Sunday Stash Report - April 10th 2011

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  8 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week: 3 1/2 yards
Fabric used YTD:  32 3/4 yards
Net used for 2011:  24 1/4 yards

I'm so prod of myself, I finished the two Easter table runners from last year.  It took a few  strips for the border, backing and binding for a total of 2 yards used.

February's UFO challenge was also finished to where I'm left with hand sewing two sides of binding,  don't remember if I counted the backing yet, but it turned out too short and had to add a couple of 10" strips plus the binding for an additional 1 1/2 yards used.

Honestly? I'm just guesstimating how much fabric I used, it was written down on a now lost piece of paper, but  I'm finding that it's more exciting and satisfying to have finished a project than to have the exact measurements of how much fabric I used, the fabric is gone from the shelves! That feels great!

There is still some playing with the pastel nine patches

It could possibly be a finish top by next weekend, I'll certainly will try! 

Sunday Stash Report - April 3rd 2011

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  8 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week:   1 1/4 yards
Fabric used YTD:  29 1/4 yards
Net Used for 2011:  20 3/4 yards

I had so much fun working with all pastel colors last week and wanted to keep playing with them.  I've worked on scrappy nine patch blocks every now and then, accumulating them for a future baby quilt.  I pulled them out of their baggie and started planning and playing

The patches are so cute and happy! 5 Fat quarters of 5 different prints were cut into 5" squares, I hope to have enough blocks to make a 45" x 65" quilt.  I'm also setting up my machine to start quilting patchworktimes.com UFO challenge #10 (it was layered and pin basted yesterday), it's February's UFO but I'm determined to finish it by next weekend.
To warm up for the UFO's quilting, I'll be quilting these runners from last year

I know, a little ambitious, but these colors put me in a good and positive mood, plus I need the practice.  April promises to be a fun month!.   

Sunday Stash Report - March 27th 2011

Fabric added this week:  5 1/2 yards
Fabric added YTD:  8 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week 3 3/4 yards
Fabric used YTD: 28 yards
Net used for 2011:  19 1/2 yards

On Tuesday, I realized I had forgotten  another niece was having a Baby Shower this Saturday(yesterday) Typical me, I waited to the last minute. Soooo I whipped up a baby quilt in record time! Started it Wednesday afternoon, a Trip Around the World top made in an couple of hours.  Left it alone on Thursday and Friday (I had overnight babysitting duty for the little peanut) and back to layer, quilt, bind and label on Saturday morning.

Learned a lot from this little project.  I wanted to make a quilt without using a neutral color such as white, tan or cream.  It kind of worked but I didn't think about that pink being repeated on the border and how it blends with the top.

Don't use a stripe fabric unless you have time to rip out patches with the lines going on a different direction.

 The label should have been made with a solid thread, the variegated thread worked great for the diagonal quilting, not so much for the label. 

Final lesson, machine binding should not be attempted when in a rush and having three people looking over your shoulder while tapping their foot and switching from pointedly looking at their watch and at you with dart shooting out of their eyes. I loved every minute of it!, I mean, the quilting not my sisters being mean to me. 
My well earned reward was 4 1/2 yards of white on white, (LOL) and one yard of a purple print.  I do need them for my next project!

Sunday Stash Report - March 20th 2011

Fabric added last 2 weeks:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  3 yards
Fabric used last 2 weeks:  1/4 yard
Fabric used YTD:   24 1/4 yards
Net used for 2011:  21 1/4

Again my favorite song: " no time to sew", my activities in the sewing room have been sporadic and whatever I managed to do; was done in the span of two weeks.    I worked on and off on the UFO #6B (from January) blocks, they are all done and waiting to be sewn into a top.  The violet baby quilt was finished with a meandering FMQ and a machine finished binding, even a label was made with my machine's font stitches.

The 1/4 yard was actually a fat quarter used to line a crocheted purse I made a couple of years ago. 

 The best part? It's brown!, I'm counting it against this month's Monochromatic Challenge.  I couldn't decide on which fabric to use, the indecision only lasted a few seconds and I settled on the one at the right

It was such a quick and easy task, I went "designer" and added a magnetic snap closure, LOL.  Anything to be in the sewing room if only for 20 minutes.

We had the yearly Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival in Pomona, CA last Saturday; I attended with a couple of friends and we had a blast.  Surprisingly, I wasn't tempted by any fabric or gadgets but was very intrigued by a pattern for a machine sewn faux Cathedral windows wall hanging.  I'll show a picture as soon as I get a new camera, (I had it all charged and ready for the festival but decided to drop it on the floor with the lens opened).

There is still hope for some sewing time this coming week; maybe work on this month's UFO challenge?  or last month's for that matter... sigh.  At least I get to see and enjoy other quilter's doings, I'm up for another cup of coffee and some reading.

Sunday Stash Report - March 6th 2011

Fabric added last 3 weeks:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  3 yards
Fabric used last 3 weeks:  2 yards
Fabric used YTD:  24 yards
Net used for 2011:  21 yards

Boy, the last few weeks have been a whirlpool of happenings that left no time or energy to get in the sewing room.  I'm so grateful that things are slowing down and somewhat back to normal.

Pin basting the violet baby quilt is the only sewing related thing I've managed to do in the last three weeks

I found a solid violet flannel to use for the backing and started the FMQ last night, but I ran out of bobbing thread,  I'll finish it tonight after I buy a new spool of thread.  I missed my sewing room!

Her Name is Violet

Fabric added this week:  1 yard - Mail order
Fabric added YTD:  3 yards
Fabric used this week:  8 yards
Fabric used YTD:  22 yards
Net used for 2011:  19 yards

What is that phrase? "Best laid plans..."  I received the "baby shower is cancelled" call early last week, my grand-niece decided to come to this world early and her and her mom will most likely not be at their best on Saturday.  When I heard the baby's name is Violet, I couldn't resist changing my plans. Instead of making a baby quilt using a panel,  I would get to participate on Judy's Monochromatic challenge and have the most appropriate quilt for little miss Violet, perfect!.  I used  Eleanor's Burns Cornerstones pattern from the book Still stripping and managed to make two tops:

Here is one block:

I made the two tops just because I could, the pattern fabric requirements are too generous and there was enough material to piece two tops, I added a little bit more for the background, borders and binding.   5 1/2 yards of fabric out of the stash and more to come out when I decide what to use for the backing. 

But before all of this excitement, I was working on my NYE mystery top and it was at this stage by Sunday night

A framing border with cornerstones and a final border were added yesterday for an additional usage of 2 1/2 yards,

The feeling of accomplishment is a great motivator and  I decided to keep at it and also prepared binding for all three tops, pink for the mystery and white for the two baby quilts

I also selected a backing for February's UFO challenge, but I did not include the yardage yet as I did not get to sew the two pieces together.  I'm so thrilled with the stash busting as well with the production level this week, I hope to keep it up and have finished items on my next report.  I'm even posting a little earlier than usual, I'm eager to get back to my sewing room! LOL.  Of course, not before a couple of cups of coffee and some Stash reports reading.

PS. That one yard?  I wanted to try mail ordering fabric as I never done it before,  the quality is not what I was expecting, I'm a little dissapointed...

Sunday Stash - Report February 6th 2011

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  2 yards
Fabric used this week:  0 yards
Fabric used YTD:  14 yards
Net used for 2011:  12 yards

Minimal sewing this week, ughhhh! (The only good thing about not having time for sewing, it's also not having time for shopping!  there are still good numbers on the stash report)  By Monday night, I finished hand sewing the binding on my January UFO and had two rows of the NYE mystery sewn, then life got in the way and any free time I might of had went out the door.  Lucky me, I had the baby shower date wrong and it's not until this coming Saturday.  I still have a few days to make that baby quilt, thank God for pre-printed panels.

I plan on piecing a back for February's UFO challenge,  Judy selected #10 which is my Planet patchwork summer mystery.

Time permitting, I hope to have the backing done by Friday and put together my quilt layers during Saturday morning class.  As for now, I'm giving myself a coffee break, I'll read as many stash reports as I can while I sip, then it's to the sewing room until it's time for baby sitting duty later this afternoon.