Hi, all!
This week I thought we'd look into something a little bit different! If you're anything like me, you've not only got a big mess of scraps, but you've probably got lots of fabric in your stash that you bought just because you love it. Am I right? Of course!
But those pretty fabrics would be so much prettier made up in to something beautiful. Something that you could love or give to someone else who will enjoy their beauty!
So this year, as much as possible, I'm trying to work out of my stash to put some of those beauties in the public eye! And the upside? You can always buy more beautiful fabric!!
This week I've been working on quilts for the Stunning Stars Quilt-Along. The first two quilts were made out of scraps - 5" and 3" squares...
...and I shopped my stash for the back, and found this great floral panel that I've been hoarding for the past couple of years.
I dug through my solid scraps for the second Stunning Stars quilt...
And today, I pulled fabric from my stash for the next Stunning Stars quilt...
They include a piece I bought the last time I went to Atlanta (3 years ago!), a piece of Anna Maria Horner that I found on a sale table at Hancock's two years ago, a piece left over from a blog giveaway I won five years ago, another piece I picked up at Hancocks of Paducah two years ago, and Kona Snow, which is a staple in my stash. As you can see, most of those fabrics have been languishing away, and now they will be put to their best use, in beautiful quilts that will bring warmth and comfort!
Now, it's not always easy to shop your stash - it requires thinking "outside the box" sometimes, and trying things you might not think of at first. But it's a great way to grow in your art, as you step outside of your comfort zone and experiment with color and pattern mixing.
So while you're whittling away at your scraps, will you join me as I sew my stash? If you're on Instagram, use the hashtag #sewmystash2017 to chronicle your "wins" as you work your way through that stash! It's quite a thrill to add that hashtag to your picture and know that you've whittled your stash down just a little bit more...
Hugs!
Sarah
Fantastic shopping! :)
ReplyDeleteI try to always shop my stash, but boy does it get boring even though my stash is pretty big.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to get into the stash a lot more too the past two years but I don't usually do pieced backs - normally I try to find fabric at the on line stores that are in the sale area for $3-5 a yard and then whatever is left over from the back goes right back into the scraps creating more scraps - a never ending cycle!!!
ReplyDeleteFor the first stars quilt I think you mentioned adding a row of 5" squares so as not to lose the tips on the stars. I did a test square and I'm not close to losing the tips -- so I think you meant not only to not lose the tips but also to make them pop/stand out a bit more, right? I'm just confirming because maybe I got the measurements wrong. Thanks! I've got enough white (already cut!) and print squares (already cut) so I'm excited about this one!
ReplyDeleteI have been shopping my stash this week for a sewing retreat. There are some hidden gems and older projects I had forgotten about.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing this, too! My stash is actually stressing me out because there is just so darn much of it!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to sew from stash as much as possible because it looks like we'll be moving later this year (building a house in Myrtle Beach!)...the more I sew the less I have to move, right?
ReplyDeleteI've got all my 5" blocks cut and have pulled way more than enough white scraps for the stars...I hope to start sewing it all tonight!!
I love to shop my stash. Sometimes I still need just one more color, that I don't have.
ReplyDeleteHey Sarah :-) I am loving the star pattern you picked out for this year's h2h design! I just wanted to drop a note and let you know, I started a weekly link up for charity related sewing. If you ever want to link up a post I'd love that :-) It's every Wednesday. http://katandcatquilts.blogspot.com/2017/01/sew-some-love.html
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ReplyDeleteI had a big stash of 6-1/2" squares and they said "pick us". I used 4" squares for the star points. This is a very addictive pattern! Thank you.
ReplyDeletepearbour@gmail.com
Looking forward to seeing the rest of that next Stunning Stars quilt!! Shame on you for teasing us so. Loving the tiny glimpse you gave us!
ReplyDeleteUsing up scraps is what keeps me doing more mystery patterns. I have got to go through my fabric stash and give some to Project Linus, I could open a quilt shop with the inventory in my basement!
ReplyDeleteToday I did some big-time stash shopping, sewing up about nine yards of WTF (What's THIS For!?) fabrics into pillowcases for a kids' charity. Feels sooooo good to move some of these fabrics along into cute, useful projects!
ReplyDeleteEven though I have a lot of scraps, I never seem to have enough variety or the right color, so I'm constantly going through my stash lopping off a 2.5 or 3 or 5 inch strip to use in projects like Bonnie Hunter's En Provence mystery. But cutting off some strips from lots of fabrics doesn't seem to diminish the stash lol. I've also been piecing backs from the stash. Looking forward to H2H. Have several projects in the works.
ReplyDeletePat
I'm in. I've been going through my strips and crumbs basket, separating them, and making paper pieced Wild & Goosey blocks with the crumbs, and will start paper piecing the strips for charity quilts for my quilt chapter. I have already been hashtagging my Instagram posts :D
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