Saturday, October 15, 2011

Scrappy Saturday

In the absence of home-made soup, I found a package of dehydrated chicken noodle soup in my cupboard - a poor replacement but it seems to have done the trick in fighting off whatever it was that laid me flat yesterday, though I did get half the binding done on a bed-sized quilt.  Soup, along with the aspirin and a good night's sleep, and I'm feeling completely refreshed today.  I finished ten log-cabin blocks for my Crumb-Along project.


This brings my block count up to 57.  The funny thing is that my crumb bin still looks as full as if I had never started.  Granted, I've been adding a few bits and pieces to it from other project trimmings, but it seems rather fantastic to me how full the bin is.  When I consider that the stack of finished blocks I've made using crumbs wouldn't fit in the crumb bin, and that it should still be full without the fabric pieces I've pulled out to make them.  I was thinking I'd stop at 64 blocks (8 x 8) but at 6" each, that would only make the finished top 44" x 44", which doesn't seem a good size at which to stop.  I guess I'll just keep on crumbing.

I had to stop and put some order to the mess I've been building for the last three days.  I've got in-process projects on every surface, in bags, boxes, plastic containers and just stacked one on top of the other. 

There's the bonus half-square triangles from my Shady Lanes project... I'm keeping them separate from the box of 1200 scrappy half-square triangles for now, in case I want to use them in the Shady Lanes border.

And the skinny 1" strips from the crumb bin that I've pulled out to use as Leaders n' Enders for my next crumb project.  When you see how many I've pulled out, and add the 57 crumb blocks, it just boggles the mind that the crumb bin is still so full that it has to be ruthlessly compacted before it will close properly.

I have three UFOs sitting (rather optimistically) on the sewing table as visual reminders....


And the box of components for the Shady Lane quilt top.  Hmmm.  Yes.  I think I'll make up the sashings for the next row of blocks today.  Drawing sewing lines on the backs of dark fabric squares goes better in daylight, as does sewing them.


And I still have a box full of two-patches which I've been using as Leaders n' Enders forever.  I will admit that I'm rather tired of making four patches.  And the Shady Lane project box is full of more four patches and sixteen-patches than I can use in one quilt top.  I think I'll put the two-patch box aside for awhile.

I can't help thinking about the Law of the Tomatoes.  My Dad is a good gardener and enjoys tomato sandwiches, but there always comes a point in the summer where the tomato production outpaces his capacity to eat them.  He feels obligated to eat tomatoes just past their prime, rather than those of perfect ripeness.  (He grew up during the depression and can't bear to throw out edible food.)  This results in him eating over-ripe tomatoes in an endless futile attempt to catch up.  He'd never get to eat another good tomato if my mother didn't step in and claim all the past-prime tomatoes for a soup or sauce she makes only to get him out of his predicament.

Sometimes I feel like I'm working with fabrics I don't like anymore just to use them up.  At this rate, I'll never get to use the good stuff.

10 comments:

  1. Glad you are feeling improved so quickly.
    You have some really great projects going. And you know I am very interested in your Shady Lanes project.
    Love the Law of Tomatoes!! So familiar--your Dad could be my Dad.

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  2. Sorry to hear you were under the weather, glad up are feeling back to normal. You put to words perfectly how I feel too about using it up, not wasting. I wish I could say I had only a few projects to finish.

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  3. You have quite a collection there! And some great projects in line.
    Ever considered a "scrap swop" or selling some of the fabrics/pieces/blocks you don't like anymore?

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  4. Glad you are feeling better!! Your log cabins look great! I am convinced that this project only aided in the crumbs growing instead of diminishing. I swear, mine has doubled!!! I am thinking I should have made a few more log cabins. Yours look fantastic. I think I really am drawn to the fabrics you used. Your quilt is going to be amazing. Have a great Sunday!

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  5. Glad to hear that you are no longer under the weather. On the one hand, it is inspiring to see all the potential bits you have there, you just know they will one day become really cool projects! (And I too have the stack of UFOs on my table to remind me that I must get to them eventually).

    I prefer to keep a supply of instructions for interesting scrap projects instead of making scrap units in advance. I note on the instructions what size units they need and when I have some of that size grab a baggie and put the instructions and the bits in there. On the downside, I have a growing drawer of baggies with bits and pieces here and there because it usually takes a good while for enough bits to accumulate for the project to reach "make me" status!

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  6. I've been reading your blog this morning...we have soooo much in common! Thank you for bringing me along on the Crumb Along adventure. :-)

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  7. You are not alone. My crumb bin is doing the exact same thing. Seems like the more I use, the more there are. Puzzles me to no end.

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  8. Love your frog! I am French but I do not eat them.
    Great Log Cabin blocks ! Aren't we good witches ? We all have more and more crumbs!

    My husband follows the Law of the Tomatoes also. You and your mother are not alone.
    Thanks for this happy post !

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  9. That was an interesting post to read! Lots to think about with the "law of tomatoes"! I want to get to the good stuff!

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  10. I am glad to hear that I am not the only on with ongoing projects and crumb drawer that does not seam to empty itself. Love the blocks. Size was a hard thing for me to determine too.

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