Wednesday, March 22, 2017

My Stash Storage

Happy Wednesday,

After posting about my sewing stash storage several of my local friends asked about it. And I just happened to get new boxes, and a new fabric line in the last couple days. So I thought I'd share photos.


Here is the fabric that came, called Bally Hall by designer Di Ford-Hall. I bought a bundle with a yard of each of the large bird prints and fat quarters of the rest, from Reproduction Fabrics. As you can see it has a lovely color palette and is dated mid-nineteenth century. I don't know what I'll do with it yet. After making Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville Mystery this year I'm ready to use more of my fat quarters for scrappy-like quilts.



The boxes I use are from Snapware and measure about 8" tall, 9" wide and 16" deep. You can find them at Amazon, or World Kitchen where they happen to be on sale right now for $6.74 each, and shipping is free if you spend $99. They are also offering 20% off your order if you sign up for email. I really like them because they are a medium sized box, and don't get too heavy if you fill them with fabric. They also have a handle on the top which makes them easy to carry.


I fold the fat quarters selvage to cut edge, then again. Fold in half lengthwise and you have a perfect fit. You can do the same with half yards and they fit fine, but larger than that takes up too much space in the box. I also don't stash larger pieces of fabric. When I buy yardage it is for a specific purpose or project. These boxes make good project boxes, and they cost a lot less than the ArtBin boxes. 

Lastly, I have a Brother label printer, model QL-700, that uses rolls of labels. I have the size visible on the boxes, which is the standard 5160 address label that comes in sheets of 30. On a roll like this I can print as many as I like. I also have a roll of file folder labels, and you can get several other sizes. 

I was a computer programmer back when I held a full time job so I do love my technology. In addition to the label printer I have a color laser printer, an inkjet photo printer/scanner, and document scanner that is super fast and scans both sides of the document as it feeds through. All very useful! Really, I need 4 pieces of equipment. 

I also have a Brother Scan 'n Cut and I need to learn how to really use it. Maybe after the coming guild quilt show, which I'm doing the program for. My quilts for the show are done, yay!

Back soon with  a 101 Patchwork Patterns block.
Mary
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Monday, March 20, 2017

Quilt Qwazy Queens Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my blog. I am very happy to be participating in this blog hop, organized by Marian at Seams To Be Sew. Thank you, Marian, for all the work you do putting together these fun events. Down at the bottom of this post you will find out how to enter for several giveaways each day of the hop. The list of sponsors is incredible!

 The schedule for Quilt Qwazy Queens is:
Quilt Qwazy Queens Schedule
March 16
March 17
March 20
March 21
March 22
A number of the participants have shared their sewing spaces/studios. If you are looking for great ideas, or just enjoy seeing other's studios, be sure to visit everyone. Daily prizes will have expired for past days but there are more to come.
I do not have a room that is my sewing studio. I am in the process of cleaning out my husband's family home (he passed away last year). There have been 3 generations of his family that have lived in the house since 1916, and no one ever threw anything out. So I thought I'd share some photos of where I am making due and sewing when I can. 

First is the kitchen cart that actually works pretty good for a cutting table. It holds a 12" x 24" cutting mat and has a wing I can flip up to hold bolts.

My stash looks pretty organized, doesn't it? I have fat quarters and smaller yardage sorted by type (batik, repro, modern, etc.) and by color. This is only about half the boxes. My husband gave me a monthly anniversary gift for the 15 years we were married, wrapped in fabric, or just gave fabric. He mostly purchased fat quarter or half yard bundles of full lines of reproduction fabric, from Reproduction Fabrics. I've tried to continue his habit of getting the new lines as they come out. 😊


My final sewing essential is my machine, a Bernina 830 with embroidery. It sits on a desk from Amazon at the end of my bed. I put a 12" x 12" pressing board on my desk and I'm set. I try to spend a couple hours a day sewing but fell behind last year. I'm dealing with a few health issues and don't have much energy some days. Oh well, we all take breaks from sewing sometimes. 

When I moved to the Seacoast area of New Hampshire in 2002 I joined 2 guilds as a way to meet people. I belong to the Cocheco Quilters in Dover, NH, and the Seabreeze Quilt Guild in Exeter, NH. Seabreeze has their show coming up on April 22nd so I've been trying to finish some projects for the show. You would think in the 2 years between shows I would have something. Well, I do, and I have some photos!
 

My friend Bea and I decided to do the block of the month for Seabreeze for 2015/2016 and created the original sampler pattern shown here. Each month in the newsletter, for 12 months, you got a block pattern in 6", 9" and 12" sizes. You could make all one size, or combine all 3 into the sampler layout shown. Bea's is on the left, made from batiks. Mine is on the right, made from Thimbleberries stash. There were some filler blocks to make everything fit together, and Bea used all neutrals for hers. I used prints. I like the two different looks!


This quilt is called Pointing to Center and I designed it for a short block of the month for 2016. With the show coming in April we wanted something that could finish in December. I know of at least 2 other guild members who have made this quilt and will have it in the show. Should make a nice grouping, don't you think?

Both of these patterns will be available in my shop at Craftsy, and at QuiltWoman for wholesale purchase, very soon. I just need to reformat them from the monthly newsletter layout.

I have two more at the quilter and expect them back any day. One was a mystery quilt that one of the other Seabreeze members provided in the newsletter. The other is the Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery from this past year. I have been saving her annual mystery patterns that start after Thanksgiving for 5 years. This year, I made it, too! I used many fat quarters to substitute for the yardage required and so finally made my first scrappy quilt. When I started to assemble the blocks I thought I was going to hate it. But I love it now. I'll have photos soon.

Ok, I think it is time for the fun stuff. First I have a bottle of Terial Magic Fabric Spray. This is a fabric stiffener like heavy starch. It works great for anytime you want a firmer hand, like with cutting machines, scrapbooking, etc. 
Northcott Fabrics has given the Quilt Qwazy Queens a whole bunch of fat quarters. My prize for today is from the On The Green collection.


The last chance to win here today is a $50.00 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop. Good luck to all.



One final good thing today is the discount available for Electric Quilt. I use this program all the time and would highly recommend it. 
Use the promo code: EQHOP201 for a special hop price, good till 3/27/2017

 Exclusions: Electric Quilt 7, EQ7 Migration Kit, Upgrade from EQ Mini to EQ7, EQ Mini Migration Kit, EQ Academy classes, and EQ University classes.

 Don't forget to visit the other blogs today, and be sure to stop by and see Marian for the winners. 

I hope you have enjoyed your visit with me. Hopefully new medication should have me feeling better and back to work on the 101 Patchwork Patterns quilt that I've been sharing here. It's been on hold a bit but I'm ready to jump back in the water.

Thanks again,
Mary
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