Friday, November 23, 2012

 I've been a bit of a flibbitigibit in the sewing room, bouncing around from one project to the next without really settling to anything. Nothing seems to keep my attention for long, so I've been cleaning and organising the stash and getting things that don't belong there out of the room.

In the process of going through a box of old bits and pieces I found a little bag of 60 degree diamonds marked for hand piecing and decided to deal with them once and for all. I began to piece them together, the best way to get rid of them short of throwing them in the bin. This template is tiny, an inch on each side, and while fiddly, the bonus is that it takes no time at all to sew those little seams.


I started off making baby/tumbling blocks, very cute, but the trouble began when I ran short of a light here and a medium fabric there. Soon I'd pulled out some tiny scraps and begun cutting more diamonds- just to finish off this little piece, you understand?
Obsession soon followed, when I realised that so many of my tiny scraps would be gone forever if I cut diamonds from them. A little bin next to my table is already full of discarded confetti left after I cut as many shapes as I could out of a collection of treasured pieces. And I figure if I can't get one of these diamonds from the scrap then it's really not worth keeping.
I got rid of a small drawer of  1 3/8" strips that I'd mistakenly thought I'd use, and then pulled out the string container to ferret through that. I don't like the process of string piecing, even though I love the results, so I pulled out all the tiniest strings and cut and cut and cut.

After I came up for air I realised that I had way too many bits for my little mini quilt and happily began piecing stars- perhaps a weeny Seven Sisters in progress you think? I'm not getting that far ahead, I'm just enjoying the process.
 I love the backs of the stars, so neat and easy to press.
 I can piece three of these before I go to bed, and I'm having tremendous fun choosing colour combinations. There aren't too many of each colour so the stars are pretty scrappy, but they're sooo cute. This project has put some fun back into sewing, as during the day  I'm  still having to plod away on some projects with deadlines. At least I have these to look forward to before I go to bed, like a little treat for myself.

6 comments:

Meredith November 23, 2012  

Tiny Diamonds, they look lovely. I think many of us hold onto a small scrap of a favorite piece of fabric. Maybe a few. I enlarged your photos, I like the stars scrappy they way you made them.

Cactusneedle November 24, 2012  

I love what you've done with your scraps! I have a basketfull of scraps that need to become something. You just may have motivated me to start using them! I just keep waiting for "just the right project" lol I wonder if there's a book out there "What to make with diamonds".

Sue SA November 24, 2012  

These are adorable! Reminds me that I need to get back to my Seven Sisters project. I do far less clever things with my scraps! So nice to have a "treat" project to look forward to at bedtime just like a good book!

Tazzie November 24, 2012  

Mereth, your diamonds are adorable! I love how you use up the smallest of scraps. It's amazing the potential for wonderful quilts we have in those scrap bins.
Be sure to have a great weekend
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Jan Mac November 28, 2012  

Oh dear! I've been working with 1" diamonds too. I should be focusing on one thing at a time but just had to see how cute they would look. Then Of course I had to cut some more to use up scraps and then another UFO is born lol! We'll have to motivate each other if we hit a lull Mereth. Mine might become a Seven Sisters quilt, or not.

antique quilter November 28, 2012  

1" diamonds, wow your really saving little scraps!!!!
the stars are amazing and will make a beautiful quilt but I just ADORE that baby/tumbling block quilt and have always wanted to make one
any tips for those of us who have never hand pieced?
Kathie

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