Stash Report - February 12, 2017

Happy Sunday!  It has been a busy week.  I've been fighting some crud that my husband has, but so far I have managed to stay ahead of it.  I felt just bad enough I could push off a few things and stay home, but not so bad that I couldn't sew.  And sew I did!  I managed more than 15 minutes in the sewing room all 7 days, which brings my annual total to 36 out of my 200 goal.  See how Kate is doing over at Life in Pieces.

I have finished all of the center blocks for Bricks in the Barnyard by Bonnie Hunter, in an enlarged size.  I think I have also made the french braid border long enough, but I won't know for sure until I get the center put together.  I am normally a piece the row by row then join the rows kind of quilter, but I decided this time to make large 4-patches from the blocks, and then assemble those into larger four patches.  I think there will be less of a chance that I will reverse some of them.  You'll understand when you see them, so come back tomorrow for Design Wall Monday to see my final arrangement.  I'm hoping to have a completed top by the end of the day!

I also attempted to join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2017.  I had an idea for a finished quilt that would use the scrappy colored blocks with a little preplanning.  I really wanted a constant light neutral for it, but I don't have any yardage in my stash.  So...I went shopping!  I came across these two lovely fabrics.  One is such a light gray, that I would call it silver if it had a sheen to it.  The other makes me hungry, because it looks like sprinkles on a cupcake.  They are teeny, tiny polka dots.  I think the colors would be perfect for the RSC17.  I bought 3 1/2 yards of each, so I could make sure I had enough as a background.

So I took my idea and made a block with the purples I had pulled out.  Then I made a second block.  FLOP!!!  I hated them both.  I disliked them even more together.  So, I disassembled them!  I didn't even bother to take a pic.  I've now gone back to the drawing board, and I am pondering another idea.    If I get the top together today, I may try a block or two and show it tomorrow.  See...you have to come back!

Yesterday was also our guild day.  We made a  Simple Sewing Companion from 2 fat quarters.  This will be great for keeping my scissors and needles secure while I am on the go with handwork.  I love how unique everyone's turned out.

I also won the door prize, which included 7/8 yards of Valentine's Day fabric, a quilt coloring book, and colored pencils.  What a fun holiday surprise!

Be sure to check out Patchwork Times for updates on how other quilters are using their stash.  There are some fabulous ideas there!

Used This Week:  0.50 yards
Acquired This Week:  7.875 yards

Used Year to Date: 11.42 yards
Acquired Year to Date:  8.125 yards

Net Destashed Year to Date: 3.295 yards

Until tomorrow...Blessings!
Joy :)

Stash Report - Week 4

This week, I got to celebrate my elder son.  Even though he was turning 12, he still wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese.  To show he is growing up, and much to my husband's dismay, he asked for only books for his birthday.  That makes a Mommy proud!

Despite having been a busy week, I did manage to get into the sewing room all 7 days this week.  That brings me to 22 out of my 200 day goal for the year.  I am following along with Kate over at Life in Pieces.

I was able to reassess where I was on Bricks in the Barnyard by Bonnie Hunter.  I had all of the pieces made for the original quilt size in her book, but then remembered I wanted it larger.  I'm a tall gal, so I prefer to make my quilts long enough for me.  (Just in case I love the quilt so much I keep it!)  That will require about 1/3 more blocks.  I spent the week cutting them out and beginning the piecing.  I was doing pretty well, until I pressed all of the seams for one unit the wrong direction.  Oops!  I have to press them all again before I can move on.

I paused on the making of the Bionic Gear Bags for my Mom and Sister.  I decided I didn't like the zippers I had for the outside.  I really want a purse zipper with two larger pulls.  They will just make these bags a little nicer to use.  I have one, but the color isn't quite right.  I've ordered new ones, and they should be here this week.

Although none of these projects are complete, I am encouraged by the amount of progress I made.  I did have to buy the zippers, but I have been able to use what I already have for the rest of it.  Still, I have an addition for the week.  Our guild celebrated our 1st birthday.  One of our members made these cute fabric cupcakes for everyone.  So, I have the 1/4 yard addition.

I'm staying accountable by reporting in with Patchwork Times.  So my numbers for the week are:

Used This Week:  0.00 yards
Acquired This Week:  0.25 yards

Used Year To Date: 10.92 yards
Acquired Year To Date: 0.25 yards

Net Destashed Year To Date: 10.67 yards

Blessings to all,
Joy :)

Design Wall - January 23, 2017

Monday morning finds me proquiltinating again.  Once again, I should be cleaning house, but I am in the sewing room instead.

I am finally getting back to Bricks in the Barnyard by Bonnie Hunter.  It has been so long since I worked on it, I can't remember exactly where I am.  So in a little while, I will be laying out the blocks  on the floor and counting the center blocks.  Then I'll investigate the remaining pieces I have to see if I need to cut more center and border units.  

Unfortunately, I can't spend all day in the sewing room.  I will have to leave later to help my in-laws clean out Aunt Eacie's apartment.  This sweet lady passed away last Sunday at 99 1/2 years old.

She was really just a big kid at heart, trapped in an aging body.  She always loved to plan themed parties, especially picnics.  But she always had trouble with ants outside, and she called them "piss ants."  So for her 90th birthday, I made her a "Piss Ant" quilt.  The back of it shows in the photo above.  As I was going through my scraps, I found these.  I love how quilts and scraps can make you think of others, whether it is in the giving of quilt, or remembering someone who has passed.

I was digging through my scraps, because I have decided I want to participate in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2017 I keep seeing everywhere.  I really don't have a lot of purples, but I pulled what I had.  (And discovered my scraps were not as well organized as I thought they were.)  I have an idea for a block, but I need to investigate to see if I have enough scraps in the correct sizes to make it.  I also don't think I have the correct background fabric, but we'll see.

That's what my day looks like...black and gray with a chance of purple!  I hope you get to spend some time sewing, but if not, be sure to check out what is on other people's design walls at Patchwork Times.

Blessings, 

Joy

Stash Report - August 21, 2016

This week, there has been no change in my numbers.  That does not mean there has not been anything under my needle or time spent in the sewing room though.  This week, I got back to Bricks in the Barnyard by Bonnie Hunter.  I managed to sew 30 blocks together, which meets this month's 350 Block Challenge number at PrairieMoon Quilts.

I only stopped, because I ran out of one of the pieces I needed to make blocks.  I turned around to cut some more, and....uuunhhhh!

Maybe I need to find my cutting table under there somewhere.  But since it's out, maybe I should go ahead and find fabric to use as the background for my next Buttercream Summer block and trace it for some hand embroidery.  I looked for fabric for a while, and made an even bigger mess.   Not having found the piece I was looking for, I put the fabric away.  Then I neatly started putting various parts of the BOM back in it's designated container.  Voila!  There was the exact piece I was looking for.  I thought, "I should move the stack off my light table and trace the pattern.  What time is it?  2:13AM!!!  How did that happen!?!"

Did I mention I started at 8:45PM, and was only going to sew 15 minutes and go to bed early?  I was trying to follow Kate's good example over at Life in Pieces.  Needless to say, that late night/early morning time in my room counted for 2 of the 5 days I spent in my room this past week.  That brings my total days in the sewing room to 122 for the year.

I haven't managed to trace my pattern yet, but I am trying to focus the rest of the day on cutting the rest of the pieces I need for Bricks in the Barnyard, as well as fixing this...

Oops!  In addition to the 7 bricks I need to finish what is already cut, I also need to cut the rest of the pieces to make 22 more blocks.  I followed the directions when I cut the first time, and made 95 blocks.  I've now decided to make it a little bigger.  If I can get the pieces cut today, then I can slip into the sewing room for a few minutes each morning before taking my son to school and finish the blocks.  I'll also need to resume my 10 minutes a day picking up my sewing room, which will make some much needed progress in cleaning it up.

Still, no actual quilting has taken place this week.  I'm seeing my hopes of quilting my 5 finished tops this month quickly fading...At least I know what my goals for September will be!

See how others are doing managing their stash at Patchwork Times.  I think they are all doing better than me!

                               This Week             This Year
Used:                              0.00                   25.25
Purchased:                        0.00                   73.50
Net:                                 0.00                   48.25

Blessings,
Joy :)

Stash Report - July 24, 2016

It's not a UFO!!  I managed to both start and finish a quilt top in the same month!  The quilt top Boxy Stars by Bonnie Hunter is finished.  It was a fun project, and is an extra long twin.

I have also worked diligently on the other Bonnie Hunter top I started earlier in the month, Bricks in the Barnyard.  I am about half finished with the blocks, and have used the French braid border as my Leaders and Enders.  I hope to finish it the first week of August.

Next month, I will focus on free-motion quilting and try to get all of the quilts in my que quilted.  So for now, no change to my report.

                                 This Week             This Year
Used:                              0.00                   25.25
Purchased:                      0.00                    67.50
Net:                                 0.00                   42.25

Have a great week!
Joy :)

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report - July 10, 2016

It's been a great week.  One of my Quilting Cousins came to visit with her grandson.  They played together well, while she and I talked and enjoyed time together.

And guests mean...cleaning the sewing room.  This was far less traumatic than normal.  The prior week I needed to get into the Closet of Doom to find batting.  To get to the closet, I had to move the cutting table.  To move the cutting table, I had to put everything else away. So this week, all I really had to do was straighten up around my machine, move the class bags from last week to under the cutting table, and vacuum.

Before and after they left, I have been working on Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.  I have now sewn and pressed all of the half-square triangles (HST) for the Churn Dash Blocks and started piecing the Nine-Patches as Leaders and Enders.  At one point during the week, I had sewn 15 chains of 11 HSTs, and had them laying on the ironing board.  My husband went in early one morning to iron a shirt, and came in to wake me up.  He said he was not going to try to move them, because he was sure he would make a mess.  I laughed at him, got up, moved them, and ironed his shirt for him.

On Saturday, we had a project day at guild.  I looked through my email, but didn't have cutting directions.  So I arrived with just a stack of Christmas fabrics.  I still managed to finish the tablerunner top, but I haven't yet quilted it.  (I have to go back into the Closet of Doom to find batting.) So I am close to another finish.

Today, I am going to finish packing for a trip.  Hubby will be staying here while I take the boys to Huntsville, AL for Space Camp.  I'll be staying in a hotel for the week, so I am taking my machine to quilt while the boys are at the camp.  To help with my quandary from last week, I decided to take my Featherweight with me, instead of my bigger machine.  That means piecing this week, instead of quilting.  My goal will be to finish the tops from last week's workshops with Bonnie Hunter, which are Boxy Stars and Bricks in the Barnyard.  Those pieces are already packed, and mostly cut.  I'm also going to pack up Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, in case I need extra to work on.  And if I have time to clear a path and get into the Closet of Doom, I'll take the batting and backing for the guild tablerunner.  I think I have all the right colors of thread, and it's very linear design could be quilted on my Featherweight.

No fabric was added this week, and I am excited that the fabrics for the tablerunner were all in my stash.  I actually picked out fabrics from my stash to make another one too.  No finishes this week either, but I'm getting close to having several.

                                 This Week             This Year
Used:                              0.00                   25.25
Purchased:                       0.00                    67.50
Net:                                 0.00                   42.25

Check out other Stash Smashers at Patchwork Times.

Have a Blessed Week,
Joy :)