Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Little Things

As it often happens when I sit down to do something I should do, like quilt the Hands2Help quilt that's been basted for a month or better, I find something else that seems infinitely more interesting.  Like a pile of scraps.

You know I love me some scraps.  These, in particular, were the corners cut off on the diagonal in making the X blocks for this quilt.  

Now, I didn't set out to be all waste-not-want-not with these trimmings.  I was being rather pragmatic about throwing them away.  In fact, they only came to be on my sewing table after doing time in the garbage can.  I don't know what came over me the day I went to empty the trash and saw them huddled together in a clump, but I took pity and rescued the lot of them in a couple fistfuls.  Thankfully, I hadn't dumped anything too nasty on top of them.

Still thinking I might just warm up for the big, hairy quilting project, I started chain piecing a few dozen half-square triangles through the machine.  And here is where I warn you that chain piecing is a slippery slope, y'all.  

Next thing you know you're finger pressing, then you're trimming dog ears, and then—oh no, she didn't!—you fire up the real iron like you mean some business, and pretty soon you're admiring all those cute widdle things!  And it all just follows like a train wreck from there.  You cannot look away.

Hence, what we have here are some itty-bitty broken dishes blocks, which will finish at five inches square.  Yes, I'm pretty sure I still have most of my marbles, thanks for asking.

The HSTs sew up at more or less 1-3/4 inches, and if you think I'm crazy enough to trim them all up square, well, you would be right.  I did make the first block without trimming and it was wonky.  Not good wonky, but I-don't-know-if-it's-useable wonky, and that just felt like wasted effort.  So a little work on the front end seemed the better plan.

Starting to think of ways these might go together.  Perhaps on point?  I'm digging that peacock feather fabric with them...

But I'm also kind of crushing on the coppery metallic feather print.

Maybe they could work together, as an inner and outer border?

Just exploring the possibilities.  We'll see where it goes.

How about you?  Do you like to work small?

Before I go, I wanted to give a shout-out to Elizabeth at Such a Sew and Sew, who did a FABULOUS job on her Thoroughly Modern Lily quilt from my pattern.  

She made it for her friend, Eloise, and it is really wonderful!  You can read all about it on her blog, HERE and HERE.

Way to go, Elizabeth!  You make beautiful quilts with so much love and attention to detail.  Thanks for sharing the journey with us!

16 comments:

Marla's Crafts said...

I am glad to see that I am not the only one that sews those little triangle pieces into something.

Marei said...

I can't do it....I just can't work with pieces that small. I especially can't SQUARE pieces that small. But they do look charming and I'm loving that copper-y fabric with them. Elizabeth's Thoroughly Modern Lily came out beautifully and her quilting is wonderful.

Shay said...

Your broken dishes blocks were well worth rescuing the bits from the bin for, P.

I used to keep everything but these days I know that anything that small is never going to get a second life !

Verveine&Lin said...

My family thinks I'm crazy because I keep all fabric little scraps ...
I love doll quilts an I use fabric crumb for appliqué!

beautiful, those peacock feathers!

à bientôt!

Muriel la Française

Kaja said...

I keep the scraps, but then they just sit around forever in bags! Your tiny blocks are so neat and I love the direction you are thinking of taking.

Kaja said...

I keep the scraps, but then they just sit around forever in bags! Your tiny blocks are so neat and I love the direction you are thinking of taking.

Quiltdivajulie said...

Love the little bitties - I have done smalls, but lately I"m hooked on strings and larger scraps.

LOVE that coppery fabric.

Elizabeth said...

Thanks for the shout-out!

I love your baby broken dishes blocks. It is hard to imagine them that small, though. Maybe put a quarter in a photo next time for scale? Also, on-point would be amazing! I love those pretty fabrics. Great job!

xo -E

ThreeOldKeys said...

Teeny tiny treasures! I bet can sew Barbie clothes, too.

Elizabeth's quilt is stunning!

Lara B. said...

You need to write a novel someday Paulette and make the main character speak just like you write, because it would be a best seller for sure!

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who goes back and gets craps out of the wastebasket. My hubby knows he is not allowed to touch that basket.

Love your broken dishes in mini and yes those fabrics look totally cool with them.

Elizabeth's Thoroughly Modern Lily is fabulous!

Lara B. said...

Oh Dear... that was a typo. I honestly don't get craps out of the wastebasket. Scraps! It's Scraps!

eva said...

Little Things..... mean a Lot!!
....and it's plain to see by your creation!!

awesome!!
xo
eva

Kevin the Quilter said...

Ooooooooo! I say use as many funky psychedelic prints as possible with these little babies! How wonderful to see people making your grandmother's pattern! The piecing and quilting on Elizabeth's quilt is stellar!

MomWaldsPlace said...

Scraps are like drugs, just say "no". Her quilt is amazing! Just look at how inspiring you are. We all have been telling you this for ages!

Sandra Walker said...

Bahaha, I love how you described creating those "widdle blocks"!! (and I might just be able to relate to that in an omg someone else out there is cray-cray like moi) And the quilt she made with your pattern--intake of breath! Beautiful!

Elizabeth said...

P.S. I have a pile of HSTs that are left-overs from the Elephant Parade quilt I've been working on. Some of them were fished out of the trash because I decided I couldn't let them go to waste. They'll be about the same size as yours when they're all pressed.