ScrapHappy - August 2026

   Welcome to Scrap Happy Day where we post about the scrappy projects we've worked on over the past month.   

Be sure to check out what everyone else has done with their scraps this month - Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys, Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, SueL,  Vera, Ann, Dawn2, Carol,  Preeti, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa, Tierney, and Hannah

As my eyes have continued to heal, and I once again could see well enough to see to cut fabric for blocks, I started to work on a long-term project that will be a wedding present.   It's made with new fabrics, so won't be featured here.   

For my scrappy projects this month, I started with a buttoned pouch, Corner bookmark, and regular bookmark all made from scraps of a line from Moda.   The fabric is a lightweight canvas weight, and the scraps were bought 5 or so years ago at what used to be a fav quilt store for me.  Lace applique was one I picked up here in Phoenix probably about 15 yrs ago.

This mini wall-hanging started with an orphan block, bought 5+ yrs ago at the same quilt store as the above scraps.  Borders and backing were from remnants that I'd found at some point in the past.  Found the hanger online.   This was given as a gift for a cousin who got married 3 weeks ago.

Quilted postcards were the other scrappy projects finished up this month.  Bits of an orphan block, embroidered roses from a denim shirt I cut up years ago, a bit of embroidery from a piece my mom had started decades ago, and a scrap book finding were used for embellishment.   Fabrics were all scraps.

Bits of fabric leftover from previous projects, a silk flower and leave, button, and iron-on butterfly were used for these.

Iron-on appliques and a remnant of lace were used for embellishment.  scraps were leftover from the butterfly quilts of last month.

Tiny lace scraps, more scrapbooking trims, silk flowers, and buttons were used for these 4 cards.  Fabrics were scraps.  The two on the right started with bits of fabric with sayings about friends &B gardening.

And more scraps were used to make the backings for the postcards.  Some were pieced from pits and strips of light colored background fabrics.

Gratitudes:

1. I'm finally coming to the end of a very long 13 1/2  months of dealing with eye issues resulting from the torn retina and all that ensued after that.   Last appt (post op check) is today.

2. So thankful that with all procedures on the eyes are done and that I can finally see well enough to thread my sewing machines and needles!   Now to get back into the flow for cross-stitch.

ScrapHappy April 2023

 Lots of little things done this month.    First though, a bit of humor - as I was going through a basket of scraps left from various projects I was going through for a different project when this velvet sleeve came to light.........only I have absolutely no idea where it came from or when.   All I know is I haven't worked with it anytime in recent history.....lol.

Repair work has started on this antique quilt.  Well, more accurately I should say I've picked it up again.   The quilt was made by my great-grandma on my mom's side, quilted by her and one of her daughter's, my great-aunt, and of course I'm repairing it.  So 3 generations of my family will have worked on it.   when the repairs are done it will be going to the cousin who remembers her mom helping to quilt it.

I have 5 of the Sunbonnet Sue blocks to repair (and that doesn't count the sashing or cornerstones yet to repair).   The two shown are just the first two.   Dresses only on these two were in shreds.

Dresses and bonnets from reproduction 30's print remnants from my stash.

This little piece was finished from precut pieces.   It finished at 6".  

This mini wall-hanging was completed.   The top was a long-time UFO from a CQ swap that I had been a part of with 3 other friends.  All fabrics in it were either scraps or remnants.

And a bunch of quilted postcards were made over the course of a month.  Fabrics, trims, and the fusible pellon were all from scraps from my stash. 

Strings that had been purchased were the basis for the fronts of these two.   UFO cross-stitch pieces were added to the fronts of them.

Postcards that had been started before I moved back to Arizona from TX were embellished with scrap laces and salvaged flowers from the years I worked at Joann's.

More postcards made with scraps, a UFO cross-stitch piece from years ago, the one on the right was from a UFO strip from a quilting friend.

Final two postcards made.  Top one embellished with what should have been a package decoration.   Bottom one embellished with another UFO cross-stitch piece.

I used quilt labels for the backs of several of the postcards that finished at 4" by 6" in size.   Since I always mail my postcards in envelopes due to the 3D embellishments these add a touch of whimsy to the side where I'll write a note.

Be sure to check out what everyone else has been working on this month.
Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith , Nanette, Ann, 

Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti, 
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo, Alissa, Lynn and Tierney

Gratitudes:

1. For the cool and wet spring that we've had here in Arizona.

2. For being able to work on some of my long neglected projects.

Finishes as of 2/18/2020

Several commissions were finished up over the weekend and are ready to go back out into the mail to the appropriate customer.

First up was finishing the repair on this vintage quilt. 

Next up was finishing this fleece dog coat.   Also finished but not shown were sewing together the pre-stamped embroidery blocks that the same friend had asked me to sew together.

 Then it was onto birthday postcards.   Three different types (multiple fabric/embellishment combos).   Have one more pattern drawn up that i'll be making as well, but first I need to get in gear on Easter ones.

Final project was a zippered pouch for a friend.  She'd asked me to make one like the one I'd made years ago for her.....and nope, I didn't have anything written down on it....sounding familiar?  Finished pouch is approximately 14" wide by 11" tall.  12" zipper was used in the bag, and pet screening for the front of the pouch.  I used scraps for the back and quilted them myself.











Front of the bag.   Another scrap was used for the fabric panel on top of the pet mesh.  Pansies are the favorite flower of the friend the pouch is going to.

Inside seams were double stitched and then bound in bias tape so there would be no rough edges for something to catch on.

Gratitudes:

1. For God's provision in the midst of all the financial stress that has enabled me to be 3 months away from paying off the first of my student loans and hopefully able then to pay off another 2 or 3 bills by the end of this year!

2. For winter weather that has not been severe this year (altho that means the bugs haven't been killed!)

Postcards and Notecards

This last weekend I had planned to make a lot of progress on some of the commissioned work that I have at the moment.  But plans got rearranged when I got a request for 3 Valentine's postcard from a friend, and the same friend said that the nursing home where her DH is wanted some to display.   

Ended up buying background fabrics for them because I didn't like what I had (except the white w/red dots).  rest of fabrics used are from stash and are a combination of cottons and linens.   Leftover backing from a quilt was used as the backs for all.  Laces and rick-rack was all from stash.

In between working on the postcards, I made three over-sized quilted note cards from three orphan CQ Blocks.   The blocks had been given to me by someone who no longer wanted them and I had long debated what to do with them.

The cards range from about 6" square to about 7.5" square or close to square.   I stitched them to the stabilizer using Sulky invisible thread and then edge-stitched them. 

I already have plans for these two cards.  The one with the orange patches had a monogram in the corner with the lace flowers that I removed and put the lace on instead.

Gratitudes:
1: for the rebate visa cards that I found in time to use them before they went out of date.

2. For being able to buy groceries and new crockpot that don't normally fit in the budget worth over $100 for about $9 out of pocket.

Re-purposing UFO/Orphan Blocks

More than 5 yrs ago a gal on one of my quilt lists gave me a handful of embellished crazy quilt blocks.  Two of them were given to someone else because I never figured out what to do with them.   Part of me wishes I hadn't done that now....but too late....lol, and it's not like I don't have anything to work with here at the house.

One of them was this baby themed block with machine stitching embellishing the seams.  Almost gave it away, but at the last minute decided to re-purpose it.

 I've a double baby shower (one boy and one girl) coming up in 10 days and need cards of some sort for it.   So I started the process of making them by ironing two pieces of pellon fusible stiffener onto the back of the block and then trimmed around them.















I then took the largest of the pieces left and sewed it to a third piece of pellon.   The addition of a few gold scraps to fill out the needed space and the card was covered.

Some lace, ribbon, and a silk flower and the postcard tops are completed.  Next up will be adding the backs and the edge-stitching.

The top right and the bottom cards will be used for the shower.  The other one will be either saved for the future or displayed for sale.

Gratitudes:

1. For the new glasses really improving the issues I was having with the old pair

2. For the smooth commute to the office today

Christmas postcards 2019

Christmas is coming and patrons of the salon where my postcards are displayed for sale have been asking when Christmas ones are coming in.  So I've been busy working on that them for a couple of weeks now.  These first ones are now finished and have been delivered to the store for display.

Santa and his reindeer.   The reindeer are from a glittery floral pick from Joann's.  Blue snowflake also started it's "life" as a floral pick.

Santa was repurposed from a decorated box.    Made several using the silk poinsettias.  The two gingerbread postcards were made using gift card ornaments.

Top two have wooden ornaments that I've stitched on and painted.  The Santa hat was the remaining portion of the repurposed box decoration from above.   Silk flowers were used in several of them.

Currently in progress, and waiting for the backs to be added and the edging stitched are these postcards.   And there are at least a couple more designs yet to be stitched.

Fuzzy buds, jingle bells, and silk flowers with button centers for these cards.

Small felt snowmen from Hobby Lobby's Christmas craft goodies.  Snow is cut from fleece scrap leftover from another project.

Silk leaves, buttons, silk poinsettia blossoms from a Christmas garland, and metallic rick-rack are some of the embellishments in these postcards.

Still to come - more Santa faces and Christmas trees.

Gratitudes:

1. For safety in the severe thunderstorms (three rounds in one nite!) that went through the area on Sunday night.

2. For the peace that comes from knowing who holds my friends who are currently in the hospital and on hospice.

Scrap Happy September

Most of the month has been spent in working on commissioned projects and making progress on a lot of different things.     I did get to sew with a few of my scraps as I worked on a few quilted postcards for sale.

 First up were some birthday themed postcards with kitty themes.  One of these has already been sold.

 Next up was some Thanksgiving themed postcards. 

Final postcard for the week is this birthday themed postcard.

All trims, silk flowers, ribbons and all other embellishments were from my stash, all fabrics used were scraps.


Gratitudes:

1. for the commissions that I received today (alterations, not my favorite thing, but money is money....lol) and the possibility of a coming commissioned quilt.

2. for the friends at church who have blessed me with financial gifts in the last month or so as I've struggled with not getting any pay.

Labor Day Weekend -- Saturday

The long Labor Day holiday weekend is here and with it comes extra time for me to sew.   Not having money to run around and do things helps with that as well....lol......

At any rate on the first day of my sewing weekend I was able to finish the following up -

 The commissioned wedding dress pillow is complete.   It is cut and sewn square, (well as square as I could get it at any rate), so I'm not sure why that top right corner sits lower than the left.

This was made with the bodice used as is, just seamed across top and bottom.

 Back of the pillow with the dress zipper left in to be able to open/close the pillow.

The skirt and lace from the sleeves will be used to make ring bearer pillows.

More postcards were made - 5 birthday cards, 3 for the fall, a patriotic one, a winter one, and one in honor of my friends who like flamingos.


Three assorted cards here, I think my fav of this assortment is the one with the flamingo charm used on it.

Still trying to figure out what color thread to use for the balloon strings.   Final color used was a light grey which looks ok when holding the card, but doesn't photograph well.

the striped back is on the patriotic one, quilt labels were used for the backs of all the other cards.


Gratitudes:

1. More than 6 hrs of wonderful rain yesterday and lovely cool temps to go with it.

2. For the one paycheck that we got this week which means I can pay my bills the first part of the month without a problem.