On Ringo Lake Week 5 update

I am all caught up!    I'm loving this project.  It was exactly what I needed for therapy.   My colors are coming together nicely,  if I have a wish for what color is up next it would be more of Bonnie's aquas,  or my reds.  

I am linking up to Bonnie's Linky party for the week at Week 5 Linky Party

Here is clue #1  - Darling little nine patches

Here is clue #2 -  Flying Geese! 

Clue #3 -  Diamonds in Squares...  Going in opposite directions... 

Clue #4 - Some winged squares....  

 And finally...  clue #5  - Another gaggle of Flying geese. 

Up to this point,  I have cut entirely out of my scrap drawers, and scrap saver system....  The only yardage I have cut into was 4 fat quarters of the lighter blue that I purchased for this project and 2 pieces of lighter blue yardage.   I also had to re-supply my white on whites from stash yardage for the flying geese wings for clue 5.     It is amazing how having that variety of strips and pieces in your scrap system allows for such a wide variety!  Thank you Bonnie for giving us this valuable information on your website and Blog.   

If It's Organized... Is it Still Considered Hoarding ? ? ? ?

Ok... I'm obsessive.... I'll admit... but there are times when I even question myself...

I started straightening up from about 6 months worth of projects from around my machine area.  This means that I take all the little scraps and bits... and begin sorting into Bonnie's scrap user system.  Bonnie Hunter's Scrap Users System Tutorial   I've been trying to do this now for about a year.... but all the pieces were in ziplock baggies in a drawer.  (not very easy to get to.... for either sorting or using)....  As I was cutting squares and bricks the other night,  I decided I really needed another way of doing this if I was ever going to use it.  

Later that night,  it dawned on me, that I had a couple of those drawer sets that you get at the hardware store for sorting nuts and bolts.  I've had these forever.... it was what I used for thread storage.... (we'll get to that just a little later).....

So... yesterday morning, while working on my second cup of coffee.... I decided to go empty the thread bins... so I could dust them out and start putting my pre-cut squares away......

The bins turned out to be just the right size!  And they are clear on the front.... so I can sort of see what's in them....


Drawer set #1



Drawer Set #2

Here is a picture of one of the drawers 




Drawer of  2 1/2" squares

I even stacked some twosies together so I can just grab a stack and stitch when I want to make four patch units....

twosies... ready to stitch!

These two little units sit perfectly ontop of a shelf that holds some of my papercrafting supplies... (*Believe me.... that is an entirely different post.... ) Just to the left... are my larger scrap drawers that hold pieces that are about a FQ or smaller....


Scrap drawers



I have a drawer for everything....

I tried plastic shoe boxes several years ago... but I found it hard to get into them..... I pick up these drawer units when they are on sale..... I've figured out how to take them apart and stack them together in taller units..... (Don't even start in on how much I've invested....  my DH might be reading my blog secretly... LOL)  But remember... I did say I ALWAYS buy them on SALE! 

And where would I be without IKEA shelves?  

It's sort of sorted by color..... and overflowing..... and I shouldn't have to buy fabric for a very long time!

Now.... back to the thread story.....

If one has 293 spools of thread,  is it too many?   As I was unloadin the thread out of those cute drawers... the word "HOARDER"  crept through my mind.... 

I have some spools that I can pinpoint exactly when and where I purchased them.... It was 1980, in Bend, Oregon... at the sewing machine shop where I purchased my first new sewing machine....  There were no quilt shops then.... in fact... I can't remember if Bend even had a fabric store other than the few bolts that were in the sewing machine store.... If I remember right... I had to drive to Portland to buy fabric....  Maybe there was a House of Fabrics?   or the fabric section at the Ben Franklin Drug store.... I sewed all my own clothes then... so you would think I would remember.... but alas... it doesn't come to mind clearly.    Any how.... these spools of Molynyke thread were from there.....

I have a serger... and so I've accumulated several sets of thread on cones for that.... I must have purchased 4 of every color..... because I have this...

Serger cones

And just how much white hand quilting thread does a machine quilter need?   I found this batch at a yard sale one time, and thought I needed it.... but really... 36 spools?   I got an even better deal than the price listed on the spool ends.... I think I paid $5.00 for the entire lot! 

 Now.... just how much dark green thread should one girl have?    I ask sarcastically?  Maybe I just wasn't organized enough and couldn't find the green I already had?   Maybe I thought I needed that specifically different shade of dark green?   I can explain why I have three spools..... One for for my Viking machine.... and two were for the serger..... so that I could stitch a seam  and then serge with the same color of thread..... (Did I mention that I can be obsessive? LOL)...   that does not explain why I have the two serger cones as well though....

The spools in this picture have never even been started.....  still factory sealed....

And just in case someone thinks I've been wasteful.... here are some spools to prove that I never throw anything away !!!!

I found this thread holder at a garage sale this last summer.... thought it might come in handy.... It's two sided... and has a carry handle on the top... It will hold 120 spools of thread

 So today... I gathered up all the thread I could find in the house.... and sorted.... I put all the serger cones together... all the hand quilting thread together.... all the rayon and variegated thread together....  Then... I sorted by color groups.... red,  brown, blue,  gray.... etc.

Small spools went onto the thread rack... and the larger spools went into this little shelf on my wall.

All in all... it's now organized.... and my goal is to use it up!    I make enough quilts for charity purposes,  that I should be able to use up some of these dips and dabs..... when piecing.....  I know... some is poly... some poly-cotton... some all cotton.... but as long as it doesn't snap when I tug on it... it should work just fine! 

After all.... I don't see myself needing  6+ spools of rose pink for a project anytime soon

Have a great week everyone!

August's To Do List....

I go back to work on Tuesday. That gives me just two days to finish my list of to dos for the month. It was a huge list, and there are only 3 things left to do. I actually finished up several extra projects and exchange blocks that were not on the original list. I feel good about my accomplishments.

We are seriously trying to find a new home and some acreage just out of town, and that means I'll have to move my fabric stash and my scrapbook stash. It didn't seem like very much when I hauled it into our basement one or two shopping bags at a time!

The two quilt tops pictured above are comfort quilts for the small community of Corbett, which sits in the Columbia Gorge, just 20 miles east of Portland. I quilt with a lovely group of ladies out there.

The one with houses is flannel. Those house squares were rescued from a donated piece that looked like swiss cheese. (someone had fussy cut out the houses they wanted and discarded the rest) it looked pretty hopeless at first, and one of the gals wanted to put it in the garbage. I saw some potential, spotted some more flannel pieces in another box, and remembered some flannel at home that would help.

The blue dresden plate is made of some pillow panels that were printed and sold in the 1980s. There were only 5 in the donation box. It took a group effort, but someone pieced the alternate blocks.... someone else did the four patch, another member added the wide blue print from her stash, and then I brought it home and added the piano keys. It's ready to be quilted by another member.