Scrap busting to make way for new fabric!!

I have had the best birthday weekend and I want to thank you all in Blogland and on my IG account for your birthday wishes. The winner of my birthday giveaway was Anu in Finland and she chose the pouch and tissue holder so my friend Kate gets the Pants Bag for her birthday tomorrow! (The log cabin pouch is an iPad case for me!) 

Giving really is as much fun as receiving:

Speaking of receiving, as well as some perfume and little bits and pieces, DH got me this wonderful stash of fabric from Craftsy:

The top 4 yards are Blueberry Park by Karen Lewis, the smaller two are Cotton and Steel and the 17 fat quarters are 'sweet petites' by Michael Miller. 

I feel very blessed not only to have all that new loveliness to play with but to have a husband who truly gets my obsession hobby and doesn't moan about all the time (and money!) I spend on quilting ... thanks Nick X  

As if that wasn't enough, I also received these gorgeous birthday gifts from my very kind and talented friends Fran and Maja. From Fran, a mini Pants Bag:

And from Maja, two delightful little pouches:

And on to my scrap busting because I need more space! I am continuing the theme of my scrappy Siblings Together quilt by using up more blue scraps for the backing. Not sure exactly how this will turn out yet! And I pulled some drawers and bins of other colours and have started on some log cabin duet blocks. Again, no idea where this is going!

I used to trim my scraps but find grouping them by colour now is more productive to me than by size - that way if I see two pieces of a similar colour, I pick the one closest to the size I want, thus saving the bigger piece for another project on another day. My scraps are kept in drawers, bins and a birdcage:

More scraps were used up in this 20.5" block for Nicky @mrssewandsew who is the queen of Siblings Together quilt making, bless her:

Linking up with Molli Sparkles showing off my new fabric and sharing my scrap-busting with Cynthia @quiltingismorefunthanhousework 

Sunday stash ... and gifts :)

I am trying to curtail my fabric purchases in 2015 and use up my (vast) stash ('Yeah, right', I can hear my friend Fran say as I type!) but I did just have to pick up a few fat quarters at my LQS Liberty Bell recently. They don't all have writing on the selvage so I might have to pop back next week! 

I really love the peachy birds fabric - it's by Irene & Lewis who are new to me but now I've found them, I'm going to look at their Christmas stuff - all looks so delicious! The little red love hearts is 'Under the Mistletoe' by Anni Downs for Henry Glass fabrics and the cream low volume fabric is 'Basically Hugs' by Helen Stubbings for Red Rooster fabrics:

A couple of online purchases from eBay too! This cute birds fabric is Sophia by Makower (think the spots is Makower too): 

And some happy mail in the post on Friday from my dear blogging friend Shauna @ lovinquiltin - four delightful Christmas fat quarters - sent all the way from Canada - no reason ... just because:

Thank you, Shauna, you shouldn't have (but I'm glad you did!) Quilters really are the most generous of friends :)

Let's go and see what everyone else has been buying - then I may not feel so guilty! 

Chickens ...

I have been working with my 'unsexy fabric' again today making more HSTs ... just 20 more to make :)

A month ago, my dear SIL bought 3 rescue hens. She has wanted some for years and has finally pecked her hubby into agreement! Meet Mabel, Gertrude and Hilda:

They are adorable, sis loved them immediately, and they've already produced a few eggs. I wanted to make her a little Christmas quilty gift so, of course, it had to  be hen-themed. This bundle caught my eye on eBay so I just had to buy it:

There was no selvage so I went back to the ebay listing and it only described it as - midnight blue hen house fabric - so I Googled that and it is made by Westfalenstoffe, who I admit I've never heard of. It says it's organic fabric sourced from Egypt and Pakistan ... never used organic fabric before - seems very fitting.

I'm going to make her another charm square bag (her choice) from this fabby  tutorial by Missouri Star Quilting. This will be her 'winter bag' - this was her summer birthday bag (which she really liked): 

Linking up:

Not so sexy Sunday Stash :)

Sometimes, your fabric choice just doesn't grab you. This Makower Spraytime bundle (and some others from my stash I'm using) is not the stuff to get your heart racing, it won't get me any 'oohs' and 'aahs' and it certainly wouldn't win any prizes in the Míss Fabric beauty contest! 

But, it is what I'm working with at the moment so I'm just going to have to suck it up and get cutting and sewing. 52 HSTs done and 92 to go:

This is for my 'frolleague' who has had a nightmare conservatory-building experience this year so am hoping the gift of this lapquilt will help her relax in there now it's all built and it has been designed to match her rug (the inspiration for this quilt):

Why don't you pop over to see the delectable Ms Molli Sparkles where there is a bundle of far sexier fabric to ogle at! Or my friend Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts who's fabric wins all the prizes this week :) 

A few bits and pieces :)

No I didn't really need it.

 

No it's not earmarked for any particular project.

 

Yes I could have lived without it.

 

But I'm glad it's mine ... ALL MINE!

 

I'm very international this week! In Ypres on Monday, there wasn't a lot of choice (then again, we didn't go there for the shopping!) but  I found these little items of loveliness:

 

And in France on Tuesday, I bought a knitted poppy brooch at one of the memorial sites (this is going to find itself adorning a bag at some time in the future!):

 

And look what came all the way especially for me from the USA:
 

 

1) 5 yards of Kona azure

2) Riley Blake Fat Quarter Bundle (cotton dots small)

3) Andover Pearl Bracelets fat Quarter Bundle

C'mon, stop teasing - let's have some close-ups:

Mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm - I love it!

 

Linking up with the fabulous Ms Sparkles:

At last! Size IS everything :)

Think I got this one right! I have FINALLY made an online purchase and got the sizing perfect!!

Remember the 'substantial' fat quarter shelf that turned out only big enough for holding threads:

And the 'large' scraps bin? Yes, just a bit bigger than my radio!

And let's not forget the 'HUGE' blanket chest:

Yes, as a quilter who should know her centimetres from her inches, I hang my head in shame! My recent online purchases, and my penchant for ignoring measurements and just going by the sellers' photos,  have given us much merriment. But at last, I got it right. This 'little' bookcase is EXACTLY what I wanted to hold our favourite cookbooks on the new (to us) kitchen table in the new house:

And a dear friend rescued me from daytime TV when I was off sick recently by taking me shopping!  And, no, I shouldn't be buying fabric at the moment but I couldn't resist this little Cath Kidston bundle ... am thinking with a wave of my wand, I can turn this into a great kitchen table cloth / runner and some napkins:

Even found a place for them, with the rest of the family!

She's an avid golfer so I'm going to turn these lovelies into a golf shoe / Pants Bag for her as a thank you:

Happy Sunday :) Linking up:

Oh oh ... I have been bad ... very very bad :)

Well, let's just lay down some perspective - I haven't committed any crime ... but I have been making purchases this week (online and in real life!) But, in my defence, your honour I neeeeeeeeeeeeded them ... ALL of them :)

Some Makower spots:

More Makower (Hearts) and a pink blender and the 'hot' pink at the back is Camile's Vintage by David Textiles Inc:

An anonymous (nothing on the selvage) 'caught my eye as I was leaving the shop' fat quarter:

Am thinking I may use this 1 metre purchase in the backing or binding of my 'soldier's quilt' - it's 'detour' by BoBunny for Riley Blake:

Loving this Field Day Floral, grey by Josephine Kimberling. Honestly? This was just a 'like it and I want it' acquisition:

I also bought some Kona Ash, Charcoal and Candy Pink for my strip bee and I have some butterfly fabric on order! All receipts are in the tin:

Sharing my crime and doing my time in great company over at Kate Quilts this week as Ms Molli is gallavanting the globe!

Sunday Sewing ...

I've had a very productive day in my sewing room today working on a few different projects.

Now that I have a home for my 'Soldier's Quilt' (see here), I've been making some progress on that (will post photos next time) and I've also made the next strip on our Strip Bee. This is Round #5 and I'm working on Sarah's strip this time:

So many bright colours so these were my fabric choices:

And a little sneak preview:

Also, I've started making my first Pants Bag of 2014 for the daughter of one of the Strip Bees ladies, Fran (@ Patchy Rose). Can you guess what it's going to be:

 

And surprise, surflipppinsurprise I haven't managed to get to the end of January without some more fabric purchases! YES, all the receipts are in the tin:

 

In my defence, these 3 are crucial additions to my stash as they will make the backs to three quilts (2 x baby quilts, I've yet to start):

 

 

 

Sadly, the only one I can name is this one, which is 'Iony' design by Maria Kalinowski for Benartex (water C) which I'm hoping will back my soldier's quilt quite nicely:

 

 

Linking up with Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash, hosted today by Sarah's Quilts (whose purchases make mine seem very tame!) and Karen at Sew Many Ways: