Since Friday, this is all I've gotten done. Eight down, one hundred-fifty-six to go.
I might have gotten a little bit more done but I had to go clean my workroom. Again. Better. Much better! Gee thanks. After reading the comments from the last post, I realized that my definition of "tidying up" might be a little "off", or at least it is a little different. Seriously, some of the time it just means moving the pile of stuff from one place to another... as in, out of my way. Blowing the lint off the back of the table, does that count as tidying up?
Thank you for all the confessions! You've inspired me to be a little more organized -- and a lot more organized. And you made me feel better for sometimes just shoving the mess aside because I'm anxious to get to the next project. I love that some of you like working in a "volcano of fabric scraps"! You should know that one of my most favorite books is -- A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder - How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices, and on-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place.
You should also know that I don't change the blades after every project. I should. I have enough new blades around that I could do that. But I forget. I'm in the middle of something and I don't want to stop. So you can definitely find me in the category of quilters who, when presented with a blade that isn't cutting as easily as it might just applies the principle of "if its not cutting, just push down harder". But these needed changing... badly. Otherwise I couldn't have been able to cut out the little pieces for those little geese.
Yes, they are little. The geese will finish at 1" x 2" and the pieced geese strips will finish at 2" x 4". I have to make 656 of them or 164 sets of four. Which is why I am going to work on two quilts at once. Does that sound backwards? I know it will make sense to some of you -- thank you! This is the kind of project where it makes perfect sense to me... in an odd-convoluted sort of way. Because making all those geese is going to be very repetitive sewing, I thought I would work on them in batches. Sew a bunch -- trim a bunch -- work on something else for a little while. Then repeat. The other project I'll start working on is all squares so it will be straight-forward sewing without all the itty-bitty.
Now about those books. bundles and a couple of winners. Colleen M and Jayne Honnold clearly have great connections with Random.org. Scrap Basket Sensations goes to Maison de Colleen, and Jayne will be Faith-fully Simply Charming. If you'll check your e-mail, I'll see about getting your addresses so I can get your goodies on the way.
But... on Friday, the mailman delivered something from Martingale, a lovely new book by Deanne Eisenman, Scrap Quilts Go Country.
The quilt on the cover of this book -- Scrappy Pinwheel Stars -- caught my eye immediately. I love that block! This quilt -- measuring 59" x 59" -- is just one of the nine lovely projects in the book. Most -- but not all -- of the quilts combine piecing and applique to make throw-sized or "topper" quilts measuring bwtween 60" x 60" and 74" x 74", and there is one small quilt measuring 28" x 28". While Deanne's quilts are done in a scrap-country color palette, all of the quilts in the book would work beautifully with other color schemes and fabric styles... especially something like this...
So Karen M -- please check your e-mail too!
I'm off to get some work done -- patterns to write, geese to make, some orders to ship off, a binding to finish and so on. But I will be back tomorrow with some new Schnibbles.
Toodles!
I guess you are in flying geese production!!! you go girl!!! Congratulations to the winners!!!
Posted by: Sinta Renee | February 28, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Congrats to the winners! I am off to the store to buy my own copies! You know what they say - if you can't win you go shopping!!
Posted by: Cindi | February 28, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Congrat's to the lucky winners! I like the way you think!~ I do two things at once a lot of the time.. keeps from getting bored with one thing! lol
Posted by: Sandie ~call me crazy | February 28, 2011 at 12:37 PM
Lucky ladies--congrats on winning!
And such neat geese, Carrie! I'm glad to hear I'm in illustrious company doing two (or more! lol) things at once. Brown isn't usually my thing, but that cover quilt on Deanne really catches my eye--it really sparkles! I might get lucky and find it at Harrogate this september.
Posted by: Hazle | February 28, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Itty bitty work--what I love best, but not in that quantity! I imagine it will be beautiful as always.
Posted by: Cheryl Miller | February 28, 2011 at 04:30 PM
Congratulations to your winners Carrie- they are lucky ladies-
It is funny how different people organize themselves- I can live with more disarray than some but as I have got older I find I need to be more organized because my memory does not remember as well as it used to - too much brain overload I guess...
I will look forward to seeing more Scnibbles.
Regards,
Anna
Posted by: quiltmom | February 28, 2011 at 08:19 PM
Hey, I'm one of the lucky ladies. Thank You so much, I'm so excited.
I'm very curious to see what all those tiny geese are going to be and new Scnibbles too. Can't wait to see.
Thank You!
Karen M
Posted by: Karen M | February 28, 2011 at 09:50 PM
Congrats to the winners - I know the thrill of winning here!!
Those flying geese are SMALL, but I all ready love it!! I think it's fun to make flying geese, but that many to send you to the moon!! Can't wait to see the new Schnibbles!!
Posted by: Linda P | March 01, 2011 at 05:59 AM
congrats to the winners oh my I am jealous of Karen that book looks great scrap quilts go country...
I love that cover quilt...
Kathie
Posted by: kathie | March 01, 2011 at 05:52 PM