When I began quilting in earnest a few years ago I had lots of long strips of leftover fabric -- strings. I dumped them into a half-bushel basket, adding to the basket as more strings came along. What was I thinking?
This week I searched through every possible source of neutral scraps for my scrap squares, including that string basket. What a mess! I found a bunch of light strings but they were so crumpled I had to iron them. They look much better. They look usable, in fact.
And I've used some of those strings to make more 4" squares.
There are enough squares here to make 22 blocks (with 4 squares each) though they're not all from those strings.
Laid out in stacks of four, they look like this.
One of these days I'll have enough to make a quilt. Right now they are leaders/enders for each other. I match fabric pieces, pin, and lay a stack by the sewing machine. It's easy to whip right through them. Stitch, press, match, repeat. And the stack grows.
Sometime in the last year or two I changed the way I manage strings. I lay them flat, one on top of another, so I don't have to iron them before using them. Of course, there's still that half-bushel basket of strings that need to be ironed....
How do you store strings? If they are wrinkled, do you iron them before sewing them? Just curious.
I haven't had much sewing time these past few weeks. I've been helping organize a women's conference at church -- scheduled for tomorrow! We're having 17 presenters and 20 workshops and there could be as many as 200 women attend. My part has been contacting the presenters to get the titles and blurbs for their presentations, find out what their needs will be (copies, AV equipment, etc.), letting them know their rooms and presentation times, etc. The organizer commented that every time she asked one of the women to present she felt like she was asking them to marry her. I chuckled at that. Then I began my part in the process and I felt like they'd all said yes -- to me! I've sent and responded to countless emails. I'm looking forward to clearing out my inbox in the next few days!
I'm linking this post to
> Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
> Friday Night Sew-In at Sugarlane Designs
> I May Have a Scrap Problem at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Thank you for hosting, ladies.
--Nancy.
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Nice work, Nancy! Those look like soft-spoken blocks. : )
ReplyDeleteI don't really have a "string" storage, because I don't really do string quilts. I actually took a string class once and I made one bed size quilt. Not my favorite process. I have another one that I started after the class, but I haven't been able to get myself to finish it--though I love the look. Just don't love the process. : )
Thanks, Janet. Soft-spoken is a good description for these blocks. Better than bland. I guess it will be a very calm quilt (unless I enliven it one way or another).
DeleteDo you not have strings because you cut strips into squares and triangles, or do you just throw them away? When you take apart shirts, what do you do with collars and cuffs? I've made two string quilts, one I liked a lot, the other not so much, but like you, I didn't love the process.
A great transformation. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen. I feel frustrated with myself for not having kept the strings neat to begin with but really, pressing them is a simple way to improve them (not like having to wash, dry, and iron!).
DeleteI keep my strings and tail ends of binding strips fairly flat but the little baskets are overfull now and the contents are squished against the shelf above them. I can't decide how to use them, maybe a log cabin type block or laid on the diagonal, foundation style...
ReplyDeleteI think you are so wise to keep them flat, Allison. It makes things so much easier when you want to use them.
DeleteI have trouble coming up with creative ways to use strings. Sometimes I see vintage/antique string quilts but can't envision my strings in those quilts. They'll eventually go into a quilt.
I keep my strings in a laundry basket, LOL! If they are fairly flat, I try to keep them that way, and just touch the iron to them as I am sewing them together. Lately I sorted out some colors, but the green strings are the only ones I had that might come close to making a quilt, and then I had to cut some more from yardage. I love your neutral blocks...amazing, and I might just have to make some too!!??
ReplyDeleteI guess our string storage systems are similar, Julie, but I do have to move away from that basket. All new strings will remain flat until used. I noticed your green string quilt and was impressed that you had so many. I have lots of strings but never enough of one color for even a baby quilt. I'll have to keep saving for a while.
DeleteThanks for the comment about my blocks.
I love the soft colors in those blocks:) It's going to be a super cozy quilt once it's done!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Shannon. I'm envisioning a thick, fluffy quilt and wondering if a wool or silk batting would accomplish that.
DeleteMy scrap storage is nothing to brag about. I do try to keep the narrow pieces flat but if it's a bigger piece, it just gets tossed in the scrap stack. I hope your Women's conference was wonderful today. It can be so much work but the sisters who attend always appreciate the effort.
ReplyDeleteHi, Robin. I suppose scrap storage is one of those things that evolves over time? There aren't many scraps when one first begins quilting and if we keep doing what we did at the beginning, we -- I -- end up with a jumble. I need to tackle pressing strings and sorting some of the slightly larger pieces, too
DeleteI like the muted colors in your blocks. I think it will look great!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle.
DeleteScraps with me are usually in a bit of a mess. I don't particularly like that but there you have it. I love your neutrals and the idea of headers and leaders. Women's conferences are very important so I think you are doing vital work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jocelyn. I wonder what a poll would reveal about our scrap management systems. I suppose more quilters have a mess of scraps than neat scraps, but that's just a guess.
DeleteIt sounds like you quilt a bit like I do. Get an idea, start out on it, realize it won't be big enough, figure out a way to make it bigger, scrounge fabric from here there and everywhere so that I can execute my plan to make it bigger, work on it for a month, or a year or several years, but then finally.... it all comes together and it is beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL. Yes, that's about the way I often work on my quilts. I didn't know there were others who did it the same way, Janet.
DeleteI'm pretty lax about some things, but I do like my scraps organized. I feel it saves time if they are neatly piled up and ready to go. Of course it doesn't always happen that way, but I do try! Love you neutral blocks!
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about organized scraps saving time, Wendy. I should have organized when I first started quilting so I wouldn't have to go back and take care of the little mess I have now. I think I will organize the non-string scraps by color... maybe.
DeleteThanks for your comment about my blocks! I hope they will become a great quilt.
LOL, I have just started saving strings in a smaller version of your bushel system! Maybe it isn't the best plan...they will definitely need ironing. But, I have a feeling I would iron them again anyway, so maybe it'll be all right!
ReplyDeleteHi, Monica. I'm beginning to think that no matter what our system is for saving strings, there will have to be some adaptation to it before we use them. We'll either have to iron them, or sort them (by color, by length, by width), or do something else to them. There's probably no perfect string storage system.
DeleteI have yet to make a string quilt, but I have enough strips to make several. :) The closest I've gotten is to make string potholders and I've made dozens. :) I keep those strings in longish containers I found at the grocery store. Initially I did just have them in a basket willy nilly and had to press them when I needed them.
ReplyDeleteHey, Karin! How do we manage to accumulate so many strings, anyway? Some of mine come from shirt collars and cuffs, but the others.... I don't think I have enough for more than one quilt but I think that's already too many. I like your idea of storing them in long containers. Mine are just in a stack at the end of a shelf in the closet with the long ones hanging down. Maybe I'll just make something with them soon.
DeleteLove this soft muted palette!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda.
Delete