Another Frugal Friday....

And a busy day for me. But I took time to sew. No bread baking today, since I kind of went overboard with last Friday's loaves. The sun is out in WI today, and is busy making lots of puddles. The grass is bare in places, just as it was before last weeks blizzard. I have no plans for the weekend except to maybe get my income tax ready for the accountant. That would be a good project!! These are the string blocks I am making on these Frugal Fridays. I'm using squares cut 8.5" from older soft sheets and pajama parts. Old flannel is super soft to work with, and almost no lint left in it. These are some of last weeks blocks.
 And here they are with some of today's added to them. I using a black strip(for the most part)as the center strip. Being Finn, of course some of them might be dark green or blue *VBS* In the scope of things, looking at it through Gee's Bend eyes, that works just fine.
 My friend, Granny Lyn, asked about the mile a minute blocks. They are known by many names. I had first heard about them years and years ago, in a magazine article, called MAM, and that's what they are to me. There are NO rules Granny Lyn, just grab a bag, box, bin or bushel of scrap pieces. Strips, odd blocks, etc work too. Pick two of a similar(or dissimilar)size and sew them together. I chain piece them, running several through the machine before cutting them off and adding the next piece. Some of these have been through the machine several times already. I'm aiming for 6.5" blocks. You can go as large or small as you wish. Sometimes I finger press, and occasionally I take them to the ironing board and press them out. That happens mostly when I see that they are nearly big enough to cut to size and stack. The sky is the limit as far as color choices, shaped pieces and all that jazz. It's a very liberating way to sew, no pre-cutting needed and nothing has to match up with anything else.
 Here are 4 more of the beginnings of new blocks. I've measured and added the size to give you the idea of how small a piece can be used. I do tend to use alot of smaller pieces in these. As you get out further you'll need some bigger pieces or strips. They can be made with as few or as many pieces as you like. Tomorrow I'll show you a new top that Betsy completed recently and didn't want, so it came home with me to be pressed out and tied as a donation quilt. Our piecing style are as individualistic as we are, but we're both gorgeous!!!
I've been trying to think of something "newish" to mention in regard being frugal, and what I have come up with is this. Frugal piecing, whether Orphan Train blocks, or MAM, string blocks, etc. consider using up the smaller amount of thread on spools and/or the really odd colors that just sit and wait. A Ben Franklin near here went out of business a few years ago, and sold off their Coats and Clarks thread for very low prices like .15 and .30 cents each. Jean and I brought quite alot of it. I still have more spools of Kelly green than anyone alive I think. This kind of piecing, or even the Strippy quilt piecing is a great place to use it up.
And speaking of Strippy Quilts, my friend Leslie had made her first Strippy quilt. It's just beautiful, pop over and take a look. See you next Friday with more Frugal Friday fun!