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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Power–Purge, the Bottom Drawer Kind!

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Remember that drawer I told you about?

I never showed it to you – because it’s REALLY bad!

You can see it now….this is all left over alternate squares, setting triangles that didn’t work – ((What, did I think that eventually I would make a quilt that would USE these rejected setting triangles and they would magically find a home? I mean – who designs a quilt just to use up pre-cut setting tirangles?!))

Left over squares from pieced backings…

Left over borders or rejected borders that may find their way on to another quilt  ((What?  See above – same thing is the setting triangles!))

And otherwise huge pieces that I had the intention of slicing down into Scrap User’s System strips for easier use later.

I guess I didn’t get to that either!


Someone find a way to invent more time, please? I sure could use some!

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I don’t even remember what I was going to set with these!  But there is an entire quilt’s worth!

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Someone gifted me these strip sets – I never did anything with them!

Was my plan to take them apart and put them back into 2.5” strips?

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Accckkk!  1980s pillow panels?

I’m not sure WHAT I was going to do with this…

But whatever it is…CUT IT SMALL!

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I ended up doing this ---sorting into color piles.

They will get stripped down after this mailing mayhem is over but at least for now I KNOW what I have. And I have a plan to moving forward with it as soon as I have time.  All of those blacks in the bottom front could have played well in my Grand Illusion Quilt!  I see some greens and some pinks that could have found a home there too.  So much fabric, so little time…

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And all of these gifted strip sets?

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They are back into strips, waiting to be ironed!

I’ll press these, sort them by color families, and store them in my 2.5” drawers. These I know I will use right away if they are put away in the right place.  Waiting for a quilt that uses someone else’s pre-sewn strip sets with their own personal seam allowance is less likely to happen.  Take it back down to strips!  And use them!

In fact – those reds can be used right away by my friend Mona – I’ll press them and take them back up to the cabin for her.

It’s great to have a new quilt friend to pass stuff off to!

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Empty bottom drawer!  Hooray!!

It’s kind of a lame post, but I’m extremely happy to have tackled this nagging drawer that has been pulling at me for a long long time.

Just wait until you see what looms in the other cabinets around here ---scary stuff behind closed doors!

I hope this encourages you to take ONE AREA per day and do something about it.  It feels great!  Now if I only had time to sew in here!

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Yesterday’s mail haul #1

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Mail haul #2!

More than 120 orders were sent yesterday – so we are getting there!  Thank you for your continued patience!

((Except for the person who already filed a paypal dispute because they didn’t have their package in 3 days….AUUGHHH! (*&@#(*&(*&!))

You know who you are!  ((And you probably don’t even read this blog anyway ---))

I was thinking we’d try quilt-cam tonight, but until I know that it is working or not, we are going to hold off. 

Let me get through this.  We’ll try next week.  It was only giving me my profile photo.  Turns out you could hear my voice, but there was no video.  My camera is fine…I think I just need to uninstall and reinstall google chrome on that laptop and reinstall the hangouts software and that might solve the problem.

Not only did I break my store this week, but I broke Quilt-Cam too!  Ha!

Remember –the Mystery Monday Link-Up Part 2 closes tonight at 11:55pm EST!

And tomorrow morning, bright and early --- Grand Illusion, Part 3!

Have a super Thursday, everyone!


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34 comments:

  1. Three days? Really? You can't get anything that fast by mail order unless you pay through the nose for express service.

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  2. Thank you for posting what you did with that drawer. I have a big bin that looks like it, and keep postponing just dealing with it. You've helped me with a plan! Thanks!

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  3. Anonymous8:56 AM EST

    I get a lot of fabric from friends simply because they know I'll cut up their left overs and actually use them. To me a quilt is not really complete until the left overs are dealt with. I was able to make Rick Rack Nines and Blue Ridge Beauty out of my scrap squares boxes, and now I'm working on eensey beensey 9 patches where I only had to cut neutrals. Just makes sense to get as much bang for your buck as possible!
    Pamela in SOMD

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  4. really BONNIE--those drawers are small and I do realize they hold a lot--however--I am purging totes... and donating to charity! LOL.....ok--getting back to it! have fun purging...I am!!! I am finding all sorts of things! :-)

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  5. I want to say that (and please that this in a really good way) that I am utterly amazed at how incredible your quilts turn out again and again even with the ugly eighties fabric and such!! :-) Absolutely incredible. I need to have your faith and courage.
    And REALLY??? people have less and less patience all the time. Its a skill most of us need to practice. Have a blessed Christmas, Bonnie.

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  6. Not a lame post - much needed inspiration and motivation for small purges in this busy season. Thanks!

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  7. You are doing a fantastic job with the mailings. Most people wouldn't expect a mail order for weeks much less days. This is supposed to be your vacation so don't fret. There is always one bad apple in every bunch it seems. I know most very much appreciate all you do.

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  8. I was inspired to clean off my desk top. It took longer than 5 minutes, but I took a few breaks and its done. I had over 6 months of papers to go through and file, the recycling bin got a good meal and I can close the roll-top now!

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  9. Sorry that Quilt Cam is causing you problems. I don't think that your post was lame and it is pretty much the same thing I have been doing in my sewing room. I have let a lot of scraps pile up without cutting them down into my scrap user system.

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  10. I hope you have time to answer this.
    Did you cut off the seams of the strip sets or did you unsew them? I have a hard time wasting fabric but not wasting time.

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  11. Oh this is in NO way a "lame post"! You should see (ahhh, maybe not lol) my fabric storage...it is a mess. you are inspiring me to do a purge/clean out. I do have a short question? How do you decide what to keep and what to gift/throw whatever? the prices on fabric are so high these days I kind of hate to part with anything. even those shoved away "WHAT was I thinking" pieces. Hugs, Julierose

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  12. Bonnie, I worked in retail for 41 years and there are always complainers and always will be. No matter how good service is. I hope you allow these negative people to stew in their own juice without taking you down. For every one of them, there are thousands of us who cant figure out how you get so much done in a day ! I for one have had my quilting life rejuvenated by Quiltville and its many wonders. ((((((Hugs))))

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  13. Bonnie - you have inspired me to transform my entire den: fabric, yarn, papers, toys, furniture...THANKS so much. I just LOVE putting on a quiltcam and working away...am currently watching backwards til I catch up.
    Found some 1990's neutral at the bottom of a 'Pinks' pile last night! Also getting ready to put the Featherweight on my sewing table and set up the treadle in my bedroom! You rock!

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  14. I finished clue 2 last night so tonight I can work on straightening and organizing so I'll be ready to roll on Friday!

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  15. Thanks, Bonnie, for all you do. You & your site have been an encouragement & a help to me. Not only in quilting but also in housekeeping. Organizing is something I have to be in "the mood" to do. Your posts inspire me to do it- I even dusted yesterday! I appreciate your cheerful posts even when others aren't so nice. Have great day-just wanted you to know not everyone is unappreciative...felt you needed to hear the NICE comments occasionally, too.

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  16. ok Clue # 2 Done and ready for tomorrow! I should do this purging thing as well but just don't have the time right now, but will come the new year. I have several large bins where I put my "leftovers" going to try to use some of those in the next quilt... or at least a leader and ender. Have a good time at the cabin sewing with your friend. She is really got the bug I think like the rest of us...

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  17. I like the fact that I have some of that same fabric! Lol! I agree about the time issue, if only I could stop the world and get caught up with my sewing!

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  18. I spy and International package hope that's mine. If not I can wait. A lot of work for one person Bonnie. I think you need a weekend at the cabin.

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  19. Ask WHY we love you Miss Bonnie!!! lolol - you are willing to show that you are the average normal quilter ... ok, on steroids of energy and brain power....but ohhhhh so normal!
    I learn a lot too. I have been going through drawers, baskets etc. to see what I can do with oddities lol.

    THANK YOU for this insight
    Smiles, JulieinTN

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  20. Ask WHY we love you Miss Bonnie!!! lolol - you are willing to show that you are the average normal quilter ... ok, on steroids of energy and brain power....but ohhhhh so normal!
    I learn a lot too. I have been going through drawers, baskets etc. to see what I can do with oddities lol.

    THANK YOU for this insight
    Smiles, JulieinTN

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  21. Anonymous5:25 PM EST

    Inspiration and excitement for GI!
    Did a power purge this morning and 40 blocks for clue#2 this afternoon.

    I am ready for whatever is next, thank you Bonnie.

    2hagars@gmail.com

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  22. Anonymous7:00 PM EST

    You could gift those setting triangles you didn't know what you were going to use them for...same with the strip sets...gifts are always great to get no matter what

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  23. I have 6 drawers just like that one, Bonnie! Several years' worth of "that's too big to throw away." At least I've sorted by color...started the white/black/grey/brown drawer the other day, and found a pile of muslin triangles that will make nice 2" finished HST (I think). Now that I've got a scrap saver's road map to follow, I'm more likely to USE those scraps. Box kites, anyone?

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  24. Not lame at all! I make a lot of lone stars and end up with leftover strip sets. Now I know what to do with them. Thank you!

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  25. Ooooh is my order in there? Hope hope hope.

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  26. Can't you just hear all the MQ participants? Bouncing in their chairs and cheering. Or groaning slightly as they try to piece together a couple more blocks from clues one and two? I love to see what everyone comes up with.

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  27. Wow I can see a lot of fabric I have on my scrap stash too! Scary!

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  28. Oh, Miss Bonnie! I've been going through my scrap drawers almost daily for three weeks, except for when I work on my GIMQ, or Blue heaven. They were previously sorted by color, but. Were all shapes and sizes (but less than fat quarters). In a few minutes, the pinks and peaches will all be cut to Scrap USER'S System sizes. Just have greens, grays, turquoise and orange to go. Then some bins that were supposed to be waiting to be color sorted. It's been a lot of work, but fun at the same time! Found some uglies but lots of pretties I had forgotten.

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  29. Having just moved I am trying to get my fabric stash back into some kind of order. I had all my precut strips sorted and labeled prior to the movers arriving to pack us for the move. Well bless their pea pick in' hearts, they took ALL my strips into ONE of their huge packing boxes. No organization to them now!!! GRRRR. Can't they read 2.5" floral, 2.5" blue, etc. etc.plus squares, rectangles. The drawers like yours were all organized with projects which they also dumped into a large box. I am so frustrated right now but fortunately the next clue for GI comes out in a few short hours. Thanks Bonnie.

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  30. You're a great inspiration in the quilt world, and now doing purges too, along with the business end of all you do as a one-woman business. It would be a miracle on the part of USPS to get anything anywhere in three days - my dad sent a first-class envelope from his town, ~890 miles away, and it took SEVEN days to get here. But then today I received two more from him and they only took three days - go figure! Greatly anticipating Clue #3 :) Thank you!

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  31. Bonnie- Not to Fret. Most of have patience when waiting for things in the mail. Unless you mail Priority or express mail there is no way you could get it in three days time; and especially during the Holiday season. I love your purging sessions. I try to do something every day, but some days, time gets away from me. I have plans, but get distracted. I just want to sew, but know I can't until after the weekend. Work comes first!

    I can't wait to read the next clue tomorrow night!

    Thanks, Bonnie!

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  32. Hi Bonnie, OH MY the blue/muslin pillow squares brought on a chuckle. I had a bunch of those!!! One day they became potholders with string pieced backs. I gift them to anyone that doesn't run first. Same way with test blocks, strange fabrics I find in my stash etc. I learned never to toss anything, from my favorite blogger. :)
    I so enjoy you, your posts, and all the great "FUN" you have brought into my life. Merry Christmas to you.

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  33. I have an idea for that drawer full of scraps. Put it all in a box and have a giveaway! What quilter wouldn't love to receive a box of scraps from Bonnie Hunter? Then you don't have to cut and sort them.

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  34. Brenda Wilkinson, WL, BC12:27 PM EST

    I am in awe of you, Bonnie, for designing quilts and setting up MQ's. This is my first one. I am fairly new to quilting (just 2 years) and thought I was doing pretty good. Then I saw the comments of others who are ready to start clue #3. I have just finished squaring up all of my hst squares for clue #1!!! I hope I become more proficient at this. I was quite pleased with the fact that I even had enough space to square things up. Have just learned how to do the scant 1/4 inch on my machine

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