Delectable Mountain Mini Quilt / Table Topper

They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one so here goes: "I can't get rid of scraps." Whew, that was tough.  So this little jewel is made from some of the scraps from my Cathedral Window quilt that is in process.  As I have been cutting the squares for it, this pile of scraps just grew up out of nowhere like a vicious weed.  This was the result.  I saw an antique quilt in a magazine.  I have always liked the Delectable Mountain pattern anyways so thought, "Great!"  I don't use patterns; I just sorta go with the flow.

This is a 4 1/2 inch square at this point.  Those small squares will be one inchers.  Then I put them in place on the wall.

I was hoping for it to be one more row long, but I ran out of these particular scraps.  Even my scrappy quilts have to 'work.'  I know, it's an illness I tell you.

Then started sewing the squares into sections.  I wasn't bright enough to think about starching in the beginning, knowing I would be working with bias cuts so I suffered the consequences.  All those itty-bitty points reminded me.

I lost a few of them and it definitely has its flaws, but over all, it turned out pretty well.  And so here we are right back at the beginning.  I will probably just put a little brown binding on it as I don't think I want a boarder - but then you never know.  I might change my mind.  I will hand quilt it, but I have to finish up the one I am hand quilting now.  It's so close to finished it's ridiculous.  I don't know what officially makes a mini quilt a mini, this might just be a small quilt.  If you know, I would love it if you could inform me:)  This one reminds me of autumn, which I love.  Even with it's imperfections, I do believe I will enjoy quilting it and seeing it on my table.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

PS - This didn't use up all the scraps:( I will have to come up with something else to do with the rest of them:)

Fabric Morsels

Would you like to guess?  Or should I just tell you?

I made this a few years ago before the rotten scoundrel of a mink killed my chickens.  Did you know that mink are vampires?  No really, they suck the blood from the bird and leave it.  I had to 'finish the job.'  I grew up on a ranch so butchering and such doesn't bother me much, but I don't like to see critters suffer.  And I definitely don't like to go out in the morning to find such a site.  The chicken coop at that time was old, a bit of an eye-sore, and in an inconvenient place.  So at that point, I tore it down and will be building a new one in a better spot and will be making it critter-proof.  I use 'critter,' because we have other things like raccoons, vermin, owls (yes, owls will kill chickens,) as well as the normal dogs and cats lurking about. 

Okay, have I kept you in suspense long enough?

It's the liner to my egg basket.  This basket was given to me a long time ago, and it was just the right size, but the wires were a little too far apart.  As a quilter, I thought, "No, problem."  I had these little morsels of fabric that weren't really big enough for a 'real' project.  I sewed this little darling right up.

   Uuuuuh, neglecting to first make sure that the fabrics were colorfast.  You can see the result.  I am glad it happened on this and not on a precious bed quilt given as a gift.  I would have been heart broken.  (Lesson learned!)  With this, it is not a big deal.  I still like it well enough, and it still serves the purpose it was meant for.  I have a larger basket that is similar that I would like to make a liner for.  You can make them for wicker baskets as well.  It isn't difficult: just measure the bottom, draw out a simple sketch if you like, then measure how deep the sides and ends are.  Add those to the four sides of your bottom sketch and make your blocks to fit.  For this one, I made my center block then filled the remaining space.  It didn't matter to me that you don't get the whole view of the bottom.  I viewed it as an opportunity to have a little fun, & it was perfectly okay if it wasn't perfect.  I could just as easily have thrown an old hand towel in there.  We need those silly things in our life.  Don't you think so? Go ahead, have a little fun and do something silly.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches