Challenge to Destash.......

Just kidding!

We all know there is no possible way to de-stash since the stash multiplies while we sleep no matter how much cutting you do during the day.  

But.....Sharon, my friend, texted a challenge for us to cut up all the scraps we had sitting on our sewing tables into 2 1/2" squares  with the intent of making scrappy 4-patches.  Well, that didn't sound so bad.  I didn't really have that many scraps on my table but it kept me from putting those scraps that were just a little too big to throw out back into my stash, yet really too small to be keeping.  

We decided we were going to make some twin-sized charity quilts to be given to foster kids who have  aged out of the system and leave with very little in the way of belongings.  

Of course to get the amount of 2 1/2" squares that I was going to need, I ended up going through the main stash along with what was on my sewing table and started cutting up anything that I knew I would never use again, ugly fabrics (although nothing is ugly since I bought it and when it is cut up small you can't call it ugly),  fabric pieces that were so small I wonder why I was even keeping it, charm packs that I know I am not going to use (5" squares cut up perfectly to four 2 12" squares), left over bindings, and so on and so on.  I probably have enough of these squares to make a couple more quilts.  

I pieced my 4-patches and then pressed them with the seams going in a spiral to get them as flat as I could.  

Then I bought a solid Kona fabric to alternate my 4-patches to make  the quilt cohesive.

I started sewing sets of  alternating blocks and laying them out. 

It grew ......

....and grew.

This quilt is 17 x 23 blocks (4" finished blocks)

To keep my rows in order, I used the Marilee's Numbered Q-pins

Since the pins only go up to 20, I used two pins 20+1; 20+2 and 20+3 to mark the last three rows.  

Then the blocks were sewn into rows.

Rows are done and presseed.

Heading for a finished top now by getting all those rows sewn together.  

Here is the finished top folded in half (it takes up so much room!)

Backing is pieced.

Binding is made; and now the quilt is on the to-be-quilted pile.  

So, today was the day to get this on my Millie.  I used the Jessie's Swirls Simplified pantograph.  Threads were Glide in Navy for the top and Filtec bobbins in navy. 

The binding is the same solid blue used in the alternating block, so I am going to post this blog so it doesn't sit in limbo for who knows how long before I get this binding stitched down  Soon I hope, but you don't need to wait for that picture.