Posted on by agilejack

Diving in on a Quick Aboriginal Scrap Project

A few months ago I was gifted a good size box of Australian Aboriginal fabric by a fellow blogger, Julie at https://quiltdivajulie.blogspot.com. She emailed me and told me she had decided to destash all of her Aboriginal fabrics and thought that I might gain some inspiration from them, knowing that I had been in a bit of a dry spell.

It was a lovely collection of yardage and some really enticing scraps … strips, squares, and other pieces.

Included in that packet were two small Ziploc bags of 4.5 inch squares of many, many different fabrics. I have been thinking about those squares and made a decision a few days ago.

I had purchased a few yards of Brandon Mably’s Amaze fabric in black and white a couple years ago intending to execute this same quilt idea using Kaffe Fassett Collective scraps. But it just seemed so perfect to use that fabric for these Aboriginal squares instead. And then I wouldn’t have to trim up all those squares!

So I played out a handful of the squares on top of the black and white fabric to see if it floated my boat…

And I liked it. So decided to go ahead an do it.

I was supposed to play pickleball this morning but it was canceled because of rain. So instead I hunkered down at home and started pressing and cutting the sashing pieces.

I cut the sashing pieces at 2.5 inches in width and sat down and strip pieced the 120 squares I think I’ll need for this quilt, plus a handful of extras to be safe.

My Bernina is in the shop for servicing so I cranked away on my sweet little Featherweight.

Once that was done and pressed I cut the sashing pieces for the second side of the blocks and had another chain piecing and pressing session. I got all 120 blocks plus extras sewn and pressed.

I threw a handful of these blocks together on my cutting table just to get a feel for it.

There is a lot more color variation across all the blocks. Somehow I got stuck in a purple/blue section!

I’m enjoying this so far. It felt good to sit down at my little Featherweight again. I still don’t have much creative drive happening so it’s nice to chunk away at something that’s not asking that of me. So if I can’t be creative, I can at least be a little bit productive.

A huge thank you to Julie for thinking of me and nudging me back to my sewing room!

I had a two-week vacation earlier this month. It was not an exciting vacation. I spent my time playing pickleball (I played every day!) and preparing for retirement. I have set a date in December that will be my final day of work so I spent a good part of my vacation dealing with Medicare, health insurance, Social Security, financial and legal matters. The good news is that I got a lot done and am well on my way toward being ready when my retirement date arrives.

I did spend a little time in my sewing room during my vacation. I finished slicing up the woven stripes blocks I made a few months ago and am much happier with how this is looking now.

I completed the slicing and sewing of all 40 blocks. Now I need to get them back up on the design wall and then sew them all together.

It’s been absolutely beautiful here the last few weeks. I joined some friends in St. Paul, Oregon, last weekend to watch a sheep herding trial at a winery. It was a great way to spend an afternoon. It had rained that morning but was gorgeous by the time we got there.

I’ve been thrilled with how my new raspberry bushes have done this summer. I’m getting raspberries for my breakfast nearly every morning.

Later this fall I will rip out all my strawberry plants in preparation for planting more raspberry bushes in the spring. The raspberries have put my strawberries to shame. (I might plant some of the strawberries in smaller pots, just to see how they do.)

A few months ago my friend Linda gifted the Arboretum quilt she made to my brother and his wife.

They had wanted a bright quilt to hang in the entry way of their house and this is the perfect choice!

I love how it looks in that space!

My boys are doing well although Bender has done some serious aging since his birthday in April. He is nearly deaf, can’t see very well and is very wobbly. But he still wants to chase a toy and go for our daily walks. He’s about 12.5 years old. His wobbliness is made worse by his epilepsy meds. Poor guy. At least he’s still happy and seems to be somewhat oblivious to his predicament.

He is doing well enough to have gone on a quick trail hike when my brother and SIL visited a month or so ago.

It was a little difficult to head back to work after my vacation, but I’m getting through it by knowing I have less than three months to go until my time is all mine! I will be sad to leave the work that I love, but I feel like it’s time to step away.

33 Replies to “Diving in on a Quick Aboriginal Scrap Project”

  2. What a wonderful surprise, to find an email from you this morning! I’m also in a creative slump and finding that, if I can’t be inspired, I can at least be productive. Hopeful that someday my “sew-jo” will return!

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  3. What a great surprise to open up a bouquet of fabric sent in the mail! That sashing is perfect for the project. Only three more months on the clock! It will go by quickly. Glad you had a nice vacation and enjoyed the good weather.

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  5. My very creative, entrepreneurial, friend, Janet Lutz, is retiring in December, after 25 years of owning a very successful quilt shop. Check out Calico Gals in Syracuse, NY on Facebook or Google. You two should talk!

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  6. Sorry to hear about Bender, he’s such a good boy/model. Pending retirement makes going to work easier, even if it’s a job you love. Glad you’re back to being creative. After a long absence it’s hard to really get the juices going. Like the shot quilt. The scrapy aboriginal seems busy right now. I will need to see the completed one to see if that changes.

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  7. I find strawberries in pots tend to get dry pretty quickly…but I am in Spokane where it is drier to start. My raspberry starts didn’t make it this year, and I am not optimistic about the rhubarb I planted when we moved to this house.

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  8. Retirement is a huge step! I was so afraid that I’d be bored to tears! But now I find myself so busy, there is no spare time! When December gets here, embrace it and have the time of your life! Joanne Ortiz

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  9. Thanks for sharing everything that is in this post. I retired 5 years ago and don’t regret a minute of it. Lots of sewing, reading, a little travel, not setting the alarm clock! I have spoken to people, usually men, who have no idea what they will do if they don’t go to work. . My suggestion to any/everyone is to be sure you have something unrelated to work that brings you joy and satisfaction that you can pursue for a long time! I have been in a sewing/creative slump since last fall, when my mom passed away. She was 99 and only the final year was tough. She was a force of nature! I am getting excited to come back to my creative space again now, though. Autumn really energizes me and the juices are flowing. Thanks again for all the ideas you shared today.

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  16. Love what you did with the black and white around the colorful squares. I have found that always makes great fabric pop. Thanks for sharing. Judith

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  19. So glad to see a post from you! What a windfall of Aboriginal fabrics. I’ve been feeling kind of “puny” lately from health problems but my imagination is in overdrive. I’ve decided that I get more accomplished when I work on more than one project at a time. I’ve gotten 3 wall quilts to the sandwich ing stage and I’m already planning 3 more! You’re going to LOVE retirement. I took early retirement and have never regretted it. There are a good many ways to supplement your income if necessary. Stay focused and carry on.

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  21. Blessings to you for the forward movement with the Aboriginal fabric project, I’m certain that your creative mojo is on the upswing again! I am retired and I remember the necessary paperwork and preparation, it was a mixed bag, because I was admittedly a workaholic and felt at loose ends at the beginning. I’m sure that you will love the freedom of digging in to your envisioned projects at your whim, I find it very liberating. Be well!

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  22. lovely to see you checking in.

    could you possibly plant the raspberries in the same plot as the strawberries? strawberries can flourish in spring and have the raspberries growing above in the summer? the strawberries could creep along and be a natural “mulch” for their new berry buddies.

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  23. lovely to see you checking in.

    could you share the same plot between the berries? the strawberries could have the spring sun while the raspberries awaken. later in summer, the raspberries could flourish while the strawberries provide a natural “mulch”. don’t know, might be worth a try

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  24. I love the Aboriginal fabric and have been trying to decide what quilt to make next with them. The black and white looks good with them. A simple pattern is the best way to work yourself back into quilting, ideas flow as you sew.

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  25. congratulations on your upcoming retirement …. I hope your time becomes full of the things you love and that you decompress into a new period of creativity.

    smooches to the pups

    good to see you post again

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  26. So glad you are back! And inspiring me again to finish up my aboriginal quilt WIP.

    So sorry to hear Bender’s health is declining. It’s the saddest part of owning a dog. Our two passed within 2 years of each other (both at 15.5 yrs!). I felt I was nursing dogs for ages. But they sure add a lot of love to us in the meantime.

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  27. Cc Anne tu as vraiment bien mis en valeur les tissus arborigenes bravo c est vraiment magnifique comme toujours

    gros bisous de France

    josette

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  29. Good to have you back! I love your work. Ad I recall, you are in Lane
    County. Is that so? If so, I have a second Bernina if you want to borrow
    it while yours is in the shop.
    ♥w

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  30. You are going to love retirement so much you’ll wonder how you had time to work. Happy to hear from you again, but sorry to hear that Bender is declining.

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