sunday stash report - November 28th 2010

Fabric added this week:  1 yard (black & white fat eights pack)
Fabric added YTD:  153 yards
Fabric used this week:  9 1/2 yards
Fabric used YTD:  117 yards
Net used for 2010:  -26 yards

It's nice to have several days in a row for yourself, I've been home for 4 days and I've made great progress.  My connect the dots top is done, it finished at 74 1/2" by 92", the backing took 5 1/2 yards and another 3/4 yard for the binding and is all ready for layering and quilting.  My goal is to finish it in time for a Christmas present.  I also made a couple of pillowcases with 2 1/2 yards out and another 3/4 yard for a sewing machine mat.

This is a free pattern I found online, unfortunately the webpage's address did not print on the pattern, all I can find is "Sewing machine Thingie (copyright) pattern by Darla Keller". 

I also started working on roll-roll-cotton-boll mystery; almost all of step one is done and I started cutting for step two.  This is the project to work on for today, after reading other people's stash report  of course!

Sunday stash report November 21st 2010

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  152 yards
Fabric used this week:  2 yards - Connect the dots borders
Fabric used YTD:  107 1/2 yards
Net used for 2010:  -35 1/2 yards

Boy, I'm glad this week is over!  Despite every intention to have some progress in the sewing room, not much was accomplished.  These pillow cases were made a couple of weeks ago,
I wanted to make a companion apron  but the pattern I wanted to use decided to hide from me; two days wasted searching for it.  I figure if I stopped looking, it would show up later.  Ok, time to work on the next project; I put in a 2 1/2" pink border on the Connect the dots top, cut a 6 1/2" brown floral borders and made three pinwheels cornerstone blocks,

what??? three?? yeah Ms accountant here had 3 x 4 in her mind for the half square triangles instead of 4 x 4.  No problem, I had an extra 3 1/2" green strip; piecing another 4 patches should be quick.. NOT! I torn the room apart for the second time! I can't find that piece of fabric anywhere.  I suspect the fabric and apron pattern ran away together, what other explanation is there?  I bet the minute I finish piecing scraps together to make those patches, the ran aways will show up.  Jeezzzzz.....

Also, the first clue for Bonnie's new mystery has been posted; I'm not starting just yet as her color way is also green, pink and brown which I'm kind of tired of after the connect the dots top.  Lucky for me (and while searching for the missing items) I found a great vintage piece of fabric with red, aqua (turquoise), yellow, black and white.  I have most of the colors except for a true bright red, I see a shopping trip in my near future.  If I can't squeeze a trip to the store today, it will have to wait until after Thanksgiving.  Speaking of, I have a grocery list to complete, better get off the computer now.

Sunday Stash Report - November 14th 2010

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  152 yards
Fabric used this week:  3 yards - 2 pillowcases
Fabric used YTD:  105 1/2 yards
Net used for 2010:  -37 1/2 yards

I feel like I sewed a lot this week but don't have anything substantial to show for it.  I made  two pillowcases for my friend's birthday gift last Sunday, they will be photographed when I finish the apron I plan to make and include with the gift.  I continued to make blocks for Connect the dots to make it a 6 x 8 block layout; just to make it a little bigger than Judy's original design. It took me all morning yesterday to finish the top.  I'm happy with the results:

The next step is to decide what to do about borders as I ran out of the green and background fabric, there is still plenty of the pink and the brown floral, so I'm thinking a thin pink inner border followed by a 6 1/2" floral border with pinwheel cornerstones (I made extra green and cream half square triangles, enough for 4 pinwheel blocks).  Another option is to find a similar green and use that instead of the pink, there seems to be too much pink on the top already.  While I'm letting these ideas brew for a bit, I'll continue to hand sew my New Year's mystery binding.  I may have a finished and freshly washed quilt on my bed by tonight.  I suppose I better get off this computer now. :-)

Sunday Stash Report November 7th 2010

Fabric Added this week:  3 1/2  yards
Fabric Added YTD:  152 yards
Fabric Used this week:  6 yards - Patchworktimes Connect the dots Mystery
Fabric Used YTD:  102 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2010:  -40 1/2 yards

This week was somewhat slow in the sewing room, I sewed the binding on the Mystery quilt, all it's left to do is hand sew the binding to the back and bury my quilting threads.

Even though I'm still working on getting the blocks finished, I'm counting 6 yards of fabric used since I already cut all the fabric for the Connect the dots mystery top

 I'm still considering what borders I would make for this top as the fabric I used may not be enough for Judy's pieced borders, but I may have enough for a border or two. 
The plan for today is to make an apron and a couple of pillowcases for a co-worker's belated birthday present; then the rest of the week will be dedicated to finishing my mystery blocks.  I'm also looking forward to getting enough time to pull fabrics for Bonnie's New mystery roll roll-cotton boll ,  it begins on Nov 19th and I'm very excited and eager to get started.  I'm also looking forward to Ann Smith's New Year's mystery; however, the fabric requirements have not been posted yet.  It's two months away, but I intent to be prepared for it.  I love quilting pattern mysteries!

Ooops, I almost forgot about the new stash fabric, just a few remnant pieces I picked up at Joann's last weekend.

 These pieces are intended for scrap quilting as they range from 10 in to half a yard in size. Just following Bonnie's advise, "Add new things to the old things to spice up the old if you need to".  There really wasn't a need, but it's fun.

Sunday Stash Report October 31st, 2010

Fabric added last 2 weeks:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  148 1/2 yards
Fabric used last 2 weeks: 0 yards
Fabric used YTD:  96 1/2 yards
Net used for 2010:  -46 1/2 yards

Another two weeks have gone by and I didn't used stash fabric, well, that's not completely true as I did start cutting this fabric for Judy's L mystery quilt

I'll count it as used as soon as the top is done.  I completed clue #1 and started with clue #2,

not too bad as I decided to start with the mystery when the second clue was posted.  I had no intention of starting a new project, as a matter of fact, free motion quilting my New Year's mystery quilt was my current project, but I had to stop when I sewed my right hand middle finger to my quilt! Amazingly; pain was not the first thing my brain registered when it happened, it was the clunk and snap of the needle when it broke in two pieces after coming out of my finger... I'm ok now, a little sore but it's healing fine. The quilting is fine as well, finished even.

I've also been knitting, mostly in the vanpool on my way back home from work, the morning commute is about 1 hour but mostly dark when we are on the road.  The afternoon commute takes a little longer about an hour to 1 1/2 hours and that's when I knit.

This is a free pattern I picked up at either Joann's or Michael's.  It is also the first garment pattern I ever knit.  The yarn is an old acrylic skein from almost a decade ago, but I wanted to try it out before investing in a good quality natural fiber yarn.  I thought I wouldn't like knitting something with a "shape" but it's going ok, I'm liking it. 
Now, I need to get started or rather continue on with both the New Year's mystery quilt binding and Judy's new mystery, I hope to have it all done before the little peanut shows up at noon today.   I'll share my progress next week.

Coming up for air

What a couple of weeks! Again, no stash usage to report,  I'm still working on getting the stash organized and confined to the new sewing room.

( It's a little slow going as we officially moved to the new facility at work and the commute  now takes an additional 3 hours of my time).  I keep finding boxes and bags with more fabric! sometimes duplicate cuts of the same fabric, I must of really liked it ;-). 

The positive side?  I'm figuring out what colors I have excess of, what colors need to be replenished and most importantly what fabric I no longer love or want.  This is very liberating,  even the magazine stash is getting an overhaul.  I've kept every issue of three different quilting magazines from as early as 2004, I think I want to keep 2 previous years and current issues (2008, 2009 and 2010), then I would be removing the oldest issue as soon as a new one comes in the mail, seems like a good plan to keep the magazine stash fresh and fitting  in their new allotted space.  I've also been trying to decide on a theme or color scheme, I want to make covers for (3) sewing machines and the serger, a table mat for each, a couple of thread catchers, valances for the window and seat covers or cushion for two chairs.  But why restrict myself to a color or theme?  I'll work in an assembly line and make a set for each holiday!  After all, I have enough fabric. LOL. 
Sounds like a good plan, It will help change the no stash used tune I've been singing for a while now.

For now, I'm taking an hour or so  to browse other quilting blogs over at Judy's  patchworktimes.com   and see what other's have been up to this week.

Sunday Stash Report - September 26th, 2010

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  148 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week:  2 1/2 yards
Fabric used YTD:  96 1/2 yards
Net used for 2010:  -46 1/2 yards

Yesterday, I didn't have to babysit the little peanut until after noon so I attended my Saturday Morning quilters get-together.  Of course, I didn't have any on-going project at the ready and started something new.  I'm disappointed with the Scrap-Basket Surprises book I'm using,while I love almost all 18 of the projects in it, I don't like all the marking and waste method for creating those 45 degree angles. The "Quilts from 2 1/2 strips" sub-title is misleading, I assumed the patterns were strip sewing... that's was I get for not reading the actual  instructions.  Oh well, I still like the patterns very much and will at least try to finish the one started.

I'm still working on arranging and setting up the sewing room.  I have a lot of shoe boxes with mostly 1/2 hard cuts and odd sizes, this baker's rack is perfect for them.  I was considering taking the fabric out of the boxes, but they are already "contained", why mess with that?

Bigger pieces of  fabric are getting folded in a more uniform manner; I could then stack them on a bookcase I found at goodwill (brand-new unit for $14.99, the deal of the year!)  Here is a picture of some of my blues waiting for their new home.

Hopefully, I'll finish with organizing and arranging by next weekend.  Although this week will be as busy or even more than usual.  My sister is having her first chemo treatment on Monday, I'll make a trip to see her.  Things are starting to escalate at work and we now have a deadline for moving, our department is expected to be at the new location by next Monday.  I decided to try commuting for a little bit and see how it goes, we have a good possibility for a van-pool.  However, having to be in a car for 2 1/2 to 3 hours each day, even though I don't have to do the actual driving, is still going to be hard.  Hummmm, I should learn to hand quilt or applique.  There is always crochet and knitting too.  But for today, I'm taking it easy, read a few stash reports at Patchworktimes and organize that stash a little more.