FABRIC STASH - WEEK 5, 2016 (1/31/16)

Used this Period: 8.42 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  43.06 yards
Added Year to Date:  1.75 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   41.31 yards

 

More blues--a third quilt to decrease the blue stash finished!  I think this will be the last blue quilt I make for awhile, although I still have a lot of fabric on that shelf.  This was a quilt I saw on Pinterest--sort of.  I should have used pinks because the sample was so much prettier--much brighter!  I changed the flower as I knew I had a Baltimore Album quilt pattern that I could use for my flower.  I used 8.42 yards in the top, backing, and binding. 

 

We went to the "big city" on Monday of this week to see "13 Hours."  I had already read the book and have followed all the news regarding Benghazi as someone dear to me has served in the military.  Such a sad day in the history of the United States--those brave men expected help and should have had help.  

 

It is snowing here now, and snow is predicted for the next week or so.  The Servpro guy replaced our dishwasher, which was about 8 years old and leaking.  I told him that I don't even like dishwashers--but if we ever sell this house, a dishwasher would be expected.  He told me that the expected life of dishwashers these days is 13-14 years at most.  Where are the good old days when your appliances lasted 25 years?!  He also told me that I need to use it at least once a week--for the two of us, that will probably be about 1 week's worth of meals!!  He said he and his wife put in two dishwashers when they had their house built--oh, my!  Ours started leaking after we had company over Christmas.

The excitement for the week occurred with our Lhasa, Smokey.  DH let Smokey in after doing his thing outside--I was sitting in my recliner with my computer and watching TV.  Smokey runs around like a mad bandit when he comes in, and that night was no different.  At that time of the night, he usually will go get Chippy, the plush toy chipmunk (about 3 inches in size) he brought with him when he joined us.  He takes care of Chippy like it was his kid and always seems to know where he put him the last time he was carrying him around.  He will bring him to me, but not to DH--and then I get to "babysit" Chippy until we retire to the bedroom.  Sometimes Smokey will just drop Chippy in my lap and curl up--and sometimes he waits until I take hold of Chippy before he lets go. 

Smokey hopped up on my lap with Chippy in his mouth, and I took hold of it and kind of wiggled it to get Smokey to let go.  I thought "Chippy feels really silky" (which Chippy doesn't feel silky since he has been carried around, stuffed behind pillows & couch cushions, etc. for about 11years!)--took another tug and glanced down just as Smokey let go and dropped it from his mouth...  And screamed!  That got DH's attention; he sat up and wanted to know what was wrong.  "A MOUSE!!  Get it!" 

The mouse was dead, and DH "got" it while he was bent over laughing.  Scared Smokey when I screamed, and he jumped off my lap--then he spent the next 5 minutes looking for his "treasure."  Smokey had to sit on DH's lap for the rest of the evening, and I washed my hand multiple times.  Ewww!!  I can do without that kind of excitement!  Now I check Smokey's mouth when he comes in from outside.

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 4, 2016 (1/24/16)

Used this Period: 10.75 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  34.64 yards
Added Year to Date:  1.75 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   32.89 yards

 

What a beautiful scene up on our mountain--all the trees have little puffs of snow on their branches.  Frequently they produce small avalanches as the weight becomes too heavy to support.  We have a weather advisory of 70% chance of snow through tomorrow.  Our road is getting narrower and the snow on the sides of the road is getting higher--I hope we continue to have cold weather so we don't have a "January melt."

 

Out of the frying pan into the fire--that's what happened to me this week!  I complained last week because the Delectable Mountains had so many seams to match--and then saw this site:

https://quiltaddict.com/hello-design-wall-you-are-a-lifesaver/ 

Since I have so many blues in my stash, I thought "Why not use some more blues and make that quilt?"  (I store my stash in a enclosed cabinet--and I think those "blues" are having too much fun behind the closed doors!  They seem to be multiplying just like dust bunnies!!)  I had forgotten that there was a reason I don't use this method to cut half-square triangles--bias edges!!  After I had made the first 3 blocks, I knew this quilt wouldn't be any larger than a twin-sized quilt--and reminded myself that I don't like working with bias edges.  This quilt had just as many seams to match, too!  Bias edges make it easy to match seams because they stretch; unfortunately, that doesn't do much for the squareness of the quilt!  But, seldom do I not finish something that is started so I blundered along.  (And blue is not my favorite color!)  The following picture shows the finished result--yep, twin-sized!  The good part was that I reduced the "blues"--now if I can just keep them from having so much "fun!"  I used 10.75 yards for the quilt, binding, and backing.

 

We had our first "recipe club" for 2016 at the Senior Center; this month it was soups.  I made Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque, which we were introduced to at Yellowstone.  Only one small problem:  when I took the canned fire-roasted tomatoes from the pantry, I noticed that it was "salsa fire-roasted tomatoes."  No problem, I figured; when I make salsa from scratch, it isn't hot so I thought this just had onions, etc. added.  Wrong again!  When one of the ladies tasted the soup at our "tasting session," she said "Oh, this has a little kick to it."  After she said it a second time, I decided I'd better try it.  DH and I like it better without the "kick," but several of the ladies wanted to know where I got the salsa version of the fire-roasted tomatoes because they liked it!  Since I didn't know it was a salsa version, I'm not sure where I got it!!

 

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 3, 2016 (1/17/16)

Used this Period: 23.89 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  23.89 yards
Added Year to Date:  1.75 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   22.14 yards

 

What a productive week I've had--at least in the sewing room!  I started the "blues" Delectable Mountains quilt on Saturday and finished the backing on Wednesday of this week.  It is such an easy and fast pattern!  I was thinking "maybe I'll make one in Christmas fabrics"--and then I started putting all those blocks together.  Oh, my--every block had 8 seams that had to be matched, plus the seam connecting the blocks!  I do like the end result, but I don't think I'll make another one any time soon.  I know it reduced my stash, but there are still a lot of blues on that shelf.  It turned out larger than I was expecting--or maybe it just looks that way.  I still don't have a good place to hang quilts for pictures--as you can see!  I used 13 yards 29 inches in the quilt, backing, and binding.

 

Then I decided to get back to the basket holding my quilt panels--it still had 2 snowmen panels, a moose panel, and an applique panel for a Halloween quilt.  I finished the first snowman panel on Thursday, and the second panel on Friday.  I have to admit that the second panel didn't reach the same size as the first one--it will definitely be for a "little one."  I raided the Christmas stash for the backings--yea!!  Panel #1 used 6 yards 3 inches (quilt/backing/binding) and Panel #2 used 4 yards.  I will have some backing left over from the first panel and will use leftover backing for the binding on the second panel.  Done!!

 

  And a closeup of the panel:

I really dislike using a dishwasher--seems like such a waste for just 2 of us.  I guess I never really disliked doing dishes when I was growing up (we didn't have a dishwasher--it was just my sister and myself!).  Because we had so much company over the Christmas holidays, our dishwasher sprung a leak.  The repairman said the newer ones are made a bit differently so they shouldn't spring a leak (ours is only 10 years old and used very sparingly)--but he also said the expected life was only 13-14 years.  I told him we have had dishwashers in the past that were still going strong after 25 years, but he said that is no longer the case.  I think the reason I don't like to use it is because we have so few dishes and so you have to run it when it is only partially full.  He said he and his wife had 6 kids; and when they built their present house, they put in 2 dishwashers.  Apparently that is not uncommon.  The short story is...we are getting a new dishwasher.  And I will use it at least once a week--and grumble all the time I have to use it!

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 2, 2016 (1/10/16)

Used this Period: 0 yards
Added this Period: 1.75 yards

Used year to Date:  0 yards 
Added Year to Date:  1.75 yards

Net Stash Increase for 2016:   1.75 yards

 

What a short week!  I wasted the first part of the week trying to shake the upper respiratory infection that I picked up over the Christmas/New Year holidays--just playing on the computer, reading, napping, sitting in my recliner watching TV.  I'm still not 100%, but I am getting better.  

 

We went to the big city on Thursday, and I found a red angel Christmas fabric (1.75 yards) I "couldn't live without!"  I resisted most of the sale fabrics, but I love angels and I love Christmas.  Not sure how I will use it, but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

 

 

I started on my first NewFO quilt for the new year.  It is amazing how soothing and peaceful it is to spend time in my sewing room again.  Someone told me her mother used to say "Sew on Sunday, rip on Monday."  I'm sure she was referring to God's request that Sunday be a day of rest.  For me, being in my sewing room, piecing a quilt, is a restful way to spend a Sunday!  Anyway, the quilt I decided to start is Mountain Majesties in blues.  I have a lot of blue material, and this is a project that will use some of that blue stash.  I have 15 blocks finished so far, with another 16 in progress.  It is an easy pattern; look on Bonnie Hunter's website for a scrappy version and instructions.  This is a sample:

 

I may decide to make a scrappy Christmas Mountain Majesties if I like the blue one.

 

My New Year's resolutions include a) losing weight, eating healthily, exercising; b) reducing stash; c) longarm quilting those 100+ tops that are waiting; d) finishing things on my other UFO lists (crochet/decorative painting/machine embroidery/hand embroidery).  These resolutions aren't very different than last year's resolutions; but if I don't make resolutions, I'm less likely to accomplish the things I want to accomplish. 

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 1, 2016 (1/3/16)

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

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

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   0 yards

 

Talk about a blank slate--this is it!  No fabric used, no projects worked on, just a walk-through in the studio--the best is yet to be!

Stash-Busting Goals - 2016

I'm excited to start a new year to further reduce my stash!  Perhaps I can resist the beautiful new fabrics that call to me.  I will continue to purchase fabrics as needed to coordinate with my stash fabrics.  In 2014, my net stash decrease was 97.97 yards; in 2015, my net stash decrease was 164.93 yards.  Do you suppose I will be able to have a net reduction of 200 yards in 2016?  My 2016 goals are:

 

A) Reduce the LongarmUFO list.  That will start in January.  I won't put a definite number per month since that didn't work in 2015.

 

B) Reestablish a UFO/NewFO quilt top list--this will be A and B lists, as follows:

1a) Bear Claw in Bear Claw (NewFO)

2a) Solid/Scrappy Quilt w/Quilted Spirals (NewFO)

3a) Embroidered BFC Shoes (NewFO) (machine embroidery not done)

4a) Embroidered BFC Cupcakes (NewFO) (machine embroidery not done)

5a) Embroidered Morehead Angels (NewFO) (machine embroidery not done)

DONE 4/6/16 6a) Yellow/Green Quilt2 (UFO) (1 block done) 

DONE 1/13/16 7a) Delectable Mountains in Blues (NewFO)
8a) Blue/Yellow TeaTime Quilt (NewFO)
DONE 2/21/16 9a) Halloween Scarecrow Quilt (NewFO)
10a) Sandi-Pat Challenge Quilt-Manipulated Quilt (NewFO)
11a) Scrappy Twirling 9-Patch (NewFO)
12a) Penguin (NewFO)
1b) Embroidered Redwork Angels (NewFO)
2b) Scrappy Birds in the Air (NewFO)
3b) Dizzy Geese in R/W/B (NewFO)
4b) Biscuit Quilt (NewFO)
5b) Scrappy "Corners 81" (NewFO)
6b) Embroidered Child's Parable Quilt (NewFO)
7b) Sunshine Pineapple (NewFO) 
8b) Selvage/Scrappy String Quilt (NewFO)
DONE 1/14/16 9b) Christmas Panel #1 (NewFO)
DONE 1/15/16 10b) Christmas Panel #2 (NewFO)
DONE 2/9/16  11b) Moose Panel (NewFO)
DONE 1/23/16 12b) 3 Dudes SuperSimpleStrips (NewFO)
DONE 1/29/16 1c) Horizontal/Vertical in Blues (NewFO) 
DONE 3/26/16 2c) Hunter's Star in Blues (NewFO) 
DONE 4/1/16 3c) Pooh Panel Baby Quilt (NewFO)
DONE 4/25/16 4c) Lady of the Lake in Blues (NewFO)
DONE 6/19/16 5c) Emb'd Leaf Dbl Irish Chain (NewFO)
DONE 8/22/16 6c) 2-Color Hunter Star (NewFO)
DONE 9/30/16 7c) MonkeyWrench w/Secondary Pattern (NewFO)
DONE 10/22/16 8c) Log Cabin Straights & Furrows (NewFO)
 
 

C) Work on Machine Embroidery/Embroidery/Crochet/Decorative Painting UFO lists.  All of these lists are on paper; I will list completions as they are finished.  I will attempt to include more pictures of completions and stash on my blog.