All posts by Susie Stuklis

“End of Day” Quilters Basket

End of Day Quilters Basket

Hello dear Friends and Readers,

Clothesline Basket
End of Day Quilters Basket

Quilters have a lot of string scraps.  It is a quilter’s dilemma on what to do with those leftover strings.  There are many slogans circulating on how quilter’s collect fabrics such as – “She who dies with the most fabric wins” – really!   Unfortunately our love for fabric in the modern era is all too real because it is so plentiful.  I suspect we fall into two camps, the keepers of the strings and the non keepers.  I suspect many of us fall into the camp of the Keepers, because we love fabric.  It’s natural.  But it’s finding reason, purpose and beauty  to translate those leftover strings of fabric, to something as utilitarian as quilts can be.  My idea is derived from the same original beginnings of quilt making, of cobbling pieces together to make a cover of warmth and beauty to use these strings for a purpose.   A further dilemma for the modern quilter’s is the fact that we now have so much beautiful fabric to choose from.  And whist it is obvious to say we’ll throw it out, (the leftovers), I have a suspicion that goes against the grain of a lot of quilters.

 

For these reasons, and because I too love textiles, I designed these baskets to use all the left over string scraps, to utilize  them, to make beautiful baskets such as this “End of Day” Quilters Basket.   These are the strings too, which may be too narrow to utilise into string quilt blocks.  My inspirations for these baskets come from the beauty of the fabric strings which can often be considered rubbish or discarded by quilters, and a concept called  “End of Day Glass”.  Although, this is considered to be the incorrect term for this type of glass more correctly known as “Spatter Glass”.  See images of Spatter Glass here.

Spatter Glass Identification Guide | Glass Encyclopedia

www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia/…glass/spatter_glass.htm
Even though this is somewhat of a myth, that all the pieces of left over glass were gathered at the end of the day to make these beautiful coloured items of glassware, I love the idea.  That whimsical notion  of leftover colours  of glass, certainly translates to quilters end of day strings.  I realise there are others who are making what are termed Clothesline Baskets.  These baskets or bowls are often more ordered or fabric is cut specifically, even folded or ironed to make these baskets.  My idea is that these baskets can be made specifically from quilters leftover fabric string offcuts, from preparing fabric for quilting.  What emerges is a reflection of all of the fabrics which have been used for my quilts.  The outcome is my End of Day Quilters Basket.  I have not discriminated my fabric strings.  I have used all sizes of strings to create this basket. It looks and feels beautiful to use.    And so becomes a purpose for the fabric.  What could have been discarded or looked at as waste, becomes a practical utilitarian basket of beauty!
Here is the link to a free tutorial.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like,

A Tisket A Tasket A New Shopping Basket

And this quick project,

End of Day Quilters Spool Pin Star Tutorial.

All the best,

Susie