking for stencils or letter patterns that I liked and I found these punch outs. I think if I reverse them on my light box I can get a good tracing.

What do I need them for? Well, for the letters for this tabletopper that Kim shared instructions for last fall. I finished the top except for the words. I want kind of funky mismatched letters and I think this method will work. We will see. First there is lots of punching out ahead of me. Kim has been away from blogging for a bit due to an injury. I really miss her and hope she can return soon. At the rate I am going she will be all well and back before I ever get this top done.

What else have I bought? Well, thinking of the churndash quilt I was looking around for borders, or maybe hourglasses and this caught my eye. On sale for only $2.99 a yard. It just had to come home with me. Isn't it cute?!! It will be just right for something, I know it will. So much for trying not to add to stash. Well, I had encoragement to shop don't you know?

Oh, and here is another purchase. I don't see this magazine too often. Once I thumbed through this issue though I had to have it.

Why do you ask, well,look at this house quilt! One look and I just had to make it. I have already pulled browns and blacks from the scrap bin. I love houses and buttons, and this has both. Does that ever happen to you? You look at something, and it is love at first sight. Just. have. to. make.it. I love it when this happens, get kind of glum when it doesn't for a while, and guess this is how I end up with so many things in so many stages.

And last but not least, look at how cute this wool runner is. I love how colourful and graphic it is. Even though I don't do alot of wool things, this is one I need to do for sure.

Well, thanks for bearing with my radio silence. I promise to return sooner rather than later!