Sunday, August 6, 2017

As I said, no scrap too small... Zen sewing

the strips in between are black not dark blue
I enjoy receiving scraps from friends. When I washed them in a mesh bag, and pressed the skinny strips full of pretty colors, I didn't want to throw them away as too small. I got out my black strips

What's too small?

Even the ones that are a half inch wide, can be tiny inserts of floating color.
I just started sewing unmeasured black strips to the colored ones. I loved how it looked.
Then I ran out of colored strips... oh wait there are a couple small pieces...
It's all about the color this time anyway, if I added in black at the top and bottom, the flash of color would be interesting in another strip
there! Just trim a sort of straight edge to then insert into the strip set
Yes!
Zen sewing. Meditation sewing. Thinking of nothing more than how one color looks next to another.

In the moment.

Seeing what develops.

No expectations.

Finding joy in the process.
What will it be?  A purse? A door to a large house? A sunset forest? 

I don't know or mind... for now it did it's job, keeping my mind free, giving me respite from anxiety, allowing me to make something from could be trash.

Seeing lines and color relationships develop.

Thinking what it could be, which is mental exercise.

Brainstorming.

The imagination is engaged.

The sky is the limit!




linking to:
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
Main Crush Monday
the mop link party mondays
sew can do mondays

32 comments:

Libby in TN said...

I agree, that fabric was too pretty not to use. Looking forward to seeing what you do with this piece.

gayle said...

It's always good to engage that imagination! I love those stripy flashes of color - so much potential!

Quiltdivajulie said...

Love this!

Julierose said...

Really great use of those teeney pieces too nice to throw away...love the colors with that black...sewing does lessen anxiety for me, too...hugs, Julierose

Mari said...

I'm with you--those tiny strings add so much!

PaintedThread said...

You are more daring/thrifty than I am. I need at least 3/4" strip to work with. Looks great!

Vivian said...

Beautiful "made fabric" you have here! I too love keeping the slivers for inserts. Oooh, so many fun possibilities for using this!

claudia said...

Pretty fabric that you made! I love those colors and black just makes everything pop so nicely!

The Joyful Quilter said...

I tend to draw the line at 1", but it seems those extra-skinny strips can be useful, too!

Tails Around the Ranch said...

Love that Ooh la la fabric!

sonja said...

That is stay-cation sewing to me! i love how each stip of color plays with it new neighbor and begins anew life of possibilities!!

Kathy Pitts said...

Love how you keep using all of those scraps. I can't wait to see the final result. Very inspirational.

Ann said...

I love that you're using even the smallest scraps. And yours are extremely lovely! We don't want to lose anything that beautiful.

Miaismine said...

Very cool! My good friend is an artist and she loves my scraps as well. She says the same thing as you - "No scrap is too small!" Now I see her vision! Thank you for sharing! So pretty!

Joanne said...

Hi LeeAnna,
Mindfulness! In the moment! Very hip at the moment!
great results as well!

AlidaP said...

Very inspiring post! Yes, sometimes we need to remind ourselves to just be in the moment and sew things without too many expectations or boundaries, as we may end up making fantastic things like yours!! Thanks for sharing!!

AnnieO said...

Very tiny bright strips! Have you visited the blog A Quilter's Table? She is having a sew along with strips like yours.

LA Paylor said...

Nooooo I didn't know about her... gotta go see!
LeeAnna

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I am totally with you on Zen sewing - I need it, too. I love the way wrote about it! And what came together is gorgeous!

Goofin' Off Around the Block said...

Sewing is almost always zen-like for me. These colors are absolutely stunning! Glad I got to get a peek at it. Andrea

Angela said...

Love your fabric creation and your honesty!

Glenda said...

Again you just made me relax and enjoy your colours, such a lovely blog and yes we tend to forget to enjoy our sewing some times, colour effects me the same way it does you, every wee scrap has a place if we only take the time to use them like this. Hugs Glenda

piecefulwendy said...

I thought you were posting about A Quilter's Table improv stripes QAL. What you're doing is exactly what we've been doing! I just finished up two projects and will be posting them Friday. I completely agree that doing this is so relaxing, no rules, no rulers, just me, my rotary cutter and my sewing machine. And fabric, of course!

Paulette said...

Are you doing the Improv Stripes QAL? I'm seeing a lot of these strippy, stripey projects for the QAL and they look so fun. Love your black and bright little strippy set! I'm doing some string piecing myself (but haven't blogged about it yet). Very meditative indeed. Enjoy!

LA Paylor said...

how nice that someone's doing a QAL
I've been doing this method for many years, and didn't know about the group doing it.

Norma Schlager said...

I guess I should be saving all my little strips since I like to piece skinny wiggly sets. Your colors are wonderful and I'm sure you'll do something terrific with them.

quiltedfabricart said...

Wow! And you wash all those tiny scraps? Impressive.

Susan said...

Wonderful what you're doing with the scraps, even the tiny ones! Not sure if I would use the 1/2 inchers - there's more fabric out there to be used! Thanks for sharing!

Ruth said...

We did a skinny strips workshop with our branch and having sewn strips less than a 1/4" wide I never thought possible no strip is too small now!

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Beautiful LeeAnna and a perfect way to use up scraps! Thanks for sharing.

grammajudyb said...

My friends all think I am crazy to save tiny scraps....but look at what you did! Gorgeous! Keep On Sewing!

Anonymous said...

Sewing is almost always zen-like for me. These colors are absolutely stunning! Glad I got to get a peek at it. Andrea


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