Monday, May 19, 2025

The Scraps (and Stash) Have Been Beckoning

Over the last several weeks, I've been digging into my scrap baskets, trying to use some up in a variety of ways. I've posted most of these on Instagram, but though it would be fun to do a little round-up here on the blog.

A fun little surprise for the family at Easter brunch were Mini Fabric Easter Baskets made from charm squares and scraps. For the baskets, I used the tutorial by @craftyforhome. Then I made my own version of 'bows' by cutting them out with my pinking shears. Charm squares and pinking shears.... two things I haven't used for ages but were fun to play with again.


And then I made another back of Quilted Bookmarks, using kraft-tex and my own tutorial. They have all already found new homes - most through our Little Free Library - so I really need to make another batch soon.




Tiny quilts stretched on tiny (3") frames. I pieced the centers with scraps of scraps - those extra small pieces that were actually destined for recycling. Then the backgrounds came from the regular scrap bins; a little hand-stitching was added, then the fabric was wrapped around to the back and stapled. This batch has been gifted and/or shared through a local Free Little Art Gallery, so I'd like to make more and maybe even perfect my finishing technique a bit. Whatever, they were very fun to try making.




Not really made from scraps, but a random use of stash, was this floral drawstring gift bag for my mom on Mother's Day. This is the Artist Bag size from the Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern by Jeni Baker @jenib320, using the Mini Accent variation from her Expansion Pattern.


And finally, for this round-up at least, I made a denim tote bag to use as a gift bag for my daughter's birthday (the first one I'd made had gone home with my oldest granddaughter one day). I used a pair of my worn black jeans, following the free video tutorial from Sotak Handmade @sotakhandmade, Learn How to Turn a Pair of Old Jeans into a Stylish Tote Bag.

Just for fun, I added a new Stick and Stitch Embroidery Design from Dropcloth @dropcloth to the front. I'm anxious to find more uses for these little embroidery designs. Meanwhile, I accomplished a bit of upcycling and gifting handmade, which is always fun.



P.S. I've also been putting a lot of scraps into a quilt top I've been working on. Once I finish the quilt, I'll share more about it. And I hope to keep finding ways to sew through scraps in the coming weeks and months. I already have a couple of ideas brewing....

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Floral Stitches XII

Can't say I'm super happy about it, but the final sampler in the 2024-2025 Floral Stitches series from  Dropcloth is done. I've enjoyed stitching the series very much, and this mum is definitely on my list of favorites.

Throughout the entire series of 12 small (4") samplers, I've used Wonderfil size 8 perle cotton, choosing colors and stitches as I went. 


Something about the small size and the freedom of choice has made these especially enjoyable, and I've looked forward to them every month.


And now, I have 12 lovely little samplers stitched, and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with them. I can imagine them together, matted and framed, if that is even possible. I can also see using them one by one in individual projects. So that all remains to be seen. For now, I'll just bask in this stage of completion.

Monday, May 5, 2025

Like, Totally En Masse

Last Sunday, my friend Louise @imfeelincrafty, her son, and I met up to see the Like, Totally exhibit being held at University Unitarian Church in Seattle. Louise was designer of the Like, Totally design, and host of Seattle MQG's 2024 BOM, and we were really happy to be able to see nine of the quilts made from her pattern exhibited. So here they all are, the first being made by Louise, and the second by me. Then others made by our guild mates. Note that this isn't all of the ones made, as the exhibit only had space for a selection of them.


Like, Totally by Louise Wackerman @imfeelincrafty




Is That In the Valley? by Beth Ratzlaff @goodlaffgirl


Ojo de Dios by Margaret Treleven Murphy @margarettrelevenmurphy


Like, Totally by Lynne Shandley @the_yarnivorous


Like, Totally by Noelle Remington @noelleandria


Like, Totally by Aline Cauley @augustdreamsquilts & Marion Lisko @marion7486


Brightness Encircles by Anne Crow @anncrow19

Like, Totally by Elizabeth Gould @eagouldquilt




I couldn't get a photo of all the quilts at once, as Louise's was on one wall, then the others all lined up on another very long wall. But still, so good to see!



Friday, May 2, 2025

April Fabric Usage

April was a good month fabric-wise! And productivity-wise, with my Pantone challenge entry, Brew; catching up with our guild BOM, Cascade Calendar; making a final piece for Block Studies Collective, Abstractions Redux; mini Easter baskets for the family brunch; AND my latest Open Jar response, Birdsong. To be honest, that all felt really good, and I'm excited about moving into a fresh slate of a month.

For fabric intake, there was just two yards of Prisma Dyes Artisan Batiks as possible bindings for the Lucky Stars quilt I am repairing for my daughter. Luckily, the darker fabric works! 

Another reason my fabric numbers look good is that I went through my entire stash and gathered up things I thought someone else could make better use of - 11 yards worth! So I'll be taking that all to the next guild meeting for the free table. Fingers crossed it'll find a better home than mine.

So that all finally put me in the negative for the year - a whopping net -10.67 yards used. That feels good, yes it does.

April Fabric Usage

Used up: 21.8 yards [7.45 projects + 2.46 recycled + 11.89 donated]
Brought in: 2.0 yards
Net: -19.8 yards

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Ode to Joy

It's time for a new Bee Sewcial @beesewcial prompt, and it's my turn! The theme is "Ode to Joy," and I want my beemates to think about things that give them joy. What is their bliss? In what do they find a sense of wonder?


Here are my instructions to them....

I'm asking for six to eight 6.5" blocks (untrimmed is ok). Be a minimalist. IE. each 'design' should be constructed in a minimal way. It can be a recognizable thing (like my fork, which represents my love of cooking, trying new recipes, and eating out); or it can be less or non-recognizable (like my 'circle' of family). Either is fine. 

For colors, think black and white - ie. white background and black 'figure'. Various substrates are fine as long as they are washable. A mix of white and off-white (snow) is good, but not much darker, please. For the black, I'd really prefer black-black if you can. Occasionally feel free to use a small/partial colored element instead of black in the figure; but no more that what you see that I've used in a block though. Don't feel like you have to use color beyond the black and white, but you can if you feel inclined to.


I'm planning on making two more blocks, but I've really enjoyed what I've made so far. Of course I can't wait to see what my beemates make!

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

At the Table :: 2025 Rainy Day Bites January to April

Again, I know this post won't be for everyone, and trust me, I'll be back with some fun quilty content tomorrow, but I really appreciate documenting my participation in Rainy Day Bites Cookbook Club @rainydaybites, so here are all the recipes I've tried since January 1.


January

Featured book: What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers @carochambers (Note: This book is a new favorite! I tried A LOT of recipes, loved them, and am still cooking from it regularly.)

Smashburger Sammies with Well-Dressed Greens


Crunchy Refried Beans Taco-dillas with The Greatest Kale Salad


Enchilada Rice Skillet


Melty Mexican Cauliflower


Panko Honey Mustard Chicken with Frico Broccoli


Peanutty Pork-Zucchini


Cannellini Caprese with Burrata



Cheesy Rice and Beans + Burritos




Sesame Fried Egg Rice Bowls


Veggie Peanut Noods



February

Featured book: What Goes With What by Julia Turshen @turshen

Greek Orzo Bowl


My Usual Chopped Salad



Sticky Pork and Broccoli


Black Bean and Cheddar Cornbread Pie



March

Featured book: The League of Kitchen’s Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods & Favorite Family Recipes From Around The World by Lisa Gross @lisakyunggross and the women of the @leagueofkitchens

Afghan Eggs Fried in Ghee with Garlic and Turmeric by @the_league_of_k_



Burkinabe Chopped Meat Sandwiches by @benonaline



April

Featured book: Sobremesa: Tasty Mexican Recipes for Every Day by @holasus (Another big favorite!)

Adobo Verde Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Charred Tomato and Red Pepper Salsa and Spicy Chipotle Crema


One-Pan Zucchini and Corn with Crema with Homemade Beans and Spicy Margaritas



Burrata with Toasted Corn








January/February baking book: Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel @bromabakery

Funfetti Crumb Cake


Coffee Cake Cookies








March/April baking book: Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez @smallorchids

Egg Tarts



Bulla Snickerdoodles






Dominican Brioche [aka Pan Sabao]



Though I don't usually participate in @rainydaybites' bread group #greatgrainsgroup, their global bread recipe challenge for April was Mexica: Tortillas, which fit perfect with our cooking from Sobremesa, and I'd always wanted to try making them. So....

Traditional Flour Tortillas recipe from Treasures of the Mexican Table by Pati Jinich @patijinich.



Corn Tortillas from Sobremesa



The end of the month baking party, and our theme for 2025, is The Year of Flavor.

January 1/31: Vanilla - Vanilla Scones from Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel @bromabakery



February 2/28: Chocolate - Single-Serve Double Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel @bromabakery



March 3/31: Nuts - Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti from Skinnytaste by Gina Homolka @skinnytaste



April 4/30: Berries - Strawberry Cloud Cookies from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman @smittenkitchen



Whew! That's A LOT of new recipes tried, and a good number of them got stars in my books! This next period, May to August, is going to be a little bit different as far as how many books we cook from and the challenges will be broader. Check out Deborah's @rainydaybites post if you want to know more.