Ugly Fabrics?

Hi guys. This is just a quickie post. I wanted to show you what I've been up to with the uglies. This photo is a little misleading because there are two different projects on the wall. My blocks are the ones across the top and my friend Kathy has two Spiderweb blocks there too. I think they look amazing together. Click to biggify.

Here is a close-up. There are fabrics in here that I consider ugly or boring (as did the folks who mailed some of them to me) as well as some fun, lively and and gorgeous prints. But which are which? hee hee hee.

I'm using 1.5" strips but since I'm getting 11 rows in a 10" finished block, I know that they don't all measure 1" finished. Yes, I like little pieces. And no, I'm not strip piecing any of this. Just joining lots of little pieces and loving it.

The quilt I'm making was inspired by an antique quilt posted on a blog years ago. Any guesses? One hint: the quilt was photographed in a quilt shop in The Netherlands. I'll tell you more another time.

Thanks to those who've sent me uglies etc. Some of these fabrics I completely love.

Here are some fabrics I already had. Do you recognize some of these, Kathie B?

These came from Synthia, Carol E and Grass Roots Quilting Sharon. Synthia, I found these florals ghastly as well. eesh. Sharon, I LOVE these, but I can see how they're hard to work with.

 

Janet R and Roz sent these. I love the little cowboys on orange! and the horrible little white flowers on purple.

These were gifted by Kathy in FL, Stitching Hands Kristin, Rene (with an accent above the last e) and NiftyQuilts LeeAnn. I find the "egyptian" fabric particularly egregious - it looks greek to me and those aren't heiroglyphs.

I've gotten all of the above in the quilt already. But uh oh, I got two more packages in the mail! (that's a surprised whee oh boy! uh oh, not a bad uh oh). Viv M sent these - some are beautiful and look much better in person than in the photo.

QuiltMom Anna wins the prize for the ugliest uglies. Seriously. Check out the middle of the top row. A bilious mix of yellow, orange and green next to Raggedy Andy. eeeeek. I gotta make a block with just these.

I know I should have written a post all about the remarkable time I had in Sisters and Seattle (which I completely did) but I have to get a post done about this so everyone can see what the uglies are up to. And I know, they're not all uglies. Some are just plain grim and sad. or incredibly outdated. And sometimes you just need to use up your stash.

When I first started quilting, I cut strips off of every new fabric that I bought. and then they sat around and I never used them. So 20-some years later, these guys are finally getting used:

I just wish I hadn't gotten rid of so many fabrics (and strips) I considered ugly. I have really fallen in love with oddball, hard to use fabrics. Have I convinced any of ya'all?

I'm still taking donations of 1.5 to 2.5 inch squares to strips. and No, they don't have to be long. Just sending me bits is good. I'm up for a challenge!

I got two baby kitties on my lap, so gotta run. And so I don't get in trouble, a Lily photo:

Dye Transfer, News and Begging

Hi guys. Wow, I promised to be a better blogger and failed spectacularly. Ya'll have to forgive me though because my husband is back in town for all too short of a period (some of which I won't even be around for) and that takes priority. The weather has been pretty miserable for him, rain and gray skies. Not even cooling rain - it's hot and humid.

In my last post I mentioned the dye transfer on my LAWS quilt. Here's one of the blocks in particular where it is noticeable, the purple in the L moving over into the pink (click to embiggen):

Some of you commented about Color Catchers. Oh, believe me I love those and use them lots. When I'm washing a finished quilt I'll put two boxes worth in. My friend Kathy has heard that you can thread baste a Color Catcher onto a problem area of your quilt and that will help. sigh.

Speaking of LAWS - I finished all the hand-quilting this week. Woohoo! Finished the quilting on my One Patch with Strings too (I'd set it aside to work on LAWS).  Now to get the bindings on.

Onto the news: Season 9 of The Quilt Show has been announced. Yours truly is featured in ep 907 which debuts at the end of September. We'll get a special code so ya'll can watch that one for free for a week, but take a look at that list and maybe subscribe to the whole thing (if you haven't already).

Anyone going to the AQS Quiltshow in Knoxville this month? (Holy cow, this month? How did it get to be July already?). If so you'll be able to see my quilt Rumspringa, fingers crossed. I'd love for you to take a photo of you (and friends) standing in front of it waving at me and then post it somewhere or email to me. That would be a hoot.

Meanwhile I'm getting ready to go to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. I get to spend time with LeeAnn of Nifty Quilts and then we'll head down for Quilters' Affair along with a bunch of her Rebel friends. I'm hoping to spend time with Jessica and Kristin and hopefully bump into Bonnie. Anyone else going?

Now we come to the begging portion of this blog post. I would love if some of ya'all could send me fabric:

Type: ugly or outdated, or boring, what-the-heck-was-I-thinking, I'm-tired-of-having-this-in-my-stash fabric.

How much: 1 1/2" wide - any length from square up to 11" long
                    2 1/2" wide - any length from square up to 11" long

Either width works, don't need the same fabric in each.

I would also love some letters (which can be left as is or completed - scrappy log cabin-style - as 5 1/2" blocks) that include somewhere in them the kind of fabric I just mentioned.

very scrappy capital letters: L,V, H, X and some E's and O's (I need more of the latter two letters than the others). These should be basic beginner letters (no fancy fonts).

wonky heart 5 1/2 blocks. You can use the Crumby Heart Tutorial here.

{updated to add: I don't need everyone to send all of that, seriously.  Just five short strips of ugly fabric would be fab, for instance. or a single letter....}

Sorry I can't tell you what this is about. If you want more details, just email me or put it in the comments. Also, I've really noticed that people tend to use more packaging than needed. Lots of times a business sized envelope or craft envelope work out great.

I've recently discovered the fun of Pinterest. (Haven't tried it? Well go see Tonya's Pinterest.) It's really brought home to me the need for including watermark information on photos. (Darn you iPhoto for not including that capability!)

I'm going out to lunch with my sweetie so I need to wrap this up quick. Later!