My best stash buster yet!

[Lois B.]

Okay I am not niave enough to belive that I am the originator of this idea but it is a light bulb momment for me. This might let you know just how dim it is inside my head. LOL. The most successful way to reduce my stash fast has been to get the UFO's off the shelf and into a quilt sandwich. It uses up yards of stuff I bought years ago thinking they would be a wonderful quilt top. I am happy to be using the fabric I once loved. I am happy to be making space for fabric that better reflects not only my current tastes but also a little better understanding of how to use color and surface design. Just finished the boarder of a UFO today and found fabric for the back. I nearly have a project ready for more FMQ practice.



Next a picture of the UFO.



I also used this opportunity to practice mitered borders which used more fabric as well. Now I have to get this thing sandwiched and then I can quilt. I am so happy not to have to buy fabric to get this piece moving toward the finish line.

[Jules M.]

Yes, I like to use up leftovers for pieced backs too. I don't like to make pieced backs but will when I need to!

I like your combo borders! Nice!

[Jill B.]

That looks great and it sure does help to use up that fabric, I find the same thing when you had bought fabric before you learnt so much more about patchworking/quilting as I have the same fabrics, I had about 5 metres of the bright yellow with large purple and orange and green and red flowers scattered over it and back then I was thrilled with myself for thinking of all the possibilities I could make with it.............and of course these days I looked at it and thought what was I thinking (the light in my head was reallyyyyy dim I tell you)............I have since used this fabric for the back of a scrappy quilt and now EVERYONE looks at the back and comments on how lovely the BACK IS.........aaahhhhhh.................lol lol lol

[Lois B.]

Jill, I agree with you. I think these fabrics will make a most interesting back. I am just not interested in putting the quantities I have of this fabric into a quilt top. Lois

[Rita C.]

This is a great idea Lois. Love what you have done with the diagonal border on that lovely quilt. I guess Lancaster was inspiring?

[Nancy R.]

Lois - Your UFO quilt is just beautiful! I have a LOT of stash fabric that could be used this way. I'm starting to do more of piecing my backings to make them more interesting and to use up odds and ends of the fabrics used for the fronts. Of course, I work in such a scattered way that it seems like I haven't gotten to the point of making a backing for quite a while now! Guess I need to get after those UFOs.....

[Nancy R.]

Lois, I love to piece big, chunky-block backs! Wish I could remember that I love it though. I will be halfway through basting and think, gosh I wish I would have pieced this back! Another stash buster I use is rag quilts--especially if I have flannel. My youngest DD and I made an entire rag quilt together during a snow day one year. Nice to make when I've finished some tricky pieced quilt because it's just cut, quilt an"X", piece together into top and clip. No brain strain.
Jane