WOW = Working On Wednesday

Today, and every day lately, I'm working on moving into our new home in Florida.   While lining my kitchen cupboards and drawers, the only measuring instrument I had resurrected from packages (beside my DH's pull out tape measure) was my large quilt ruler.  It worked great to measure the shelf liner.  But then I thought, why not get out the roller cutter too.  I was already using the mat to protect the counter top, and it was taking forever to draw a line and scissors cut it.  Wow!  It made quick work of it, and my measures and cuts were much more accurate too!  Just like cutting fabric, which I'm sooo familiar with doing.  The blade was getting dull anyway.

If you'd like to see what gals all over the world are working on today, link to Esther's WOW link here.

TAST

Pin Tangle is offering her Take A Stitch Tuesday again.  I just heard about it.  If you like hand embroidery, like I do, and you'd like to take it up a notch, like I would, this just might be for you. All levels of experience are welcome, beginners to advanced.  Get the details here.  TAST starts Jan. 3rd.  Will you be joining in?

Clarity here:  The work shown is NOT mine.  It is from the post Pin Tangle made about TAST.  She asked that we share the news about TAST.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Safe travels to those traveling, and to all, have a wonderful weekend with family and friends.

ORCA BAY

Did you know that Bonnie Hunter is starting a new Quiltville Mystery this week?  Part one of Orca Bay is now up.  You can link to it here.  This quilt will only be free on-line for a few months, as it will be published in Bonnie's next book.  She is posting the next steps every Friday.  You'll also find a link on my sidebar.

SCRAPPY DAY WORKING ON WEDNESDAY (WOW)

I'm cleaning up my sewing room today, and thinking about scraps.  It's amazing how that word means different things to different quilters.  I once took a class with a gal who was throwing out strips 4 and 5 inches wide by WOF.  I was shocked, and quickly grabbed them.  To me a throwaway is something pretty tiny!

This is what my trash looks like generally.  These are small waste baskets and the throwaways are very itty-bitty.

Anything too small to bother refolding goes into my scrap basket which lives right next to my sewing machine. These pieces are maybe 1" by 2" at the smallest -- anything I might make a crumb block with, or use to try out a stitch, etc.  -- anything that might be just perfect for an applique piece.  You never know.

I also keep my selvages.  I usually cut them 1.5".  Here's my basket of those.

And then there's my shoe box full of left over strips -- you know, those narrow strips left over from squaring up fabrics.  I use them as ribbons on gifts.  Or to tie FQs together for a gift.  They come in very handy.

I'm just curious, what to you consider too big to throw out -- too precious, because, after all, you paid the same price per square inch for the scraps as you did for the big fabric cuts?

I know applique enthusiasts save tinier pieces than most gals.  You just never know when what will be the perfect piece!

Maybe I should start a TV show on fabric scrap hoarders!  I bet I could find lots of sewing rooms to film my episodes!  In fact I know quite a few already, LOL!

Click on over to Esther's blog to see what gals all over the world are working on.

MORE SNOW PEOPLE

My last seven snow people are in the mail.  They remind me of Casper the Ghost dressed up as a snowman for some reason.  They just look so young and innocent.  It's funny how snow people can take on a life of their own.  They all are made using basically the same fabrics and pattern, but the free-form shapes, the embroidered noses with no pattern, the differences in their eyes (snaps and buttons), all work to make each unique.  These blocks are 12", so I should be able to put together a nice sized throw to snuggle under in the winter.  There are 13 of us in the swap total, an odd number to work with, but I'll come up with something fun, I'm sure.

BASKET QUILT

I've finished my baskets quilt top.  It will have to wait until winter to get quilted, but I'm very happy with how the top turned out.  Thanks to everyone who participated in this swap, I have such a lovely variety of baskets.

BLOCK LOTTO BLOCKS

November Block Lotto block is Scrappy Trips from Bonnie Hunter.  This is a super block for using up left over strips.  The end result when you put them together is wonderful.  These are my nine blocks for the month.

Completely on its own, this little koala came out fussy cut!  What a surprise.  That block is a keeper for sure!