Flannel Strings--post 1 of 2

Some of the girl print selection

Last Thursday, I attended a virtual lecture "Sustainable Stashing: Living an Eco Friendly Life" by Carol Lyles Shaw. Little did I know that I've been working toward sustainable stashing! In general terms, sustainable stashing is about using what you have and buying with intention.

For at least the last five years, I've worked toward reducing my stash. In the beginning, I noted that as I created space, I more than filled it with new purchases. I began tracking how much fabric I used from my stash. 

My goal each year is to use a hundred yards. If I purchased fabric, I would track that as part of my total yardage used. The first year, I noted I purchased more than I used. Since then, I haven't always achieved a hundred yards, but, I am using more fabric than I am purchasing.

Some of the boy print selection

For the last three years, I've been purposely making projects from my scraps. This year, I've challenged myself to make my four book club projects from my scraps. 

For the last two years, I've been buying fabric with intention. Buying with intention means I need it for an immediate project rather than for a project unknown in the future. I have drooled over fabrics in the store; but, for the first time, I didn't bring them home with me just because they were "pretty!"

This year, I'm also planning to finish more small projects using scraps that I've crammed into bags. I have strings, strips, triangles, squares and rectangles squirreled away in containers that bulge. 

Beginning to piece the string strips

In terms of getting a handle on my stash, I'm still a long way away; but I will continue to work towards using what I have. I picked up on a few organizing and destashing tips in Carol's lecture as well.

The flannel scraps were unruly. It was time to do something with them! Goal number four on my February list was to string piece some of Martha's scraps.  

Auditioning strips with non pieced strips

Last month, I bought five pieces of flannel fabric to augment my remaining flannel bits from Martha. It was hard to purchase the flannel because I don't like sewing with it. Martha's flannel scraps were much brighter than the vintage chunks that I already had. So what I had on hand didn't work. . .at least, I didn't think that they worked. 

While I don't like sewing with flannel because it tends to stretch and it shrinks more than I like. I will admit that I do like how the flannel quilts feel. I chose two pieces that read "girl" and three pieces that read "boy" to me. A bonus was that all the fabrics were on sale. 

I bought the fabrics because I needed larger pieces of fabric to coordinate with my scrap bits. Likely, the new fabric will become a back and binding. Maybe it will also appear with the strings in the top. 

Pieced strings auditioned with two new flannel fabrics

I sorted my strings and small bits into girl and boy type colors based on the new purchased fabric. I wanted to make two quilts to have on hand when I learn someone is having a baby. Then, I started stringing the girl fabrics! 

When I began, I didn't have a piecing plan. I left the larger scrap chunks in the acrylic container and pulled all the smaller pieces. There were strings, strips, rectangles and a few squares.

Next, I sorted the pieces into girl and boy. Some of the pieces worked in both! As I sorted, I reminded myself that last fall, I planned to challenge myself to empty this bin of scraps. The easiest way of dealing with the small scrap pieces was to toss them. 

I, however, didn't want those bits ending up in a landfill. I could have brought the bits to the guild free table. This wasn't a good solution. I have attended so few 

Auditioning an alternative binding

guid meetings in person now that I can watch the meeting on Zoom. 

The best option was to string piece the bits into two and a half inch strips. Two and a half inch strips could become sashing. I like making fabric. 

I foundation pieced the small bits to newsprint. The newsprint is also recycled because it was originally grocery ads! I do have some smaller bits and I likely will piece the crumbs together. There is something so satisfying about using it all!  

After I had pieced three strips, I put them on the design wall. I liked what I saw so I pieced three more strips. While I liked the 

Finished 36 inch by 40 inch top

effect of the strings together, there wasn't enough of them to make a baby quilt. Definitely, I needed more string yardage.

I wondered what the purchased fabrics would look like with the strips. I auditioned them. The verdict was the fabrics were too blah looking. I found some yellow strips in various widths and a  purple chunk that might be close to half a yard. 

Hmmm. . . alternating an unpieced strip with a pieced strip is a good option. It would resemble a Chinese coins quilt. 

I had enough strings to piece three more strips; but, likely not enough to piece six more strips. I did have some crumbs remaining and some squares. . .I crumbed together a two inch strip and didn't like how it played with the other strips. 

I didn't like the unbalanced look. I scrounged a few more candidates for strings from the chunks in the acrylic box. I pieced another strip. 

The leftovers

Not long after I had finished the string piecing, I had pieced the yellow fabric strips to the strings. I had finished a top! It measured 36 inches wide by 40 inches long.

While I did have some leftovers, I didn't 

have that many. These leftovers went back to the acrylic box. The panda and grey dot print yardages will become backing, a border, and a binding for another project. The gray dot would be a good neutral. The panda print makes me smile. 

Pieced back

I considered that maybe, some of my vintage flannel scraps would make a better back and a binding for this project. I have flannel leftovers from the days when I made pajamas for my daughters which was more than 30 years ago! Hmmmm. . . .I pondered and then I auditioned the vintage flannel. 

I liked the vintage flannel scraps. Blue and yellow is such a good combination! There was a second fabric that was almost large enough for the back. It was another color way of the blue print.

With careful trimming, I was able to cut the blue fabric into a binding and a piece to add to the back. I cut a piece of my patched together batting, layered and pin basted the quilt. 

When I finish a quilt, I take the leftover fabric and trim it to the sizes I use in my precuts. I piece the batting together. The pieced batting works well for small projects. Piecing it together makes it more useable as well as keeping up with the piecing means that the batting doesn't become unruly!

Ready for quilting

This project is ready for the quilting. I plan to quilt the majority of the project with my walking foot using a polyester thread. To not experience becoming overwhelmed, I won't begin the other "boy" flannel quilt until I finish this project. I'm still doing better if I concentrate on one project at a time.

As for the container, I can easily close the lid even though I put more yardage in it! I was also able to put all
the larger chunks of flannel yardage into one container. I am making progress!