Sunday, January 29, 2012

STASH REPORT - Week 5, 2012

Used this Week: 2.75 yards
Used year to Date: 4 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2012: 4 yards

Whew, takes a lot of little pieces to use a yard!  My January UFO has a lot of little pieces!!  Almost done, and I like it.  Tomorrow I will add the final border, make the backing and binding, and it will go to the Longarm UFO stack.  I'm glad I didn't buy anything extra--just used stash--although I had a couple of tense moments when I wondered if I would have enough of one of the fabrics used.  That's a danger of using stash, especially when the fabric was a 2004 fabric--but all is good.  Next week should see a large reduction in stash when I sew the backing--yea!!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

STASH REPORT - Week 4, 2012

Used this Week: 1.25 yards
Used year to Date: 1.25 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2012: 1.25

Yea--I broke the column of zeros!   Finally I have made a bit of progress--good thing as I only have another week to finish UFO #5 for January.  I have over half of the pinwheels made for my next "round;" I will finish them tomorrow and sew them to my center motif.  When I piece a quilt top, I make the backing and binding at the same time and store all three together, awaiting the longarmer (me!).  So, next week I should have quite a bit of stash used.

I finished the angel baby afghan I was working on.  Now I have one in white, one in pink, and one in blue--will put them in the "baby gift drawer" until needed.  So, I have been able to cross off UFOs on another list.  Mama elk and her yearling visited this morning, chomped on the raspberry bushes.  They should go down to the feeding grounds and eat down there--might be better.  The snow was wet and heavy, so much so that it clogged the auger on the snowblower--it looks like we will have some snow for all of the coming week.  Sure hope so, because we need the moisture from the snowpack.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

STASH REPORT - January 15, 2012

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards

Nothing in, nothing out--but not because I wasn't looking!  I have visited 6 places that carry quilting fabric (my little town has a couple of bars, a church, a market, an art gallery, several realtors--but no fabric stores!), looking for a blue with silver metallic fabric to incorporate into my January UFO.  (The next little town down the highway has a small fabric department in the hardware store--the interesting things about living in this area!)  I didn't find anything that I felt was "right" so another week without purchasing fabric--but also another week without working on January's #5 UFO!  I did look online and found a fabric that I think I would like, but am still hesitating--maybe I can modify my plan and use what I have.  Oh, indecision...


On the plus side, the temperature is in the mid 30's today--up from single digits and minus numbers--yea!!  We finished moving and stacking the wood we bought onto the porch (we have a really long front porch!)--makes it really easy to bring inside.  And it makes you warm two times--once when you are moving/stacking and once when it is making a beautiful glow in the fireplace!  We're supposed to get snow all week--we really need it as some of the low mountainsides are bare.  I love to watch it snow straight down--not sideways!--with big flakes drifting slowly to the earth.  Maybe someday we'll be snowbirds but not yet.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Monday, 1/9/2012

I just read the last few blogs of the 2012 participants of Judy's UFO Challenge--big mistake!  I found a couple more quilts that I want to make!!  I have too many quilts on my want-to-do list, for sure.  Still waiting to go to the big city to find the "just right" fabric to make my next round on #5.  I'm building this quilt from the center out--which I don't usually do.  I had this quilt marked in a quilt book from many years ago (Quilted for Christmas, Book 3)--and made the appliqued center motif in Christmas blues/silvers and also in reds/greens--the blues/silvers is my #5 for 2012.  The book shows it in a small size, but I rarely make "small" as my walls are already full.  I'm excited to get back to work on it.

In the meantime, I spent time in my sewing/quilting room yesterday but didn't actually sew.  I updated my Diamond, unzipped & looked at the machine embroidery designs I purchased from BFC during their annual 1-day sale (look at Sally King's shoes!), and did a bit of organizing.  I found the fabric (purchased from Hobby Lobby several years ago) that was resting with a magazine containing a pattern for a Bear Claw in a Bear Claw--and that is one of the UFOs on my list!!  Since I have several UFO lists going, I decided to work on a couple of things from the other lists--and finished 1) hand X-stitch on a baby bib and 2) got the hand X-stitch done for a chatelaine I'm making (and have been making for umpteen years!) for my sister.  I have all the harder parts done (a thread pocket, tiny quilt strips/blocks for the sides, etc.) but have never finished it.  Hopefully I will go downstairs soon and work on putting it together--after resting a bit from working through an exercise DVD (yup, another resolution/list!) that tired me out.  I blame my age--but the real culprit is sitting on my tush and not eating right.  Guess this is my blogging diary to try to keep on track!  Laundry, call my mother (2 years in a nursing home), make scalloped potatoes & ham--the rest of my day!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

STASH REPORT - January 8, 2012

My stash report for 1/8/2012 is:

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards

Nothing new--but nothing used either!  I have not worked in my sewing room in 2012.  I did stop at Stitch 'n Time yesterday to find a blue Christmas fabric to use in my January UFO (#5) but didn't find the "right" fabric--so nothing added. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

First Week of 2012 Nearly Gone...

When I was young, I didn't know what it meant when people said days went faster when you were old--but they really do!!  I can hardly believe that nearly one week is gone from the year 2012!  Does God have a different clock for seniors?

I have accomplished a bit but not nearly enough.  I took down all the Christmas decorations, the two trees, and everything is put back into boxes in the storage room.  Well, nearly everything.  My husband has to help me with the animated Christmas circus carousel above the back bar downstairs and I missed one crock that is holding silk poinsettias.  Oh, well...  I usually don't put things away this soon as I love the spirit of Christmas.  I also have 2 angel afghans (on my crochet UFO list) about 2/3 done--and then I ran out of yarn.  I will have to wait until we make a trip to the "big city" to get more yarn.  Our little town doesn't have yarn--we're lucky to have a market!

I am so relieved to see the red "x" gone from my name on Judy's UFO list--and my name still there!  I haven't done any sewing or quilting yet this year, but will check my Christmas fabrics today to see if I have another blue/silver that I can use on #5.  I have the center motif done and am still trying to decide how to make the rest of the quilt.  Maybe I'll check quilt pictures in my favorites folder for inspiration. 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Day 2...

Well, here I go again.  I have no clue what I am doing--mine is the only name on Judy's list that has a red "x" behind it!  Do you suppose I should read the directions on how to set up and use blogspot?!  So, I did get my link deleted (it went to my homepage, not the specific blog), and then added the specific link--so I'm at the bottom of the list again!  But I still have that darn red "x."  Oh, well, if it gets deleted again, I'll just continue with the blog to track my progress--and try to learn the ins and outs of using blogspot for next year!

I didn't get anything done in the sewing room today, but I did get all the Christmas things gathered in front of the storage room.  I'll dismantle the trees tomorrow and then pack everything else back in the appropriate boxes.  Talked with my long-distance sewing buddy (for an hour and a half!) and we caught up on happenings in each other's lives--and then spent time talking with others, too.  I perused the links others have posted with their UFOs--quite interesting.  Tomorrow I will have to get started earlier so I can get the house put back together.  Now I'm going to crochet a few more rows on the blue baby afghan I have started.

UFO Challenge

Happy New Year!  I am starting a new blog for the start of 2012 and will use this blog to track my progress in stash reduction, quilting, sewing, and whatever else strikes my fancy.  I am joining Judy L's UFO Challenge for the new year, and will report my progress here.  I did join Judy's 2011 UFO Challenge (although I did not post my progress), and found it helped me reduce my stash and finish UFOs.  I finished 25 quilts (tops pieced, backings and binding prepared)--and now they are in another UFO stack, the Longarm stack!

My UFO (quilt tops) list for 2012 is as follows:
1) Paper Doll Applique
2) Blue/yellow Log Cabin
3) OBW 4-patch Posy
4) Bear Claw in a Bear Claw
5) Blue Christmas Basket (F)
6) Embroidered Undercover Kids (embroidery done)
7) Labyrinth in Browns/Blacks
8) Shadowbox in Browns/Golds
9) Red Christmas Basket (F)
10) Irish Chain in Pinks
11) Embroidered Sunbonnet Sue (embroidery done)
12) Bow Tie Medallion

Most of these quilts will be started from scratch with fabrics that have been set aside for them.  In addition to these 12, I will have a "B" list that I will try to complete.  Did I say I have a large stash?!  #5 is the UFO for January.  I will be working on the Longarm UFOs, also.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

UFO Challenge

As I browse lists made by others who have joined the challenge, I see that most of the UFOs are in some stage of completion and only need to be quilted, bound, etc.  Please bear with me for 2012 as my UFOs are mostly groupings of fabric with patterns chosen.  I am keeping a Longarm UFO list, too, and hope to make a big dent in it during the upcoming year.  When I got my first longarm, I had about 15-20 pieced tops that were ready to be quilted.  I mistakenly thought that number would decrease, but now I probably have about 85 tops to be quilted!  The bright side to that is that I will have lots of practice on the longarm and an opportunity to try lots of new techniques!  When I complete a top, I make the backing and binding so it will be ready for completion. 

I'm also keeping lists for UFOs in counted X-stitch, crochet, sewing, decorative painting, and miscellaneous.  I really felt good when I finished UFOs in all the categories in 2011.  Guess I'm a "list" kind of person!  Thank you, Judy, for providing an incentive for finishing projects!

Stash Report - January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!  I am starting a new blog for the start of 2012 and will use this blog to track my progress in stash reduction, quilting, sewing, and whatever else strikes my fancy.  I am joining Judy L's UFO Challenge for the new year, and will report my progress here.  I did join Judy's 2011 UFO Challenge (although I did not post my progress), and found it helped me reduce my stash and finish UFOs.  I finished 25 quilts (tops pieced, backings and binding prepared)--and now they are in another UFO stack, the Longarm stack! 

My UFO (quilt tops) list for 2012 is as follows: 
1) Paper Doll Applique
2) Blue/yellow Log Cabin
3) OBW 4-patch Posy
4) Bear Claw in a Bear Claw
5) Blue Christmas Basket (F)
6) Embroidered Undercover Kids (embroidery done)
7) Labyrinth in Browns/Blacks
8) Shadowbox in Browns/Golds
9) Red Christmas Basket (F)
10) Irish Chain in Pinks
11) Embroidered Sunbonnet Sue (embroidery done)
12) Bow Tie Medallion

Most of these quilts will be started from scratch with fabrics that have been set aside for them.  In addition to these 12, I will have a "B" list that I will try to complete.  Did I say I have a large stash?!  #5 is the UFO for January.  I will be working on the Longarm UFOs, also.

My stash report for 1/1/2012 is:

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards