This and that...

The kids were here yesterday...oldest daughter came early so we could sew or pin-baste a quilt sandwich.  We chose to sew blocks together:  she did the pinning and ironing, and I did the sewing.

It still needs borders.  She has got to find the fabric for that.  Neither her phone or mine will capture the true colors of this quilt top.  It has more blue to it than shows.  It was a fun day.  Later in the day Sarah and Lorelei came...Roger's birthday is today so we had his birthday meal yesterday when we could be together...minus Lorelei's dad...he had to work.  Older daughter fixed steaks on the grill, as well as zucchini and onions and mushrooms chopped up.  And she bought a cheese cake.  It was all so good...and then my Sarah cleaned up the kitchen before she left...so it was like a birthday present for me, too!
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This and the fabric below I bought at The Sewing Botique in Hoopeston, Illinois...it is north of Danville a few miles.

I first thought daughter would love the above, then I got afraid that she wouldn't.   If I had had a pattern that I liked for a top that I knew would fit, I would have loved it for that and would have got enough.  But I don't, so I didn't...so I only got a half-yard of it.  It went home with older daughter.  She LOVED it.  Can you see why?
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However I did not make out too badly...she brought me the above 6 inch strips of batiks...they are cut the width of the fabric which is 42-43 inches.  When she texted me about the 6 inch strips, that was the first time encountering that size cuts.  And she also bought me a bunch of 2 1/2 inch batik strips...they, too, are cut the width of the fabric.  They are shown below.  Click each photo to expand the view.

In case you don't quilt,  this is something fabric companies do, and also some quilt shops will make their own sets of pre-cuts.  Pre-cuts come in 10 inch squares, often called a Layer Cake in that size.   A Charm Pack is 5-inch squares.  Mini-charm is 2 1/2 inch squares.  And the 2 1/2 inch strips of the width of fabric is called a jelly roll.  And they are rolled up.  Rachel had opened  mine when she got them to send pics to me.  Usually each precut pack has 40-42 pieces of fabric, and almost always have repeats.  But sometimes they come in like half a jelly roll, also think the Layer Cakes sometimes come with only 20 pieces of fabric, but I have only seen the Jelly Rolls come in half the number.

Oh, I about forgot there are 1 1/2 inch strips in some fabrics, but not as often.  And I think there are one or two other precuts that I have never seen and that are not all that common.

Also there are Fat Quarter bundles...they are pieces of fabric 18 x 21 inches.  The number of fabrics in a FQ bundle varies.

Usually pre-cuts  are a line of fabric, maybe by a certain designer, and it will come in different color ways.  It is an easy way of having a wide variety of fabrics without trying to go through and pick out things that go together.  Plus it is quicker than standing and waiting to get them cut.

I know this is boring to some of you, but some will find it informative maybe.

That is about it for this post....I hope you have a good day tomorrow.