BACKING MADE

 I spent most of the day making the label and backing for the Out of Africa quilt.  I used fabrics from my stash and almost all of the scraps from the front.  

BLACK AND WHITE SQUARES

 I spent yesterday going through my stash, choosing black with white fabrics and white with black fabrics for an upcoming project.

I cut a strip from each, then cut them down into 5" squares.  I need at least 240 squares of each.  

I put a good dent in my stash.

UGLY

 I thought I would do the project that Joe did in his workshop on Saturday.  Trying to use up old fabrics, I pulled these from the stash.  I didn't do a very good job of picking because this ended up being some of the ugliest things I've ever seen.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I don't even think there is anything I could do to make them better, nor do I want to.  Off to the scrap pile with these.

EDITING STASH

I am amazed.  I actually went through my stash and removed some fabrics I figure I'll never use!  Three bags worth!  They will be donated to the Goodwill tomorrow.  

I almost tossed out a pile of scraps, but I noticed they were an interesting group of fabrics.  So, I pulled them out and sorted them.  There were a lot of 3" squares and strips.  The sad thing is, there were some completed three-sided blocks in  with the scraps and I have a vague memory of making these triangle blocks.  But, I don't remember the quilt or if I even finished it.  And if I did, where is it?  Is it still a top?  Where?  No pictures, either.

I spent the next hour cutting all of the scraps up into 3" squares.  I'll be using these as leaders and enders while I sew other projects.  I'll have a free all squares quilt someday.

I sent away for some Comic book cardboard and cut it down to size to fit into my small drawers and started wrapping my fabrics around them.  Hopefully, it will keep my fabric a little more organized and easier to see.  It's also pretty sad that I bought a package of 100 boards, cut them in half, making 200 and I am going to have to order a whole bunch more if I'm going to do my whole stash.

I noticed on the way into the house the ground cover was blooming.  I think they're called Vinca Minor.  

WRAPPING BOARDS

I want to paint a bunch of faces.

I want them all on the same size canvas.  Square.

I priced the 10" by 10" wrapped canvases and decided they were too expensive and I would just get some Masonite and ask my sweet husband to cut it into 10" squares.  Which he did.

Then it occurred to me that I don't really like painting on masonite, it's too smooth.  I don't like the way the paint goes on.

I thought a lot about different ways to get some 'tooth' or texture onto the boards.

I thought, I could wrap them in canvas.  But, I'd have to buy a bunch of canvas.  Expensive again.

I thought, I have lots and lots of fabric.  I could just wrap them in fabric!  That might even be really interesting.  It opens up lots of possibilities.

Then I did a lot of thinking about how to do it, to wrap the fabric on and have it adhere, no bubbles.

So, I've been putting it off for a while now.

Darrell (husband) did his part, he cut the squares out long ago.  They've been sitting there, waiting.

So, today, I looked through my fabric stash and found some sacrificial fabric that I know I'll never use.  There was probably two yards there.  Doesn't matter what it looks like, it will be getting painted over.

I wrapped two boards today just to see how it went.  I glued it down with acrylic matte medium.  It went way better than I thought it would.

SEWING ROOM UPSTAIRS

One more hard day of lugging a laundry basket up the stairs loaded down with fabric, I don't know how many times.  My knees are telling me it was a few too many times though.

When I finally got all the fabric up and sorted, then I started bring up the drawers from my sewing table and the leaves for the cutting table.  At least I got the men to bring up the tables, though.

It looks a little bare right now, but I'm sure I'll have it all junked up very soon.

In fact, I think I'll be out there sewing up a storm first thing in the morning.  I really wanted to sew tonight, but I'm just too tired.

One of the fun and interesting things about reorganizing my stash was getting re-acquainted with and counting all the pieces of fabric I have.

I will admit it, I am a fabricoholic.

I have some really ugly pieces of Elvis fabric - (I can't believe they let them license them).

I have 116 pieces of fabric with a horse motif, 2 that are zebras, 3 with cowboy boots, and 1 seahorses.  (Most of these are 1/2 yard pieces).

I was astonished to find I have 414 pieces of paisley fabrics.

I have a big stack of hand-dyed fabrics by Judy Robertson from her yard of the month program.

I am short on yellows, but I have golds.  And Diane B is right, I have way too many browns.

I have a lot of plaids.  I have some Kaffe Fassett fabrics I would love to use.

I need to start using this fabric.  Now.  

I'd like to make quilts, but I don't know what to do with them.  I'd really like to just make the tops and have someone else quilt them.  You wanna?  We could donate them.

FABRIC STASH - END OF DAY TWO ORGANIZING

I spent the first day cleaning up from the construction.  I got out the vacuum and went at it.  I decided everything either had to have a home or it was going away.  I started taking things downstairs and piling them up in Darrell's shop.  It's only a matter of time until he puts a stop to that!  But I will eventually do away with it all.  We need a big garage sale this summer.

Anyway, I started taking fabric up that afternoon, but I didn't take any pictures.

This is where I stopped at the end of day two.  

It all has to be re-folded and organized.  It' kind of fun going through it all and remembering what I have.  It's seems it's been a long time since I've been through it.  I'm finding things I had forgotten I have.  But, I need to start doing something with it all.  I have little stacks of fabrics that I had some sort of plan for....but most of it I don't remember what exactly.