A tisket, a tasket.....

I have an empty basket *VBS* And it looks like this. But it wasn't empty yesterday when I came home from Betsy's. I know I've mentioned that she is on a mission to reduce stash this summer. And she's been doing a great job of it!! She has whipped out quilts right and left. Three nice snuggle quilts(read afghan size) are on their way to a Twin Cities hospital Cancer Unit(her daughters friend was treated there for luekemia). That's just the tip of the iceberg. I've lost count of how many she's cranked out. The lull she's experiencing has resulted in shelf clean and refolding of stash.
 All of this is what was in the basket yeaterday. The basket is Betsy's. She fills it with 'stuff' she no longer wants and I help her dispose of it *VBS* This basketful was amazing!
 Here it's all stacked in one pile. Most of it dates back to my quilt shop, early 1990's. Some VIPs and Joan Kessler for Concord fabrics from the Ben Franklin. Lots and lots of country blues. oh joy!! The pieces range from scraps and trimmed off backings to 3 and 4 yard pieces. She thought I could make backings...oh ya, definitely!!! I looked through it when I got home, to see how much there was and of what. Then, last evening I went blog hopping. I happened to be reading Sue's blog, From the magpie's nest, and she mention a challenge that Tonya and Bonnie are hosting, and she had a link to it *VBS* Of course I had to check it out. Maybe that's where my mo-jo has gone in search of greener pastures.
 And of course I fell for it, hook, line and sinker, as they say! The Jacks over Six is a favorite block, and to use 3.5" pieced units is wonderful to work with. I've always made them with 2.5". As I went off to bed, I was thinking and dreamed of lime green witches underwear mixed with flashy flamingoes, and chili peppers dancing with fancy cats! But morning found me thinking about what Bonnie had said in her blog. Her blocks are less bright than Tonya's. She is using the fabrics she wants to get used up. The one that are no longer loved or noticed. Suddenly it occurred to me that the Betsy Basket Bounty was perfect for this project. So I began pressing and cutting. It's harder for me to work with yardages than scraps, but I'm biting the bullet and plowing onward. And you never can tell, that lime green witches underwear might just appear when you least expect it....LOL