Scrappy Stuff

Batik scraps.  Just when I think I've used them all, I find more.  I pieced and pieced.  And then added zippers.  See the bag in the bottom right corner?  It's my favorite - I love these scraps.  Because I use one of my zippered pouches daily and like having this little "mini purse" which I can put into my real purse, I decided to make myself another - these red and purple batiks are among my favorite.  Look below at the reverse of this little bag.  I think it's pretty charming!

But then what to do with the scraps of the scraps?  Just before I joined the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild two years ago, the girls made their own nametags.  Clever Holly gave me a little pin device, which I've sewn onto the back on the name tag.  I'm normally not a fan of mini-piecing.  But that's just what I wound up doing with this scraps of scraps!

A Pretty Pouch, a Scrappy Tote, and Two Feet

Yesterday I met a junior high/high school classmate whom I haven't seen since we graduated in 1967.  We connected on Facebook a couple of months ago.  It was a wonderful reconnection.  She's as passionate about gardening and knitting as I am about my quilting.  An hour before I left the house I decided to whip up a little zippered pouch for her.

And as I was starting to make some more zippered  scrap batik pouches, it occured to me that I had enough scraps to do one scrappy tote bag - this scrap panel is 14" x 37".  Perhaps the fuchsia batik - or maybe the mulberry - would be good for an accent band.  The two outer parts of a matching zippered pouch are already quilted.

My missing foot is the one of the left - the open-toed free-motion food.  I'm not sure why I like it so much better than the close-toed foot, but I do.  Maybe I'll have to make a pouch for all my little feet.  First thing tomorrow...

Scrappy Batik - Finished!

This is my first completed quilt of 2012. Admitting that I work large and dark is the first step, isn't it? This is 91" by 73" and was quilted by T and F Studios using the Baptist Fan design. It's hard to see this design on these batiks, but see if you can spot it some of the pictures below. Washing the quilt helped the quilting pattern pop.  This quilt is for my living room, more specifically my reading corner, where I spend many early mornings.

The back of this quilt is darker than the front.  And my fabric cabinets are a bit more controlled, thanks to this project.

To Sash - Or Not To Sash

I could go on and on about the 6.5" x 8.5" block dimensions and how adding a 1.5" strip of black to each block would make them 8.5" s 8.5" and how I have 80 blocks so far and how I need to use my EQ software to figure out sizes with and without sashing and setting these blocks ad infinitium ad nauseum. But these two tentative layouts speak for themselves. Just need to decide which look I want to go for...

Here's to 2012!