Used this Period: 0 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 53.65 yards
Added Year to Date: 9 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2015: 44.65 yards
Well, I did finish something, even if it wasn't a quilt! I finished the afghan I had started. The yarn is very soft and drapable. We like "big" afghans; when I started it, I didn't make it quite as wide as I later wished--so I put several rows of double crochet on the side to make it wider. I really like the effect. When I got to the edging, I crocheted a triple picot--and it looks good. Another UFO done!
The yarn is variegated with purple, rose, green, etc. in it. Someone remind me not to buy any more yarn until I finish some of the UFO quilts!
It has been a week of short trips in the area, church services, and lunching with friends. That really cuts into my "work" time. Finally, on Friday I ironed shirts for my DH--and since I was already down by the ironing board, I decided to work on the third "shoes" quilt. I have all the embroidered blocks (18) done--I put a 2-inch border around the embroidered squares. There will be 17 alternating blocks, and I have the final 2 "sides" to make and sew on--on all 17. Then I'll be ready to lay the blocks out and sew them together. I should have just enough of the background fabric to finish--I hope! Guess what I'll be doing today! There will be yardage to count next week.
If there are more Sally King shoe embroidery designs, do you suppose I will purchase them and make a "4th Edition" quilt? I'm already thinking I might have to do another one with a yellow background!
Used this Period: 10.75 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 53.65 yards
Added Year to Date: 9 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2015: 44.65 yards
I finished my green Sally King shoes quilt; it is 78x78--and has lots of 1 inch strips in both the shoe blocks and the alternating blocks. I estimated the yardage used and probably estimated it low since I know the backing is 4.75 yards and the last border & binding took 2 yards. It is very nice--and very different from the pink "shoes" quilt, which is pastels. Now I just have one more shoes quilt; it is on an aqua background.
Now I need to quit going to luncheons and concentrate on doing some longarm quilting. We'll see how that goes!
Used this Period: 0 yards
Added this Period: 1 yards
Used year to Date: 42.9 yards
Added Year to Date: 9 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2015: 33.9 yards
Nothing to report--but a whole lot of sewing done! I am still working on my "green" (background) Sally King shoes quilt top. I didn't have enough of my darkest green fabric, so I bought 1 yard of a dark hunter fabric--it does match what I had already used but is not the same--perils of quilting from stash! I'm not sure I like my alternating blocks, so maybe it's a good thing I ran out of time to finish it. It's currently laid out on the carpet; I'll look at it again today and maybe tomorrow to see if I want to do something different. If I do decide not to use the alternating blocks that are already made, they can be used in another quilt. Decisions! The embroidered shoes are so pretty (and time consuming with so many stitches per shoe!) that I don't want to detract from them.
We went to a matinee showing of "MacFarland" and I highly recommend it. As a retired teacher, it brought back many memories.
Used this Period: 0 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 42.9 yards
Added Year to Date: 8 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2015: 34.9 yards
Nothing in and nothing out! I am working on my second shoes (Sally King - BFC) quilt. This one has the embroidery on a green background. I have 13 embroidered blocks and am using log cabin setting blocks (12). So far, I have most of the embroidered blocks done (3 rows of 1-inch fabric around the embroidery), with just the last row to sew onto the last 5 shoes. I'm again encountering the problems that come with sewing from stash. I had planned to make the setting blocks with the same 3 fabrics used around the embroidered blocks, and adding 2 more. I won't have enough of one of the fabrics (the outside one), so I need to decide what I want to do instead. I'll try to come up with something in the next couple of days. I would like to finish the quilt this week, if possible. It will use some of my stash greens, which will be good. I may decide to do the setting blocks "scrappy."
I think we'll go see "McFarland" on Wednesday--then Stations on Friday and another week will be gone. Time has been flying by. We're having a lot of melting, with very little new snow. We may even have a real spring this year!
Used this Period: 9 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 42.9 yards
Added Year to Date: 8 yards
Net Stash Decrease for 2015: 34.9 yards
Another UFO completed! More stash used! A successful week of sewing! I'm happy to have my pink "shoes" quilt in the Longarm UFO stack. This quilt measures 62X72; I used the last of several pieces of fabric left over from other quilts. I wasn't thinking when I started putting my blocks together--so had to be a little innovative in making it larger. I'm showing a few of the shoes--there are 12.
And then I chained myself to the desk and started on our taxes--not really, but almost! I dislike the tedium of getting my ledger worksheet made, summarizing all the categories I need for filling in the forms--but enjoy using my brain a bit to finish the forms. I'm disappointed that IRS will no longer send out the big Tax Guide, even to libraries. You can download it on line, but I'm old school and find it much faster to look something up in a paper copy instead of scrolling back and forth in a digital copy. Oh, well, I guess I have the time. My desk looks so clean now--all the filing is done and the first draft of the forms is done. I'll go over them early next week, have DH go over them, and make the final copy. And then perhaps I can get back to my sewing room!
This has been a busy week. Monday we went to the elk refuge where we took a wagon ride amongst the elk. None of the bulls were too concerned when we went by, but the cows are pregnant and a lot more leery. Lots and lots of 6-point bulls! We also went up behind the refuge and watched the herd of big horn sheep. They got up close and personal as they licked the salt off the vehicles that stopped. Those rams have huge curved horns! You could tell which vehicles stopped as there were tongue marks on the sides! And the little ones were so very cute--as are most babies! Wednesday we went with the seniors group to a Chinese restaurant in a nearby town. The food was excellent, and the company was great. I think that was their largest dining group since the new management took over. I think we will probably go back again.
Our weather has been really kooky this winter--lots of melting going on. My pussywillows have formed catkins already, and the ruffled grouse have been having a feast! The Snow Days activities in our little hamlet were skimpy this year because of lack of mounds of snow. The SnowCross races did not occur--too bad as three of our Valley guys raced in the Xtreme snowmobile races and would have been fun to watch. Our hill has become a skating rink again. It melted just enough yesterday to deposit a thick coat of ice when the temperatures dropped. I hope they sand the road before we have to leave for Lenten services--and I hope we don't have to walk home afterwards!
