Sandy Quilt # 2

Greetings fellow quilters!  Once again it is time to share our WIP.  Last week I set myself the goal of finishing Sandy Quilt # 2 (you may follow my progress here, here and here).  While my intentions were genuine my schedule didn’t agree.  I was, however, able to get it loaded on my long arm quilt machine.  Finishing it before next Wednesday should not be an issue.

My Scrap Bins Overfloweth

Those of you that link up on Wednesday with Freshly Pieced may remember Lee’s post from last week, My Scrap Bins Overfloweth.  She shared her joy at successfully organizing her scraps.  Included in her post was a photo of ten bins each containing color coordinated scraps.  At first I was pretty impressed.  As I read further I realized her ten neatly arranged containers only represented a small portion of her stash.  Further down in her post she confessed the reason why her stash of scraps looked so organized.  Pictured there were nine gallon sized plastic bags stuffed with her overfloweth scraps.  Rather than attempt to utilize those fabrics in projects of her own she offered them up for sale.

Should I or Shouldn’t I

The ability to purchase one of those bags intrigued me.  I thought of it as my own mystery challenge.  There was no way of knowing what colors or size the pieces would be.  Lee assured her readers there were 1.5 pounds of fabric in each one gallon plastic bag.  It didn’t take me long to decide to jump on the band-wagon.

Let’s Make a Deal

To purchase a bag all Lee’s readers had to do was send her an email.  From there she would provide instructions for payment.  I instantly opened up a second web-browser page and signed into my email.  Quickly I typed my message to Lee.  In no time we had the transaction finalized and my shipment was on its way.

Fast Forward

On Monday, January 7th I went out to my mailbox.  I opened the door and leaned over.  Stuffed inside was a package obviously a bit to large for the mailbox.  I reached inside to withdraw the envelope.  At first I was somewhat puzzled.  I have been waiting for shipments of Sandy Quilt blocks for quite some time.  Two of the pending packages would be for two squares each and the remaining shipment would be of ten squares.

Obviously this envelope was much, much too large for the two quilt square shipments.  Then I thought perhaps it was the ten quilt square package.  Although that didn’t seem quite right either.  The individual assembling those ten squares has yet to respond to my messages.  At this point I don’t know whether they intend to follow through with their commitment.  So, just who was this mystery envelope from???

Oh, Cool!!

I carried my mail to my car.  I had stopped on my way out of the driveway to retrieve the mail before leaving for a dentist appointment.  My curiosity got the best of me though because the contents of this mystery package just had to be solved.  I turned the envelope over in my hands and looked for the return address.  The name and address didn’t seem familiar and definitely was not that of the person that owes me ten Sandy Quilt Blocks.  Without much further delay I attempted to open the envelope.

The red, white and blue envelope was bulging at its seams.  Thankfully the shipper had surrounded the edges with plastic tape.  The tape helped to keep the envelope from exploding.  I successfully found one section void of tape.  I used that as my entry point.  Because I didn’t know exactly what was inside I was careful not to cause damage to the contents.

Overfloweth Scraps

After creating an opening I peered inside.  A great big smile washed over my face.  One look told me exactly what was in there.  This was the one gallon bag stuffed with one ninth of Lee’s overfloweth scraps.  I’ve been so incredibly busy of late that I had almost forgotten about the fabrics.  I was disappointed because I couldn’t take the package in the house to empty the contents.  They just would have to wait until I returned from the dentist.

Oh My Goodness

As soon as I returned home I retrieved the obviously over-stuffed envelope from my car and carried it inside.  It took a bit of convincing to slide the plastic bag from the interior of the envelope.  Lee was right when she said they were stuffed.  Quickly I unzipped the plastic bag and dumped out the contents.

Yippee!

I was very pleasantly surprised at the quantity and variety of fabrics included.  I giggled at the colors and prints before me.  They were fabrics that typically have not been included in my stash.  Lately I’ve been marveling at the brightly colored prints and solids being used by my fellow quilters.  I’ve longed for a new infusion of modern specimens to include in my inventory.  This was just what I needed.  Although it certainly opened the door to modern options the quantity definitely would only make a dent in my stash.

My Mind was Spinning

Carefully I separated the individual pieces of fabric into piles of like colors.  Next I turned on my iron and prepared to neatly press them.  One by one I made my way through the pile.  When I was finished this is what I had.

Now doesn’t that look awesome.  There is a wealth of potential in this accumulation of Lee’s overfloweth scraps.  Deciding exactly what to create is my next step.  I’m thinking I would like to use all of them in one project.  Perhaps it might even turn out to be an item I offer up as a give away.  Who knows?  For now I’m thrilled just to have them here.

That’s it For Now

I think I’ve bent your ear long enough.  There are loads of WIP participants over at Freshly Pieced to peek in on so hurry on over.  Until next week concentrate on finishing your WIP’s (works in progress).

Regards,

Cindy