Sunday, August 10, 2014

STASH REPORT - Week 32, 2014 (8/9/14)

Used this Period: 2 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date: 120.01 yards
Added Year to Date: 50.64 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 69.37 yards

 

Two yards of stash were used to make nursing covers for my daughter-in-law; I used leftovers to embellish burp cloths made from cloth diapers.  I used cloth diapers for my son (36 years ago), so I always had diaper burp cloths, dusting cloths, etc.  Even then most mothers were using disposable diapers.  

These are "galloping horse" pictures from the longarm workshop with Linda Taylor.  The first one shows a quilting tool apron she gave us; she also gave us a small tote bag she embellished with her Statler.  The next picture was things we did that first day for Technical Skills--pantos (I had not done a panto for a long time!) and templates.  The second day we were doing Feathers & Fleathers (feathered flowers)--I gained confidence for quilting feathers and embellishing them.  The third day we stitched various things on a sampler that resembled a fan quilt--you can really see my "feathered" bird on one of the fans although it is more obscure in real life.  The procedure was that Linda would show us stitched samples in quilts and/or small samplers, then demo the stitching, and then we would work on the machines.  We also received workbooks/books and DVDs to reinforce the techniques/motifs for later.  The Gammill Vision II machines were soooooooo easy to operate, and Rick checked tension/needles/etc. each evening so they stitched beautifully each day.  I wish I had a genie to do that in my studio!  This will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me--one that I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy.





Sunday, August 3, 2014

STASH REPORT - Week 31, 2014 (8/2/14)

Used this Period: 0 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date: 118.01 yards
Added Year to Date: 50.64 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 67.37 yards

 

Oh, what a week this has been!  But to get the bad news out of the way first--no stash reduction.  Then all the good & fun news...

 

We got all the furniture back in place after the carpet cleaning.  I now have 5 apple crisps in the freezer (my son & family brought me apples from WA), and I have the last picking of the rhubarb washed and in the refrigerator--ready to be cut up for freezing and baking.  The laundry is done, and the cherries are picked.  The raspberries are a day-by-day thing.

 

I spent my week at a Linda Taylor longarm retreat/workshop--an excellent experience.  Gammill provided Vision II machines and we had 2 heads per table.  There were 12 of us in class from various states--New York, West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Idaho, etc.--with varying levels of experience, different machines at home, but all eager to learn.  Rick provided a tension workshop on Monday evening, and most of the spouses attended.  Then we had 3 packed days of hands-on learning.  It was interesting to see the improvement we all exhibited; I think I'm ready to tackle those tubs of pieced tops now!!  I shared my table with a gentleman the first day, and then with a lovely lady named Aileen the next two days.  She is a lovely, gentle lady, and it was such a joy to work beside her!  It was exhausting, but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to attend.  I've never done a hands-on class at HMQS (Salt Lake quilting show), but I could do that now.  I don't do art quilts and I'm pretty structured in my quilting (I'm a Virgo!)--but I think I will spread my wings and "fly" every now and then!

 

There is a nip in the air already, and the hummingbirds are acting like their feeding frenzy is just around the corner.  I have lots of daisies still blooming along the back property line, some hollyhocks and Tiger lilies leading their beauty to the yard--what a lovely time of the year.