Need help reducing stash

I am not a member of this group but do have several ideas you may consider.

My addy - snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net

Pillow cases!

Place mats with matching table runners.

For some reason, they don't appeal to me, but when I've sold my quilts at a museum store (or tried to-- they don't sell well), the director tells me that place mats and table runners sell.

--Lia

I took a workshop this weekend and made a crazy quilt from FQ's. The pattern comes from the book Stack the Deck. Talk about fast and easy! Uses a lot of your various stash too!

Debbi in SO CA

Uh, you are a member of this group if you're posting here!

Charlie.

For Grannies to by, how about the little stationary pouches with slots for crayons. A little tablet or coloring book in the back pocket, and the kids are happy. Anna Belle in Palm Bay

Well, the coasters I mentioned in another thread come to mind...quick, easy and make excellent gifts.

Merry Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once

How about doing Corn Bags? We made these last Christmas. They are so easy and people just snap them up. They are cheap to make so the price is just right for someone looking for a fun gift for someone. You can also make a little pillowcase for these that can be removed and washed. Here are the instructions:

Instructions for Corn Bags

Note: Make sure you use the Farm Corn (this is that big whole kernel hard stuff). Regular corn will pop in the microwave!

Materials Needed:

~ two pieces of material for each bag (9½ " x 11" each) or you could fold the material and cut one piece (9½ " x 22"), thus eliminating one side seam

About 6 cups of corn for each bag

Instructions:

1. Using ½ " seam allowance, sew around outside (after placing two pieces, right sides together), leaving a 3" opening to put corn in.

1. After filling, you can sew this opening shut by hand or just fold edges in and top stitched with the sewing machine.

2. Put 6 cups of corn in each bag. The farm corn comes in 50 lb. bags that you buy at the feed store for about .00/bag.

1. You can probably get 20 corn bags from each 50 lb bag.

Here's the poem to we used (which is a compilation of several rice bag poems):

Corn Bag

I'm a little comfort bag. Just keep me by your chair.

Apply me to a troubled spot. The heat will ease the pain a lot. Or warm those little toes so cold. You'll find this nice to have and hold.

Or freeze me for a little while And fix that boo-boo up in style. Instead of a compress made of ice, You'll find this pillow extra nice.

On aching backs or shoulders Or necks or hurting heads, Apply me cold or heated For comfort it is said.

So when your body is yearning For a little extra care, You'll find this little corn bag Is a "friend" who's always there.

I think the placemats, coasters, and pillowcases are all great ideas.

Another idea is quilted tote bags. There are some free patterns on the Internet. I made one from a purchased pattern, and it was EASY so I'm sure you can do it without one. They are cute, can largely be made from scraps, and don't require TOO much quilting, and hand or machine quilting - or probably even tying -- would work. And people do seem to LOVE them...think how much they spend for the Vera Bradley items!

"Commuter bibs" (for adults to wear in the car while driving and eating/drinking) also adult bibs for those who need them. Steering wheel covers. Totebags.

Pati, in Phx

annie wrote:

And here I thought you were going to offer it up to raiders! ;-)

Possibly pointing out the obvious here, but why not purely have some of the fabric folded into FQ's and sell 'em as FQ's at £1 - £1.50 each?

Mebbe put a coupla contrasting FQ's together and tie with a christmassy ribbon? (Lord knows I'm a sucker for buying "pretty bundles" tied with ribbon - just ask Paul...)

Whenever I see "stuff" thats obviously made out of patchwork fabric, I immediately want to buy "fabric" and not "stuff"...

...must be a quilters thing...

Suzie B

-- "From the internet connection under the pier" Southend, UK

yup, thats exactly what i was thinking too, Charlie, lol. welcome Pat :) always room for one more round the old cyberquilting frame. pull up a chair and tell us something about yourself, your quilting, your qi's, your favourite chocolate, location of stash, ya know the important stuff, lol. jeanne*

We often made wheat bags -for Mothers Day and Fathers Day at school stalls- the same way, once heated they were great for aches and pains, but never tried them cold [ the wheat would probably start to shoot]

Dee in Oz

what a cute poem...did you write it? just in case i can make one of these and will certainly want to use this with it. i've been looking here in auckland for this type of corn. i understand its been cracked at the base when removed from the cob so it wont 'pop'.. i read that the corn keeps the heat in longer than wheat as its bigger and yet still moulds well to the body. i'm haveing a heck of a time finding any round this neck of the woods though. as far as i'm aware we only grow corn here for eating off the cob or for freezing/canning commercially. dont think any is grown as 'feed'. got any other ideas on what to fill these bags with? jeanne*

If you can't find the farm corn, you can use rice instead.

From Utah,

Bev