Kits, bins and UFOs

First the “Kit” LOL. By the time I had errands run yesterday DJ had the laundry done. We have a deal-- if he is going to do it, I don’t want him hanging or folding my stuff as he does just the opposite of how I handle it. Normally it is draped on the kitchen chair but look who found the pile when I moved it to the bed. Something about the smell of clean clothes is like a kitty magnet, I guess, because these were by no means warm at the time.

I am half done with the hand stitching on my FAB challenge but haven’t touched it yet today as I have been straightening up a bit in the sewing/computer room and doing some re-organization. I decided to take my thread down off the racks as I am tired of having to unwind the first pass off it to get the dust/lint off of it. (The stuff at the store is not much better in the department, I found out. ) I ran out to a discount store near here to get some containers for that purpose plus a few project boxes. Now I have an idea of how many more will be needed for the task. The wall space would be perfect for a small wallhanging.

Of course, this reorganization plan led to moving some other things around the room—and even into my bedroom as my storage space for fabric/quilt tops is encroaching on the closet space in there as well as blanket chest. Serial cleaning as Pam would say.

So what are you looking at? On the right hand side, top shelf: the two Longaberger baskets at top contain part of my collection of 30’s reproduction fabrics—one is a round divided basket and the other is about 14 inches long full of fat quarters. The 35 qt. bin below it is one I just loaded up this afternoon; it also has repro fabric and my collection of feed sack fabrics. Inside, at the top of the box, are some leftover 30’s repro fabrics my mom sent from a Cheese and Cracker quilt that her quilt group made for raffle at the Taste of Country Fair. I didn’t see any need to unpack it as Pam, Norma and I plan on making this quilt sometime in February or March. I might switch the two little baskets around with the other bin at some point but I need the clear plastic bin below it sooner.

On the left hand side, top shelf---fall fabrics in the flatter Longaberger basket and in the blue 20 qt. bin is my fall Round Robin from back in December of 2006 (the rest of the group robins are HERE if you want to look) I want to re-do the last border on mine as that dark poly cotton has got to go and what is with those corners? Some of the fabrics needed to complete it are in the bin---yep, another UFO.
Also in the back of my mind is to make my own version of the Friendship in the Pines that Cher won in the WTIL raffle about a year ago. I can’t find the picture of the finished quilt but perhaps she has one? I’ll look for a link later but for right now, THIS is the block. Bonnie of Quiltville fame saw it on my site (and possibly Pam’s) as we both made blocks for the raffle quilt and showed them on our blogs. She drew it up in EQ with a slight variation in the way we actually pieced it and gave it her own name, leaders and enders trees for a time but I don’t know what she called the finished quilt. Anyway, HERE was the original post and HERE is the finished one. The only real difference? She drew a square near the base end. We made the piece near the trunk a large half square triangle rather than use an odd shaped template.

But, I digress, LOL. All over the place today and writing in a stream of consciousness way. 2nd shelf, another 20 qt. bin I just filled. The Longaberger basket below it is full of you guessed it, more 30s fabric but the 20 qt.clear one is the fabric dedicated to the Be Attitudes quilt I am starting soon. I got a collection of the Williams Inn fat quarters for my birthday back in August. It was so prettily wrapped, like a layered star, that I had not even unfolded it to wash it. With some fusible applique ahead I thought it best to do the honors today. I had already started unfolding when I thought to take the picture. Run on over to Cross Country Quilt Barn if you want to see the unsullied version, LOL.

Karen at Passionate Quilter who follows me in the stash quilts blog ring said she will be teaching this quilt to her students (I think she is in Ohio?) as a block of the month and asked me to join in. Nothing like a deadline to help get my blocks done! I’ll be ready to make my first fabric base once I am done with the FAB challenge. In looking at the colors I thought some fat quarters I had purchased 11 plus years ago called “Barn Dance” may go with the Williams Inn fabrics. I put them in the bin as well as some homespuns that had belonged to Theramae. That box is ready except for a light for the figures skin tones. A chance to stash bust, right?

I should add that I have another bin of 30’s fabrics just a little bigger than the one I just purchased for the feedsacks, etc but it lives under the cutting/pressing table. Now I admit that I have a ton of 30 repros but in my defense I have been collecting for some time. Cher gave me hers when she cleaned out all her stock and fell out of love with a Hope of Hartford Star that featured it. Some is from my mom and some, gifts from others who know I love this stuff. Practically all of it is fat quarters. As far as I know, I don’t have any duplicates but I don’t think I have ever had it all out in one place to look. I DO use bits of it now and again though—blocks for Pat’s Friendship Sunbonnet Sue , my Pioneer Sampler that I probably last touched when the picture was taken in Dec. 06, the first Collinsville Rowers row (August 07 vintage) Oh, almost forgot about THIS—a no send ostrich round robin that Peach Quilting had started. I found it in the blanket chest. That would be a fun medallion one to finish up but use my own rules. I even used some in blocks for what was my mom’s pass around quilt that become my wedding quilt!

Obviously I have plenty of ME projects to work on. Here is an example of what I could grab at any minute that the mood to sew strikes. I would like to see this stack diminished this year so some of that fabric could get out of the bedroom closet. In my defense, almost all of that stuff is what came home from Illinois with me last summer and a large container from a former Belles’ estate. Add some of Theramae’s fabrics more recently. In fact, that stack of reds and neutrals is her fabrics. I keep looking at them and thinking log cabin or better yet, Faux Log Cabin. Theramae was a champ at those! At any rate, space is finite and things need to be sewed up around here. Some is donation quilts, some not but it is all kitted up and waiting.

Lastly, my old clothes hamper is not just a place for the cat to jump up on the way to the window. Nope, this is the stuff that outgrew the old picnic basket that it used to live in. It is either cut already or paired up with the go-with’s for the kids. No, it is not stuff for ME but it is stuff that needs to be used. There are other bags around as well with panels and things. So I think I should just reach in there and grab something later this month and just sit and sew, don’t you?
I took the tops that Marilyn and Linda S donated last month and I paired with backing and binding out in the car to take to the meeting tomorrow. Lois has some tops ready to pin as well but I don’t care if we don’t get to these till next time out. I MAY be coming home with the next commissioned T-shirt stuff so quilting can wait.

My action plan for the rest of the month?

1. Finish the FAB challenge hopefully with the next week to 10 days and get it mailed since it is traveling to Canada
2. Make the base for the “Be Warm” block
3. Pull one project from the hamper or shelf and start sewing
4. Stitch on the redwork Santa for about an hour each day
5. Don’t start Chris’ tshirt quilt till February—I don’t think she has a deadline date

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it--------thanks for stopping by!