My Small World, a Scrap Vortex!

All kinds of scrappiness is happenin' at my sewing machine. It's been fun, and terribly messy to pull out all my scrap bins and paw through everything... looking for smaller fabric bits for Scrap Vortex, and the more planned colors going into My Small World. 

This photo doesn't show actually how bad as it's been! But you know it must be messy because Dan  poked his head into the room to ask, "What are you making?!" Usually he doesn't pay one bit of attention! I've cleaned up a couple times, putting some bins and fabrics away, and then later going scrounging for more. 

What I have to show for all the piecing, pressing, and trimming is this small pile of pieces. Scrap Vortex is into week two, so I've been taking the pairs of pieces and joining them to other pairs or strips. It's a pretty pile, mostly in bright colors. I'm rejecting most scraps that are black or brown.

As long as I'm being messying, and to get my projects under control, I've made a couple of these Work in Progress Bags, (WIP) a pattern by Amanda Jean of CrazyMomQuilts. She's the one who got me started on the WIP scrap mess in the first place! Using my stash of 14" zippers from ZipIt, and some of the three yards of 16 gauge vinyl I bought for half price from JoAnn's, I plan to make a whole bunch of these in different sizes.

9" X 12" and 14" X 18" WIP bags

The other big part of the scrappy mess is My Small World, a pattern in the Spring issue of QuiltMania magazine. I'm having so much fun! I'm probably overthinking my fabric choices - where to place each color - but it's rewarding to sew with such little bits. 

This is section one completed. It measures 12-1/2" X 34" (unfinished). 

Most of the low volume prints in the upper section are 1" X 1" finished, or 2" X 2" finished. It's been fun to see on Instagram what quilters are choosing for the "billboard" at the top of the tallest building. I've seen: café; flowers all summer; handmade original; edge of the world; beyond the woods; be grateful for luck; show in New York; June... such small printed verbiage isn't easy to find. My "Delight yourself in the Lord," suits my world perfectly. I found that on a stashed panel of Bible verses purchased from Block Party Studios, Nevada, Iowa. 

This close-up picture of the section bottom shows the variety in the piecing and appliqué. The four pinwheel blocks on the left side each measure 2" X 2". I learned that several pieces, like the diamond in the center, went together better as foundation paper piecing. You'll also note that I am fussy cutting some of prints - the palm on the right - to reflect my Florida world. 

I'll keep the Florida theme going in the next five sections. Yep, I'll be working on this one for a long while yet. The finished size is 33" X 52".

Along with a Christian friend, today I'm going on a bus trip to Tampa for a Living Proof Live event at the Sun Dome. After doing at least ten different1 Beth Moore Bible studies, I'm excited to see/hear Beth and worship leader Travis Cottrell, in person. It's going to be a wonderful two days. Linda