I spent all morning cutting. Three hours. I was going to try to get four hours in but only got in about three in the morning. Then I fixed dinner. After our midday meal, I decided I was tired of cutting and moved on to sewing.

Here’s a sampling of what I did. I had quite a mess at the end of my long table and decided to clean it up - not by folding it all up and putting it away, but by trimming things down for various uses.

For starters, I started cutting up strips. As I’m working on these UP Greens - I have various weird shaped pieces leftover. That’s what happens with clothing items. When using yardage, the leftovers tend to be less “odd”, if I can use that term about fabric.

I’m planning making a Checkered quilt so I’m starting trimming little pieces into 1.5” strips - both any greens I have and whites or creams.

This is what these pieces look like already. I cut some yesterday and some today.

Remember, I have a lot less green than I had blues when I did the UP Blues series. I did manage to get 50 quilts out of that series. I’m hoping for about 15 Greens - but we’ll see. I really don’t know yet. I’ve finished 5 so far and KNOW that I have enough for the next three I have planned. Maybe I’m seriously underestimating!

It is really sloppy outside today - or I’d have taken some pictures and have a new quilt to show you. But I am waiting for a better weather day. I’ll be happier with the outcome. (I do have several finished that I’ve yet to show you.)

I’m also preparing some borders for my elves - as I have some tops from Fran that need to be made into the twin or double size I need. Ewa’s mom is willing to add those borders, but I have to get them ready.

I also cut up some of the extra leftover pieces from the backing fabric - also for charity quilt tops. These are plain squares and Ewa’s mom will make them up for me as well. (Let’s pray she stays healthy! I’m really getting spoiled having an elf! :))

Then I worked on strips and cleaning up some of that messy bag I showed the other day.

No photo on this as I cut them into strips - 1.5”, 2” and 2.5” and threw them into their various bins which I will weigh at the end of the month.

I went into my room of fabric scraps and it looks like I have only two big bags to go through and make into strips/bricks, etc. so that’s great! (I thought maybe I had three.) Then I have another basket to go through. After that, I should be able to be mostly caught up again with all that cutting.

No. that’s wrong!

I bought a big box of leftovers once again last fall from a Polish seller. It’s full of a lot of children’s fabrics - but not only. It is time for me to deal with them. I’ve used some of these pieces in a few of the Scrapbook style quilt tops I’ve made or planned to make.

This is the box I got and it’s time to go through it and make it into usable pieces.

To a limited extent, I‘ve used a little bit of what’s in the box, but now I’d like to deal with all of it and move the box on out.

I’ve been using some of them for the side pieces for some of the scrapbook style quilt tops I am making - as they tend to be long and skinny.

Overall, I prepared some more packages of quilt top pieces for my elf - Ewa’s mom. I do appreciate all her sewing for me/us. However, cutting does take time - and she needs me to prepare the pieces for her to sew. I don’t despise cutting like I think some do, but I get kind of antsy if I have to spend too much time at once cutting and trimming. I guess I’d rather sew. I have a Sizzix, but i find that for all this misc. stuff, it’s not helpful. I use my ruler, mat and rotary cutter.

Here are some photos that show some of what I did. Most of these pieces came from large “leftover” pieces of the charity quilts I made last fall.

12.5" pieces - to be paired with solids to make new charity tops

6.5" squares to be made into more charity quilts

Bricks for another two quilts

enough squares for another quilt top

6.5" squares dedicated to another charity quilt

I’ve got this collection of packages ready for Ewa’s mom to sew up another 10 tops for charity! There are three patterns - Scrapbook style, Around the World top from my friend Fran (add borders only) and a two block 5x7 layout design using 12.5” squares.

I also cut up more bricks AND then I decided “enough’s enough” and went to sew after dinner!

Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Stay safe!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!

Here’s one of the beauties we have!

This Flamingos and Leaves panel is by David Textiles! Only $12.

It was a "cutting" day