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Monday, January 9, 2017

New Year Thoughts: Junk Drawers

Sweet little baby girl quilt top made last week.

I was thinking about junk drawers today, and what part of my quilt stash I considered my true stash, and what part was other miscellaneous fabrics.  In other words, When I look at my quilting stash, what are the "junk drawers" of my stash, and my unfinished projects?

My true love in fabrics:  civil war repros.  Most of my antique kitchen cabinet in my quilt room holds fat quarters of civil war repros.

My "other fabrics" stash includes:

1) baby prints, flannels, fabrics that were in my Mom's baby blanket stash

2) red, white and blue patriotic fabrics.  

3) solid color fabrics.  I have one quilt in mind for these guys.

4) plaids, plaids, plaids, two boxes of them

5) Christmas prints, two boxes of them

In 2017, I plan on using up more of my "junk drawer" fabrics, while also concentrating on two unfinished civil war repro projects.

Civil war repro projects:  Jane Stickle quilt and blocks to be made for an exchange with The Churn Dashers, for a future quilt.

"Junk drawer" projects:  Continue making baby quilts, to use up more of the flannels and baby prints.  They are fun to make, and go quickly.

Make a Quilt of Valor using the red, white and blue stash.  Maybe make two?

Finish The Splendid Sampler 100 blocks that were started in 2016, using the floral fabrics.  After that project is complete, the rest of the floral stash can be combined with the baby prints to use for infants.

This week, I made 12 "kits" of baby print squares to sew into baby quilts.  There doesn't seem to be a diminishing of the baby prints stash, but it must happen sometime, if I continue.  I got out the baby bassinet, and put all the kits inside it, to remind me to pull a kit out and assemble a baby quilt top often.  Here's a picture of the bassinet:

The baby quilt laid on the edge with it's backing was this week's quilt top.  I love how the backing (from my Mom's stash) goes with the flannel animal squares on the front (given to me from my friend Dee).  Here's a close-up:




The word for me in 2017, is "perseverance"....as in purposefulness, steadfastness.  Since moving, I now have all of my quilt projects and fabric looked at, sorted, cataloged, and know where I want to go with it.  I am on the journey to tame the tiger!   Eating the elephant, one bite at a time.

Today, I'm linking up with Design Wall Mondays, to join with others about what they are working on today.  (Here)






4 comments:

Julierose said...

Just a lovely baby girl quilt! almost all my drawers turn into "junk drawers" at some point it seems...and so it goes...hugs, Julierose

MaryC said...

I recently 'took a big bite' out of *my* ''elephant'' - and sent several boxes of fabrics (non-quilting quality/design) to Goodwill.... I'm also hoping to produce several quilts from the remaining 'stash'... We SHALL persevere! :-)

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

Such sweet baby quilts. Really interesting way to look at your stash. I too keep separate bins for... 30's repros.... "bright/modern" scraps... and big pieces.... while my regular stash tends towards reproductions. I recently did an major clean out of the sewing room and it feels so good to know what I have again! Persevere - a good concept!

Tina W. In Oregon said...

Your stash and mine consist of a lot of the same types of fabrics although I don't have the baby prints! I enjoy reading your blog and seeing your projects.