Strip Crazy

If you are reading on a reader, you got a bonus picture. Somehow hit the wrong button, again! Fingers are getting old and stiff here. Sigh.............

What do you do when you have a stack of quilt shop quality, name brand, one of a kind fat quarters that you bought at Good Will? They were, I am sure, wonderful when they were bought, but are not equal to today's lovely colors and prints. In fact, some of them are dark and ugly to my eye. They are taking up space, that to be honest, I would like to fill with fabric I LIKE. So, you head to Bonnie's Quiltville site and find the easiest, fastest strip quilt, you can find and go for it. I supplemented with strips cut from my box of odds and ends of small pieces and remnants to have some light colors. That has helped use some of that up too. Here are my "Crayon Box" blocks, ready for the sashing strips and corner stones.



I had great fun with this. It is super easy and went together fast so it got me out of my slump so to speak. I wish I had found something like this when I was just starting out. It would have done wonders for my confidence so I highly recommend it for someone looking for a beginner quilt pattern. Did it make a dent in the fat quarters.........NO. But I have found several other patterns on her site that use the same 2.5 inch strips and they are part of the plan. Not stash busting, scrap and bargain fabric busting at my house. (so I have more space for stash!)

The Momma(DD)and I were talking around Christmas about use and abuse quilts. I made a rail fence a few years ago that I gave to her family. I called it a "Hug from Nana". The label said to use it whenever you needed a hug from Nana. They call it "The Hug" and use it all the time. The kids play with it, wrap up in it, they use it for a spare blanket and take it when they travel to use on their blow up bed for the kids. It has been washed and used until it is soft and comfy. We decided this family needs more "Hugs". So thanks to the Good Will stuff and Bonnie's patterns, they should go fast. I know if I do a quilt with a lot of work in it, my family won't use it like the "Hug from Nana" quilt and I want quilts that get used.

If I am not heard from in a while, tell someone to go look under all those 2.5 inch strips, I am in there somewhere!

On another note, talked to my sister yesterday and she has been laid off from her job. She is single and self supporting, lives in a small town with very few prospects of another job. It was one of those things that you knew was coming. I have, for the last few months, waited for this nasty thing to affect my family directly. My son managed to withstand a major layoff at his place of work, my dd and the great white hunter have found themselves in the position of having to be the ones to put the lay offs into action at theirs. I fear for our country and its people. GREED got us here, plain and simple and I hope we are strong enough to rise above it as a nation. I am watching progress that took years to make, simply disappear. Hoping that some one can take the pieces of this nation and put it back together in some type of orderly QUILT LIKE action. We are split into many bits and pieces and it will take the same hard work and effort to sew it all back.