Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Using Up Leftovers

Kind of ironic that after I posted the link to the NY Times photo essay about folks living with MCS I had a really bad week physically. There was just one toxic exposure after another, and unavoidable for the most part. It gets discouraging. I appreciate the support I've received from my blogging friends.

You may remember that I recently purchased a new sewing machine. It would have been too much to expect that Phoebe's bobbins would fit Ruby Blue (even though they are both from the Pfaff family). One thing I managed to do in the last week was to start sewing together 1.5" strips using the thread on the old bobbins for those short seams.



It was restful to sit and sew mindlessly while I chain pieced the strips in pairs.



And then the whole lot went to the ironing board.



I've been cutting my strips to 12.5" in length. I'm not sure I'm going to sew them into 12" blocks though. It didn't occur to me at first that it would take 12 strips to make a 12" block (duh!). When that finally dawned on me it didn't sound like so much fun. Since then I've had an idea to use columns of three or four as vertical sashing in a strippy set quilt.

Since these were pieced I found another stash of 1.5" strips I'd forgotten about. I still don't have much of a brain for creative problem solving so I'll probably keep emptying bobbins and add these growing piles to my Parts Department for future use. I'm going to have to find an appropriate container to keep them in though, so they can be put out of the way when my brain finally kicks back into gear. ;- )


6 comments:

  1. I went seriously mindless and stitched pairs into longer pairs and those pairs into even longer pairs - then pressed and cut to 13" lengths.

    I laid out 13 strips, pieced the first two together, the second two together, etc. until I had 6 pairs and a spare.

    Then the 6 pair became 2 pair plus a pair witha spare.

    Finally I assembled the two halves together - pressed (stomped with the steam iron) and trimmed to 12.5 inches square.

    Don't give up on it yet - but I did stop at a 4 x 5 layout (no king size for me).

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  2. I never thought of doing that with bobbins. Thanks for the idea.

    Seems to me that Tonya's Lego strings have taken off. I've done 7 10" blocks and can't stop!

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  3. I hope you're feeling better. I looked at the photo essay--it was very moving. The photographs should reach a wide audience, and hopefully will raise awareness in the general public.

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  4. Was out on a walk and walked by someones house where I could smell their horrible scented fabric softener pumping out into the air. I sneezed for a block straight. I though "thank goodness Sue isn't here!"

    Hope you feel better soon.

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  5. Sorry you've had a rough week. Thank you for reminding all of us to educate ourselves and become more aware! Looking at the 'Canaries' photos really made the point as did the articles. We truly are poisoning ourselves and our world in so many, many ways. Hope, you regain some of your balancing act coping point again!

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  6. hope that you feel better soon. My allergy problems are getting better since I was tested to find out what foods I'm allergic to and not allergic to

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