Considering stash possibilities

Although I'm not done quilting the b/w-reverse-to-red quilt, I pulled out my batik stash and from it the most resent purchases plus some older ones because the purchase of the reds and deep blues has been calling to me. These will become a fairly quick and easy quilt for my bed because I'm currently in love with those colors. But first I've got to finish the quilting on the other. I simply can't learn the basic truth I keep writing here -- everything takes longer than you think it's going to. No, the quilting's not done "by the end of this week" as I predicted but I WILL finish it next week. And I will then use this stash fabric.

I want to add to the previous post, which I should have done without the comment from Karen who is my selvage usage inspiration, that among the projects i want to undertake is another selvage one. Karen [who wrote a book on selvage quilts] had a wonderful quilt in the Empire Guild show in March made of selvages and segments of a good solid red with real oomph which made me think that I want to do something similar. Wonderful people have sent me selvages and I have more of my own -- a sizable box full -- so that's another addition to the list. Mine may not be red. But it's not in the near future so I can ponder my stash.

In the immediate future, back to quilting the quilt -- which, by the way is my least favorite part. As I pondered some time ago, making the tops is the fun part for me so maybe I should just do that. The catch is, they are then not yet usable or giftable so they NEED to be finished. Ah, life is never perfect.

Planning Stash Use

The black/white-reverse-to-red quilt in the previous post is coming along nicely, all together and bordered. Now to quilt it. It's not too big, about 45x45 so should be done this week. Hurray -- no more drunkards path blocks in my future. Live and learn.

I read so many blogs I can't remember who it is who belongs to a stash busting group and posts about her use/reduction of her stash. When I find her again I may join the group. Nothing like moving to see the extent of a stash. I want to make a quilt soon of some wonderful batiks I bought at a New Jersey show, something simple that will let the batiks shine without being cut up much. And then ... well, lots of ideas.

I want to do some more paper pieced star quilts designed by Carol Doak and I want to use many of the beautiful fabrics I have with metallic touches -- so I'll make some stars with shine to them. But that's fussy work and I'm feeling like making bed sized quilts to use up some stash. I have a piece of fabric that I purchased quite awhile ago to use in a stack and whack which I'm kind of eager to do another -- I get a totally childish delight in watching the kalaidoscope pattern surprise me. And I just read that the Empire Guild has taken on a project of making 52 single bed size quilts for a shelter for homeless vets. That seems like something I'd like to contribute to, since that's the size bed quilt I find do-able. Maybe make a couple during the summer -- they can certainly be made of stash fabric. And then there's a collection of quilt patterns I've saved for "whenever" -- patterns that intrigue me. And I've never done a pineapple log cabin and have been feeling I want to do that.

This is all a kind of day dreaming -- a delicious period of letting my mind play over the fun I can have with fabrics accumulated there on the shelves of my sewing room. Likely all of these day dreams will come true -- isn't that a nice thing to think about?