FABRIC STASH - WEEK 12-13, 2016 (3/20-27/16)

Used this Period: 11.3 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  110.78 yards
Added Year to Date:  6.25 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   104.53 yards

 

I finally got back to my quilting studio and attacked those "blues" again.  (I'm leaving the door to my fabric cabinet open to discourage any multiplication!!)  Instead of working on the lime/avocado green quilt that is only partially completed, I went off in another direction and made a Hunter's Star, using only a navy print and a tan.  This was on my bucket list, and I may want to make another one sometime in the near future.  This is what I learned:  I will put a third color in the "star" blocks next time so the star will pop.  As it is, my eye is drawn to the "arrows" rather than the "stars"--sort of like when you look at the picture of the old woman and the beautiful young woman--which do you see?!  I will quilt it in a way that will let the stars take precedence and the arrows recede, and am currently thinking about ways to do that.  Anyway, I planned to use 3 borders (print-tan-print) but made my binding from the print after my first border--and only had 10 inches left--so that plan was scrapped.  Quilting from stash changes plans quite frequently!  Anyway, it's done, I like it, and the "blues" are decreasing!

 

I'm still hacking away, but did go to the clinic.  Because I react adversely to so many medications, the PA was reluctant to give me an antibiotic and tried something else instead.  I think I will probably go see my doctor in the nearby small town soon as this has been hanging on for a month already--and I still feel terrible.  Oh, well--it could be worse.

 

And now I need to shift gears and start preparations for Easter dinner.  Friends will join us.  We've been traveling the Canyon to attend church services, so a rest will be nice after the Vigil Mass tonight.  We saw mountain goats, deer, and elk on our trip last night.  One of the goats was standing alone on one of the craggy peaks--just like you see in pictures!  They are so sure-footed!!  I hope everyone has a happy and blessed Easter!

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 11, 2016 (3/13/16)

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

Used year to Date:  99.48 yards
Added Year to Date:  6.25 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   93.23 yards

 

No change!  This has been a week of no accomplishments--except letting Smokey, the Lhasa, lie on my lap and sleep.  I've been rendered helpless by a bout of bronchitis.  I think I am getting better, but still can't control the coughing.  My ribs really hurt already.  I'm hoping for a better week soon--before I forget all my ideas for the current UFO.

 

Mr. Young Moose has not returned to our yard.  Perhaps that will let us enjoy the catkins on the willows for awhile.  We did see a moose as we traveled up the Canyon to church last night.  He was totally unconcerned that we were watching him.  The mountain goats were playing just below the highway.  And the grouse barely moved off the roadway as we came down our mountain.  Snow is predicted for the next few days--I hope it materializes as we can always use the moisture.  And I'm hopeful that I will be in the sewing studio this next week!

Big Horn Sheep

Well, I did a little research on these critters--and have decided the sheep we saw were probably all ewes as none had any length of curl.  And they (males & females) have a black tongue!!  That's an interesting bit of trivia.

http://www.backpackingintherubymountains.info/animals/bighornsheep.html

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 10, 2016 (3/6/16)

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

Used year to Date:  99.48 yards
Added Year to Date:  6.25 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   93.23 yards

 

Nothing in, nothing out--no change in my numbers this week.  I really wanted a net decrease of 100 yards before March, but there were just too many things going on this week.  I did work on my current UFO on Monday and part of Tuesday, but it's not even half done.  Maybe this coming week...

We had a visit by a yearling moose--he found the neighbor's parking space to be just to his liking, and rested there and chewed his cud for a couple of hours.  Then he got up and spent some time trimming the willows in our thicket (such a unique trim job!), before wandering around the house on Smokey's (our Lhasa) path.  He was startled when he encountered DH working on the Jeep--and DH was just as startled to have this huge creature coming toward him!  The local Game & Fish warden told us Mr. Young Moose had been hanging around the elk feed ground, and they had treated him for ticks (a real problem with the moose population) the day before.  Anyway he took off through the snow, down the ravine, and toward the trees on the other side of the ravine.  We saw another moose hanging around the church Thursday night after the Penance Service--and another one in a nearby town on Saturday.  It's time for moose sightings here!

We also saw some big horn sheep as we traveled to the nearby town on Saturday.  They were young and were just starting on their "curls"--perhaps they will have a full curl in a year or two.  I'll have to do some research on when they get a full curl.  And to round out the week, Smokey, the dog, has capitulated to his sense of wanderlust!  He knows when he doesn't have his electronic collar on (or when the battery is getting low!) and takes full advantage of his "freedom."  He has been "constrained" for 8 years by the electronic "fence"--when does he stop testing it?!  

This week I need to figure out cake pops--I bought a pan at a thrift store in the nearby big city (that's a relative assessment--it's the biggest one around!) and would like to take some to the Stations service on Friday evening--the children would love them!  And DH will probably love the testing process!!

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 9, 2016 (2/28/16)

Used this Period: 5 yards
Added this Period: 4.5 yards

Used year to Date:  99.48 yards
Added Year to Date:  6.25 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   93.23 yards

 

I added yardage to my stash, but the damage to my numbers was minimal.  I bought flannel (2.5 yards) at JoAnn's in the near big city on Monday, so I could complete the last two double flannel receiving blankets to be donated to Turning Point.  This will be the last two pieces of patterned flannel from my "petting cabinet."  (I still have the pink elephants flannel, but will use it to back a baby quilt at some time in the future.)  On Tuesday, I went downstairs and finished the receiving blankets--so, in and out!  That used 2.5 yards of flannel from stash, so I got a bit ahead.  

 

The other 2 yards was fleece purchased to make a double fleece quillow for the young grandson.  Our son's first grade teacher made fleece quillows for the two granddaughters at Christmas--but the grandson didn't get one.  So, Grandma to the rescue!!  I'm not sure when I will get it done, but it is ready to be in the queue.  The Hancock's Fabrics store in the near big city is one that is being closed in their bankruptcy reorganization, so they are in the first 30% of their sales as they get ready to close.  They don't know what their closing date will be; it will be a loss as we will only have JoAnn's and a limited amount of fabric at Hobby Lobby.   

 

The remainder of my week kept me out of the sewing room.  On Wednesday, I accompanied my DH when he was transporting vehicles to Colorado and back for the local dealership.  It was a long day!  We were awake at 2:30 am (Wednesday morning), departed at 4:15am, and returned at 3:30 am (Thursday morning).  I spent Friday and half of Saturday working on our taxes--just have to check them and they are done.  Whew--that's a relief!  It always feels so good to get to this point. 

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 8, 2016 (2/21/16)

Used this Period: 11 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  94.48 yards
Added Year to Date:  1.75 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   92.73 yards

 

Well, that feels soooooo good--last panel out of that basket (the applique one) and the quilt is just now finished!  And even better, I used a lot of my autumn stash--both yardage and bits & pieces of leftovers from previous quilts.  I was going to make it larger--it ended up at 57x72--but I was quilting "by the seat of my pants" without preplanning, and the last border just said "You don't need anything but me!"  This was one of the few quilts that I quilted from the center out, thinking I would just add pieced and plain borders.  Other than my backing fabric (which was an autumn leaf print by Timeless Treasures and was on sale for $2/yard a couple of years ago at Hancock Fabrics) and the applique panel, everything was leftover from other quilts.  The applique panel had several "extra" pieces for a trapunto effect; I used all but 4, which did not match the regular outline or which would have been trapunto under a trapunto.  My trapunto isn't super puffy--I used a fusible quilt batting that I had left over.  Anyway, counting the panel and backing, I think I used 11 yards--close anyway.

 

I won't be able to reduce stash much if at all next week (so I won't get to a net decrease of 100 yards by the end of the month!), as I plan to work on our taxes--not my favorite thing to do!  But if I get it done, I can concentrate on more enjoyable things--dangling the carrot!  We've got the "winter melt" going on here.  I think our snow pack in the yard has dropped a foot.  Today is a sunshiny day, making me think "garden."  That's probably why I bought wildflowers to plant on the edge of the back yard!  I hope everyone has a good week with lots of stash usage!  

FABRIC STASH - WEEK 7, 2016 (2/14/16)

Used this Period: 7.92 yards
Added this Period: 0 yards

Used year to Date:  83.48 yards
Added Year to Date:  1.75 yards

Net Stash Decrease for 2016:   81.73 yards

 

I tackled the last fabric panel (one that was gifted to me by my quilting partner) and have finished a 57x57 quilt plus backing (binding will be made with leftover backing).  What a good feeling it is to be able to see the bottom of that basket!  Not the prettiest lap quilt that I have done, but it is OK.  I should have spent a bit more time in planning, rather than just the hit & miss of "doing."  The panel itself was quite narrow and long, which is why I added the colored wedges on the sides--I wish I had made the background between each of them narrower (the "planning" bit that I should have done!).  If I use that concept again, I will preplan and make the background strips narrower!  I used 7.92 yards on this quilt and backing.  (That's my Lhasa at the bottom of the first picture--wearing a sweater because it's cold here!)

 

Now I have an applique scarecrow with dimensional pieces to do (from that same basket).  I'm still visualizing how I want to do it so the extra pieces will be dimensional.  I may get started on it today (Saturday), because I will need to have some yardage to report for Week 8!  This has been a busy week with giving blood, Ash Wednesday, the seniors' Recipe Club meeting (cooking beforehand), and Stations on Friday (with soup supper afterwards).  I made cinnamon rolls to take to the soup supper; it was the first time I have made them since last winter so I wasn't sure whether I would need to make a soup to take at the last minute.  However, my dough was quite good and they were tasty.  When I take them to the soup suppers, I make some of the dough in my mini-muffin pan--just the right size for the children!  Now, on to another week of happy stash busting!