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So my dear blogging friend Adaiha and I recently decided it was time for another swap. (We've done a few successful crafty swaps in the past.) This time, we decided to swap potholders. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity for me to use up some of my scraps (I love scrap-busting projects!) and practice the English paper-piecing skills I picked up in a hand-quilting class I took at Spool in Philadelphia a few months ago. So using little one-inch hexagons, I made Adaiha a blue and green potholder, lined with thermal fleece. 

I then used this tutorial to assemble the back of the potholder. Everything was completely hand sewn---a first for me in a very long time!---and I was really pleased with the results.

Before I moved down here to North Carolina (which I'm loving so far, by the way!), one of the projects I managed to finish, and gift, was a set of four quilted placemats.

Each one was made up of half square triangles, which I made from green and turquoise scraps in my stash, and backed with a coincidentally complementary print by Kathy Davis (also used on the back of this project and this one).

I've been experimenting a lot with half-square triangles lately--the layout possibilities are endless!--so I'll try and post some of my other projects in the coming weeks.

So things have been quiet on the ol' blog for a number of reasons lately, including this one: I'm moving to North Carolina! To prepare for the big move, I've been organizing my sewing room and finishing up some projects including this one:

This is one of two quilt tops that I'll be sending off to Wrap Them in Love. My friend Andreaand I started this project over a year ago, while I was still living...

Lately, I've been buying a lot of fabric--too much fabric. I blame this on my day job. At a fabric store. So in an effort to keep my scrap bucket from overflowing, I've been looking for quick and easy stash-busting projects. I quickly found that Film in the Fridge's patchwork napkin tutorial fit the bill, and I whipped up four new napkins.

The tops of all four napkins--prints and solids--are pulled entirely from my scrap bucket. The patchwork stripes are a mix of designer, Japanese, vintage, and shirting fabrics. 

The napkin backs are made up of fabrics from my main stash, including fat quarters from Purl Soho and CityCraft that I've been hoarding. 

I loved working with fabrics I had on hand, and definitely felt a sense of accomplishment when I saw that my scrap bucket had emptied out a bit. Know of any other good stash-busting projects? Feel free to share them in the comments!