Heart Palpitations & Sunday Stash Report

Fabric added this week: 38 yards

Fabric added YTD: 131 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards

Fabric used YTD: 53 1/2 yards

Net used for 2010: -78 1/2 yards

This leaning tower is approximately 38 yards worth of quilt shop quality fabric. Yesterday, while visiting my oldest sister in Hemet, CA and searching for an address, she made a wrong turn into a Goodwill store parking lot. I said "it's meant to be, may as well go in the store now" and we did. I found several zip lock baggies with little white cards giving the yardage and price of the contents; the prices ranged from $2 to $4 a yard, the smallest piece 1/2 yard and the biggest at 4 yards. The store had a 40% off so I figure it was a great deal at $1.20 a yard, I choose the prettiest fabrics and restrained myself to a few bags. I showed my sister my find and she said "That's not the price, those are the prices from the person who donated the items, ask the store manager for their price". The manager said: "$1 a bag with 40% off" WHATTTT????!!!!!!!! My heart stopped, my brain instantaneously remember how many bags there were and my feet took me across to the other end of the store in a nano-second flat. I scored those 38 yards squeezed into 19 bags for $11.40 and no tax!. The adrenaline was pumping, it took an immense amount of self restrain not to start shouting and jumping of joy.

I don't care that I haven't sewn a scrap of fabric in the last week(s), I don't care to spend another 10 minutes searching my computer for the picture of my finished king sized quilt (which I'm incredibly proud of) to show, and I don't even care that I'm in the RED with my stash report, I AM HAPPY! Deep breath now.........................

Sunday Stash report - April 11th 2010

Fabric Added last two weeks: 1/2 yard
Fabric Added YTD: 93 yards
Fabric Used last two weeks: 1 yard
Fabric Used YTD: 53 1/2 yards
Net used for 2010: -40 1/2 yards

I had my baby sister and her three children stay with us for spring break, my quilting was kept to a minimum this last two weeks. I love my family to pieces, but after a week of a full house, it's wonderful to see them go home!. I did finish quilting my over the line quilt, I used slightly less than a yard for the binding, got it sewed on and I've hand sewn two sides. My intention is to get it finished today, wash & dry the quilt and get it to it's new home by tomorrow. I'm confident it will be accomplished as we have a small road trip planned later today, that should give me a couple of hours to work on it while in the car. I also have a couple of weeks of blog reading to get caught up with, so I'm getting another cup of coffee and on my way to Judy's blog for a boost of inspiration.

Sunday Stash report March 28th 2010

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added YTD: 92.5 yards
Fabric used this week: 1/2 yard
Fabric used YTD: 52 1/2 yards
Net used for 2010: -39.5 yards
I've only used 1/2 yard for the St. Patrick's Day table runner backing. I quilted it as a warm up to get ready for the Over the Line quilt top.

The quilting on the Over the Line quilt is 2/3 done, the goal is to get it finished by Friday, get the binding done, wash it dry it, and have all ready to be sent to it's new house by next Sunday.

I find it amusing that the closer I get to getting it done, the drive to work on it becomes more urgent. I've been working on it for 4 hours this morning and had to force myself to stop as I have plans outdoors for the rest of day. I'll be back soon enough....

Sunday Stash Report March 21, 2010

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards
Fabric Added YTD: 92.5 yards
Fabric used last two weeks: 2 1/2 yards
Fabric used YTD: 52 yards
Net used for 2010: -40 yards
Somewhat productive couple of weeks, not much fabric usage but got some sewing done. I layered the over the line quilt top and it is now waiting for free motion quilting. I'm having a hard time deciding what thread color to use since I'm technically a beginner machine quilter and I KNOW there will be goofs, I'm hoping to minimize them by selecting a thread color that would blend with the fabrics. The plan is to make my selection today and starting quilting this top tonight. While I've been giving myself some time on the thread choice, I made a cover for my tabletop ironing board, this took 1/2 yard of fabric and a 3 yards package of binding.

I was gifted some bow tie blocks that my friend had from her guild block exchange, it seems they exchanged theme blocks every month. These are Easter fabrics. I thought about making a small baby quilt but then decided to stretch the blocks and make table runners instead. These blocks will make two runners. I used 1/2 yard of purple fabric for borders and binding. I'm contemplating a pieced border, so I will most likely have to pull another piece of fabric to finish them. There were only 12 St. Patrick's Day blocks which also have become a table runner.

I used one yard of green and 1/2 yard white for the borders and binding.

Well, that's the report for today. I may be out shopping for fabric in the next few days, I heard about a $2 per yard quilt-shop-quality fabric sale, apparently the store is liquidating their stock to either move or close. The store also carries sewing machines and quilting frames, I'm considering the Little Gracie II quilting frame, if the shop has one at the right price......... ;-)

Sunday Stash Report March 7th 2010

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added YTD: 92.5 yards
Fabric used this week: 2 1/2 yards
Fabric used YTD: 49 1/2 yards
Net used for 2010: -42.5 yards

There has not been any sewing this week at all. I finished the baby string top from last Sunday by the evening, one yard of sashing fabric and 1 1/2 yards for the backing were used. After I prepared the backing, I started to load it on my John Flynn frame, (It's been such a long time since I used it) I couldn't remember how to load it properly and the instruction video was nowhere to be found. By the time I found the video online, family, babysitting duty, work, and life in general had drained all my energy and I had no stamina to get anything done.
This weekend has just been an extension of the week before and it looks like not much will get done again. There is always tomorrow or the next day....

Channeling Speedy Gonzalez

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added YTD: 92.5 yards
Fabric used this week: 11 yards
Fabric used YTD: 47 yards
Net used for 2010: -45.5

I've NEVER sewed as fast as I've done this week, I finished a King sized top in two weeks!. I love the fabrics on the over the line project and the pattern is simple enough, but sewing the same fabrics over and over was getting boring. That was the driving force for the marathon sewing, I wanted it done. Borders are added and I went as far as using left over pieces or scraps for the backing.
I tried to spread it on my couch for a full picture, but the little peanut decided to help. Besides, the top is so big, about 106 x 106, I don't have any surface big enough for it in this house.
Here is the finished top folded and waiting for the next step.
The pieced backing. This was inspired by some quilts I've seen on the Internet, it was not as easy as it looked. I do love the look, but having used almost all the scraps from this project is the icing on the cake.

I worked late into Friday night on a self-imposed deadline, I wanted to finishing both the top and backing and have them ready for layering Saturday morning at class. Well, class was cancelled because of the rain, or rather, because most ladies didn't want to go to class in the rain :-). Plan B. Actually, I have to figure out a plan. I do have a couple of cutting tables, but I don't think they will be big enough for this top.

I was still in the mood for sewing but did not want to go thru fabrics or patterns to get a new project started, work on a UFO or current project. So... I sewed strings on a paper foundation and made these:

16 - 8 1/2" unfinished string blocks, enough for a baby quilt. I've always loved scraps and I know some very generous people (Hi Ann!) who have given me scraps in the past. I usually like high contrast and the medium tones are always put aside, until now. They look pretty and soft, with a soft floral pink for sashing, it will be perfect for a baby girl.

This baby quilt will keep me occupied for today, maybe....... I do love to check other quilters blogs and stash reports, I'm headed over to Judy's patchworktimes as soon as I hit the publish button.

Sunday Stash report - Feb 21st

Fabric Added last couple of weeks: 60 1/2 yards
Fabric added YTD: 92.5 yards
Fabric used last couple of weeks: 12 yards
Fabric used YTD: 36 yards
Net used for 2010: -56.5

It all started when I was asked, by someone special, to make a quilt for them. The excitement of starting a specific project took over. My previously selected Valentine's Day project was forgotten, the magazine stash come out and the fun begun. I selected this pattern from a 2005 American Patchwork & Quilting issue. The new quilt needs to be in a different colorway: yellow, green, brown and orange. I had a couple of prints that would work in my stash but orange was the missing color. Hence the shopping :-). It happened to be President's Day Sale at the fabric store and I found at least 4 different orange prints that would work ( and a few others that I just liked). When we got home, the grouping wasn't working as the new pieces did not mingle nicely with the other fabrics already selected. A trip to a second store was made and I found the perfect piece, along with a few others that caught my eye and came home with me. It took me an entire week to be happy with my fabric selection and summon the courage to cut, when I found it I stripped 11 yards worth of fabric. This is what they look like coming out of the back of the machine:

My first completed block.

I get too impatient and want to see the pattern as soon as possible, so I sewed two blocks together and this is what they look like:

The plan is to finish sewing about 3 more sets of strips, press all the sewn strips and start cutting the individual blocks. Good thing this quilt will be finished at about 100" x 100" for a king sized bed. If I manage to complete the top by next weekend, I'll be able to then count the backing, borders and binding as busted. A very promising week!.