Upon Which I Duplicate my Y2K Quilt in Miniature

2000 1-inch squares of fabric

In 1999 I did a crazy thing.  I was a member of an online quilting forum and we began swapping packets of 2.5 inch assorted fabrics to make a 2000-piece Y2K (Year 2000) Quilt.  It was a huge success and if you google "y2k quilt" you will come up with remarkable quilts.


A few months ago I decided to reproduce my own Y2KQ in a smaller format. The original is a huge queen size. I wanted a smaller size to use as a wall quilt (art quilt). And I had plenty (shall I say PLENTY) of squares of fabric still in my stash.


Well, the 2000 pieces of my reproduction are now stitched together...almost...it is pinned to the wall in four sections so I still need to sew three horizontal seams. The original,  completed in 1999, consisted of squares 2-inches in size after stitching. The repro is done in 1-inch squares and finishes to 40 x 50 inches.  (The design is my original design.)


I still need to add the border.

My original was featured here.

My original was featured in the Spring 2001 issue of QUILT magazine along with my graphed pattern.  And it was part of a special exhibit of the Y2K quilts at the Houston Quilt show in 1999.  You can read about that exhibit here.


I still have squares left over.  And a quilting buddy in Canada can look for a packet of 950 squares in the mail to make her own Y2K quilt. As she mentioned in an email to me, she considers this a "masochistic plan". 

Vintage Singer Model 15-91 in Queen Anne cabinett

 In the meantime, I'm cleaning up my cutting table...I have a huge pile of "leavings" after cutting 2000 squares down to size.  I cut at 1.25" and used 1/8 inch seams. It was easy to do as my vintage Singer 15-91 has a 1/8 inch pressure foot. Perfect!  This has been my most used machine over the years for it is durable, easy to maintain, has great speed, and with a darning foot, I have used it to machine-quilt many a quilt.  The only maintenance I do on it is to clean and oil it periodically....no trips to the shop to pay someone else to do that...it is an easy task.  I love this machine!

So What's Up With Toilet Paper These Days, Anyway!

You know, I liked shopping a lot better when there were four choices of toilet paper...Charmin, Northern, Scott, Store Brand.  I mean, really, who needs an entire aisle devoted to toilet paper?

Today's choices include super-soft, double-roll, 12-packs, 6-pack double rolls, 12-pack double rolls, two-ply, one-ply, you-name-it-they-got-it.

Weirdly, the 12-pack doesn't seem to last as long as the old standard four-pack. Or is it just us at our house, over-doing the necessities of life?

Take a look at the size of the cardboard roll. I swear it's much larger in diameter than the oldies. That means less paper. And take a look at the width? I swear it's not as wide as it used to be.  Wish I could find me some old-fashioned tissue and just measure.

I don't remember having to buy toilet paper as often in years past. A four-pack would last quite awhile. Or maybe we weren't wiping our butts much in those days. But I THINK we did. I don't remember ever NOT doing that.

Oh, hey, our grocery store now and then has a coupon in their ad for a 69-cent toilet paper.  It comes in a four-pack and I kid you not, it appears to be small enough for a doll house. That may be a slight exaggeration, but only slight.  It's miniature!  Anyone can see that! Who do they think they are fooling?

Who would think toilet paper manufacturers would set out to bamboozle America?

And is anyone noticing?

So what's YOUR favorite brand these days?