String Challenge and More

**I posted new auction items that you can bid on in Saturday morning’s post.  If you’re interested, find the post here.  BIDDING ENDS AT NOON CENTRAL TIME TODAY**

I sewed more than I have in a long time this last week…still not like I used but more than I have.  But I’m happy.  If you can see through the mess here, I got some more string blocks sewn and trimmed for my Daylilies quilt.  I didn’t de-paper them as I’ll either let the childcare kiddos do it for me or save it for a car ride project.  I did run into a bit of a problem though.  I was running low on strings…so I went upstairs and brought down the batik scrap box.  For the most part all of my scraps are organized…I use the scrap user’s system that Bonnie Hunter does….but with my busy life everything doesn’t always get processed as it should.  So all of those batik scraps I’ve been picking up in scrap bags or things that get sent to me get thrown in a tote….the clear on the left.  Then when I need something I cut from there first..then go to the scrap system and then into my fat quarters.  It’s a method that works well with me.

The green tote if the one I’m trying to fill with strings….and while I was at it, I decided to cut the triangles for the outer border of the quilt.   It was okay if I cut LOTS of strings as Tulip Fields, which I also started working on, is from batiks too.

Everyone always asks how I cut up scraps.  Well…every time is a little different as I always cut for a project I’m working on…so for this I need strings and 3″ strips.  So my first squaring up cut is for strings.  With strings it doesn’t matter if they are cut straight so that ragged edge can be used in the seam allowance.  After that cut I cut the 3″ piece for triangles.  From there I cut a couple 2″ strips for the scrap box and after that, I just cut more strings.

Pieces like there I get sent to me a lot…or I find them in thrifted bags of fabric.  I think people buy them and then find them hard to use as the color isn’t constant.  These are WONDERFUL for string quilts.  It matters not in string quilts if the colors change.  I’ve also learned that a quilt needs a few “ugly” pieces to make the others shine.

Looks like this was a leftover from someone’s fussy cutting.  This all got chopped up.  It’s feels good to have the pieces in the scrap bucket trimmed up and on their way to be being used.

I was also doing some ironing on these…The tulip points for the Tulip Fields quilt.

I’m super happy with the progress I made.  I’m hoping next week I can have a little more.

See you back here next week!!