Stories from the Neutral Bin -

Lola in the midst of EVERYTHING!

Yesterday afternoon presented itself with wide open opportunities.

Do I sew on this project? Or that project?  Or maybe CLEAN the studio (Do you really want to waste a very chilly yet extremely sunny December Friday afternoon CLEANING? Nope. I thought not.) or perhaps do something I had put off for more than a year?

When I moved "most" of my studio stuff up to the Quiltville Post office in Virginia from North Carolina one of the things I promised myself I would do is tackle the bins of "as of yet untamed" fabrics and get them into the Scrap User’s System to add more volume and variety to my selections.

The thing I am MOST lacking?  Pre-cut neutrals.  I have plenty of pieces and parts, fat-quarters and yardage.  But I want the fun of knowing I need a variety of either 1 1/2'', 2'' or 2 1/2'' strips (And sometimes 3 1/2'') and can quick-grab them from the Scrap User’s System at my fingertips.

Having to cut all of that from yardage or fat quarters - well it takes FOREVER to cut enough variety before I can even start sewing.

I unearthed this piece yesterday!

And then talked to Mary on the phone "Remember when!?"

She couldn't believe I still have this piece!

"Honey, I have LOADS older than this!"

The selvage says 2007, when Mary was still designing for Blank Textiles.

This piece was in a rather largish bin of "waiting to be cut down."  and the main reason they have sat a bit is that most of these pieces are not white, nor cream, or even light beige - they are the more sandy toasty "brown paper bag" neutrals that push my boundaries to the dark side of neutral - 

I haven't sewn with these darker neutrals very often - the latest was really Sandcastles from String Frenzy.

LOLA! You are not helping!

I emptied the bin.  I sorted fabrics. I pressed and pressed and pressed some more. Most of these are less than a fat-quarter, but some are heading up toward half a yard of "do something with this!"

Do you have fabrics like that too?  Do you ever make a quilt just to put stuff that has been sitting to good use?

It becomes a real challenge - finding ways to make lesser loved, or at least lesser used fabrics SHINE.

I am working on some ideas - I know that I am not the ONLY one who has these darker neutrals taking up space in their sewing area.

And since things were pressed, and I was cutting -

Sashings are cut and ready for my Easy Breezy quilt.

They are pinned in sets of 10 so I could easily keep count, and then transport them back to the cabin. I think this will be my #mediafreesunday project tomorrow.  Laying out that quilt and starting the assembly process.

I know it doesn't sound exciting, but it took me all the way to dinner time to get this far.  

Some days are not about effusive glorious progress.  Sometimes it's dealing with basics that will hep in future projects down the road.  

I'm stocking my "quilting pantry" so to speak.

And this is the morning!  This is the time to draw for our winner of the Pine Tree Point bundle, including a copy of my Pine Tree Point PDF pattern, and a Pine Tree Point Fabric Roll from Irene at Cotton to Quilts!

Who is entry 3306 out of 7439?

Gwen Denluck!  Congrats!

Gwen, please reply with your mailing address to the email I have sent to the address you provided with your entry. I will get your PDF pattern for Pine Tree Point right back to you, and get your fabric roll in the mail on Monday.

For everyone else - You’ll find the PDF pattern for Pine Tree Point, including both the lap size and the runner in the Digital Patterns section of the Quiltville Store.

You know with all of the mail delays that are happening this year, PDF patterns are the best thing out there - into your email in box in a flash, you could be sewing in minutes!

Be watching for more fun Gift-Aways to happen here shortly.  December isn't over yet!

This morning's sunrise.

Glorious.

I am headed in to the QPO to get out what I can get out before the USPS closes at 11am.

At this time I am toying with closing the Quiltville Store from Wednesday, Dec 23rd at noon - and being "off work" (HA! Yeah, right!) from Christmas Eve through New Year's Weekend.

What that really means is that you can place an order in the store, but if it is a physical item it won't ship until January 4th.

And maybe that's a good thing and will enable the USPS to clear out of all of the backlogged packages that seem to be going nowhere fast.

If it were you - would you do it? Do I do it?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is more time in my studio!

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And that may just happen today. Hubster is on his way to an archery thing..... maybe he'll be gone for hours?

Sewing time and cookie baking - Saturday perfection!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone - I will catch you back here on MONDAY!