What a Novelty!

For years as I’ve been working on keeping up with my Scrap User’s System, I’d divide fabrics to be cut into strips by size –and that was fairly straignt forward.

But occasionally I’d be gifted things like leftover novelty prints. Just HOW do you slice those down? Because EVERYTHING loses its head or arms or legs or becomes undetectable if you start cutting it into narrow strips!

Sometimes this is a good thing! HA!

But other times---the fabrics would be better shown off if I left them in bigger chunks.

When I was in Columbia SC, working as the Charity Quilt Chairperson—The CQC if you will—We did some kid’s quilts with 4.5” squares, and I found that size to be pretty user friendly as far as novelty prints go. I never have done much with charm squares or 5” Nickles ---they always had to be cut down to something else, or at least most of the time. But 4.5”? Sounds like a nice good round number to me.

So I have a STACK of these squares! And I’ve been hemming and hawwing over what to do for this baby quilt for my new nephew who is supposed to arrive mid to late January, right around my birthday.

I need to scale back a bit. Not EVERYTHING needs extreme piecing and eensy-teensy blocks, right? Even though that is what I LOVE to do --- I gotta be realistic and realize that if I WANT this baby quilt to be used…it needs to be fairly simple. I don’t want to give something “too good to use”. I want it bright, I want it eye catching to hold the baby’s attention --- and I want it fun for ME to sew. Sound like a good plan?

I also have a big ziplock baggie of 2.5” tone on tone textures and prints. I was going to do SOMETHING with them at some point, but you know I can’t remember what? But I think they will play just perfect with these blocks!

I got busy sewing! And having my Cheddar Bow-Tie parts right there as leader/enders meant that THIS basket was filling up too:

Hehehe! Do you SEE that green one on the top?! It’s that lovely 1970’s style calico ----VINTAGE is IN, right?! :c) This quilt is going to come with EVERYTHING in it ---that’s for sure!

One block! What a cutie! Nope, not rocket science or a new design at all --- just a simple Evening Star --- and I like it! No idea how I’ll set them yet, but that will come ---

And before I knew it, I had TWO! I’m just picking a novelty square, and then digging into that bag to find 3 different colors of strips that will go with the center square. I like projects with as few rules as possible!

I’m thinking I need 16 to 20 of these blocks. But it depends on the setting ----

And of course everything ELSE on the “to do” list just got pushed to the back burner for a bit! I’m going to have to kick myself into gear and not let this top take over my whole life and lead me away from what I SHOULD be doing!

And with that --- I better head off to the gym!

Be sure to check back on yesterday’s post for our Mystery Monday Link-Up! We’ve hit 90! Whoot!!