Purging myself from those situations have become a focus, nearly an obsession. It's a good old fashioned cleansing of the soul! Really, I may never eradicate myself from the bad juju fabric, but on those occasions when I do it really does feel good! Hopefully it will all come together and turn out to be something beautiful!
I'm calling this quilt Josephine's Quilt. She will be making her debut in a few months and I'm determined to have a quilt finished well before the big event.
I inherited a Moda Hello Betty Honey Bun (1 1/2" x WOF strips) from my daughter years ago. It was no longer a roll, but rather a pile of slowly unraveling, soon to be useless strips. It was a spur of the moment decision to JUST USE IT!
We all know it would be much easier to use said fabric if we had a plan at the beginning! Eventually that idea did come. Strip piecing.
In addition to the Honey Bun strips, I cut a few orange, grey, aqua and white strips in order to have enough fabric for each of the tube sets.
Gotta love mindless sewing! As fast as my machine would go, I made sets of three strips.
Next you pair two sets and sew 1/4" on each side to create a tube.
This is so easy...you gotta try it!
This ruler is really handy and takes the guess work out of cutting. If you don't have one, don't worry...you can use a square ruler.
Line the tip at the stitch line, make sure the ruler is straight...and...
Slice and dice! Flip the ruler...and...
Do it again. Depending on how you want your final blocks to look, I recommend that you do not mix the blocks.
You will need 4 blocks to make one bigger block. I cut 4 blocks in each direction from my strip.
You do have a couple options with your blocks. You could 'throw caution to the wind' and go totally scrappy or you could go this way...
or that way...
Same 4 blocks, except turned creating a different center.
I have made a total of four 7" blocks! I figure I have time before Josephine gets here, so I'll take my time. Besides, I know I'll have to figure out a layout and most likely add additional blocks...blah, blah, blah! Another rabbit hole I've fallen into!
These are really fun blocks to make and they look so cool! Maybe next time I'll use wider strips. Maybe even use my 'undesirable' fabric! The possibilities!
I see a lot of Purge Quilting in my future! How do you handle fabric you want to purge? Do you use it, ignore it or throw it into a quilt?!
LINKING:
TGIFF
These blocks are so funky, I love Cozy Quilt's Strip Tube technique, genius!
ReplyDeleteOoh I haven't seen this technique before - it looks good. I have just decided that I need to thoroughly so through all my fabric - what to do with the undesirable? Well I thought that some could go to school with my daughter, if they have need of it, or I plan to mix a vat of indigo as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer and throw it all in there and see what I come out with!
ReplyDeleteI totally forgot about this method and that I had the ruler for it! It was fun and especially fun to use fabric that has lingered far too long in my stash. Interesting idea about dying the fabric. I would love to see that once you are finished!
DeleteThis is fun Jayne! Thank you for showing how you made the blocks. I have to admit that these colours doesn't inspire me very much and usually I just ignore those 'un liked' fabrics. Sometimes I try to add a little bit them somewhere. x Teje
ReplyDeleteI have to admit these colors don’t really inspire me either!! But me being me, I had to see if I could use them in one way or the other! Using a little here and there is a good idea. I just want to use it all be be rid of it! It always makes me wonder what I was thinking when I bought it!!
DeleteThis is exactly what we are trying to do with our Guild Stash. Figure out how to use it up and get it out into the world...and if we really hate it give it away.
ReplyDeleteThese are such cute blocks! I am currently feeling very weighed down by my scraps and this might be a good idea to get some of them into a block or dozen.
ReplyDeletePurging seems to be a common theme among blogs I read. I'm currently trying to purge orphan blocks and UFOs. I give away fabric I no longer love, just can't make myself use it.
ReplyDeleteLooking good, purging can be fun! I too have used that ruler and it was pretty darn cool, been a while though. Thanks for the reminder, so much to do, use and make!!
ReplyDeleteVery cool! You inspire me to want to start yet another project! ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea and the outcome looks fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the Purge-along I hosted a few years ago. I got rid of all kinds of unloved scraps and yardage and made a picnic quilt for a friend in exchange. Felt great! Enjoy the lighter feeling =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your technique. Those blocks are super cute! I find myself purging fabric all the time. The challenge is finding the perfect project for it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I purge quilt! Sometimes when a box of scraps becomes too full, I make a baby or larger quilt top in that color for charity or as a gift.
ReplyDeletePurge quilting is sometimes needed! However, most of the time I end up doing way more than I intended with the design! I like your idea using purge quilting for baby quilts or charity!
DeleteI really love the term you coined... Purge Quilting is something I'm not very good at and I have been sending off my fabric to Stash Builder Box to use in their Heart Builder quilts.
ReplyDeleteI get rid of the uglies - but most of my fabric is thrifted anyway so I don't feel bad sending it back to the Great Thrift Shop Beyond.
ReplyDeletePopped by from Let's Bee Social.
http://thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com
What a great idea! If I've fallen out of love with a fabric, I cut it into 2.5" squares which I put in a bin and then eventually sew them together into a postage stamp quilt. I generally never buy over a fat quarter of something so I rarely have larger icky pieces. I generally make the postage stamp quilts baby size so if I do have some odd fat quarters, I'll piece them together for the back. I think the overall look is a great I-spy type quilt. I will try this method though - looks fun!
ReplyDeleteI have an issue with undesirable fabric taking up too much room in my limited storage space. I tend to ignore it. I should start putting it all together and cutting it into strips for blocks like these. What a great idea. For some of the smaller pieces and REALLY unwanted fabric I have been making rope bowls.
ReplyDeletePurge quilting! I love this new term!! Yes, I completely understand the urge to purge. Sew it and get rid of it. Sometimes I'm so focused on cleaning up that I completely ignore the fabrics I love just so I can move the "fuglies" along.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, your PP (Purge Project) is not ugly at all! I've seen that strip tube technique before, but had an AHA! moment watching your blocks come together. Of course it will make beautiful, on point "square in a square" patterns if you don't mix the sections up! Why did I not realize that before?
Thank you for this inspiration, Jayne.
Purge quilting is an excellent idea with one caveat - it needs to go fast so the project gets completed while you are still enjoying the process. IF you did not like the fabrics as fabrics you love for them will not grow if they sit around as a UFO. Fortunately for you I think your funky color and print combinations are really fun and enjoyable to gaze at. Good work - should I say play?
ReplyDeleteI guess I hardly have enough fabric to not like much of it, lol! Except that whole 80s calico bunch...which I used A LOT of last year practicing a kinda weird design....almost all of it is used up now! i also have a scrap bag of Kansas Troubles I won a long time ago, which I use for fun gifts for my more traditional friends, who love em!!! I have also given pieces away to new sewists...there was this one Tula print that gave me the creeps once I got it home...lol!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! The tube quilting process looks rather fun! I am on a mission to purge this year, too.
ReplyDeleteI had heard of this technique but never seen pictures before. Such a clever process with good results! I don't have a lot of fabric so not much that I don't love. But the tired scraps (that I've used over and over and over) get turned into hexies or slid into paper piecing projects if I can. 😊
ReplyDeleteThis is a great start, Jayne! Purge sewing sounds like it would be a great way to make room in your stash for new pretties ;)
ReplyDeleteI like the way this is going! I have a ton of strips that I've cut after finishing different projects. Now I know what I can do with them. I just need to add a few more strips, maybe some solids, and have a few placemats and/or a table runner or two. Thanks for the idea, Jayne! Nadine W. Northern Cali.
ReplyDeleteThat is a lovely rabbit hole to have fallen into =)
ReplyDeleteI love the look! Thanks for the demonstration.
ReplyDeletePurge is another word for vomit (my English teacher would be proud). As far as you are concerned, Jayne - you make even vomit look pretty. Love your work!!! I used a lot of my undesirable fabric in mug rug backs or pouch linings.
ReplyDeleteI like this technique. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great technique. I'm mainly following patterns which take so much more time and in need of a "get it done" mindless project. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete