STASH REPORT - Week 52, 2013

Used this Period: 22 yards
Added this Period: 16.5 yards

Used year to Date:  137.2 yards
Added Year to Date: 18 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 119.2 yards

 

The "Period" referred to above includes weeks 30-52; that's one long week, isn't it?!  This has been a year plagued with health issues for me--which meant that I didn't spend as much time in my quilting studio or working on any other craft projects.  So, I'm just checking in to report my stash shrinkage; it's not what I wanted but I'm ready to start 2014!  My goal for the new year is a decrease of 150 yards (200 would be nice!).  I currently have 2 scrappy quilts in progress and 3 pieced tops that need backing and binding made--my January report may be really good!

Wishing everyone a blessed New Year!

STASH REPORT - Week 29, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  115.2 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 113.7 yards

 

Nothing new this week.  I did start cleaning up my studio and putting away fabric scraps used in the S/P 2013 Challenge quilt.

STASH REPORT - Week 27-28, 2013

Used this Week: 7.5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  115.2 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 113.7 yards

Finally, something to report!  I finished the S/P Challenge Quilt--I'm so glad it's done.  I ran out of 3 fabrics, so adjusted the borders--hazards of working from stash, especially stash that is old!

Having 2 blocks that were 12x24 caused some problems--had to add a row of "snowballs" to each to make the window sashing come out right.  Then, figured I had taken care of the problem--wrong, had to add a strip when I added the dark strip on the window sashing because that threw it off again.  Next time maybe I'll read the pattern a bit better and enlarge the blocks to the right size!  I made both sides of the window sashing out of the same fabric--I saw a quilt that was made that way and they did straight stitching down to the diagonal and then turned and went to the other end--and liked the effect--so no "shadow" on mine.

My quilt turned out to be 74x74.  It would be nice if I would embroider or applique some snowflakes in that last border, but I think I am tired of it.  (That fabric actually has snowflakes on it.)  I may do snowflakes when I quilt it.  My favorite block is the mitten block--you can barely see the "yarn/thread" unraveling on the top mitten and you can't see the silver cord connecting the two mittens or the pintucked material on the cuffs.  I think my next favorites are the flying geese blocks--I really like the embroidered trees on those.  Those trees, the snowflake block (I couldn't face applique snowflakes!), and the feathers on the stellar jay block are the embroidered blocks--plus the snowmen's features and the machine applique cabin & tree.  The block with three poinsettia rounds was really "reaching" as those were the only 3 squares I could find in my cut scraps--glad there were three!!  The texture is as follows:  snowmen are made from "crinkled" fabric; snowballs are made similar to blocks on a puff quilt but with less fabric and no batting; cuffs on mittens are pintucked, the pinwheel blocks are 3D, the mittens are connected with a silver cord, and there is piping around the circle/oval blocks.

 

I still have the backing and binding to make, but...life got in the way!  I was thinking "Oh, good, I'll get the backing/binding made and have some good numbers to report!"--and then my husband took me to the ER on the night of the 3rd (long 35 miles) and we got home after 5 am; did a rerun on the 4th and my doctor was on ER duty, said it was classic gall bladder, ordered ultrasound, admitted me; had surgery the next morning--part of it was dead, remainder very inflamed, completely blocked & had been for a long time, 2 stones about the diameter of a quarter + some smaller ones, scoped it but had to make the bottom incision larger because of the size of the stones, kept me 2 nights in hospital, am now home doing nothing except walking...  And that was probably more than anyone wanted to know!

Anyway, the best laid plans...  I've not been back in my sewing room since all this happened.  I feel a bit better each day, but it's a long road.  Thanks for "listening."

 

 

 

 

GET IT DONE 2013 - JULY GOALS & Status of JUNE Goals

GET IT DONE 2013 - JULY Goals
1) Make June & July blocks on Craftsy 2013 BOM (NewFO). 

2) Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  

3) Finish piecing top of Annual S/P Challenge Quilt (NewFO).  All the blocks are made, but I have to make 2 more strips of filler before I add sashing and borders.   

4) Piece scrappy quilt using 2.5-inch squares.  I started on this on June 29.  I have the center block done.




GET IT DONE 2013 - Status of JUNE Goals
1) Make June block on Craftsy 2013 BOM (NewFO).  As soon as I complete the June block, I will be current!  It's "Y Seams" this month.

2) Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  And again!  After next week, I am going to shanghai my DH and get PV added to my longarm.  I plan to finish my Gingerbread quilt as my first project (it's started!), and then do 3 more.  It may mean that I won't be piecing for awhile--but that is all right, too.

DONE     3) Make 4 blocks on Annual S/P Challenge Quilt (NewFO).  (The S/P stands for Sandi/Pat; Sandi is my long-distance quilting buddy.  We started our sewing/quilting friendship before I moved to "the mountain.")  I need to "just do it" and get this finished.  Sandi said she didn't enjoy doing this quilt (she's quilting her pieced top already!), and I'm not enjoying it either.  I'm enlarging the block size in addition to changing the ones I don't care for--and that seems to be a lot. 

STASH REPORT - Week 26, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

Nothing to report--again!  I think this will change next week--I will be assembling the Sandi-Pat challenge quilt for 2013!  It is currently laid out on the floor as I'm making a decision about sashing.  I think our next challenge quilt will have to be different as we're both tired of appliquing a myriad of small pieces.  When we talked the other day, Sandi did ask me if I had followed the pattern on any of it!!  We both changed one of the pieced blocks that appears twice in the quilt.  And she knows how my "storyboards" will often eliminate some of the more tedious applique.  A few years back our challenge was a BOM and the September block included a schoolbus with a driver and 3 children appearing in the windows.  Sandi's block contained all the people--however, my block only showed the driver because "the children had already gotten off the bus and entered the school building."  I think I made at least a third of the blocks of this quilt similar to the original pattern--with a few variations like the storyboard mentioned above.

 

In the meantime, I pulled out a container of 2.5-inch square scraps and started making a scrappy quilt--just couldn't wait!  I finished embroidering all the small towels I had in my to-do basket (picture shown), so I did accomplish a bit this week.  That task has been waiting for me for a few years.  

And I made a good piecrust!!  That has been on my bucket list for several years.  Ellen, who is one of our wonderful cooks at the Senior Center, gave a few of us a short lesson on making piecrusts a couple of months ago.  This is my third attempt, and I finally got it right!  Now I'll have to make another one just to see if this was a fluke!  Anyway, my sister (who has been making piecrusts forever) always says that the ability to make a good piecrust is the mark of a good baker/cook.  I have always resorted to the cooler in the grocery store for my piecrusts--now, maybe I can join the rank of "good cooks."

We went to Brenthoven's, a gourmet restaurant/B&B that is tucked away on the outskirts of our little community, with friends for dinner last night.  What a great evening!  It has been family operated since 1949, and is only open 4 months a year as the owners spend time in New Zealand.  The pumpkin bisque is superb--I could make an entire meal of the pumpkin bisque and freshly-baked bread!  The Cod Parmesan is another staple of the menu that is simply outstanding. 

 

And that was my week in review.  Happy stashbusting!

STASH REPORT - Week 25, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

Oh, where did those 2 weeks go?!  No blogging, no stash busting, no time spent in front of the sewing or quilting machines!  Nothing to report on a stash-busting site. 

 

We drove down to the far corner of the State one week/weekend--looked at a few houses and spent an afternoon with relatives who had driven up from Colorado.  Didn't find any houses that we fell in love with, so we won't be spending time closer to relatives any time soon.  It was good to visit with nephews (plus wife & fiancee), brothers- and sister-in-law.  I really would like to live closer so we could share more time together--if it happens, it will be good.  Otherwise, we'll continue to let our "fingers do the walkin'."  We visited Rose's Lariat in Rawlins, WY on the recommendation of a friend--the Mexican food was delicious.  We'll stop there again when we are in the vicinity!

 

We went to a few garage/moving sales last Friday (before getting ill that afternoon--a continuing saga of health issues).  Unfortunately, my "mother" came out in me and I brought several dishes home.  My mother loved pretty dishes--having been a newly-wed during the Depression, in her later years she surrounded herself with "pretty dishes" and took great pleasure in looking at them and using them.  I could not resist the siren call of beautiful pieces marked $1 and $2!  I only wish she were alive so I could give them to her!  Anyway, I often make birthday cakes for the seniors in our little town--they always look like they have fallen in the middle because I put them on a regular dinner plate.  So, while we were in Cheyenne, I bought a cake plate at GoodWill for $2.  Then there was a cake plate at the moving sale (the couple had sold their resort home and are going to reside in southern Utah full-time)--and it was only marked $1--so it came home with me, with about 12 other pieces of glassware!  You know what came next--I had to find a place to put all of those pretty dishes so it was time to clean/organize my cabinets.  In doing so, I found 2 other cake plates that I had forgotten I had--I think one of them was my mother's.  So now I need to bake a cake--after all, I have 4 cake plates to choose from!

 

And, as if that was not enough, I was trying to do a mini-organization in the pantry and spilled a package of bread cubes--which necessitated a major cleaning of the pantry.  I'll probably never find anything again--which is usually what happens when I reorganize.  

 

But, in between episodes in the kitchen, I did get down to my sewing studio for short bouts of stitching.  The current annual Sandi-Pat quilting project is a bit nearer completion.  I might even have fabric I can count as used by next week!!  It is interesting that neither Sandi nor I liked one of the blocks in the pattern, and we both substituted for that block!  There were other blocks I wasn't enthralled by, so my quilt will really be different--in fact, I'm not sure anyone would recognize the original pattern!  I have 2 applique blocks that are ready for fusing onto the background and then 2 more blocks that I am going to incorporate machine embroidery into--then it will be ready to assemble and add borders.  I may be a little ambitious in thinking I will finish by the next stash report--there's still quite a bit left to do.  I am trying to incorporate as much texture into the quilt as possible, so I used a cording foot to make the cuffs on the mittens--I really like the effect.  I made 3D pinwheels for the block neither Sandi nor I liked.  I'm so ready for this quilt to be done!!  Sandi has her quilt completed and quilted--and she doesn't like it!  She showed it to her quilting group and they loved it!  I was sure they would after looking at the picture she sent me.  The same thing happened when we did the Elepinks by Nancy Barrett--she got so many compliments on it that she also likes it!

 

I need to get some more work done on my flower beds and on the "thicket" that provides privacy from the neighboring cabin.  And we plan to get some more trees from a friend (who has them coming up volunteer) to plant on the perimeter of the yard--perhaps this week.  My DH's garden/green houses are looking good, but require care (by him, thank goodness).  And I need to get a cake made so I can choose among the 4 cake plates!!

STASH REPORT - Week 22, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

Nothing in, nothing out--broken record here! 

GET IT DONE 2013 - JUNE GOALS & Status of MAY Goals

GET IT DONE 2013 - JUNE Goals
1) Make June block on Craftsy 2013 BOM (NewFO).  As soon as I complete the June block, I will be current!  It's "Y Seams" this month.

2) Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  And again!  After next week, I am going to shanghai my DH and get PV added to my longarm.  I plan to finish my Gingerbread quilt as my first project (it's started!), and then do 3 more.  It may mean that I won't be piecing for awhile--but that is all right, too.

3) Make 4 blocks on Annual S/P Challenge Quilt (NewFO).  (The S/P stands for Sandi/Pat; Sandi is my long-distance quilting buddy.  We started our sewing/quilting friendship before I moved to "the mountain.")  I need to "just do it" and get this finished.  Sandi said she didn't enjoy doing this quilt (she's quilting her pieced top already!), and I'm not enjoying it either.  I'm enlarging the block size in addition to changing the ones I don't care for--and that seems to be a lot. 

May was a lost month for me--no real stash reduction, no longarming done, hardly any time spent in my sewing/quilting room.  What did I do?!  Well, I worked on our "thicket," pulling grass and raking up dead limbs, etc.  I did a bit of community service.  And that's about all that I did!  I'm hoping that June will be the beginning of the end of my health issues.  The doctor now has me on thyroid medicine--I'm hoping that once it is closer to normal I will have more energy--sometimes I have felt so tired I just wanted to lay down wherever I happened to be at the time.  If it solves the problems, you might even see a "DONE" on 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack!!  :-)


GET IT DONE 2013 - Status of April Goals
DONE     1) Make 2 blocks on Craftsy 2013 BOM (April & May) (NewFO).  I started on this in April and finished 3 blocks, using purple/lavender scraps.  It is an interesting project with a lot of "teaching" going on.  I would definitely recommend this for beginning quilters--a good way to stretch and grow.

2 DONE     2) Make 4 blocks on Annual S/P Challenge Quilt (NewFO).  (The S/P stands for Sandi/Pat; Sandi is my long-distance quilting buddy.  We started our sewing/quilting friendship before I moved to "the mountain.")  I need to "just do it" and get started on this.  Sandi has all her blocks ready for the blanket stitch around the individual applique parts.  I have ideas on how I want to make the pattern "my own"--I would like to incorporate piecing, applique, and machine embroidery.  It is always interesting to see how different our quilts look even though we use the same patterns!

3) Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  Well, here I go again--how many months has this been added?!  I have so many quilts "in me, just waiting to become reality" that I neglect my growing stack of finished tops.  I will be attending HMQS in May so perhaps I will get motivated to stretch & grow--and feel more secure in my skills or at least more willing to try them!

STASH REPORT - Week 21, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

My stash report is becoming reminiscent of a broken record--nothing in, nothing out!  This week I will have to make a pillowcase or something just so I'll have something to report!!

What did I do this week--good question!  Went to IF on Sunday and Wednesday, had a friend visit one day, fixed a "dessert party" for another friend who had a birthday this week, did some weeding, helped with a funeral dinner (4 1/2 hours on a concrete floor covered with tile is hard!), went to a estate/moving auction of a friend who is battling a brain tumor--and no sewing or quilting.  It looks like May was a lost month!

STASH REPORT - Week 20, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

Well, here we go again--nothing that can be counted.  I did make a couple of blocks on the Craftsy 2013 BOM, but those won't be counted until the entire top is pieced.

 

However, this week has been full of trauma excitement.  First we had a hatch/invasion of carpenter ants--all over the mountain.  I don't remember this annual occurrence being this bad in past years; perhaps the mild winter has made it worse this year.  I normally spray the perimeter of the house each spring, and seeing all those ants prodded me to get it done.  Natives of the mountain tell me this is a normal event, but I hate any type of crawly things, especially those that can affect my home!  Anyway, I have found no hills or trails--but do plan on buying some deterrents so I'll be ready when it happens again.

And as if that weren't bad enough, our CA puppy (a Lhasa who is now 10 years old) got skunked!  The skunk was doing her "leave me alone" dance, but Smokey just wanted to play and ignored the dance.  And then we found her den--only about 6 feet from the raspberry bushes on the edge of the yard!  I had a heart-to-heart with Smokey last year when we had several baby skunks playing in our grass (traced back to a nearby neighbor's yard).  I told Smokey that if potential playmates were black-and-white with stripes down their backs, he should NOT play with them.  Obviously, he forgot that advice.  Well, the hydrogen peroxide/baking soda/dish detergent combination does work--sort of!  I kept asking friends to do the "sniff test" on me as I was attending a nutrition class and the JCCW Mass and dinner.  Smokey still has a slight lingering odor but I have passed each sniff test.

The JCCW Mass/dinner was wonderful--uplifting Mass, good friends, good food.  And that signals the start of my summer; we've already had some beautiful summer days on the mountain.  I hope you have had wonderful days, too.

STASH REPORT - Week 19, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

If my numbers this week look like my numbers last week--that's because they are the same!  Nothing done except sewing the "snowball" blocks to the snowman block--and still pondering about the other block I have almost done.  Plus thinking that I really don't like the snowflake block and wondering if I can just cut my own (didn't we do that in grade school?).  And then I started wondering if the snowball blocks had too much texture to balance with the remainder of the quilt.  Really, I'm not usually so indecisive!  I'll get back to doing a few blocks this next week, I promise (myself!).

 

I had a nice time at HMQS--very informative, very uplifting.  All my classes were good, and I came away from them knowing I can tackle that huge stack of LA-UFOs.  One instructor said there are 2 important things to improve your longarming skills: 1) quilt every day, even if it's only for 10 minutes; 2) don't be afraid to try new things.  She is so right!  I used to be much more "daring" in trying new things.  When I got my first longarm, I had no fear:  trapunto--bring it on; feathers--why not; SID--piece of cake!  My first feathers--well, that's a story in itself!  I had just put together blocks for one of those $5 sampler quilts (you know--if you complete the block each month, you get the next block free of charge), and I thought it was pretty ugly.  The shop owner substituted some pretty cheap ugly inexpensive fabric in a lot of the blocks, and then I made it worse by picking border fabric from my stash that was much too light to make the blocks look better.  I put my first feathers on that quilt, thinking I couldn't make it much worse than it already was--WRONG!  Those feathers were pretty bad!  And they didn't make me love the quilt any more--just increased my dislike for it.  I was taking some items down to the thrift store and decided they would be the recipient of my ugly quilt.  I put it in a plastic bag you couldn't see through just to be safe--no way did I want anyone to associate me with that quilt!  When I realized that I had not taken that bag in with the others, I went back out to get it.  I handed it to the receiving lady and rushed back to the door.  Egads, she opened the bag, looked in, and said "Oh, what a beautiful quilt! Did you make it?"  I should just have kept on walking, but didn't want to be impolite--so I said yes.  She said, "Oh, we'll have to put this in with our special items."  Oh, dear--thankfully I escaped before she could ask my name.  I've wondered for years who got that ugly quilt!  (And, yes, my feathers have improved considerably!)

 

It was a nice show--but it's always nice to get back home!  The grass is "lush" (interpret that as needing mowed), the trees are leafing out, my tulips are about to pop open--yes, it's good to be home again!

STASH REPORT - Week 18, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

Not a very inspiring report this week--no yardage used!  I read a couple of fiction books from the library, did some laundry, was out-and-about a bit--and I did get some sewing done but nothing I could count.  I finally got started on what I shall call my S/P (Sandi/Pat) annual challenge quilt on which I was doing a lot of thinking but not much sewing.  I still couldn't find any large amount of the blue/silver Christmas fabric, but I did find about 5 squares that are 4.5 inches (enough to use for small areas of applique).  And I found small amounts of a couple of blues that I can use.  And I found almost 4 yards of white with silver sparkly trees scattered around.  And decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to use it on a quilt that will probably only be used during the Christmas season.  Will the sparkles stay through laundering?  I don't know--but if they don't, it will just be a white background.

 

So, finally on Friday I went downstairs to see how my idea for the "snowballs" would work.  I was doing one of the fabric manipulation things to give them some texture--and making them larger as I want a full-size quilt--and now I have 2 strips with 8 "snowballs" each!  I'm still debating whether I want to use some blue "stars" on each to tack them down a bit more (using decorative stitches).  I'll probably decide that when I blanket stitch around some of the blocks (on my Viking Diamond).  On Saturday, I assembled 2 more blocks for machine applique.  Today or tomorrow I will make a couple of the pieced blocks with the blues I pulled last week--I'm finally getting something done!  I can't count any of the fabric yet--but at some point the BOM and this challenge quilt will give my usage numbers a boost.

This will be a very short week as I'm going to HMQS in Salt Lake City--taking a few classes, oohing & aahing over many beautiful quilts, getting inspired! 

 

 

GET IT DONE 2013 - MAY GOALS & Status of APRIL Goals

GET IT DONE 2013 - MAY Goals
DONE     1) Make 2 blocks on Craftsy 2013 BOM (April & May) (NewFO).  I started on this in April and finished 3 blocks, using purple/lavender scraps.  It is an interesting project with a lot of "teaching" going on.  I would definitely recommend this for beginning quilters--a good way to stretch and grow.

2) Make 4 blocks on Annual S/P Challenge Quilt (NewFO).  (The S/P stands for Sandi/Pat; Sandi is my long-distance quilting buddy.  We started our sewing/quilting friendship before I moved to "the mountain.")  I need to "just do it" and get started on this.  Sandi has all her blocks ready for the blanket stitch around the individual applique parts.  I have ideas on how I want to make the pattern "my own"--I would like to incorporate piecing, applique, and machine embroidery.  It is always interesting to see how different our quilts look even though we use the same patterns!

3) Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  Well, here I go again--how many months has this been added?!  I have so many quilts "in me, just waiting to become reality" that I neglect my growing stack of finished tops.  I will be attending HMQS in May so perhaps I will get motivated to stretch & grow--and feel more secure in my skills or at least more willing to try them!


GET IT DONE 2013 - Status of April Goals
DONE     1) Machine quilt/bind T-Shirt quilt.  I made 2 pillows, also--one has a pillow form inside and the other doesn't.

 

2) Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  NOT DONE

DONE     3) Finish piecing Red Basket Xmas quilt (UFO). 

ADDED:
DONE     4) Hemstitch & crochet edging on 7 burp cloths. 

STASH REPORT - Week 17, 2013

Used this Week: 10.7 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  107.7 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 106.2 yards

 

I finished the backing for the red Christmas basket quilt; that quilt is now transferred to the Longarm UFO stack.  I "found" the blue print fabric I am using in my crocheted rug--plus some more flannel.  The flannel is a big enough cut to use for backings.  I don't know why those fabrics were in a separate Rubbermaid tub, but they were.  I guess that is proof that I need to clean/organize my quilting studio again!  The blue print is cut into strips, ready to be crocheted into my rug (which is still really small!).  It is laying on the table in the dining room, ready to be used--the table seems to be the place I can work best on the rug as I can lay it flat and make sure I'm not crocheting too tightly.  Anyway, the blue fabric is being counted.

I found an error in the red Christmas basket quilt after I posted the pictures last week.  What is it about pictures that make errors jump right out at you?!  I thought I had been watching carefully for that particular error--and there it was!  If you knew me well, you would know that I hate ripping out parts of quilts.  I have a friend who will put a quilt together, decide she doesn't like one block, rip it out, and redo the quilt.  And another friend who will make sure all the people on an appliqued quilt are facing the same direction.  Not me--oh, no!!  But sometimes an error is so glaring that I can't ignore it.  Sigh...  So, I ripped that section out on Monday and redid it--all is now right in that little quilt's world.

My accomplishments for the rest of the week were non-existent.  I got out the pattern for the quilt that Sandi (my long-distance quilting buddy) and I are doing this year--and looked at it to see if I could increase the size of the blocks and make a larger quilt.  Yes, I can do that.  Then I looked for the Christmas blues/silvers that I had decided to use--found some silvery greens but no blues--must have used them all in the blue Christmas basket quilt I made last year.  (I know--I'm an over-achiever or an idiot--to make the quilt twice, once in reds and once in blues.  But only the center motif is the same.)  So, I quit to spend more time thinking about how I want to do it.  Sandi has all her blocks ready to banket-stitch around the edges--am I late or what?!  I'm still trying to figure out what I can do so I will have fewer pieces on the applique blocks!!

But I had a very enjoyable week.  Last Saturday evening we had the FUNdraiser for the "little brown church in the dell" (actually, down the Valley!)--roasted pig with all the trimmings and a live auction of several (about 60!) donated items.  Father Flo, our priest from the Philippines, made an appetizer with shredded pork that was really outstanding.  But it was the time with friends that really made the evening great.  This past Friday we went with a group to a museum/dinner/show--another outstanding evening.  This evening we are attending an 80th birthday celebration for a friend.  If I don't watch out, I will become a social butterfly and Sandi will have her entire quilt completed before I get one block done! 

 

 

STASH REPORT - Week 16, 2013

Used this Week: 13.67 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  97 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 95.5 yards

 

Yea--I finished the red Christmas basket quilt + binding.  I still have the backing to piece; that yardage will be counted next week.  I used the Hunter method of figuring yardage by the size of the quilt X 1.5.  On this one, that was pretty close; I was keeping track of most of it and then forgot to write some down.  If anything, the 13 yards is just a bit low--but that's OK.  I really like the way the quilt turned out--very simple and traditional beyond the center applique.  

I finished the T-shirt quilt for my grand-niece; I also made 2 pillows with navy t-shirts that I felt were too dark to include in the quilt.  I would have liked one more vertical row; but without using the navy shirts, I did not have enough for another row.  Oh, well...  I'm sure she will appreciate it.  It will go in the mail this week.  Jessie graduates May 11--I had a whole month to spare!!

STASH REPORT - Week 15, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  83.35 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 81.85 yards

 

Well, nothing to report--none in, none out.  This week I machine quilted the T-shirt quilt--just a medium meander so I could hit all the seams and the corners.  I also got it bound--so it's ready to be sent to Kansas.  I want to make a couple of pillows though before I package and mail it.  I wish I would have had a few more T-shirts so I could have added one more row to the length.  The pillows will be made with navy T-shirts--I felt they were too dark to add to the mix as most of the shirts are light to medium in color.  Anyway, I'm glad the quilt is done and am ready to start the pillows tomorrow.  I will post a picture when the pillows are done.

 

Still, it was a productive week even with no fabric usage--sort of.  I've finished with the burp cloths--yea!  I think I only had 2 out of the 9 that had the same edging; I just tried different things.  I used crochet thread that I had given my mother (it returned to me after her death last summer).  I'm showing 7 of the 9 I made; DH likes the one with the green variegated thread the best.  That thread was size 30--not one I could work with very well at night (sort of like 22- and 32-count needlework fabric)!!  You can't tell from the picture (poor lighting), but all had pink flannel with pink flowers and a bit of green on the top layer; they are each folded in half for the picture.

STASH REPORT - Week 14, 2013

Used this Week: 4.25 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  83.35 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 81.84 yards

 

Got a backing made for the T-shirt quilt, but haven't done anything else in the quilting studio this week.  I will need to get busy next week if I want to accomplish my goals for April--why do the days disappear so rapidly?!

 

Mr. Moose has been walking around the neighborhood.  I haven't seen him yet, but Carol said he is looking pretty ragged--which probably means he is suffering from the mange or tick fever.  It is so sad as our moose population is decreasing, and they are such magnificent animals.  I think we have also disturbed their habitat with the prevalence of snow machines and 4-wheelers (am I showing my age?!).  It is raining gently, and we expect either rain or snow for about a week.  We need the moisture as our snow pack was below normal this winter--the forest floor is showing in several places.  Mud month here we come!

GET IT DONE 2013 - APRIL Goals

GET IT DONE 2013 - April Goals
1) Machine quilt/bind T-Shirt quilt. 

2) Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.

3) Finish Red Basket Xmas quilt (UFO).

Well, April will look a lot like March!! 


GET IT DONE 2013 - Status of MARCH Goals

DONE     1)  Design/piece T-Shirt quilt for my grand-niece (UFO). 

2)  Finish Red Basket Xmas quilt (UFO). 

DONE     3)  Design/piece Embroidered Undercover Kids quilt (UFO). 

4)   Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack. 

ADDED:
DONE     5)  Piece Forest Floor quilt (NewFO).

Happy Easter!

We are so blessed--He died for our sins and is Risen!  Hallelujah!

We attended the Easter Vigil last night--what a beautiful Mass.  When we got home at about 11:30 pm, we were greeted by our priest and one of our deacons who were spending the night with us to save driving time this morning.  (In the great spaces of Wyoming, our priests and deacons travel a lot!  The two churches are almost 55 miles apart--the time between the Saturday Vigil Mass and the Easter Sunday morning Mass is way too few hours to spend 2 hours traveling.)  Besides, we loved hosting them--and have no family close, so it made our Easter even more special!

The sun is shining, the pussy willows have their catkins out, the birds are chirping--what a beautiful day!

STASH REPORT - Week 13, 2013

Used this Week: 3.5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  79.09 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 77.59 yards

 

Smaller numbers this week, but still going in the right direction.  I used most of the rest of the flannel to make burp cloths and a receiving blanket (now called a swaddling blanket!)--and am crocheting different edgings on each burp cloth.  I want to get the entredeux stitch around all those that are cut out before I take the wing needle out of my Diamond.  And then I worked on income tax--ugh!  It is done and "resting"--I should have it sent off on Monday.  Then I can get back to the "important" things--like quilting!  Everything is just like it was in the quilting studio, waiting patiently.

I got to hunt Easter eggs this morning after brunch--nothing like returning to your youth.  Unfortunately, Smokey, the dog, helped me and found one before I did--I think he ate a large M&M.  I had walked right by that one, but he found it.  DH hid them in plain sight, which helped.  We still have quite a bit of snow in the front yard, making them more visible.

I wish everyone a Happy Easter--we are blessed and renewed on this special day!

STASH REPORT - Week 12, 2013

Used this Week: 15 yards
Added this Week: 1.5 yards

Used year to Date:  75.59 yards
Added Year to Date: 1.5 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 74.09 yards

 

Finally, something good to report stash-wise!  One quilt top, 2 bindings, 1 quilt back, 2 burp cloths, and 25 inches (of ugly fabric!) given to Carol for her crocheted rugs--and I finally got the fabric I need to finish my red Christmas quilt (but haven't finished it yet)!  The Forest Floor quilt top used nearly all of my leftover leaf fabric; it was left from a previous autumn leaf quilt which has long since found a new home.  I really like this quilt pattern--reminds me of leaves blowing in the wind.  (The blocks that look white are really tan/gold--the picture doesn't show the vibrancy of some of the colors.) The burp cloths were from doubled flannel and had what Diane called an "X and O" crocheted edging.  I only have the edging on one, and will probably put a different edging on the other one.  So, now I have 2 burp cloths made with the same edging--one that was purchased and one that I used scrap flannel that I have in my stash.  I downloaded a pattern from the internet for the burp cloth and used variegated thread.  I have a lot of colored crochet thread from my mother, and will probably make more and donate them to Turning Point. 

 

Carol came over again to give me encouragement/help in doing a border for the T-shirt quilt.  The top with border is now draped over the longarm--I'll try to get it quilted before the end of the month--and then on its way back to KS!  It seems heavier than the one I quilted for Carol's granddaughter--but the fusible is what is recommended on several how-to sites for t-shirt quilts.  I'll need to make a backing for it and then load it on the machine--will be so glad to get it in the mail.  Don't think T-shirt quilts are my thing!

Other than the above, I've made a little progress on my crocheted angel baby afghan and managed to burn the potatoes when I forgot I had put them on the stove!  Just finished cleaning the stainless steel pan using the vinegar method--thank goodness for the information on the internet!!

STASH REPORT - Week 11, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  60.59 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 60.59 yards

 

A lot of sewing accomplished this week, but nothing to report!  I'm still waiting on the red fabric for the red Xmas basket quilt--which remains draped over the longarm, saying "Finish Me!"  On Tuesday Carol came over and helped me back the t-shirts for my grand-niece's T-shirt quilt; after she left, I sewed the blocks together and--yup!--draped it over the longarm.  That night I started worrying that the fused interfacing might be the wrong kind as the top is very heavy--but I checked the next morning and it is the recommended Pellon.  Since my niece and grand-niece started backing some of the t-shirts before handing it to me with a "pretty please will you finish this," I wasn't sure.  Carol is coming over this coming Tuesday, and we are going to make a border with smaller pieces of the t-shirts.  This is not my favorite type of piecing/quilting (can you tell?)--they gave me the box of t-shirts the first week of July and I've managed to put it off until now!  Only Jessie's upcoming graduation from high school has made me put it on March's goal list!  Periodically my niece has called to check on my progress (none!); I'm sure she wonders if the box fell into a black hole!

So, while I was waiting for Carol's next visit to lend me encouragement and moral support, the Forest Floor quilt began calling my name.  So, I took my leftover autumn fabrics (from a previous autumn leaf quilt which has long-since found a new home), and started piecing Forest Floor (and avoiding the siren calls of the 2 unfinished quilts that are draped over the longarm!).  I still have 8 of the 6-inch leaf blocks to finish before I can assemble the top and decide on what borders I want to use.  I think I'll be able to count that fabric next week--and hopefully, have the T-shirt quilt machine quilted/bound and ready to return to Kansas!

I attended a 1-day spiritual retreat yesterday which was sponsored by JCCW--always a good way to mark the mid-point of Lent--thought-provoking and uplifting.  Spending the day with old friends and new friends is a bonus.  Hope everyone had a good week of stash-busting!

A Week of Fun

This past week included some fun things and different experiences.  Tuesday, I traveled to the next little town with Carol and we sat in on a demo of how to make noodles.  My mother used to make noodles once in a while, but she always said she didn't like "thick" noodles.  With the "pasta/noodle" machines that are available, that wouldn't be a problem now.  I don't think I will be making noodles anytime soon--I just bought a huge bag of noodles at SAMs last week!  But it was fun--we even had 2 men there for the demo.

Last night we went to a new-to-us eatery after Mass with some friends.  The turkey reuben sandwiches were awesome--and huge!  I think I must have been the oldest person there--did we really frequent such noisy places in our youth?!  Needless to say, my normal early bedtime got delayed, especially when the change to daylight savings time was considered!  It was fun and I enjoyed the food and the company.  Always good to get out of our normal routine once in a while.

STASH REPORT - Week 10, 2013

Used this Week: 10.17 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  60.6 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 60.6 yards

 

Well, those numbers finally moved!   And I get to cross off one of my March goals, too.  I finished the embroidered Undercover Kids (Morehead machine embroidery designs) quilt top.  I told DH that I finally used the last of the fabric I used for my breakfast nook valances when we lived in Casper--and I must have made those 20-22 years ago!!  (He said it was about time!)  The Morehead designs are so cute--I think the little girl walking in the rain is my favorite.  All of them are wearing "adult" hats/caps--just like little children do when playing dress-up!  There is another row on top that doesn't show in the picture--a total of 12.

 

 

 

The red Christmas basket quilt is still laying on the floor--waiting for the fabric to get here so it can be finished.  And I got out the T-shirts for my grandniece's T-shirt quilt.  A friend is coming over on Wednesday to help me get it ready to put together--Carol and her daughter made one for Carol's granddaughter last year and I quilted it on my longarm.  I can't say I'm excited about doing it, so it will be good to have Carol here to help.  I did start cutting out another NewFO from my UFO-NewFO list--and I am excited about it!  While I am waiting on the two above-mentioned quilts, I'm going to start making some of the blocks for Forest Floor today.  I made an autumn leaves quilt several years ago and will be using leftover leaf fabrics for Forest Floor.

And I wanted to show the metal ballot box that we got while waiting for the tech to work on my machine--it makes me happy!

Sunday Sewing...

Sewing is fun and therapeutic for me--so I don't count it as "work" which I avoid on Sundays.  (Now mending would be a different story--but I've successfully avoided that for many years!) I worked on one of my March goals today, the embroidered Undercover Kids quilt.  And became frustrated when my machine was doing the same thing it did before the tech worked on it.  Grrr!  I disassembled the bobbin area parts and found more lint than should have been there after just having been cleaned.  Every other piece I stitched had to be redone, and it was "clunking" like crazy even after I changed the needle (which was looser than I ever have it).  I hate having my machine worked on--it seems like they often do more harm than good.  The last block I pieced finally went better--guess I need to spend tomorrow sewing just to make sure it will work as it should.  I will be upset if I have to make another 250 mile trip!

STASH REPORT - Week 9, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  50.42 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 50.42 yards

 

Well, another week with nothing to report.  Any production came to a screeching halt on Monday, when my trusty machine would not make a nice stitch.  I had just finished making some HSTs for my red Christmas basket quilt, and had some more to make when it happened.  It sucked the top thread down, and I removed the pieces twice; then I cleaned the lint out of the bobbin case area.  Long story short, I made an appointment with the nearest Viking dealer (250-mile round trip!) and asked that a block of time be reserved so that we wouldn't have to make a second trip to pick it up.  The tech said there was a piece of thread under the screw in the bobbin area--I think a dull cutter blade probably was causing the problem.  Anyway, it was past time for a good cleaning--I think it's been 2.5-3 years.  

Then life intervened--DH started asking me questions about our taxes, so I decided I'd better get started on them.  I no longer enjoy doing them; but also know that if I had them done, I would still go over everything minutely.  At this point I have my spreadsheet done and am almost ready to start reading the book to see what new laws/changes are in effect since last year.  So, no trips to the sewing room!

 

 We visited thrift shops and antique stores while waiting for my machine; that was fun!  I picked up some "bargains"--a large creamer/sugar bowl for church receptions, some winter scene wine stems that match what I already have, a ladle for my punch bowl, a Nordicware cake pan ($1), and (drumroll!) a metal ballot box that has been painted with a teddy bear (very well done!).  I love the ballot box!  When DH looked at the tag, he was surprised that it was so inexpensive!  Bargains are good--it paid to check out the things downstairs!!  I love things that bring me joy when I look at them--not the finest or most desired, just things that make me smile when I look at them.

GET IT DONE 2013 - MARCH

GET IT DONE 2013 - MARCH Goals

DONE     1)  Design/piece T-Shirt quilt for my grand-niece (UFO).  How did I get talked into doing this?!  My niece and grand-niece said "please" and that was it!  I've machine quilted 1 T-Shirt quilt for a friend's granddaughter and decided it was not my favorite thing to do--and it was put together.  I believe a few of the t-shirts have been backed but that's all.

2)  Finish Red Basket Xmas quilt (UFO).  I did work on this--and am loving the way it is looking.  I am designing around the center motif, and deciding what to do as I go--and then hit the scourge of quilting from stash.  I don't have enough of one of the fabrics to finish!  I guess I could have stopped with the quilt being 70 inches square, but wanted to put another border on it.  A friend purchased 1.5 yards for me (thank goodness it is one of Hobby Lobby's staple fabrics--but it wasn't available on line), and she will bring it up to me in about a week.  Sooooo, I will finish it in March.

DONE     3)  Design/piece Embroidered Undercover Kids quilt (UFO). 

4)   Machine quilt/bind 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  I only got one quilt done :-( so will add these to my March goals, too.  I didn't get the QOV bound yet--will get that done in the next couple of days.



GET IT DONE 2013 - FEBRUARY Goals

1 DONE     1)  Machine quilt 4 quilts from my LA-UFO stack.  One quilt is partially finished; it's on zippers, so I just need to put it back on the longarm and start stitching again.  Two will be chosen randomly from my stack; and one will be the QOV I didn't get quilted in January.

NOT DONE     2)  Design & piece Red Basket Xmas quilt (UFO).  My quilting friend and I usually make one quilt a year for which we use the same pattern.  They turn out so differently--color, fabric, embellishments, settings--it is so much fun to compare when they are finished.  Anyway, Sandi will probably finish hers soon--and I haven't gotten beyond the center motif (which has been done for over a year!).     

NOT DONE     3)  Finish Embroidered Undercover Kids quilt (UFO).  I have the 12 blocks machine embroidered, but will need to make the blocks larger as they are about 6-inch squares.  I'm thinking of using a flying geese setting around each embroidered piece.

DONE     4) Finish piecing the top of the blue/lavender Pineapple quilt started in January (UFO)

ADDED:
DONE     5) 10 QOV blocks for Alycia's Block Drive

DONE     6) Finish piecing top/backing for black/yellow Pineapple quilt started in January (UFO)

DONE     7) Make 2 pillowcases, using the sausage or hot dog method.

STASH REPORT - Week 8, 2013

Used this Week: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  50.42 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 50.42 yards

 

Well, nothing to show for week 8!  We took a road trip during the early part of the week--well, two actually, one close and one far.  I must be getting cranky in my "advanced years" because I don't enjoy flying (when did those seats get moved so close together?!) and I don't enjoy driving long distances!  But we drove across the state, and then home--had some white-out conditions going down but beat the storm coming back.  Yesterday we watched the huge flakes of white stuff descending and were glad to be inside, being warmed by a nice fire--and at home!

 

I did sew--and did use fabric and reduce the stash--but can't count it yet as the quilt top isn't finished.  I again ran into the limitations of sewing from stash--not enough fabric to finish!  Fortunately, the fabric was from Hobby Lobby and is one of their "staples," so I called a friend and she went to her Hobby Lobby and purchased what I will need to finish the quilt top.  Unfortunately, she and her husband don't like the amounts of snow we get, so she will bring it up when they come up to open their mountain home for the summer!  So, I will put that top aside, and work on something else!  I do like the way the quilt top is turning out--I only had the appliqued center motif done so I am working from the center out and deciding what I want to do as I piece.  After the first row of HSTs, I knew I wanted the simplicity of just continuing that pattern--can't wait to get it finished!

 

Perhaps today I can get down to my sewing room and put it in order before starting on another February goal--February is nearly over and I have a lot of goals that haven't been completed!

 

STASH REPORT - Week 7, 2013

Used this Week: 15 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  50.42 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 50.42 yards

 

Yea--I hit the 50-yard mark!  I finished the black/yellow pineapple quilt and made the backing.  Then, just because I wanted to have a net decrease of 50 yards, I made 2 pillowcases.  If you remember my "watercolor" pineapple quilt, you will recall that the pineapple pattern isn't really distinctive because the fabrics blend too much.  That was why I started the black/yellow one--and made a 2-color instead of a 3-color quilt.  Anyway, I had just enough yellow to make a 3X3 setting.  If you look closely at the 2d picture, you will see that I added a blue piping between the 2 black fabric borders--it's sort of hard to see at a distance.  Anyway, because I didn't have enough yellow to insert a yellow border, I decided to pull out the piping foot for my machine and make some piping.  Once I figured out how to do it, it was really simple--and I love the touch on the quilt!  There's just a bit of blue and yellow/gold in the black fabric.  The pillowcases were made with a Mardi Gras fabric--it was $2/yard on sale!

So--now on to the rest of my February goals--longarming and the red Xmas basket quilt (UFO).  Guess that means I'll finally have to decide on a setting and/or blocks to put around that center motif!!

Procrastinating

Well, I'm procrastinating!  I'll soon go downstairs and work on my black/yellow pineapple quilt.  Next step will be to sew the triangles in the corners of all the blocks, then put the blocks together.  And then comes borders, backing, and binding.  I'm hoping for a finish by tomorrow or Wednesday.  I was thinking as I lay in bed last night about my stash--I've completed a lot of quilts in the last year or so--and my stash doesn't seem to be dwindling!  Do you suppose there are reproductive gremlins hiding in the fabric cabinet?!  Or is it just that I could never resist a bargain (most of my fabric was purchased when on sale for $3/yd. or less)--and thought I would live forever?!  Oh, well, I must be making some progress even if I can't tell yet.

It's a beautiful sunny day here, temps in the low single digits, and a good day to sew!

STASH REPORT - Week 6, 2013

Used this Week: 1.25 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  35.42 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 35.42 yards

 

It was a slow week for busting stash!  However, I did finish 10 blocks to send to Alycia's Block Drive.  Do you remember DeeDee's stash report last week?  She showed a photo of 26 blocks that she made for Alycia's Block Drive--and I thought "I should do that!"  So, I made 10--it was so easy and will be so fruitful.  The hardest part was finding red/white/blue fabric.  So, thank you, DeeDee, for the nudge--and thank you, Alycia, for coordinating so many QOVs!  I'll get them in the mail this week.

I resumed working on my second pineapple top (black & yellow)--I'm going to cut the size to a 3X3 setting--and hope I'll have enough yellow fabric.  (I think I will have just enough.)  And as soon as it is done, I'll have to work on my red Xmas basket quilt!

 

Our mountain goats are down near the highway again--they are so pretty and fun to watch.  And our resident deer herd come to visit several times each day and night.  They have found the bird seed that has been knocked to the ground below the feeders.  Usually there are 5 or 6--and yes, Smokey, our Lhasa, hears them and wants to go out to protect "his" yard from the invaders.  They have gotten over the shock of seeing the furball streaking out to find them--now, they just stand very still or walk down the ravine a short ways and watch him!  He's on an electronic collar and won't go much beyond the perimeter of the yard.

Have a good week!

STASH REPORT - Week 5, 2013

Used this Week: 12.5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  34.17 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2013: 34.17 yards

 

More stash busted!!  I finished the lavender/blue Pineapple quilt--and made the backing so the numbers are good.  I had to improvise a bit on the original plan since I was piecing strictly from stash, but I think it turned out OK.  (I used every bit of 2 of the 3 fabrics--and had to piece one corner triangle.)  Sort of looks like a watercolor picture.  The second pineapple quilt (yellow/black) is on hold as I'm not sure I have enough yellow.  I'll take another look at it this coming week to see if I can make it 3x3 instead of 4x4 and have enough yellow to finish it. 

I was correct--had the wrong fabrics for the Pineapple!  There is not enough contrast between the green/lavender/blue fabric and the lavender & blue fabrics.  It makes it look more like a watercolor.  Not sure how I will quilt it to make each stand out--but since the LA-UFO list is so long, I have lots of time to think about it!!  Without going outside (brrrr!) and hanging the quilts over the deck or porch railings, it is hard to get a good picture.  When DH was taking pictures this morning, he said "I guess I need to make something so we can get better pictures."  :-)

Then here is a picture of the small pew bench my husband made for me.  He was given some pews from our church--they had been replaced when the church was rebuilt to enlarge it.  He cut the 12- & 14-foot pews down and made this small one.  (He made another one and donated it for the JCCW bazaar--you should have seen the silent auction line for adding bids, especially in the last 30 minutes!)  My bench is just the right size for our foyer, and makes a wonderful place to sit and put on boots, etc.

Hope everyone has had a good stash-busting week--or at least, a good week!