GRAB BAG QUILTING

A few months ago I sorted through all of my small pieces of leftover fabric, along with all the donated fabric I have for charity quilts. I put together bags of scraps that I thought would work well together in quilts and ended up with about 30 sets. Last week when I didn't have much on the planning board for my quilting, I decided to "grab a bag" from the drawer to see what I could come up with.

These are the fabric pieces that were in the first bag.

I realized that wasn't enough to make a very big quilt top. . .

so I went to the cabinet in my in my sewing/laundry room and got the "purple" box of scraps down.

I managed to get several blocks made and then remembered some lavender chenille I bought on sale several years ago. Yep, there was enough for sashing AND backing. Hooray. (Unfortunately my camera is doing funny things this morning, so I can't show you a photo of the finished blocks with the chenille.)

This is the first of five sets of blocks that I have completed. (I even managed to find backing fabric for all five of them in my stash closet! Hooray.)

Oh, and I am disciplining myself: In true GRAB BAG style, I take whichever bag is in front in the drawer for the next project. I will NOT allow myself to pick and choose.

Hopefully I'll get my camera figured out and can show you some more photos soon.

Hmmmmmm, maybe it just needs new batteries.

Monday update: changed the batteries, still funky striped, pale photos. DRATS!

ONE LAST TOUCH . . .

The all important tag . . .

and it's ready to go in the mail for next week's birthday!

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS . . . . .

. . . especially when it helps me find my mistakes.

I didn't realize until I uploaded this photo of my Ohio Star blocks for our "community gift quilt" that I made a mistake on the top left one. The top quarter triangle is turned the wrong way. Silly me.

The photo has also helped me decide that yes, I will replace the dark center of the star in the bottom middle block with a lighter fabric. I thought maybe I'd like the darker center, but I don't.

So, back to the sewing room I go on this lazy Sunday afternoon.

Ahhh, that's better:

HERE I AM !

OK, OK, I promise I have not gotten lost . Here I am!

Admittedly I have not been doing much quilting in the past few weeks. I've been using my sewing time to FINALLY get drapes made and hung (with my husband's reluctant help !).

This is my make shift "sewing table" at the dining room window. My mother taught me to let drapes hang a while before hemming them. And I guess I'm just lazy, but once they are up (and I'm happy with the way they lay), I don't take them back down. I just leave them hanging and hem them in place. (The ironing board goes to the window too!)

,

Here are the completed dining room drapes.

And here are the drapes across the "great room". There's a matching set on the other side (but I can't get a photo of all at once without furniture in the way). I need to get the swags back down and work on them a bit to get them to lay more smoothly.

I am still knitting on my granddaughter's sweater (May 22 post) and in the meantime, I've ordered yarn for the next 4 sweaters.

This will be my grandson's for his October (12th) birthday.

And this is for my son's daughters for their birthdays next year.

I guess I've got my work cut out for me.

Oh, and speaking of "cut", I have some fabrics chosen and ready to cut pieces for a "community" gift quilt that I'm making with my on-line quilting friends.