Sunday, February 1, 2009

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.

12 comments:

Amelia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Katie said...

Like a quilt, I'm afraid our country's financial problems will take the one block, or person, at a time to get it put back together. And like making a quilt, sometimes there are many delays and it takes longer than anticipated. My DS has been off work for six months and just got another job. They had savings and no debt except for house morgage but.. Michigan has been a year or more ahead of the rest of the nation in this mess so don't look for a quick fix. It is terrible that some greedy people did this but it is also terrible that we were dumb enough not to regulate and stop them. Some people have been waving red flags for some time but no one paid any attention. So many innocent people have to suffer so much. But we are a hard working society and will pull together and get through this too. I also see people being more appreciative of simple things like sunsets and walks with children.

ZONE F DG TEAM said...

Yep, we too have suffered large in our neck of the woods with many factories having crossed the border to Mexico where wages are less.

I hope things turn around soon.

homegrownsongwritersalabama said...

It looks great! I love strip quilts. Yes, quilts should be washable and well loved. I totally agree with your sentiments about our country. We will have to get back to simple pleasures, simple lives.

jovaliquilts said...

So sorry to hear about your sister. Things really are nasty.
But I like your new quilt -- and I definitely agree that quilts should be used.

Lady of the Cloth said...

I think you are right about what got our country where it is. My DH got laid off last May and his job (NIKE) where he was a computer programmer, got sent to India. He found a job with benefits (soon) but it pays 1/5th of what we used to make, so I went back to work part time and we are both taking early SS retirement. It wasn't what we had planned, but what we must do. I like your scrap crayon box quilt.
Carline

Belvie said...

Glad to see you have found your sewing machine again too. I really like that quilt! And, like you said...the best quilts are those that are used and loved.

I think many of our problems have in this country have come from the.."we gotta have it all and we gotta have it now" attitude that many people developed over the years.

Kristie said...

Love the blocks! They look great! Sorry to hear about your sister! Times are hard everywhere right now. Richard lost his job after 9 yrs back in the early Fall. It was very hard for a couple of months, but thank God, he has found another one...
Kristie

Quiltingranny said...

Norma:
I am so sorry about your sister, I understand some of what she is going through living in a small town myself. Last year I received 31 rejection notices (OUCH!). You are right, greed got us here!
For some cheerful news, come visit my blog and post a comment on my giveaways at: http://www.quiltingranny.blogspot.com.
I love your quilt!

♪♪Melody♪♪ and Puddin said...

I love the quilt

Purple Pam said...

Your Crayon Box is so colorful. I love it! I love Bonnie's patterns, too. So many use strips, and I want to make them all!

Yes, our country needs to be put back together again. I believe we can, and will put it back together. We all need to work toward that goal. We can do it!

SueR said...

Way to go, Norma, and I'm delighted to hear you're out of your slump! The great thing about scrap quilts is that even the uglies look absolutely fabulous in it. In fact, I think you need a few to add some interest.

I too expect to be jobless within the next couple months. It's either take voluntary retirement or risk losing everything. It will be a hindrance but not a hardship, and my heart goes out to everyone for whom it will be grave hardship. Greed absolutely got us here, and I'm sorry to say I hold out little hope much will change under the new administration.