Sunday Stash Report - December 26th 2010

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  196 yards
Fabric used this week:  0 yards
Fabric used YTD:  118 1/4 yards
Net used for 2010:  -67 3/4 yards

As I didn't really set a number of yards to be used, my real goal for 2010 was to hinder the impulsive buying and I accomplished it!  Ending on the negative side of stash busting is not a bad thing, I've had a productive year regardless of how many yards of fabric I bought or not.  The best product of this year was getting my own sewing room; it still is a work in progress and I'm sure it will continue to evolve as I figure what works and what doesn't. 

I've also had lots of fun this year with many mysteries, free patterns, great tutorials and just an amazingly inmense amount of talent and inspiration, but most importantly? getting to know many people on the internet quilting community.  I still have to work on being a little more friendly or rather being less shy.  I sometimes feel like a child on her first day of school and find myself taking peeks at others from behind my mother.  I'l work on my courage and will eventually get out completely and join the party.  

While I wait for the year end festivities to be done, (and while my sewing room is occupied by unexpected but welcomed company), I'll work on a list of goals for next year.  Oh, and while I wait for everyone in the house to wake up, I'll grab another cup of coffee and read lots of year end stash busting reports at patchworktimes.com

Sunday Stash Report - December 19th, 2010

Fabric added last two weeks:  43 yards (Christmas present to myself)
Fabric added YTD:  196 yards
Fabric used last two weeks:  1 1/4 yards
Fabric used YTD:  118 1/4 yards
Net used for 2010:  -67 3/4 yards

Here is a picture of what my 43 yards look like:

I took advantage of a recent clearance sale and scored all of the fabric at a great price, none of it was more than $2 a yard.  Also, most of these fabrics have an intended usage, pillowcases for donating.  I hope to get 50 pillowcases done in that many days, one a day seems doable if I cut and prepare the fabric in advance.  The two bolts are about 8 to 10 yards each, these are to be backings.

The 1 1/4 yard used?  That was my first cut for Ann Smith's 2010 New Year mystery; the fabric requirements and pre-sewing instructions have been posted, I plan on using these:

I should have the rest of the pieces cut today.

I have also been working on Bonnie's RRCB mystery and have clues 1,2 and 4 partially done, my favorite clue #3 is all done, I haven't taken pictures of the completed units but these are the fabrics I'm using:

Yes, I am a mystery quilt addict (my  2010 UFO Challenge post will attest for this) ; they are so much fun. There has only been one that I didn't like and didn't finish, the fabric is hiding in a box somewhere. Other than this one fluke, they have all been lots of fun, as a matter of fact, there were a few that I didn't do and I regret it.

Well, I think I've reported all that's been going on in my sewing room and quilting life for these last two weeks.  I'm going to get as much fabric cut this morning as I can possible can, my sewing room's door will be closed later this afternoon and probably won't be open until next Sunday. I have an insanely busy week ahead and don't expect to have much time for sewing, but I plan to make up for it during the days between Holidays.

2011 UFO Challenge

Judy is hosting a UFO challenge for the new year, I'm in! While trying to get a list going, I realized that I don't have that many unfinished projects, what I do have is unfinished quilts. My count is 12 tops and 7 UFO's.  Planned, some day and on the wish list projects, well, that's a whole other challenge all together.  Anyhow, I plan on listing both types to work on, if a number without a project is chosen by Judy, then I'll have green light to start a new project, I have to get that UFO list started for the following year, right?  LOL.  
  Here is my list of unfinished quilts:

1. Blue & Green jewel box

2.  scrappy double four patch

3.  Purple nine patch

4.  Ann Smith summer mystery

5. Double delight 

6.  Bears in the farm house

 7. Fat quarter quilt 

 8.  scrappy stars

9.  June mystery 

10.  Planet patchwork mystery 

11. Little sister quilt 

12. Judy's mystery

For the UFO's, I'll have to dig in boxes to find them and take pictures. I should have it done before the new year.



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.