Scrap Vomit

AKA: Technicolor Yawn.

Well Sunday night I was in a weird spot. The night before my bible study, feeling a bit overwhelmed…I am not sure with what? ( yes I do..as much as I want to deny it) As weird as it seems when I get overwhelmed with “stuff” in my life I shut down and do odd things.  Before I left for Haiti when I should have been working and packing I cleaned out all the bathroom drawers & Sorted make-up. Weird right? Well I think it’s because when I don’t have control over so many things at once it’s easy to just do something I can get some sort of accomplishment out of. Or do something that requires so little of my attention and still accomplish a task. I guess. It’s crazy, doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t have to.

I have a few quilts that I need to work on for customers. I have a few of my own pinned on both frames, which has never happened? Or rarely happens. I did that because one of them is a quick one that I was supposed to get quilted on Saturday. But I have been in a sewing mode. I just want to create and not quilt. Creating something from nothing. Not completing a creation. I have been finishing a lot of things that I have already started. I had decided a few months ago to start cutting some of my scraps into certain sizes so I wouldn’t fill my bins so fast. It’s just insane. I can trust a few people to get my scrappy trade boxes and actually send them back…I really am not worried about my regular people that keep in contact…Honestly there is no time limit. But there were about 10 boxes I sent out and have never heard from them again. Yeah. Oh well.

I create lots of scraps because of my projects but also the backings. I think I don’t get a lot accomplished for myself..but in all actuality this year was hefty. Between the scrappy trade quilts, show quilts, charity quilts, baby quilts ect. I did MANY quilts. It was a huge year. I fill that scrap bin so fast it’s crazy! So a few months ago I took tons out sorted, pressed and cut. I had a weird thing though that it is still full. So this last couple of months i have been letting a pile stack up on my cutting counter, really? Like I need more clutter…does anyone wonder how I get overwhelmed? Honestly? With so many things screaming “reminding” all the time. Sheesh!

So I decided to make some panels from many of the scraps on the counter and to start cutting and sorting. I have made several scrap Market tote bags from scraps and handed them to everyone I know…but it’s been a few years since I made some. It’s a good way to use scraps because it uses so many. You need 4 panels that are 19-22 ( or so) for each bag. SO I just improv piece them and construct the bag using them. I like the scrappy ones almost better than the coordinated ones ( so do a few of my friends) and honestly they make the best shopping back because I stabilize the bottom and they hold a ton of groceries. I also use them for traveling.  But I thought I may make some for my bible study ladies if I can get them done? Who  knows? I made 12 panels. That was after I cut the scraps down as well. I did use several big pieces to make a few of the panels just because I had so much. Good news is? I used all the counter scraps. Bad news is I started playing with my bin of 2.5 inch strips because it’s over flowing. So stuffed I couldn’t shove anymore in there. That one fills faster than any others because all my leftover binding goes in there along with scrap cuts, jelly roll leftovers and it’s just a popular cut. I had saved this site and tutorial from the first time I saw it. I thought this was a perfect idea. Scrap vomit. Nice name? Right?

Well it looks as if scraps really did vomit all over my studio.

So then while sorting said strips I decided oh I could just see if I had enough to make this quilt….and make piles….which lead to making panels…which kept me up until after 1 am ( I ended up staying up well past two) ….I have to say I have enough to easily make 2 scrap vomit quilts.:) I will have a few strays. I took out all the brown strips because they just seem to detract from the rest. I use brown quite frequently so I will use them for something else. I used a teal green ( 2 different fabrics) along with the black as she did in her sample. All the black strips were in my scrap bin. I am thinking for quilt two I need to use several white strips that I will try replacing the black with white and using an orange instead of teal green. I don’t have any orange in the scraps..so it should stand out. I am trying to decide if I should buy a real zesty orange color or use the peachy type orange I have in my stash….I really shouldn’t buy any fabric…I need to use what I have got…but it’s tempting.   So now I just need to press my panels for quilt #1 and start cutting the strips. One good day of sewing and I will have the top complete. Pretty spiffy. 

I also have several small ends that would just be crazy to piece one by one…I am not going to cut them into single squares..to time consuming. So I think I will make a jelly roll race quilt and then cut it up into panels to make tote bags. Great idea!

Tomorrow is a day I need to get shop quilts complete then I must do one of my custom quilt jobs ( sometime this week). But that leaves my weekend free for some sewing…just sayin!

I am also making a 9 patch a day. I am trying to think of it as a discipline. I certainly have enough strips, scraps and a whole drawers full of 2.5 inch squares. A simple 9 patch a day should be no problem. Right?

Thinking of the ways I will set them…..dreaming. Always.