Selvage Strings Update

I'm linking up with Lori at Humble Quilts to share my Stringalong progress. Be sure to hop on over to see what others are making, too.

So far I've made 55 6" selvage blocks but haven't yet made up my mind how I want to set them together. This is another possibility. 

There's really not much waste when sewing with selvages. Each row gets shorter and shorter so you can always use little bits and pieces.     
 

This is my current pile all ironed and ready to go :) I'm thinking another 10 blocks or so. Thanks again, Wendy, for thinking of me!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

March Mini and Birding

When I started thinking about my March mini it involved the birthday gift my family gave me--an Adirondack Birding Tour.

My birthday was in December and my daughter and I spent 4 wonderful hours with John and Pat Thaxton of Adirondack Birding Tours.

We drove the back roads of Westport, NY, and along the shores of Lake Champlain. We saw lots of birds some more common than others. 

American Black Ducks were a first for me but they were too far away to photograph.

Guess what this is?? A porcupine climbing down a tree!

 

By the time we got back to the cabin, my granddaughter had arrived and gave me this watercolor she did of a Cedar Waxwing. Isn't it fantastic? It literally took my breath away!

Back home I started making 4" blocks using small scraps I had saved for another project.
 

Here's another but my idea wasn't coming together so I decided four was enough :)

I added leftover hsts in the corners and a center block of Birds to represent the birthday gift I shall always remember. 

I pieced the backing and matched the design by folding and top stitching it down. 

Ta-da!

On another note I want to thank all of you who responded to my question about storing quilts. Your suggestions were much appreciated!

Have a great week!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer
 

Winter Aconite and Projects

Finally! I've been waiting for Winter Aconite to bloom . . . 

. . . and this morning I saw it :) It's always the first flower to bloom in my garden. Yay for spring!

I finished another section of my new quilt. Pretty soon you'll get to see the whole thing, lol!

I stitched together some odd pieces of leftover binding so when it's time to bind Scrappy Strips I'll be ready. 

The backing is done, too. Barbie is going to quilt it for me so I'll drop it off tomorrow.
 

Every so often I change the little quilts on display in the upstairs hallway. This is the latest :)

Help. I'm running out of room! I have quilts on racks, on beds, on chairs, on dressers, in trunks, on walls, and I need to find some storage space. Where do you keep your quilts?

I finally decided to toss the shoe-box bed I've had since I was 11 years old. It was totally falling apart. But first . . .

. . . I took apart the dust ruffle and bed hangings and soaked them overnight. I think these fabrics will be perfect for a monthly mini :)




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

 

Sewing Collectibles, New Project, St. Patty's Day

I have a small collection of sewing collectibles which I thought you'd enjoy seeing this week.

 I keep most of them in this small cabinet in the upstairs hallway.

Thimbles that have come my way via friends, relatives, etc. My cousin worked for Avon years ago thus the three Victorian ladies. 

 

This pin cushion was actually given to me by Aunt Midge's landlord after he sold the property and had a garage sale. It's a favorite.   

 

Adirondack-style sewing stand with a wood base.

A cute hat pin cushion with rick-rack trim.  

Lots of needles in this cute needle case.
 

Needle threaders to the rescue, lol! 

Matchbook-style needle books that my mother-in-law saved. All from CA. 

Cute advertising for snaps. 

Tailors' chalk in red, white, and blue :)

 

An assortment of scissors . . .  

 . . . button hooks . . .

. . . wooden spools, buttons, marbles (!) . . .

. . . and a dressmaker book. I actually have lots more but I think I better stop here :)

Here's a sneak peak of a new quilt that I'm working on.

 

More to come :)

Lastly, with St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, here is the link to a poem my mother wrote in 1945. 

Enjoy your week!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer

This 'n That

This week .  .  .  

 

. . . dozens of robins were eating holly berries . . .  

. . . and then we had two snow storms. Not a huge amount but enough to make it feel like winter :) 

A reader asked about how wide I cut selvages. Here's what works for me. From top to bottom: 1-1/2", 1-1/4", 1", 3/4" and 1/2". I need 1/4" overlap when sewing them onto the foundation. So depending on the width, there's either fabric showing or if the selvages are narrow there is no fabric in between.  

 
Then out of the blue I received a lovely surprise from my blogging friend, Wendy--an envelope full of selvages! Thank you so much!  

I got right down to business and started ironing them all. Then I made more blocks. Did you ever notice some selvages have fringe? See the strip with the leaves directly below 'Paula Barnes'? If you sew through the fringe it won't hold so I move my stitching to above the fringe line.

Oftentimes when I get to a corner (lower right) I fill in with just a piece of fabric and no selvage. That way I don't have to deal with extra bulk in that area. 

I've been busy quilting Chimney Sweep in the evening and making good progress :)

It's "handywoman-time" around the house so after I touched up the paint in the hallway I put this quilt on the bench to enjoy.

Have a wonderful week!




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Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer