I'm so glad you all enjoyed the string quilts from last week! They truly were inspiring, and I've been dreaming about strings since then.
So imagine my surprise on Friday when I received a huge box in the mail, and upon opening it, this was what I saw...
SQUEAL!!!!!!! A wonderful box full of Latitude batik strings and off-cuts - my poor husband wasn't quite sure what to make of me!!! There was a LOT of happy dancing going on.....
I laid it all out on my sewing table - isn't that just a beautiful pile of color? But of course, all that fabric needed to be pressed, folded and sorted before I can figure out what to do with it...
So Saturday morning I started pressing those strips and putting them into nice neat stacks... lots of nice neat stacks....
...and today I finally finished pressing it all! There it is, nicely pressed, stacked and ready to be turned into some wonderful new quilts!
So now I'm dreaming of gorgeous batik quilts! There's a lot of the green and aqua pieces - and I'm dreaming of either a string quilt or maybe even a Storm at Sea for my own bed. Probably a string quilt, since I would like to finish it in this lifetime! And I'm thinking the reds would look stunning paired with some white grunge for a Christmas quilt.... So many possibilities! And isn't that half the fun? Thanks so much, Kate - in the words of that song from The Sound of Music, "somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good" to deserve such a wonderful surprise!!
There was another quilt from last week that caught my imagination, too - this one...
...and I couldn't figure out why it kept running through my head. Then I remembered that my granddaughter requested a photo quilt for her annual (Christmas) quilt, and this design would be perfect! So I opened up Numbers (the Mac equivalent of Excel) on my computer and started playing around with a layout.
I'm planning on making it all from scrap, except for the photos which will be in the centers of the large and medium size blocks. It's a lot of sewing, but I figure I can make most of the small blocks a few at a time over the next few weeks, and then it's just a matter of making the big blocks and assembling it. I love it in a riot of color, don't you?
So that's been my scrappy week - not much sewing because it's been wicked busy around here - but still plenty of thinking about scrap quilts going on!
Have you had any luck taming that scrap monster so far this month?
Hugs!
Sarah
What a lucky girl. I just opened my mail to my Latitude layer cake. They are all so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift to arrive in the mail, and fun ironing them all,more fun sorting, and the best is yet to come when you sew with them.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful! What a sweet surprise for you. I can hardly wait to see what you create.
ReplyDeletexxx
it is always so much fun to get a surprise box of fabric in the mail - it makes the day go right
ReplyDeleteOh what fun!! The box looks beautiful. Anxious to see what you create with them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great bit of mail! How did you manage to get on such a "mailing list" ? Inquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDeleteOh, lucky you! Such a wonderful surprise! Can't wait to see how you use all those gorgeous strips.
ReplyDeleteLucky!! I just love getting Happy Mail and would love to receive a box of fabric in the mail.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great thing to get in the mail. And you'll definitely put them to good use. I think I need to take a vacation day just to go through and sort my scraps. I just have to do it!
ReplyDeleteLOVING your box of scrappy goodness!!! (And the fact that you've already processed the entire box... go you!!)
ReplyDeleteLuck taming the scrap monster? NO ! After making the scrappy top I still had 3 bags full and while unpacking (still moving in after a year here) I found another box full. I could probably make 20 more tops like the two just finished. No relief. LOL
ReplyDeleteHugs
What a lovely surprise! That line is on my wish list. Look forward to seeing what you make. Meanwhile, that new design is looking great.
ReplyDeleteknocked off more 365 blocks so still at scrap busting here in cooling off maryland!
ReplyDeleteKate obviously chose the right person to send all those strips to; as you immediately ironed them and will surely put them to good use! I have tons of wrinkled strips already, and who knows when I'll get them in any shape to use.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love the pattern you're going to use for the photo quilt. In fact, I think I've purchased a pattern like that from somebody at some point. So one day, I'll hopefully make a quilt like that. You're so much more clever to be able to draw up your own pattern on the computer!
Oh so lucky you are and Kate is a doll for sending you so many goodies. Have fun playing with those.
ReplyDeleteI may have missed it, but have you done a blog post or tutorial on using a spreadsheet to design quilts? If not, I'd love to see one. If so, where might I find that? I love your colorful quilt design. Lucky you to receive such a nice gift.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm dancing here for you, and my husband is totally clueless as to why? Fun, fun!
ReplyDeleteOh you absolutely are deserving of such a surprise package as that one! Who better to create something beautiful with it than you?!
ReplyDeleteLucky girl, Sarah...what a fun surprise! I'm looking forward to seeing what you make with those great fabrics. Maybe I can get some ideas. My husband's aunt went into a nursing home a year ago and recently the family gifted me with ALL her quilting stash, so now I'm sorting through boxes & boxes. Makes me happy for me and sad for her at the same time.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the colorful quilt design! Perfect for photos in the bigger squares. That's going to be an awesome quilt!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteThe quilt you are planning is going to be great. I can't wait to see it completed! I would never have thought of using excel for designing. I might have to give it a try. Can you recommend a tutorial? I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteLisa, you are a no-reply blogger so I hope you'll see this. I used the tutorial by Lisa of Shiner's View (here's the link: http://shinersview.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-design-quilt-in-excel.html ) Mine is in the Mac version called Numbers, not Excel, but it works basically the same. A great way to design non-symmetrical quilts!
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