Bye Bye, Big Blue Pile!

Reorganizing the studio - what a chore!

What an eye opening round of in-my-face rediscovery!

I have always joked that my method of organizing is just to move piles from one flat surface to another to clear a space.

But eventually things get to a point where something really has to be done.

Let's face it.  Creativity is messy and we do our best to clean it up.  But when the mess is actually halting our creative time, it's time to dig deeper and make things better.

I annihilated this whole pile of hunks and chunks of lesser-loved and why-are-you-still-here fabrics into this big blue monstrosity of a backing and I am just thrilled with how it came together.

I shared a photo in yesterday's post of the beginnings of block making.

I used myj large 15 1/2'' ruler, cutting full squares out of the bigger pieces.

When I couldn't get any more full squares, I started sewing hunks and chunks together until I could trim them at 15 1/2''.

I set the pieced blocks alternating with the full blocks - moving things around until I thought I could live with it.

*What looks like pink is a navy gingham with red watermelons on it.  I've used some of that fabric in the quilt top - so yes, it does go.*

TADA!

The Stardust top is about 90'' square.  I set the quilt backing 7 X 7 so it measures 105'' square.

I know I have margins that will be trimmed off, and I may use the trimmings as a hanging sleeve - all piece-y as it is.  We will see,

That WHOLE PILE is now gone.

Many of these fabrics have sat around for years because they are big prints, directional, or a weird shade of blue that just didn't "GO" with other projects.

They have a home here.

And I can see myself doing this more and more as I continue to whittle down the stash that needs to find a place to shine.

So today, I may get this loaded into the machine. We'll see how time goes.

Answers to questions I know are coming....I pressed open MANY of the block seams on the backing to eliminate bulk when it comes to rolling up on the take up roller.

I butted seams where blocks joined blocks because I ate to pin.

I did press the long horizontal seams open again to eliminate bulk where possible.  I will load it with the long horizontal seams going along the roller - not around and around and around it.

And I also did a "Victory Lap" of stay-stitching around the outside edge of the backing to minimize stretch and to keep seams t the edge of the backing from popping open during the quilting process.

And with that - it's time to draw!

I am so thrilled with the response to the Abundance pattern release!

I can't wait to see these blocks popping up as you share what you are making.

The random number generator was used for the drawing of two winners who will each receive an Abundance PDF pattern from me and a Notable Neutrals roll from  Cotton to Quilts.

And the winners are:

Entry 3230 out of 5030 entries is:

Judi Mccord!

Entry 878 is:

Elenore Clark!

Congrats, ladies!  Please check your email inboxes for the email from me including your  Abundance PDF pattern.

Reply to that email with your mailing address and I'll have the folks at Cotton to Quilts get your fabric prizes out to you.

Log Cabin Love!

If you love log cabin quilts you will also love the simple scrappy paper piecing of the gently curved appearance of these blocks! 100% foundation paper pieced for scrappy perfection! Printable paper templates included.

This pattern assumes that the maker has some experience with foundation paper piecing and following a foundation paper piecing template.

Quilt Size: 90’’ X 90’’

The PDF pattern for Abundance is currently marked 25% off in the digital pattern section of the Quiltville Store - No Coupon Needed.  On sale through 8/31/25, Hurry - Just a few days left!

Just for kicks and giggles and a few "My, how time flies!"

On this day - 13 years ago!

I was in Bali with Craftours and a wonderful group of quilters - and evidently I had a monkey on my shoulder!

Yes, the photo is blurry, but it's hard to get a monkey to sit still and look at the camera.

We leave for Germany/Switzerland/France in about 2 weeks!  Eeeeek!

Our Christmas Market tour of Germany's Bavarian region and Austria after Thanksgiving is also full.

There is still time to sign up for our January adventure in Morocco.  I can't wait to be somewhere warm in January.  I'll be turning 64 on this trip to Morocco.  Come celebrate with me!

We are going to ROMANIA!

This trip is only 10 months away and is filling quickly. You can find out more HERE.

There are some trips that I've done multiple times and am always happy to go back.  This will be my first time to Romania and I just know it is going to be off the charts wonderful.

Yes, non-quilting friends, spouses, adult children are welcome. I look forward to sharing the wonders of Romania with you!

National Dog Day was yesterday -

And I thought I'd share this photo of mky two girls - they add so much love to our lives even if we forget to share photos of them regularly.

Today - all of the finishing touches are happening to make Quiltville Inn ready for the arrival of the September Quiltvillians!

I'm super excited to be having a Winter Blues workshop with their group.

I'll be presenting the workshop over 3 days, and I'm really looking forward to getting in there.

(Did you see what I did there? This post started out with BLUE and we have circled around to end it with MORE BLUE.)

If you've started Winter Blues and haven't finished it yet - maybe this week is a good time to pull it back out and sew along with us!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Are you on team start? 

Or team finish? 

Some projects have no deadline and can take me years, those that have deadlines I can push through more quickly!

I think that makes me Team All-Of-The-Above!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!