Put a Lid on it!

Wednesday, I spent most of the afternoon rotary cutting. See that bin of purple fabric? Before I started cutting, the lid wouldn't fit the bin. It was overflowing with that much fabric.

Now I need to take the rotary cutter to that blue/aqua bin, and the orange/pink bin (lower left.) Hmm, those greens (lower right) might need a reduction too. By the end of the year, I intend to purge, cut and sew enough blocks and quilts to cull one entire bin of stashed fabrics. 

First, from all the purple prints I cut squares for my Friendship Medallion quilt, part 4.

Then from the purple prints I cut:

• 3-1/2" X 6-1/2" loaves for a Stitchin' Mission quilt
• 1-1/5" to 2-3/4"-wide strips for a Picket Fence quilt. 
• 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" squares for a Leaders/Enders quilt.
• and saved every other little bit for a New Life quilt.

Now if this isn't a good use of fabric, I don't know what is! Do you see a strategy to my use of fabrics? I think the term is "frugal." Blame that on my German heritage.

After all that cutting, Thursday afternoon was spent pleasantly sewing the 92 Flying Geese needed for Friendship Medallion, part 4. Friendship Medallion is a free quilt pattern offered by Patchwork Pumpkin. The hitch is that you don't get instructions for a step until you email them a picture of the step you've just finished! Also, you're supposed to use only fabrics from your stash. I'm lovin' this!

See Kerry's pretty Friendship Medallion quilt here. She's up to part 5.

My favorite way to make Flying Geese blocks is this no-waste method. Here's the link to the PDF I've printed, and follow all the time.

This way there's no wasted fabric, except for the trimmings from 92  2-1/2" X 4-1/2" Flying Geese blocks.

92 Flying Geese for Part 4 of Friendship Medallion

For those of you wondering if my voice held out while speaking to 50-plus women at Tuesday evening's Ankeny Area Quilters Guild meeting, the answer is an audible "yes!" Thanks to prayers (mine and yours), a salt water gargle and a microphone, my presentation about Stitchin' Mission went well. I'm always eager to let people know what's happenin' with Stitchin' Mission - and it is happenin'!  Lives are being touched and changed in ways God knows all about, and occasionally I'm privileged and touched to learn too. Quilters and quilt recipients are feelin' the love. What an awesome God-thing.

The second Stitchin' Mission lesson was Thursday evening. I'm just about blown away by these newbies! Forty-five people were in attendance! Their enthusiasm for learning quiltmaking is overwhelming and infectious. I want to go home afterward and sew, sew, sew.

One new quilter has recently started blogging at CrashCourseCraft and wouldn't you know, she blogged about Stitchin' Mission! Pop over and say hi to Caitlyn, won't you?

Wednesday, the big show started. The PIQF (Pacific International Quilt Festival) in Santa Clara, California. Two of my quilts are there. I'm not. But with appreciation for her thoughtful gesture, Laura Nownes (the Laura Nownes who co-authored the famous book Quilts! Quilts! Quilts!!!) emailed with her offer to take pictures of my quilts hanging at the show. Curious quilters want to know what the neighbors look like! Bet the show is wonderful. With 800 quilts, how could it not be?

(L-R): Tote It; thermal bottle carrier; Trixie Bag

Today was a Sewing Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with Hope Quilters at our church. After loading my sewing machine, a bag of quilt-y stuff, and my tool chest, I prepared my lunch.

These were on the kitchen counter on my last trip to the car when it struck me. It's a good thing I know how to sew! How could I go anywhere without these colorful carriers? Can you imagine how boring they would if they were store-bought?



Last weekend our Kansas family (sans Dad, who had to work) made an outing to a pumpkin patch.

Celina, Aesa, Jill and Tay

A few days after this picture was taken, Aesa, who will be one year old on November 6, took his first steps. It's trite to say so, but... they grow up so quickly. Linda