Peaceful Sunday...

I ate pie for breakfast (the last piece!)--yum!  It's not snowing here, but we have a misty rain falling every once in a while.  People can't understand why we still have 20-24 inches of snow on the roof :-).  I'm not sure I can either since it seems like it has been melting for 2-3 months off and on!  Smokey (our CA Lhasa) was a pest this morning--came in to get me up and finally succeeded--sat on my stomach, stretched out and laid on my chest, licked my face, licked my hands, growled at me--just wouldn't let up.  When I finally got up, he curled up on the loveseat beside me and promptly went to sleep!

I'm moving slowly today--cleaned in my sewing studio yesterday for too long.  Guess that says something in itself!  I couldn't find the ruler base for my longarm and figured the little girls (grands) found "a better place to store it"--finally went downstairs again just before we left for Mass and found it in with all my rulers--apparently I was anticipating what they might do!  I probably won't be able to find anything since I cleaned and rearranged.  I think today is a day to finish the baby afghan I'm crocheting.  I had my DH bring me the afghan and crochet hook so I wouldn't disturb Smokey who is now curled up on my lap--wonder how Smokey got so spoiled?!

Something to look forward to...

I just made motel reservations for HMQS in Sandy, Utah.  I have gone to HMQS for a lot of years; it is so inspiring to see all the quilts & vendors, to take classes, to meet new/old friends--and not that far to drive.  Last year I missed because of health issues, so it will be doubly nice to attend this year.  I will be taking 5-6 classes May 8-10.  Then I will be taking a workshop from Linda Taylor the end of August; the classes will be held in WY--even closer to drive!  And in between, in July, our son & daughter-in-law and two granddaughters will spend time with us here on the mountain.  Does it sound like there won't be much stash busting going on here?!

STASH REPORT - Week 17, 2014 (4/27/14)

Used this Period: .5 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date: 103.81 yards
Added Year to Date: 30.47 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 73.34 yards

 

Not much stash reduction this week.  I did make blocks to send for the QOV Block Challenge that Kevin the Quilter is ramrodding.  (http://kevinthequilter.blogspot.com/)  

This is such a needed and worthy cause.  I just became aware of it on Sunday, and didn't want Wyoming to go unrepresented (and someone else from Wyoming sent blocks in on Monday!).  Anyone from Montana reading this?  Montana isn't represented yet.   

 

 

STASH REPORT - Week 16, 2014 (4/20/14)

Used this Period: 13.2 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date: 103.31 yards
Added Year to Date: 30.47 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 72.84 yards

 

'Tis a reason to celebrate--stash reduction!!  I finished the pink Log Cabin ("I'm In Love!") quilt on Sunday and made the backing on Monday...and I'm still in love.   The colors in the first picture are true; the colors in the second picture have a yellow tint.  I'll be glad when I can have DH take the pictures outside on the porch again.

The forest floor is showing, more so every passing day.  Mr. Moose has been visiting.  We think he is in his second year rather than a yearling, and he has no fear which may not serve him well.  He was eating pussy willows in a neighbor's yard on Friday, and we sat and watched him from the Jeep for about 30 minutes.  Then he came to visit in our yard on Saturday evening about dusk.  We had just returned from attending Mass when he ambled up--looked at us as we were standing by the vehicles and then passed within 10 feet of us as he made his way to the back yard.  He feasted on the pussy willow first, progressed to the serviceberry bush, and then munched on the small spruce.  And that was it--DH made enough noise to move him away--that happened to be one of the few spruce trees we have planted that the deer haven't reshaped!  He has been back several times; he likes laying in the back yard and surveying the world through the trees.

 

 

 

 

STASH REPORT - Week 15, 2014 (4/13/14)

Used this Period: 8.47 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date: 90.11 yards
Added Year to Date: 30.47 yards 

Net Stash Decrease for 2014: 59.64 yards

 

Whoops, I forgot to count the fabric used for the bindings on the 2 quilts that were quilted last week.  And I donated 1 yard of fabric to a wonderful lady who makes beautiful table runners & placemats for our church bazaar.  This week I finished a scrappy quilt that I will use to practice borders/sashing.  It's pretty ugly--too many darks!  But it will serve its purpose well.

I also worked on a log cabin quilt in pinks--and fell in love!  Pink is my favorite color, and I like log cabin quilts.  I intended to do a straight furrows layout but changed to a different layout which looked better IMHO since one fabric did not match as well as I wanted.  I seriously thought about waiting to piece it until I found fabric that was more complimentary--but decided I would make it work instead.  How's that for will power?!!  I had commitments on Friday and Saturday, so I did not complete the quilt and it will go on next week's stash count.

STASH REPORT - Week 14, 2014 (4/6/14)

Used this Period: 0 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

 

Well, another finish--this one in my crochet UFO-NewFOs.  I'm trying to use all the yarn I have stashed--and there's a new grandbaby on the way, so that variegated yarn was just right (although I had to buy another skein!).  I used a simple picot edging on the afghan and really like it--sort of understated elegance.  Wouldn't it be nice to have no stash in any of my craft hobbies?!

After cleaning my quilting studio in preparation for a rolling thread cabinet which should be done sometime this week, I loaded a quilt onto the longarm.  The last time I quilted on the longarm was too long ago--and now I feel like a beginner again!  To make it easy on myself, I used my clamshell board--just to sort of ease into this skill set again.  It was a good choice for the baby quilt I quilted, and I am happy with the way it looks.  I used a variegated thread.  I wonder how long it will take to get some of my skills back?! 

I don't know how or why, but my one of my longarm canvas leaders was off by a couple of inches.  I can't understand how it happened--the gorilla tape attaching it to the pole had not moved and the leader was not out of alignment--the center point was just a couple of inches off.  Oh, well--even though I avoid all things "mechanical" or remotely related to being a fix-it type of job, I removed the canvas, shifted it by eyeballing it, and reattached it.  Then the next day, I got DH down to check it; we straightened one end and decided to leave it like that for a few quilts to see if it shifts again.  I quilted one more baby-sized quilt, and it seems fine.  This quilt used the same variegated thread and has a variegated chenille backing--the little animals on the front look like they are chenille so it is a perfect backing--and makes a heavy and warm "blanket."  I used a ribbon meander.  Both of these were just a piece of fabric (that coordinates with the backing) and involved no piecing.  

 

The story:  Years ago I found some little stuffed bears made from the same type of chenille; they were on sale and I bought them.  When I made this same quilt years ago as a gift, I pinned one of the bears to it.  I found the same top fabric ("chenille-looking" bears) a couple of years ago in the hardware store (yes, the hardware store sells fabric and is more like the old general stores!) in the little town (350 pop.!) that is 18 miles from our little town.   Who would have thought that would ever happen--finding fabric you really like and had used previously several years prior?!  I decided to make the same quilt again--and that's the story! 

 

One of my 2014 goals was to longarm quilt 5 quilts a month--a worthy goal since I have just under 100 quilts awaiting their visit to the longarm!  (And then I could use those rubbermaid tubs to store something else!)  In my defense, there are so many new, unmade quilt tops calling my name--such a siren song!  Anyway, after the March finishes, I'm only 18 quilts behind my goal!

And all of that verbiage is a long way around to say that my stash remained the same!

STASH REPORT - Week 13, 2014 (3/30/14)

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!