Used this Period: 10 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 81.64 yards
Added Year to Date: 30.47 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 51.17 yards
Oh, yea--another finish! This is a lap-size quilt (49x64), and it is the pig applique quilt that Sandi and I agreed would be our "quilt of the year." Very easy with just a few pieces to blanket stitch around. I almost quit after one block, but didn't feel I could since Sandi had hers nearly done. The black background fabric that I had in my stash is very flimsy (not a good "hand") so I found some lightweight interfacing (how old was that?!) to back it. In fact, I used 2 different brands and then had to use sew-in interfacing that I sprayed for 4 of the blocks! I know that doesn't count for reducing stash--but it did make that drawer a bit emptier!
I like the pigs better than I thought I would. I ditched all the ideas I originally had (3D inner ear, crocheted spiral tail, button eye, pieced sashing and border, embroidering on each pig's body), so it is pretty plain--guess the quilting motifs will have to make up for the lack of piecing innovation. I tried crocheting several different yarns/threads for the spiral tail, and they were all too bulky for the rest of the quilt, even the thin threads. IF I were to make it again, I would replace about 4 of the pig fabric choices (the middle pig in the top row is a pale pink with white daisies, but you can't tell from the picture)--oh, well. (I'm NOT going to make it again!)
And now on to other things. Oh, by the way, the story on the dark fuchia pig is as follows:
"My pigs have been very, very naughty--well, at least one of them. The
lady of the house was mixing dye as she wanted to hand-dye some muslin,
and he (of course it was a "he") couldn't keep his snout out of the
dye. He thought his fellow pigs looked washed out, and that was not for
him. He actually jumped into the wash tub full of dye and rolled
around in it. And now he's preening in front of his fellow barnyard
mates--because he looks so bright and PINK!" (Oh, well--there's always a story behind my quilt aberrations...)
I intended to make him facing the opposite direction but I was afraid I was going to run out of my fusible, so I drew the pig shapes on it to make sure I had enough (just barely!!)--and forgot to turn him the other way! Talk about "the best laid plans..."! Such a simple quilt, and it caused so many problems!!
I have now cut all the background blocks for the penguin quilt; I wanted to make sure that I had enough fabric as we will be going to the nearby city in about a week--not much left over! I won't be able to count anything on that quilt for a long time since it is a BOM, and I only have the first 2 blocks downloaded. I am excited about this quilt--but that is the way I always feel when I start a new quilt! I just finished Block 1 (Saturday morning)--I'm in love!
Used this Period: 16 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 71.64 yards
Added Year to Date: 30.47 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 41.17 yards
Wow, my stash was increasing after adding 10 yards last week instead of decreasing--but this week helped reverse those numbers! I checked back to last year's ending report and found that I have already purchased almost 2X as much fabric this year (and it's only March!) as I did in 12 months last year. Guess it's a fabric diet for me! I do still have 2 quilts that need backing/binding, which will help the "Used" numbers, but I need to go back to "shopping the stash." sigh.....
I finished the Scrappy String Quilt and made the backing. My lighting downstairs isn't very good, and the colors don't show "true." The pinks and yellows--and actually the pastel colors don't show up very well--hardly even look pink or yellow! It is actually much prettier than the pictures show--I'm happy with it! It measures 84x96.
Well...much of this week was spent in the kitchen. I made cinnamon rolls on two different days. Saturday I made a couple of salads and a sandwich spread. A friend wants to come out and make pies, so guess I'd better practice a bit more on my pie crusts. I have the blocks of the pig quilt ready for blanket stitching around the applique, so perhaps I will have a positive report on my stash again next week.
Used this Period: 0 yards
Added this Period: 10 yards
Used year to Date: 55.64 yards
Added Year to Date: 30.47 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 25.17 yards
Whoops! My yardage went the wrong way! I thought I would be able to finish the scrappy string quilt I have been working on this week, but didn't get it done. I have 56 blocks made, but still need to trim them and put them together. Guess I will have better numbers next week!
I bought yardage to make the Penguin quilt from FatCat patterns--black and white for the penguins (extra white because I can always use it) and a gray for the background. I was really looking forward to starting on it but am feeling the letdown after finishing the blocks for the string quilt. I will work on a purple sampler quilt and the pig quilt next--well, maybe I'll also cut the background blocks for the penguins. Just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.
It is melting here--still have a lot of snow in the yard, but the load on the roof is diminishing. The pussy willows are thinking seriously about sending forth the catkins and the stellar jays are flitting around--we may have an early spring this year.
Used this Period: 8.4 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 55.64 yards
Added Year to Date: 20.47 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 35.17 yards
Done--yea! I was going to put more borders on this quilt, but couldn't find the right shade of browns in my stash to go with the brown "scribble" border/sashing--so I stopped there. I made the backing and the binding, and it is now in the UFO quilting stack. I still have quite a few of these rectangles cut and ready to use. At one time, I cut a strip from every fabric in my stash and then cut them into these rectangles--and gave away 2 or 3 entire sets--and made a couple of quilts with them, too. This quilt measures 67x72. I grouped the colors.
The other thing I finished this week is a crocheted afghan. I was helping a friend who wanted to get back into crocheting, and decided that I would make the same pattern. She finished hers before I finished mine! I almost always make my afghans quite large--and this one is large! Winter is such a good time to crochet an afghan, especially when it gets big enough to cover your legs while you are working on it!
We have a big ice rink in our front yard! Our temperatures seem to bounce right up to the mid- to high-thirties after each snow, so we've had a lot of melting. The streets are slushy, and the holes in our gravel streets here on No-Name Mountain are big enough to swallow a vehicle--well, almost!
I have now sewn all of the remaining rectangles together and plan to use them as a scrappy border for some future quilt.
Used this Period: 0 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 47.24 yards
Added Year to Date: 20.47 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 26.77 yards
Nothing to report for this week. I'm working on a scrappy stacked coins quilt which I should finish soon.
