Monday, August 20, 2007

Sshh! Here's a quick post before Keryn gets back from her teaching weekend. This is just between us, alright? No blabbing to the big sister...


A while ago Keryn and I were talking on the phone, and she was telling me that she'd actually thrown some fabric out, and that she'd been through the cut strips and chucked out what she didn't love. "You know" I exclaimed, inspired "I'm going to do that too!"
I have some truly dreadful things lurking in the bottom of my strip drawers, some that were cut more than 15 years ago and are now looking pretty raggy and horrible. They never go with what I'm working on at the moment, some are questionable quality and others are just downright Ugly. I was so sick of scrabbling through them in search of the few nice bits that I resolved to sort out the 1 1/2" strips to start with and just condemn the rejected ones to the bin without a backward look.

Fine. I can do that! This drawer was almost overflowing when I started weeding out the 'unloved' and now this is all that's left. Pretty good, ey? See, I can be ruthless too.


But still, that's a pile o' scraps to be throwing out, isn't it?


Oh, all RIGHT!!!! I'll just make a real simple rail fence.
Nothin special, and I can whiz it up between what I'm supposed to be doing. Three leader-ender seams at a time instead of one. Okay? But don't let Keryn see this picture showing that I'm still making square-in-square units and I'm using them as leader-enders for the ...um, leader-ender project.... And that's a whole heap more than three seams there...... Look, just get off my back, I know what I'm doing!


It's nothing special, and the actual fabrics are all that was worst about the 80's and the dregs of my stash, but you know what?
I kinda like it anyway....

18 comments:

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Fiona August 20, 2007  

I love it! Just goes to show that even the fabrics you don't like any more can transform themselves into a pretty quilt top - it would have bee such a shame to chuck them out.

Anonymous,  August 21, 2007  

OMG. This was just "whipped" up. I love the simplicity of it and I agree, to colours don't look bad to me.
Ok, Mums the word !!!
You girls are still cheeky twins.

keryn August 21, 2007  

You are so Sprung! I knew you couldn't throw fabric away! I will have to educate you, but in the meantime, that's a lovely little top. Maybe I need some lessons in how to make my blah fabrics look so nice.

Andrea August 21, 2007  

Your secrets out - lol ! That quilt top is brilliant. Whats the saying- The whole is more than the sum of the parts - or something ! Not even sure if that makes sense but sounds right to me ! The cot quilts are wonderful - love the embroidery - really adds the finishing touch !

meggie August 21, 2007  

I love that top!! Who knew throw out fabric could come up looking so brilliant!!

Melinda August 21, 2007  

Wow, that's great. I love the reds in the piecing and the border - it really brightens up the blahs. I'd love to see a closeup of some of the particularly ugly fabrics.

MARCIE August 21, 2007  

You have a gift for turning the uglies into something wonderful! I am constantly amazed.

Mary Johnson August 21, 2007  

I love it! I think the uglies make the best quilts and I couldn't believe it when I read that you were going to throw strips out. I explained to my husband one day about how great it was to make quilts from leftover bits rather than throwing them away and now he calls these quilts Trash Quilts.

Jenni August 23, 2007  

That's pretty amazing when you see the closeup of the fabrics - it looks great from a distance LOL. The red and yellow saved it I think. I've been selling unwanted stash on ebay and spent the money on some new fabric.

Chookyblue...... August 23, 2007  

Keryn busted you but she did like it........maybe you need to teach the teacher......

Tazzie August 23, 2007  

I love it Mereth! I'm definitely going to make this one up using some of my uglies - there are so many of them. I'm sure they reproduce. I love the close up's and commentaries of the fabrics. How many of us have those fabrics that just will not disappear!
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Helen in the UK August 24, 2007  

What a great quilt from what would otherwise have been thrown away!!! The red inner border has really given it zing ... are you going to bind in red too?
Just discovered your blog and really enjoying it :)

Jeanne August 26, 2007  

I think this is a terrific scrap quilt! I can see myself cutting more strips now for one of my own very soon.

Hedgehog August 28, 2007  

I more than 'kinda like this'! Great way to use up less-than-favorite fabrics!

bingo~bonnie September 05, 2007  

The 1980's never looked so GOOD!!! What a fabulous scrappy quilt and collection of your fabrics from over the years. Just the right amounts of red!

Glad you read at the end that you like it anyway... you should b/c it is BEAUTIFUL!!! :)

~Bonnie in SE Texas

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum September 05, 2007  

And I am a bit partial to it as well!!! Good job, great to make something lovely from the unloved!
As a very ordinary quilter I really like what you did for your banner, I can really only stitch in the ditch! Tracey

Patti September 18, 2007  

Isn't it funny how this happens! My strip, string, and crumb bins are so full of ugly fabric I can hardly wait to use it up. But something magic happens when they are put into a quilt. The whole certainly is better than the sum of it's parts. So far I have two orphan tops, two string tops, and 1016 mile a minute blocks which are now becoming tops - and I love how they are all turning out!

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