I started cutting 2.5" strips from my batiks yesterday. If you have not seen my batik stash, go the the Labels list on the right side of my blog and click on Stash. Keep scrolling down until you have seen all of the shelves of batiks. I started collecting them in 1991 so this is an 18 year collection. I made it through the purples and the turquoise/blue shelf so far. I have one more pile not pictured that is missing a couple of the fabrics. So far I have 48 pieces in each stack shown. Obviously I am only cutting off of the fabrics that I am willing to part with. Some of them still fall into that "too precious to cut" category.
I take each piece to the ironing board and press out the creases and then stack and cut 4 fabrics at a time. Then I had to restack the fabric back on the shelves. I was really wiped out by 10 p.m. I guess I sound like a wimp. I went out and played in the mud too yesterday. I dug up the huge hosta and wiggled it and pulled a big chunk off of it. I am going to wait for the dirt around the roots to dry up a little before I separate it into several plants. My shoes were muddy, my gardening gloves were muddy, and we're supposed to have more rain. They have already said we have about double the normal rain since the first of the year. I wish we could send some of it to the dry areas of the country.
You? A wimp? Good heavens, you must be 20 years older than I am and yet what you do each day puts me to shame! I know what it's like to cut strips and after 16.67 yards I would say you deserve a break!
ReplyDeletepretty colors! love batiks
ReplyDeleteKaren
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
That's a lot of strip cutting! Do you have a quilt planned for these or just doing some organizing?
ReplyDeleteI agree that you are definitely not a wimp! My hosta plants are not up yet, but there are signs of life throughout the garden. Days are 10 C. but still freezing at night. I'm not complaining.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to what comes from the strips though!
Wow -- I'm amazed at how much you did yesterday! My hands get sore at the mere thought of all that cutting!
ReplyDeleteThe strips look so fabulous!
Going through the "stash" posts was fun! You have a better fabric selection than most quilt stores around here! Fun to see it all.
That is too much fabric to cut in one day! I don't like that tedious process very much. Good on ya!
ReplyDeleteCutting that much fabric is exhausting! They look so pretty stached there together.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that you are getting these ready to sell . . . . . 'cause I wanna buy 'em!
ReplyDeleteWanda, do you have any tips for cutting straight strips? Mine always seem to have a wobble in them where the fold was. (Your stash is amazing. :) )
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have been busy indoors and out. I love your stacks. Your batiks are just heavenly. I love to see your Hosta. The deer are still nibbling on mine like they are a salad.
ReplyDeleteOh my - that's a lot of cutting...that's a lot of batiks. Wimp??? I think NOT.
ReplyDeleteNot at all wimpy. Cutting fabric gets me down too. Not because of my love for the fabric, but because it is boring and requires concentration.
ReplyDeleteI have been dying to get into the garden but our weather is just like yours and way to muddy and wet yet.
ReplyDeleteHostas are up too and I saw the
red breasted grosbeak today!
Fabulous stack of strips and an unbelieveable STASH! I am envious.
OK--I am drooling over your batiks and making a mess.Love them.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see what comes of those strips! I LOVE batiks! They are my favorite! I have a question for you though, do you have a design wall? And if so, did you make it, buy it? Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteOh my. I love batiks so I'm in awe of an 18 year stash, wow! I've often thought that it's a good thing I'm not rich or I'd have to have a barn built just to hold my batik stash!
ReplyDeleteWow! And you're definitely not a wimp. Cutting is really exhausting!
ReplyDeleteI would love to know your secret with cutting almost 17 yards with a rotary cutter, and 4 layers at a time! I know I must have my cutting table at the perfect heigth.... but ~ I have a time with the 6" x 24" ruler floating on each end. Even with heavy weights on each end.
ReplyDeleteIf you call yourself a wimp... I'm a slug bug for sure. Your stamina out shines anyone I know at our age and YOUNGER!
J~MT
There's simply NO WAY you could ever be called a wimp. No way! You get sooooo much more done in one day than I can even think about doing! You're incredible!! BTW, I love those batik stacks. They might need to make their way into my stash. They are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWimp? No Way! My hips ache just thinking about standing and cutting 16+ yards of fabric!
ReplyDeleteWill you be sharing some of these assortments on your other blog? I know I'm most interested!
I have the colorful anti-fatigue mats that come from Sam's - primary colors of red, blue, yellow, and green - they look like waffled jigsaw puzzle pieces on my floor - but they make standing to cut and/or press MUCH less traumatic.
You made me smile about your 'too precious to cut' fabrics! I have 'don't use till it's something really special' fabrics. How ridiculous is that!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to buy some batik or Kaffe strips/scraps. :) I *LOVE* your use of color on your quilts!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my, what a lovely big batik stash you have! And you're so organized with your strip bins. I have lots of hostas in my back yard. I don't know if you're supposed to split them, but we let them alone. My biggest one is at least 3-1/2 feet across, I'm thinking. It's huge.
ReplyDelete