See all of those jars? Completely empty! At the beginning of the year, they were each full to the brim, and if you're a regular reader, you know that I have been methodically emptying them, quilt by quilt. In the interest of full disclosure, I do still have some Christmas fabric scraps, as well as a few white scraps (in the two black baskets) that I'll hold onto for small holiday projects in the future.
In case you missed any, here's a list of how each jar was emptied-
Woodwork- green and gray
Riptide- blue and aqua/teal
Princess Sugar Pie- pink and purple
Gossip Queen- red, orange, yellow
Plus, my color gradient mini quilts used a little bit of each color for a huge, happy studio wall display. For each of these quilts, I used the improv piecing technique detailed in my book Stash Statement. If you have a mountain of scraps (and what quilter doesn't?), check out my book for a fun way to bust through them, all while creating beautiful, unique quilts with some serious wow factor. You can get your very own signed copy in my Etsy shop HERE, or you can find it on Amazon, Connecting Threads, or ask about it at your local quilt shop. It's much easier than it looks and you CAN do this, I promise!
If you're counting, I listed nine color jars, but I actually have ten on my shelves. Well, the tenth jar was filled with multicolored fabrics, and though I do love working with those, I have a different plan for them altogether.
This weekend, we're traveling to visit family, and while we're there, I'm going to teach my niece (age 15) to sew. I have a sewing machine that was passed to me by a great aunt, and though it is a really lovely machine (an Elna Quilter's Dream, Eleanor Burns Edition), since it's not my primary machine I don't use it often. This Elna is Swiss-made, and my great aunt was an avid quilter, but sadly, she didn't get to use this machine very much before she passed away (many years ago), so it has very low hours. I had it serviced when I got it, and she really is like new. A machine this nice really deserves to be used, so I'm going to let my niece use it for awhile to see if she enjoys sewing.
I gathered up all of of the extra tools and notions I could think of- ruler, rotary cutter, seam ripper, sewing machine needles, pins, thread snips, scissors, and thread. I'm also including a big chunk of batting and... you guessed it! Two gallon bags full of scrap fabric, containing the contents of my multicolor jar, plus some black and white scraps.
I found a few very simple projects to make with her, and then I'm sending her home with all of the things she will need to just play and have fun! Did I forget anything?
The last few bits of scraps I have are in this pretty stack. All of these fabrics are Anna Maria Horner, and I inherited them from a friend who was cleaning out. There is a good amount of fabric in this stack, and I love AMH so much that I couldn't bear to mix them in with the others. So, these scraps got put aside and I'll make something with them separately when we get back from our trip. Stay tuned!
Okay friends! Now that I've given you the rundown of everything going on here, it's time to share some of my favorite projects shared at last week's party. Look at this stunner by Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty!
I love the unexpected pink background on this Elephant Parade quilt by Tanya Quilts in CO-
This soothing quilt is by Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic-
And the movement in this quilt, called Seafarer, by Susan at Quilt Fabrication is really amazing!
Wow friends! Y'all are amazing and I can't wait to see what you're working on this week. Before you link up, be sure to visit my post from yesterday to enter the THREE amazing giveaways going on right now. Okie dokie. Let's do this!
1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!
2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.
3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.
4. Spread the comment love far and wide!
5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!
*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop" when selecting your thumbnail photo. For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work! :)
I am super amazed at your empty stash jars! I am working toward that goal but, after looking at yours, I am thinking I might have a serious problem adjusting to no scraps! LOL
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you made all those quilts from scraps in the jars. The fabric must have been really crammed in there. I'd like to get my stash sheIves to the nearly empty point. HaHa. Doubt that will happen. I finally have some finishes to share this week on the linky party.
ReplyDeleteI think my mouth dropped open at seeing those empty scrap jars! Wow! That'll never happen in my life...
ReplyDeleteEmpty scrap jars?! LOVE (and all the quilts you made with all those scraps!!!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for featuring my string quilt -- it was a fun sew!
ReplyDeleteI can't get my brain wrapped around your empty scrap jars. I'm more than a little jealous. I, too, generally sort my scraps by color. Favorite designers -- like AMH, Lizzy House, and Bonnie and Camille -- get their own separate piles of scraps. : )