Monday, April 24, 2017

Goofin' Off With Ziplocs...and Project Updates 4/24/2017

You know that commercial that asks “What’s in your wallet?”  I’m not sure why, but this morning as I was grabbing yet another Ziploc bag out of the kitchen, I thought, “What’s in your Ziploc?”  I was thinking about how many Ziplocs we use and the variety of ways that we use them.  Please don’t start to sweat thinking I am trying to sell you Ziplocs, nor am I participating in any sort of MLM scheme involving Ziplocs.  It’s just one of those odd thoughts that creeps into your mind on an early Monday morning.  Before we get too deeply into Ziplocs, I’ll give you some updates on my projects. 

The first update is for my Tinkerbell quilt.  This past weekend I bit the bullet and finally decided to try my hand at machine quilting using my Brother sewing machine.  I had fun with it and tried stitch-in-the-ditch, echo quilting, and even using a decorative stitches for quilting.  For the record:  I HAD FUN!  Seriously, the finished product is kind of a mish-mash of designs, but I had so much fun in the process.  I learned some things my machine did well, and other things that it (or I) didn’t do so well.  I’ve posted a picture below of my favorite corner of the quilt with the quilting.  



Because this project wound up being more of “learning experience” for me, I’ve decided to keep this little lap quilt for myself when it’s done rather than donate to charity.  My family will tell you I like to stay warm.  I almost always have a quilt or blanket on my lap when I’m working or cross stitching.  As an added bonus, having Tink in my room will brighten things up quite a bit.  

Next update is my Tinkerbell cross stitch.  I can’t believe I only have one more tiny section to go before this is done.  My hubby asked me the other night what I would be doing for my blog once all my Tink projects were done.  Um, you’ll have to keep an eye on my blog go find out, sweetie (wink, wink). 


Now back to my Ziploc obsession discussion.  I went to pull a Ziploc this morning so I could put my thread and bobbin together for the quilting I had done this weekend.  I kept thinking of all the Ziplocs of varying sizes I have in my sewing room/office.  I use them for so many things.  I took a peek in the refrigerator, and can you believe there was only one Ziploc in there…which was helping to keep some Colby Jack cheese from drying out.  


Here are some of the ways I am using Ziplocs in my sewing room/office: 

My techie (and I use the term techie loosely) Ziploc full of thumb drives and all the cords I use to recharge the few electronics I have…my laptop, my camera, my .mp3 player...and my never charged so don't try to call me cell phone.  


My supply of birthday cards and my list of family birthdays month-by-month.


Keeping threads together for a particular cross stitching project. 


Kits I have made up for charity quilts.  I have about a dozen patterns that call for three different fabrics and uses one yard of each fabric.  These are the perfect size for charity quilts, so when I find fabric that I think goes together well, I stash them together for the future in these Ziploc bags.  


I probably have more Ziplocs than I choose to admit in my room.  On the sort of eco-friendly side, I do re-use them when I'm finished with a project.  

So I ask you today:  What's in your Ziploc?  

15 comments:

  1. I use them all of the time also!

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    1. For some reason, I can't stop obsessing about this today. I probably have hundreds in my closet where I keep my fabric, stitching supplies, and work information. Nice to know I'm not the only one who uses them all the time.

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  2. I am glad you enjoyed the machine quilting. Knowing a little bit about it and having a good machine are two of the keys. Good for you for trying and enjoying it. On ziploc baggies - I use a lot too, but I am trying to get my projects in boxes now. Too.many.bags in my study!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Kathleen. As for bags and boxes...my bags are currently in my boxes (or plastic bins). I have a feeling it's a crutch that I'm going to need to get over if I want to keep things better organized. :-)

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  3. You of course know how I like to use ziplocs. Whenever I start a new puzzle the first thing I do is sort all of the pieces by color and put them in bags. Then, when I'm working on an area, I know where the pieces for that color are located. I haven't started the Harry Potter puzzle you gave me for Christmas yet, but if you suddenly notice your ziplocs have disappeared you'll know where they are ;-)

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  4. How do you store your ziploc projects? In a bin, box, or shelf? I used to use them, but I'd get this sliding pile of ziplocs that drove me crazy. Wendy at piecefulthoughts@gmail.com

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    1. Hi Wendy! I usually store them in plastic bins of varying sizes on the shelves in my project room closet. They sometimes do slide a bit, but that means the bins aren't full enough. If the bins aren't full enough, I may slip a book or something in the bin to keep them from sliding...or maybe I just need to buy more fabric. Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. You are so right about zip;oc bags. They are wonderful for keeping all sorts of stitching items contained. I have three sizes in the kitchen drawers. I might add, they are rarely used for anything other than stitching projects. :)
    I love the look of the blue & green quilt, colours are great.
    Kay.

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  6. Love pretty Tinkerbell and the pretty colours of the quilt. We can´t get Ziplock bags here but I did see an ad on the TV for them, so hope they will be available soon. Ideal for embroidery projects underway.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Sheryl! Yes, they are ideal for embroidery projects underway. I'll be kitting up a new project in the very near future.

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  7. I mainly use them for kitting charity quilts, similar to you, and for mailing bee blocks. I put the blocks and an index card with the address in a ziplock, so that if the mailing envelope rips, there is still a decent chance the blocks will make it.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Emily! What a great idea to insert the mailing address for if the envelope rips. That's a tip I'll be using in the near future.

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  8. Funny you should ask?! I just spent some time yesterday organizing my collection of Dinky Dyes floss into ziploc bags from A-Z. They come in so handy for anything creative :) Really like your idea of keeping birthday cards for family organized inside one--perhaps that will keep me from forgetting!

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