Sunday Stash #188 – Hodge Podge
It’s amazing what even one week off will do to you. Come Tuesday of this past week I was having all sorts of Sunday Stash withdrawals and regrets! It’s so habitual now that I had a huge case of the guilts for not posting last week. Thank you to those who sent in a search and rescue mission for me. I promise not to let you down again! As I mentioned in my Ten Things on Thursday post, there’s been a lot of new additions to the studio. Trying to stay organised has been the hardest part!
My Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks book arrived from Book Depository. It was the first time I’ve used them, and it was ah-mazing. Half price, and it arrived in less than a week. Shut up! I also took my friend Angie’s advice and had it spiral bound. Probably the best $8 spent in a long time (if you don’t count vodka tonic number three at after work drinks last week). But seriously y’all, this book and project is the bane of my existence right now. I was all prepared to crank out a rainbow-tastic series of blocks, and as soon as I started to do so, I got stage fright? What?! I’m usually not a commitment-phobe, but I’m finding it really challenging to just get started.
Here’s the Hobb’s batting I mentioned as well. I’ve heard of some people combining the wool and cotton together to get a bit of extra loft and warmth. For being king-size, the packages seem really, really small. I’m hoping that it fluffs up a bit when I take it out. Otherwise, this could be like the thinnest batting I’ve used, which is pretty much the opposite of what I was hoping for. However, it was on sale at Connecting Threads, and (hello, free shipping to Australia) you never know until you try, right? My current experience is mainly with The Warm Company’s Warm and Natural, or Matilda’s Own, both in cotton and/or bleached varieties. I’ve found both of them perfectly fine, but fine will only get you so far!
My last little odd and end this week, is a pair of my very own tweezers. Finally! You have no idea how long I have been meaning to get some of these. The ones in our bathroom were serving double duty, and while they were washed regularly, it was still kinda eeewww. Plus, that little hook nose on this set has already proved more useful than a nose hair! Ouch! I bet all of you are like, but, but, where’s the fabric? I’m currently building a castle with it! Make sure you drop in next week to see the first bit of it!
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Hi! Great to be back at Sunday Stash! Wow, your batting rolls look very inspiring – thinking that there is always enough batting waiting surely helps! I have found that kind of tweezers very practical with sewing (ex. sewing curves) and cleaning dust from my sewing machine. x Teje
I feel guilty about just about everything I buy!! Even when I get a screaming deal on it! I buy a roll of Warm & Natural that last me almost a year. I love having it on hand all the time, who likes to run out?! Or you find you are just a bit short! the tweezers are one tool I have been meaning to get, but always forget about!
You most certainly made a wise decision having Tula’s book spiral bound…I’ve had a heck of a time keeping it open as I work…I’ll definitely consider that next time! So glad to see your post this Sunday!
I have a pair of those tweezers and they are handy cuz they’re nice and grippy. I don’t like to start a seam unless I have the bobbin thread pulled up long enough. I use those to grab and pull that little length of thread that comes up but still hides under the presser foot.
If you’re looking for more battings to try, I’d suggest Quilters Dream brand. (They often have it on Massdrop so you can usually get a pretty decent deal through them, though I don’t know how their shipping is to Australia.) I’ve used their wool batting before and it’s amazing… I never want to use Warm and Natural again (I have lots of it, though, so I’ll keep using it till I’ve used it up, at least) – the drape is just amazing, even when it’s heavily quilted.
I’m really looking forward to seeing your #100days100blocks. And Book Depository – oh my word! – I didn’t know about this until reading your post. Now I’m going to have to figure out how to split my money between fabric and books!!!
Knowing I’d rather run naked in traffic than commit to a block a day, I worked on Tula’s blocks in tandem with and between other projects, setting no time limit for myself. I chose a block I wanted to work on at that moment and took pleasure in completing it. In five months I’d finished 80 blocks and a quilt top was born.
Be kind to yourself, Molli !!
I ended up not doing the city sampler in ANY order whatsoever, with multiples of some blocks and others left out. In the end, I loved my city sampler- I was SO picky with it, but it was absolutely worth it. Hey… it’s hanging in an art gallery (at my former college) now, so, I guess it paid off!
That wool batting will pop up and out like a tube of pillsbury rolls – so not to worry.
Happy to see you back at Sunday Stash, I had withdrawl symptoms not seeing the customary Sunday post. Also, am planning on joining the #100days100blocks block party so loads of planning and preparation to do 🙂 Looking forward to your blocks