Monday, April 23, 2012

Working on this and that...and a big surprise!

 Hi Y'all!  OK, I am getting used to the new blogger, so here goes!  I may have shown you the above little quilt...made of leftover triangles and hand quilted.  Seems I just cannot throw away those little pieces!   Now what to do with these little quilts???
 You could have knocked me over with a feather...my friend Mary, a nurse at work, brought in an enormous bag of goodies...for me! Mary is just a really nice person!  I was so excited I could hardly give report to the next shift!  There are fancy rulers, a new iron (a fancy one too), a cutting and pressing mat, (already in heavy use), Marti Mitchell templates, a seam guide...I just love them all!  Thank you Mary...and guess what?  Mary has started a quilt blog!  Please go visit her HERE, and say howdy!
 You know all those corners we save from the flip and sew method?   Well, I have been saving my extra 1/2 square triangles faithfully...and have a metric ton of them!  What are we going to do with these, ladies?  I know you may have been saving yours too...so, above, I made a little table runner with one little baggie of them.  Problem is, I have about 20 little baggies, so I am thinking about what to do with them all.   Should they go into (GASP)!!  the garbage???
 I know you must be sick of seeing this quilt, but I put all the pieces together into rows.  I still need to finish the applique, but at least the pieces and parts will not be scattered to the winds, waiting for me to get a-round-tuit.  Do you know where I can find one of those?
 Baskets...I think I may be a bit enamored with them!  This one is 2 inches finished, and I made a pin of it, for my badge at work.  I love to connect with the little old lady patients who come into the hospital, who are quilters...gives us something to talk about!
I had a bunch of baskets left over, so I made this little quilt too.  I just cannot throw stuff away, so the fabric food chain means that the big pieces get used, then the smaller ones, then littler and littler stuff gets made until it is all used up.  So there!!




*****************Nurse's notes*********************

Nurses:  I just want to say that I work with some fine nurses.  The new, timid ones, scared but oh, so smart and willing...the old seasoned and peppery veterans, these are the ones you want with you in a code...and the intellectual, really, really smart ones who know every answer, stat!!  Some have master's degrees...some are working on them...one is working on her PHD. I have to say, I really miss each and every one when they leave.  I bet you can relate, you nurses, you!!


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I hope each of you has a wonderful day today!  Thank you so much for your visit...you are so important to me, and I really value your friendship!




Julie

26 comments:

Sue SA said...

I am not really good at remembering block names, but I think you need to find a scrappy pattern with lots of little triangles...Ocean waves, or feathered star?
I also have difficulty throwing out scraps, but havent done much with mine at this stage, just started making QAYG string blocks.
I love your basket pin, your a on a winner there...bet you get requests for those!

Anonymous said...

Wow...what a kind thing to get from someone! Your projects look beautiful. I love the table runner especially! Don't throw away those HSTs! You may get the bug someday to make something. If not, pass them on to a felly scrap-happy person!

Quilter Kathy said...

I love your little mini quilts...each one is a gem!
I collect them, give them as gifts, hang them in my house, hang them on the front door, use them on the tables...can't get enough of them! I especially love the quilt you hand quilted with red thread...very beautiful!
I have tons of bags of HST's around too....working on one of those projects this week! FUN!

Pat said...

I'm glad your friend gave you all those goodies. You are such a kind, generous person, so it's nice to see someone do something nice for you....very well-deserved, I must say!

Donna Keating said...

Love all your quilts, big and small The fact that you use your waste triangles to make such neat quilts just floors me. I have long given up on saving anything that is less than 2 1/2 square. Too many scraps in my drawers as it is.

My niece is one of the new, more scared nurses at Harris but her confidence is growing day by day. Her baby is due in 5 weeks so she will be out of circulation for a few months after that, then back to work!

Janet O. said...

So many wonderful projects. I will say that those leftover triangles make great baskets!! I speak from experience. : )
They also made up into a beautiful runner for you. Get some friends to do a challenge. Give them each a bag of them and the name of someone else for whom they make a gift from the contents of the bag, with one background and one other additional fabric--something like that.
Your little basket pin and quilt are each so cute! I always love your work, Julie!!

Elyte said...

You have a gift for piecing little pieces. Please don't throw them away, use them for more fabulous little creations. We love seeing them. Maybe you could gift some to your colleagues if you can't use them.

marilyn said...

Love the tiny pin you made. I'm not that old, but I would talk to you if you were my nurse :)

Merilyn said...

How nice to get such a wonderful lot of gifties!! I don't throw anything away either, and always eventually find a use for the smallest of scraps!
Reading about your nursing colleagues, I never thought I would say it but I think I may be one of those that is seasoned and peppery - oh dear!!!!

Sharon said...

I'm in love with your baskets..beautiful! And I have been saving my little HS triangle left overs...what shall I make? Yours are looking good!

Mary said...

I love your mini quilts!!! So cute! I've thought about making some mini quilts to pepper my walls with. Had the idea of using them intermixed with family pics.

I just now starting up a string collection, and left over triangles collection. You have inspired me...or it's the hoarder inside me? Anyway, love the little triangle runner.

Thanks for the linky dink, and kind words! I'm so glad you love your pretties. I hope the iron is working out. It's my favorite setup. I hate having to stop and go to the ironing board!

Robert said...

Love the baskets and the HST quilt, how big are the HST? Keep that needle flying....

regan said...

That was such a sweet surprise from your friend! I'm heading over to see her blog now. But first..... really.....2 inches????? Holy cow! That little basket is so sweet! I love all your beautiful projects, and yeah.....use up that fabric, right to the last little inch of it! You go girl! :o)

Unknown said...

Your little triangle quilt is darling! So awesome that you had stash triangles to pull from! Don't you dare throw those other baggies away!!! :) There are so many other cute things you could make!!! (Or pass them along to me!!!) :) What a great friend Mary is! You must be pretty special, too, for her to give you all that quilty goodness! :) I love those eight blocks you made with triangles. Did you make that up or is there a pattern out there I need to get my hands on??? Too cute!!! :)

Shari said...

I love how you use your littlest pieces. Especially the little name badge. And what a wonderful gift from your friend. It's nice to work with friends.

Nicky said...

I adore your table runner and what a great idea ! You are either mad to be using every scrap or you are the only sane person in a mad world which dumps things!

I reckon if you don't want all your baggies you might give one away!??

Jill said...

Don't throw the HST's away! I love that table runner and what a great idea. I love to see quilters use everything leftover to make something creative and useful, like you have done in this post. Too cute, all of it!

Lori said...

You are the most amazing and prolific quilter I know! I love the little pin and I bet it sparks a lot of conversation. It is so sweet.
All of your quilts are wonderful!!

Loris said...

What a sweet huge basket of treats from your friend! Enjoy all those goodies and let us know how you like the iron :-) We always want to know about irons, ya know!
The baskets are still wonderful to see. Love the pin idea for your work pin. I agree with you about nurses. I think that I became content with staying in my current dept as I thought about how our group really works well as a team. Supportive and looking out for each other. It makes our jobs better and more meaningfull at the same time.

AnnieO said...

Love your baskets and treasures and tiny triangle quilt and blocks!

Confession: I now throw away the cut off triangles because baggies full of them already coat some of my scrap bins!

Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts said...

What a wonderful post! I'm happy your quilting friend could surprise you! Gasp! Do not throw out your little HST's!! I would happily relieve you of some to make mini's. ;) Your little quilts are just adorable!

Sharon said...

I have about 600 1 3/4" unfinished 1/2 sq tris from making my Sisters Choice and bags of them from 4 Pineapple Blossom quilts, Don't throw them, too may uses, they can surround a little stitchery for a guick gift, small runner/placemat etc.

ladydi said...

You are an inspiration to us all. You get more done in a day than anyone I know. As for your little quilts; put hanging loops at the top and fill a wall with their charming beauty. We have a wall like that and I just love it.

Floss said...

What a lovely gift to receive and what super nice, little projects. No I'm not doing to start keeping all my scraps, I have lots saved up already.

Anonymous said...

Look at Bonnie Hunter's free pattern on her site "Maverick Stars". It's a cute WHONKY star whose points are made from cut aways from stitch flip and they are the BOMB. I'm making one soon from what I have been saving up from other projects.

Unknown said...

What a great friend you have. My mom is a nurse. You nurses are great!

Lots of things going on!

Good morning, or evening to you!!!  I have been sewing pouches of different sizes, and I enjoy filling them with different things and giftin...