Raw Edge Collage: Orange and Blue

This is how it all started.
Over the weekend I sorted and organized a lot of fabric with the idea of picking pieces for promised charity quilts.   I've been evaluating my stock carefully.  I gave a huge stack of drapery weight fabric to another sewing group at church and sewed a big pile into heart pillows.  Mindless sewing but so satisfying to see those fabrics sewn into service for recovering patients. 

I still had those 4 big boxes of upholstery samples staring at me & taking up precious space.  Sunday I culled through them again removing the samples with a rubbery backing or just too stiff for a quilt; their original intent was for outdoor furniture.  That left 2 boxes that might be suitable.  The top of one box had the colors I like so I moved it closer to my worktable.  I even returned fabrics to the storage room from the worktable.  That means progress!

My hands have been very sore lately.  I may have overdone the rotary cutting a few weeks ago.  I decided to sew on my domestic machine which amounted to meditatively pushing fabric under the pressure foot; not much hand work.  I managed to finish my 20 log cabin blocks for a charity quilt.

Then I had the brilliant idea that I could sew quilts with very large patches.  It would save my hands from a lot of cutting and use fabrics quicker.  I could get improvisational with the machine quilting and just have some fun.  Sunday evening I built a new Pinterest board with some ideas to remind me.

Monday morning  I was eyeing the box of samples again.  I decided to piece a very wide stripe I could position as part of a composition for this new "big pieces" quilt idea.  I used colors I like.  Even with a heavy press, the seams were awkward and bulky.  A few good sized patches into the project I knew I wasn't going to continue down this path.  I have enough cotton fabric I don't feel I have to make these polyester samples work for my projects.

BUT, I had a nice composition sewn.  I measured it for a spot on one of my walls.  It would work.
I have enough pieced work for that spot to last a long time.  I recently changed one of my wall hangings and reminded myself then to change them more regularly.   I don't need to make another one.

I put the piece on the longarm and decided to add raw edges and new patches to break up the spaces more.  If I wasn't convinced beforehand the seams were too bulky, then I really was sure when I broke 2 needles.  It always scares me a little to break longarm needles.  I feel like that leads to timing issues.

I sewed the rest of the day on the composition.  It's ready for trimming and binding.
I remembered 2 fundraising opportunities in September so I'll likely donate it.  I like it!

Below is the top section

Below is the bottom section

The piece measures roughly 30 x 39 inches.

I really love the worn out/faded/wrinkled fabrics more than the samples. 

I've finally acknowledged the solution for these samples.  I'll pull the colors I absolutely like, the rest will be donated.  I'll use those colors for raw edge work.  The romance of free fabric that I "might" be able to use is over with these pieces.  I really need to be more selective about what I accept as free fabric.  It has a tendency to clog my creative space and mind.  It's OK to pass it along to another creative person or group.

Here are the questions?
Continue sewing some raw edge work with the small amount of remaining pieces?  (No deadline!)
Machine quilt the 20 Angel Tree quilts waiting for me?  (December deadline!)
Machine quilt the sewing group projects waiting too?  (October deadline!)

Yea, that pendulum just keeps swinging back and forth, doesn't it?  😀😀

Please join the conversation!  💬💬

Thanks for sticking with me here! 

Have a Creative Day, Y'All!