Stamps and Strings and Other Things

I've written about this before...the idea of a break for my brain -- a 'palate cleanser', if you will -- after a spate of solid creating.  For me, this comes in the form of cutting and piecing strips, which I find very soothing -- and for which I'm very grateful that my hands are still supple enough to permit doing.

Since January, I've created a multitude of new 'pieces' including assignments for three online classes in modern/abstract/improvisational quilting, a piece for the latest 15 x 15 Group "reveal", and fifteen sixteen new miniatures for the up-coming Art Show and Sale.

Yes, sixteen.

After I finished the three 'Mug Shots', I found I had at least one more landscape tugging on my brain -- a combination of fabric, thread painting and needle-felting:

'Homeward' (2017)

I got to use the pencil roving I recently purchased at The Shop -- NORO's "Rainbow Roll" -- or at least, some of each of two of the three colour-ways I now have in my possession.  I really like the way the colours of the roving complement the horizon and the fields, along with some "mini-boucle" yarn I found when cleaning out the sewdio, and the wonderful eco-dyed silk in the foreground, purchased some time back from my dear friend and colleague, arlee barr.

So, there you have it; sixteen minis for the Show & Sale.  The new minis are finished -- for the time being.  All my pieces are priced and packaged.  All that remains to be done is to cut 10 new dowels (mostly for my 15 x 15 pieces that were either on tour in France and Taiwan for a couple of years, or for the ones that were new in 2016) and prepare price cards...

And write my talk for the Battle River Quilters' Guild in Camrose, for its meeting on April 19.

And box up supplies for my mono-printing demo at the Show on the afternoon of April 21.

Just a few things.

So...I decided yesterday to take a break, and do some piecing.

Those of you who know me from Facebook may have read that I've been Spring cleaning the sewdio.  I do this every year once my fabric storage rack is dismantled, ready to use to display my work at the Show.  This year was no exception.  The baskets that hold my fabric now look wonderful, and are ready to be re-installed on the rack once the Show is over.

However, I can't say as much for my scraps.

Just a drop in the bucket...

The above ignores completely doesn't include the other large basket-full, the packets of those cut into reliable sizes (a la Bonnie Hunter and her 'Scrap Saver System'), and the bag of 'bonus triangles' (another of Bonnie's ideas) and the basket of 'crumbs' (ditto)...

What the above represents, however, is not the pile with which I began, and from which,  yesterday afternoon and evening, I added to two pet projects:

My string blocks -- which now number 25 out of a goal of at least 48:

Stack o' String Blocks - April 9, 2017
8" square, unfinished

My 2" x 7" strips for a postage-stamp quilt:

Stack o' Stamp Strips

And my postage-stamp blocks -- of which 28 out of a hoped-for 81 are finished:

Stack o' Stamp Blocks
6 1/2" square, unfinished

Good thing these are rather addictive...because I've a long way to go!

And now for a break of a different kind.  The sun has come out for the first time in almost a week, and my lawn is calling to me for some Spring cleaning of its own.  And maybe a short jog after that.

So, Gentle Readers...I'll leave you with Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday (always a good read!) and see you later.  Have a great rest of the week!