My Stars (and Pinwheels)

My stars, that was a bit of a flurry yesterday!  I guess the Grab Bag idea is popular!  I will have more of those, you can count on it.  Next time, maybe purples and greens.  Lots of greens.   Thanks to those of you who are helping me clear the stash out.

I had a chance to sew for a bit today and finished my pinwheel blocks.  Tomorrow I shall endeavor to sew the blocks together with the alternate blocks and work on the pieced border.  Here are my pinwheels:

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And here is the layout of the blocks.

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I saw this quilt in person at Thimblecreek in Walnut Creek a year or so ago.  The pattern is designed by Joe Wood, owner of Thimblecreek.  His quilt was made of lovely striped shirting fabric and looks so different from this version!   The fabric I used (and shown in the picture) is Dandelion Girl by Fig Tree for Moda.  Don't you love the addition of the dark brown chain to the pastel prints?  The dark brown is definitely not part of the fabric collection, but sets the lighter, more delicate fabrics off so well.

Ok friends, here's a question for you:  What do you do with all your little trimmings, bent pins, and snipped threads while you sew?  Do you toss them over your shoulder like Eleanor Burns?  Do you tape a brown lunch sack to your sewing table and use it as a receptacle?  Share with us!  What do you DO with those wasted bits?

Here's my solution.  I received a souvenir cup from a quilting camp I attended in the Sierras, and it seems just the right vessel for my sewing detritus.  I keep it on my sewing table and when it gets full, it gets dumped in the waste basket.

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Have a simply MAHVELOUS weekend Dahlings.

32 responses to “My Stars (and Pinwheels)”

  1. What a pretty quilt, it’s going to be great with the Dandelion Girl fabric. Is your dark chain also from the Dandelion Girl fabric line? I can’t remember if there is a dark enough fabric in that line. I have a small trash can by my sewing table and that is where the threads and such go. Sometimes they end up on the floor by the trash can.

  2. What a pretty quilt, it’s going to be great with the Dandelion Girl fabric. Is your dark chain also from the Dandelion Girl fabric line? I can’t remember if there is a dark enough fabric in that line. I have a small trash can by my sewing table and that is where the threads and such go. Sometimes they end up on the floor by the trash can.

  3. I love this quilt! I have a layer cake and some yardage of that line. I just might have to think about doing something like this with it.
    The cup is a wonderful idea! Right now I just put mine in the waste bakset that sits under my sewing table. I have been wanting to make one of those cute little pincushion/waste bags.

  4. I love this quilt! I have a layer cake and some yardage of that line. I just might have to think about doing something like this with it.
    The cup is a wonderful idea! Right now I just put mine in the waste bakset that sits under my sewing table. I have been wanting to make one of those cute little pincushion/waste bags.

  5. I have a pretty silly habit with what I do with my little bits of waste. I usually always sit down to sew with a cup of coffee. The coffee never lasts very long and before you know it, I’m cramming the bits into the empty cup. 🙂 But recently, I have been trying some of these intricate “Piece O’ Cake” designs, and I am finding the value of even the tiniest scrap of “waste!” So now I keep a little baggie nearby and I stuff potentially useful pieces in there. The quilt I’m working on right now? Sheesh! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found the perfect little scrap in that baggie!

  6. I have a pretty silly habit with what I do with my little bits of waste. I usually always sit down to sew with a cup of coffee. The coffee never lasts very long and before you know it, I’m cramming the bits into the empty cup. 🙂 But recently, I have been trying some of these intricate “Piece O’ Cake” designs, and I am finding the value of even the tiniest scrap of “waste!” So now I keep a little baggie nearby and I stuff potentially useful pieces in there. The quilt I’m working on right now? Sheesh! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found the perfect little scrap in that baggie!

  7. Love the new pinwheels and quilt layout. Fig Tree is so enticing. I have some Dandelion Girl waiting here for me 🙂
    My threads go into a small rectangle basket…I think it was for saltine crackers or something. It’s small and handy by my machine.

  8. Love the new pinwheels and quilt layout. Fig Tree is so enticing. I have some Dandelion Girl waiting here for me 🙂
    My threads go into a small rectangle basket…I think it was for saltine crackers or something. It’s small and handy by my machine.

  9. Great quilt…pretty pinwheels…I’m going to love this quilt. I have a little trash can right under my sewing table, but I think your little mug idea is great.

  10. Great quilt…pretty pinwheels…I’m going to love this quilt. I have a little trash can right under my sewing table, but I think your little mug idea is great.

  11. I have received a number of Lang votive candle holders over the years. They come in beautifully decorated round cardboard boxes. I use a couple of these boxes as my “waste” boxes. I have one on the cutting table and one next to my sewing machine. They hold all of the trimmings, snippets, bent needles, etc. and they look great, too!

  12. I have received a number of Lang votive candle holders over the years. They come in beautifully decorated round cardboard boxes. I use a couple of these boxes as my “waste” boxes. I have one on the cutting table and one next to my sewing machine. They hold all of the trimmings, snippets, bent needles, etc. and they look great, too!

  13. Awesome quilt! I love Dandelion Girl, I still have my FQ bundle on a shelf. I love Joanna’s stuff and I have to wait for just the right project! As far as my snippets, threads, trimmings and selvedge. . .I collect it all in a tub then transfer it to a garbage bag until I have enough saved to stuff a handmade 45″ muslin pillowcase. THEN, I cut up my families jeans too worn for words to form that same 45″ square add a zipper, insert the pillow form and voila. . . a new doggy bed for Patch my sweet labrador!

  14. Awesome quilt! I love Dandelion Girl, I still have my FQ bundle on a shelf. I love Joanna’s stuff and I have to wait for just the right project! As far as my snippets, threads, trimmings and selvedge. . .I collect it all in a tub then transfer it to a garbage bag until I have enough saved to stuff a handmade 45″ muslin pillowcase. THEN, I cut up my families jeans too worn for words to form that same 45″ square add a zipper, insert the pillow form and voila. . . a new doggy bed for Patch my sweet labrador!

  15. Fantastic new quilt your working on! Brown is in!! Woo Hoo!!
    I’ve got a rather large basket that is likely 18″ in diameter so I kind of throw all in the general direction on the side of both my machine and cutting table. I usually get it in. LOL

  16. Fantastic new quilt your working on! Brown is in!! Woo Hoo!!
    I’ve got a rather large basket that is likely 18″ in diameter so I kind of throw all in the general direction on the side of both my machine and cutting table. I usually get it in. LOL

  17. I’m really liking your pinwheels. Your fabrics contrast nicely! I have trash cans under my sewing table and sewing machine. Everything goes straight into the cans. I’d love to have one of the fabric things near my machine, but haven’t made one. Have a wonderful weekend! Glad that you are finding new homes for your scraps:)

  18. I’m really liking your pinwheels. Your fabrics contrast nicely! I have trash cans under my sewing table and sewing machine. Everything goes straight into the cans. I’d love to have one of the fabric things near my machine, but haven’t made one. Have a wonderful weekend! Glad that you are finding new homes for your scraps:)

  19. Threads I throw on the floor. Scraps go in a pile on the corner of my sewing table. I keep anything bigger than a square inch. I like to do intricate small piecing, and these scraps come in handy and find good homes. Besides, I hate wasting fabric, no matter how small it is. At the end of a project (or two!), I divide my scraps into drawers separated by color. And because I am real anal, I iron all my scraps before they go in the scrap drawers, so they’re ready to use when I need them. Bent pins and paper torn off from paper-piecing gets thrown in the trash. I have two cats who think anything within their reach is intended for them, so anything I don’t want them chewing on gets sent straight to the trash bin.
    Love the pale colors in this fabric Nicole.

  20. Threads I throw on the floor. Scraps go in a pile on the corner of my sewing table. I keep anything bigger than a square inch. I like to do intricate small piecing, and these scraps come in handy and find good homes. Besides, I hate wasting fabric, no matter how small it is. At the end of a project (or two!), I divide my scraps into drawers separated by color. And because I am real anal, I iron all my scraps before they go in the scrap drawers, so they’re ready to use when I need them. Bent pins and paper torn off from paper-piecing gets thrown in the trash. I have two cats who think anything within their reach is intended for them, so anything I don’t want them chewing on gets sent straight to the trash bin.
    Love the pale colors in this fabric Nicole.

  21. cube-shaped kleenex boxes … they have an x-cut bit of plastic across the oval opening to make the tissues pull out one at a time … well, when they are empty, i use them as litter boxes … the plastic (usually) keeps the stuff that goes in from coming out if/when the box gets knocked off the table (or rolls around on the floor of the car) … and when it’s full, i toss it (because i know there’s gonna be another empty one really, really soon) … that’s what i use to catch the threads and bent pins and tiny snippets … for bigger snippets (smaller than an inch) i use an empty plastic zippered pouch (that sheets came in) – i tuck the unzipped top flap under the pressing board and the bottom part catches the bits of fabric that i won’t let myself throw away

  22. cube-shaped kleenex boxes … they have an x-cut bit of plastic across the oval opening to make the tissues pull out one at a time … well, when they are empty, i use them as litter boxes … the plastic (usually) keeps the stuff that goes in from coming out if/when the box gets knocked off the table (or rolls around on the floor of the car) … and when it’s full, i toss it (because i know there’s gonna be another empty one really, really soon) … that’s what i use to catch the threads and bent pins and tiny snippets … for bigger snippets (smaller than an inch) i use an empty plastic zippered pouch (that sheets came in) – i tuck the unzipped top flap under the pressing board and the bottom part catches the bits of fabric that i won’t let myself throw away

  23. I love those fabrics, Nicole – but then I love most everything from Fig Tree! I save all my dogears in an antique blue-glass jar with a metal lid – have no idea what i will ever do with them! The rest usually go into my trash next to my sewing machine except for pins and needles which usually get tossed into my daily, empty Starbucks cup!
    Cheers!

  24. I love those fabrics, Nicole – but then I love most everything from Fig Tree! I save all my dogears in an antique blue-glass jar with a metal lid – have no idea what i will ever do with them! The rest usually go into my trash next to my sewing machine except for pins and needles which usually get tossed into my daily, empty Starbucks cup!
    Cheers!

  25. I really like the soft colors of your quilt contrasting with the brown. I use a plastic bag inside my wastebasket under my sewing table. When it’s full of batting, thread, etc, I can either dump it into a larger garbage bag, or lift out the liner and replace it. I keep my magnetic pin cushion on the table so that pins aren’t straying everywhere. It’s hard to quilt if it’s too messy. Betty

  26. I really like the soft colors of your quilt contrasting with the brown. I use a plastic bag inside my wastebasket under my sewing table. When it’s full of batting, thread, etc, I can either dump it into a larger garbage bag, or lift out the liner and replace it. I keep my magnetic pin cushion on the table so that pins aren’t straying everywhere. It’s hard to quilt if it’s too messy. Betty

  27. since you posted this on my birthday!!!, i am going to respond, a day late.
    i have a little “doodah” bag, as i call it. it is essentially a purse without handles and it holds all leftover scraps and thread. i look through it at the end of a sewing project to see if anything can be salvaged and donated to charity.

  28. since you posted this on my birthday!!!, i am going to respond, a day late.
    i have a little “doodah” bag, as i call it. it is essentially a purse without handles and it holds all leftover scraps and thread. i look through it at the end of a sewing project to see if anything can be salvaged and donated to charity.

  29. Oh, I was soooo hoping for greens. Glad to hear there will be some, my favorite color, followed closely by purple! Your pinwheels look so pretty and soft. It will be a pleasing combo for certain. As for my sewing detritus, I have a small plastic trashcan on the floor to my left and I throw my snipped off threads into it as I sew. My ironing board perches pretty much over it as well so scraps get tossed into as well. Cutting I have to do at my dining room table so many trips get made to the kitchen trashcan if I am cutting a lot.

  30. Oh, I was soooo hoping for greens. Glad to hear there will be some, my favorite color, followed closely by purple! Your pinwheels look so pretty and soft. It will be a pleasing combo for certain. As for my sewing detritus, I have a small plastic trashcan on the floor to my left and I throw my snipped off threads into it as I sew. My ironing board perches pretty much over it as well so scraps get tossed into as well. Cutting I have to do at my dining room table so many trips get made to the kitchen trashcan if I am cutting a lot.

  31. I use a “Zig Zag Pot” from the container store. They come in different sizes and look like the paper cups you’d use to make a cupcake but bigger and made of plastic. I have one for items that will be trashed later such as pins, needles, thread and I have one for fabric scraps to be saved and sorted later… it has worked out great and they are so cute!

  32. I use a “Zig Zag Pot” from the container store. They come in different sizes and look like the paper cups you’d use to make a cupcake but bigger and made of plastic. I have one for items that will be trashed later such as pins, needles, thread and I have one for fabric scraps to be saved and sorted later… it has worked out great and they are so cute!