Monday, January 6, 2020

Strips

One of my goals for January was to clean up and regroup in the sewing room, set priorities, and work on finishing some WIPS. Well, you can guess how that turned out. The sewing room is now a bigger mess. It's good, though, because actually two WIPs are now being worked on.

The first started as a baggie of strips. I had cut a lot of 1-1/2" strips for a class that was later cancelled. I mean, a lot of strips, all colors, an over-filled gallon zipper baggie so stuffed with them that it couldn't close. Of course, I forgot to take a picture. I've been moving this baggie of strips around on my cutting table for months. They keep spilling out and I keep cramming them back in. Time to do something with them.

Maybe something mindless on the order of a "race" quilt. I pulled all the bright colors, about 3/4 of the strips in the bag. There were a lot of bright pink, orange, and green prints, very random with a lot of Kaffe mixed in. In order to tame the brightness, I made black and white connectors to splice in when joining the long strips.

I have no idea how many strips there were and what the length came to. I just know it took about an hour to sew the first long seam. Keeping the tails untangled was the most difficult part of the process.

Now I'm up to 16 strips wide, and over 190 inches long. The general look of the piece is starting to take shape.  Those black and white connectors fall randomly wherever, and they add a bit of sparkle to the overall riot of color.

I need to figure out what size I'll end up with and decide whether to keep going "race" style or ???.
This will end up being a donation quilt so I'll check the sizes wanted and see what I can do.

Meanwhile, the rest of the strips - low volumes and dull or neutral colors - are still in that baggie, but at least now it closes and it fits in my parts drawer with other baggies of cut pieces. Those pieces will have to come out and play some other time. I'm having fun with these brights for now.


Link ups:
Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Love Laugh Quilt

9 comments:

  1. The brights look great with the black and white connectors. I think you might end up with a lap size but with the stripes running vertically, but it's early and I might be thinking about the sizes incorrectly. I'll look forward to seeing how it comes together!

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  2. What fun!! I love what you did with the brights from your baggie of strips. Those connector bits were SEW brilliant!

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  3. The addition of the b/w connector bits was brilliant.....adds so much to the jelly roll race results. I generally don't care for the "race" quilts but I suspect it has a lot to do with the fabric selections. Your top definitely elevates it :) LOVE the Kaffe's in it.

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  4. Working with 1.5" strips in this design works SO well -- congratulations on the progress. The same approach would work with the quieter strips - adding a connector pair is such a good idea.

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  5. What a striking quilt that will be! Love the colors.

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  6. I love the direction this is going! So much variety with the thinner strips, too :)

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  7. I don’t normally like the jelly roll race quilts but I love yours!!! The black and white makes it pop! I would also love to see pictures of your move and new sewing room!!!

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  8. Such tiny strips for a race, but I am liking it a lot!! Three cheers to you for digging in and using those strips:)

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  9. Such a great idea to use up the strips! One day I might be organized enough to do this!

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