A QUILTING NECESSITY-MY DESIGN WALL

A design wall is a tool that some may not think of as a necessity for the sewing/crafting room but mine is used almost everyday, sometimes all day when I am working. I like to stand back and see what I am working on. The design wall lets me see the project better than laid out on the floor or bed.

Quilt blocks can be arranged and rearranged on the design wall and fabrics auditioned. It is the most convenient photo backdrop I have used with its neutral cover and easy to pin styrofoam.

The  two piece folding wall that I am using was originally attached to a wall in my former home except there were three pieces of 4'x8' sheets of styrofoam giving me a 12' wall. When we moved, I brought my handy, dandy styrofoam with me and made the portable unit with duct tape. It can be folded up and put behind or under a bed if needed. Mine stands ready for business all the time. It gets moved around all over the sewing room wherever it is needed-next to the cutting table to arrange quilt squares, by the sewing machine so I can reach over and grab the squares in order or a well lit spot for items to be photographed. 

Then there is the small, free-standing board that can sit on the table next to the machine with a small project or a few blocks from a larger one.

Having the design wall was suggested to me by a quilter friend almost 20 years ago. I have used one ever since and am passing along the suggestion to every serious crafter whether it be small or one that spans a whole wall. 

For step by step downloadable instructions for your own design wall go to: http://bit.ly/tdAyxC

While you're there, check out all the other quilting patterns, videos and tutorials at www.FaveQuilts.com.

Here is a quick look at my design wall:

    

 

I hope you find this helpful. The design wall is certainly one of the most useful tools in my sewing room.

 

Join Carolyn's Canvas also on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carolyns-Canvas/151145938331115 if you have any questions or to show us your quilts.  

 

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott

STILL WAITING FOR MY BOX OF SCRAPS

SSoooooooooooo

Sissy's Sewing Box of Scraps Challenge has become more interesting. Sissy liked the blog I wrote yesterday but she contacted me via Facebook and said that the box I had was way too big. She had specified the SMALL flat rate box so I am going to have to scale down the array I had in the bigger box. My senior mind just didn't remember. Sorry, Teresa [she is to receive my  box of scraps]. 

I had to go to the post office to mail a package to my grandson so I picked up the SMALL flat box [I already had the medium size box I had intended on using]-oh, my goodness! It is the size of a vcr cartridge about 6"x8"x2". Now this is going to be a real challenge. Sissy said that she wanted to keep the projects small and I can understand that. There was actually almost enough fabric to make a full size quilt I was getting ready to send out. Now, boohoo, I am going to have to take a lot out. 

Excuse me while I go take care of that little chore and take a picture to update.

While I am gone, you have time to go over to Sissy's Sewing on Facebook and look over the challenge. You still have until Oct. 8, 2011 to become part of all this.

If you don't sew, you can glue, felt, use any of the fusibles to create anything of your choice. There are a lot of crafts out there that don't require sewing. Christmas is coming up-what about ornaments. Go over to FaveCrafts.com and look at the 1000's of ideas for all kinds of things to sew, glue, bead, felt, tie, twist, crochet.

And by the way, I joined the challenge before I found out there were going to be prizes and several have been donated since. Things of interest-some classic fabrics, some gift certificates, a lot of different things but like I said, I decided to take part before there were any prizes like most of the other participants. You can take a look at them here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.255597114462616.63447.141477279207934&type=3  if this doesn't work, just go Sissy's Sewing on Facebook and click on the prizes photo album. I don't know Sissy, don't have any connection, I just think this is something that will be fun to do and maybe you will, too. 

Be right back.

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OK-here is the current box of scraps that will be sent unless I have messed up again. I will not be sending the scraps out in the post office box, though. It will be cheaper to send with my own wrapping. I just used the box for sizing and you know it just broke my heart to take out some of those fabrics. I did try to leave the ones that coordinate so Teresa won't be taking my name in vain.

This is from the original  box:

Like I said, Sissy's Sewing Box of Scraps Challenge has just gotten more interesting.

I'll keep you posted as things go along.

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott

WAITING FOR A BOX OF SCRAPS

You would think I didn't have a yard of fabric to my name as I sit here anxiously waiting for someone I don't even know to send me a box of scraps and leftovers from her [his?] projects.

There are shelves of fabric in my sewing room-piles of fabric pulled with patterns assigned and in line for my next projects close to the cutting table-yarns and crochet hooks in the basket next to my chair with a book of downloaded and picked up patterns at hand to be worked on while watching tv. So it's not as though I had nothing to do or to work with.

Now, really! What is wrong with this picture? Waiting for a box of scraps for possibly my next project if I can figure out what to do with a hodge podge of fabrics I may not even like. But I am not alone. There are other odd ducks out there waiting for their boxes, too.

The gauntlet was thrown down by Sissy's Sewing on Facebook and some of us picked it up. We are going to see what, if anything, we can do with someone else's scraps. You still have til October 8, 2011 if you think you would like to join in the challenge. Just go to Sissy's Sewing and submit your name. I wish I had thought about writing this a couple of weeks ago but too much has been going on.

I'm wondering if anyone else had as much trouble getting rid of their fabrics as I did. I put something in the stack, take some out, put some in, grab that little piece-I might need that for something special. It was really pitiful. I'm glad friend, Mary, was not here to see me sneaking a snippet out like it was too precious to let go of. I know some of you understand, don't you?

I finally got the box ready to send and so help me, a few minutes ago, I went over and stole a piece of red from Teresa's box. I hope she won't mind. Teresa, in Tennesee, is the name assigned to me to send my box to. While I was writing this my daughter called me with a project for me to do for a friend and I really might need that fabric with the gold stars, sorry, Teresa, honey. It really is just a smidgeon.

My box of scraps, soon to be on its way to Tennessee. Stay tuned to the saga of the box of scraps. Become more acquainted with some of them in this video.

I am looking forward to this challenge. I have never participated in one before. I can't wait to see what everyone creates. I hope to have photos here of each creation with their permission.

God bless all of you,

Carolyn Wainscott