Studio Clean-up Progress!!!

I'm never quite sure how things get so messy in there but since me and the cats are the only ones who enter the studio on a regular basis (and they don't have opposable thumbs), it must be me.  Yesterday I finished the cutting table clean-off.  There is a little yellow basket where I drop small bits intending to cut them into 2 1/2" squares (my go-to scrap size).   But as is obvious by the gushing nature of the basket, I haven't actually done that in a while.   So I dove in and started.  Much to my great delight when I got to the bottom, there was a pair of scissors and the other 3 placemats that have been MIA since last fall.   I didn't realize the scissors were missing but I've been looking for those 3 placemats for months! 

 

Can't see placemats?  That's because they aren't placemats . . . . . yet.  They are the two piles on the right side of the picture -- they were only placemats in my mind.  There is one mat finished and every time I've laid my hands on it for the past 9 months, I wonder where the other 3 went.  So it's good to have a mystery solved -- just wish they were pieced and ready to layer!!

 

And here's a tidy cutting table, one leaf is down so my son can get in and out of the room more easily and the little yellow basket is ready for more scraps!! 

Since the project is replacing the windows, the next target needed to be the area under the windows.  The big bag holds my traveling mats and rulers so I just needed to find a different spot for it temporarily.  And that was the end of "easy".

This is what was lurking in a box under the bags.  What does the note mean?  I do try to leave myself clear notes so that when I return to a project, I can pick it up without too much puzzlement.  But this note took all afternoon to figure out that it had nothing to do with this fabric and in fact is already done -- I must have found the note laying on top of the pile and pinned it there so as not to lose it.  The note is recycled and the fabric is back in the color stacks!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear -- lurking under the green fabric -- oh, no!  There was a UFQ.  )-:  Not another one??  There are lots of notes, and some of it makes sense but at this point, I'm not sure I like the plan. 

I did stop and trim all the blocks to the prescribed size and will take it to my guild weekend retreat next month.  We'll see if I stay with the plan or come up with a new one.

Finally, the basket.

I'm suppose to clear out this 1/2 bushel basket when it's full and here it is overflowing. 

Perhaps I should get a bushel basket?  (-:

I made a tall glass of iced coffee and sat down to sort.  The pile on the left will become 2 1/2" strips and the pile on the right 2 1/2" squares.  The next nice day (with no breeze), I'll move out onto the patio and cut down through these piles!

These 4 piles are scrappy assortments that I'll sell at fall shows where I'm vending. 

Blues and greens are the most common colors in my stash so unloading a few bits has very little impact on me -- this clump totals over a yard and probably has 20 or so prints plus a bag of 1 1/2" squares.

These are some more modern leftovers from garments I've made my granddaughter plus a long held stash of scraps from Lily Pulitzer's fabric line -- fun stuff but after clutching them for 20 years, I'm probably not going to use them. 

I have stashed - no hoarded - neutrals since the early 80's when they were hard to find.  I'm glad they aren't so hard to find anymore and find it easier to let some go these days.

This is a wildly varied clump of bits and pieces perfect for string piecing projects -- most are two small for my 2 1/2" hoard but all are more than 1" wide. 

Mission accomplished!!  The basket is ready for new residents!

And it was 5 p.m. -- quitting time.  My daughter fixed supper and so I was able to piece for about 45 minutes -- ahhhh. 

The next target zone!!   I'm hoping it looks messier than it really is!

My friend, Alison over at Little Bunny Quilts is planning a 2 1/2" strip swap if you are interested, here is a link to her post about it. 

 

And if you think you need one of those scrappy bags shown above, make a comment below and I'll get in touch with you -- they could be had for $1 plus postage (USA only, please).

 

Friday, 9/5, I'll announce the winner of the "losing border fabric" from my post on Monday -- if you haven't read it or expressed your opinion, check it out here.  I'm still contemplating which fabric to use for the last border.

 

Linking up over at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!

 

Back to the studio for me!!

 

Mary Huey

www.maryhueyquilts.com