Where have I been? I’ve been STASH BUSTING!

Admittedly a deviation from my original intent of dress-making but things had got to a state when I needed fabric for Summery things, dresses, skirts and the like, but conscience  told me that I had STACKS of fabric… trouble was, that just like my blue chintz combo [which I did tea dye by the way], they weren’t really clothes-friendly fabrics. But my daughter Abigail is not just a very talented jewellery designer and maker [www.abigailfranklyn.com] but she is also an amazing patchwork quilt maker [what a mouthful]. Now you would think I would feel daunted by having so many  talented and clever daughters, but I am craftier than that [no pun intended] I take advantage! When Abigail showed me a test piece of a value quilt she was planning, I knew that that was something I could do to get rid of all my scraps valuable bits of fabric. This was the result;

Just two squares [12″ x 12″ ea.] started before I got sidetracked, as usual. Now one of my many, many failings is my inability to be comfortable with the concept ‘random’. I find it really difficult, and yes, I have tried just closing my eyes and picking something up – that’s worse! I have to keep doing it until I get something that pleases me……not quite true to the concept of randomness.

My sidetracking foray was by way of the June 2013 issue of Popular Patchwork magazine purloined from Abigail’s studio. I liked the look of their ‘tea-themed’ table topper but I obviously wouldn’t have the fabrics of their particular choice, this was stash busting after all. But I did have blue and white fabrics, the same colour ways and similar floral prints – I was just minus the teacups really. This will probably end up on a wall somewhere, not on a table, even in a drawer…but it only took a few hours and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it – and it busted stash.

It didn’t take long before my OCD and conscience kicked in and I came up with another version of the value quilt, more pleasing to me. I left off the final round that I did on the first version so these are only 8″ square. I am just finishing the fourth square now, but the bobbin ran out, so I took this opportunity to upload some photos and tell you where I’m at. So there you have it, – with thanks to my dining room china cabinet for playing such a good supporting role and being a good sport! please note – no meals were interrupted during the making of these photos….can’t be said for the making of the patchwork I’m afraid.