When I get big...

I want to be a fireman.  Or at least, Block 78

Progress on the Modern Sampler is roaring along.  The green block for the week...

... in the green corner.

And the pink block for the week...

... in the pink corner...

pardon the cord!

Couldn't decide which angle looked best... but this one has the iron cord too!

My little ladies eyes and mouths are a bit slower in appearing...

4 eyes/3 mouths so far...

And the last November Tokyo Subway block has one more seam and then it's done!

Block 25 - not the last block, as we have been completing them out of order... but only another four to go and they will all be complete.

Also on my radar this week is SCRAPS!  Mostly because I can see an end to two significant projects (the Modern Sampler which is made up almost entirely of scrap fabrics, and the Tokyo Subway which has been a good filler-in sort of project).  I really did think that the Modern Sampler would have made SOME sort of dent in my scrap pile.  But I don't think that has quite panned out.

This is my current scrap management system.  Stuff it into a teeny tiny plastic drawer system:

Simple sorting: blue/green/blackish/white-ish/yellow & orange/red & pink.  There are always the wrong colours in the wrong cubby... it just happens :0)

 The problem is the scraps that I located from when I first shifted into the shed, that will not fit into the storage system, no matter how much I push!  OK, I haven't even tried... I know they will never fit!

I have another plastic bag full around the corner...

So I've been thinking of projects for 2014 (the year of the scrap quilt) that could help use up some of the scraps... and still make a quilt that I would like to make. 

What I like about the Modern Sampler quilt is that it uses a variety of fabrics in a range of sizes (my scraps range from biggish to smallish).  Because the blocks are sashed - there is room for each block to tell its own story, and gives the eye a place to rest (which means you can add lots of fabrics and still achieve a harmonious look).  Plus I think the rainbow setting helps to make sense of the scraps.

So my first contender is "Seeing Squares" by Empty Bobbin.  Quite a different project to the Modern Sampler, but it does use a range of fabrics in a variety of sizes.  How can I make sure that I don't just end up with a hot sticky mess?  Well, I'm thinking of incorporating three different solids (white, light grey and a touch of dark grey) to allow each scrap a bit of breathing space.  Maybe I need to think about that rainbow setting?

The second contender is Tillies Lane which is a BOM project/pattern by Anni Downs.  A completely different project.  Again there is the scope for a lot of different fabrics - in quite small pieces.  The small repetitive blocks could fit in well as leader/ender projects and the nine applique blocks would easily fall within a monthly timetable.  The light areas could be a single solid... again giving a bit of space to the scrap mix - or I could mix in some low volume prints to liven things up.
 

What I really need to do now is finish the million other projects I have on the go, and then do some serious figuring on how to break these projects down into manageable bites.  When I committed myself to the Modern Sampler, I thought three blocks a week was a huge commitment, when in reality, three is the perfect number.  When Monika and I started the Tokyo Subway quilt, we decided to complete 2 blocks each month... which has had it's ups and downs.

So is anyone tempted to join me?  If not, what are your plans for your scraps?

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced.