Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Scrappy


Last night I finished eight placemats. This project started with sorting and organizing the chest of drawers that holds quilt projects and fabric scraps. When I was teaching and my children were at home, I bought quite a few fat quarters. They weren't expensive and made me feel like I was quilting when I wasn't. Anyway, the cleaning project turned into a creative mess on my sewing table. Funny how that happens.

I pulled out quilt blocks that were never sewed into a quilt because they were the wrong color or size or just plain wonky. I retrieved a few fat quarters for the backing. As I sewed pieces and blocks into rectangles, I didn't worry about all points and corners matching. I just sliced and diced until the edges were straight and the mats were sort of the same size. In the past, I worked hard to piece accurately because I enjoyed precision. On this project, I cut and sewed to my heart's content and the randomness was freeing. Really, I think I need to break the quilting rules more often.


I finished two placemats before a cataract obscured my vision. On one of those mats, the backing is is wrong side out. I hadn't even noticed. I just left the mat as is, I doubt anyone at my house will turn over a placemat to examine the back side. I never would have settled for such imperfection in my younger quilting days. Another rule tossed aside.

This week I sewed backs to the fronts before hand stitching up the small opening left for turning the pieces right side out. I fused sturdy interfacing to the fronts hoping not to need any machine quilting. The placemats would hold together better if I machined quilted along a few seams. Who knows I may break another rule and leave them as they are now.

Scrappy means made of scraps - bits and pieces. It also means being fiesty or having a determined spirit. Hmm, if the scrap fits, maybe I should wear it. 

Linking up with Kat's Unravelers - not ravelers as I wrote last week. I continue to savor Eleanor Roosevelt's short pieces in My Day.  If ever there was a woman with a determined spirit, she was one. Last night I kitchenered the Shallows Cowl together. This project is that perfect match between yarn and pattern. While knitting, I listened to How The Light Gets In by Louise Penny.


Will Inspector Gamache and his friends succeed in solving the intrigue going on in the Quebec police force? I suspect it might take another book but won't know for sure until I listen to the end. I do love that quote by Leonard Cohen, "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."  I'm enjoying both books.


8 comments:

  1. What a lovely, lovely cowl! I have just started the Gamache series, I'm enjoying it.

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  2. we should all learn to break the rules occasionally!!! Way to go!! (Love the cowl, too....although it doesn't look as if any rules were broken there!)

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  3. I'm usually a rule-follower, but I very much like the results of your quilting rule-breaking. Random, but beautiful! Your Shallows cowl is also lovely; I'm going to have to take a look at that pattern myself. Stay scrappy!

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  4. What a delightful post...I love intuitive quilting projects best of all...and your placemats are fun. Use them in great health! The cowl is lovely. I'm almost finished with the third Inspector Gamache book...I have print versions for #s 4 & 5 but I think I may do an audio read! Here on out!
    Cheers~

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  5. Your placemats are terrific. I want to make some now. They'd be good practice for some mini quilting.

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  6. love those gamache books :) I'm trying to finish alias grace first before I read the book you are reading. lovely shawl and those placemats are treasures!!

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  7. Those placemats are gorgeous!
    How lovely you are reading the Gamache books- such a treat for the mind.

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