Sunday Stash Report July 31st 2011

Fabric added last two weeks:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  46 1/2 yards
Fabric used last two weeks:  10 1/4 yards
Fabric used YTD:  74 yards
Net used for 2011:  27 1/2 yards

Babysitting duty was light this last couple of weeks and I spent a lot of time in my sewing room.  It was a shaky start, it took me most of the day (Sunday before last) to find my Tri & Recs Tools rulers for the star points on  Mary's Churn Dash & Stars pattern.  Once I found the rulers, it was easy going.

Even the back and binding were done

It's all ready to be sandwiched at the next opportunity.....(code for "I don't feel like it right now")
It was both satisfying and a big relief to be done with this top, I'm now feeling a little spent and  not in a great hurry to start a new project but I do want to sew.  hummm, I think I want to pick up the Roll Cotton Boll mystery where I left off, the paper needs to come off of the string blocks and then it's some re-cutting and sewing.  Simple enough. 

Another Finish!

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  46 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week:  0 yards
Fabric used YTD:  53 3/4 yards
Net used for 2011:  7 1/4 yards

My numbers this week are the same as last week.  It's ok, I'm happy with my latest finish, the Jelly Roll Race top.

It was also bound with the faux pipping from tlc stitches, I had made enough for the two green & purple quilts.  The FMQ'ng did get better as I went along,

Not to bad looking on the back either

I also pulled some Christmas fabric from the stash and made several bundles, I just can't decide with fabric grouping to start with or which pattern.  I thought maybe a double irish chain with these

Or Mary's Churn dash stars with these other fabrics

This group of fabrics is my least favorite, I can't even think of a pattern for them

I also grouped these darker fabrics, which are pretty nice but I can't picture them together in any particular quilt design

I'll make up my mind soon, after finishing those two quilts, I'm eager to get started with some fresh piecing.  Although, while stash diving, I got to tidy up the sewing room a bit and found some UFO's that should be worked on, the last UFO I worked on  from Judy's UFO challenge was March....That makes me 4 months behind. Maybe I can squeeze one more finish this month?  I hope so!  Finishing a project feels just as good as starting a new one.

Sunday Stash Report - July 10th 2011

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  46 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week:  0 yards
Fabric used YTD:  53 3/4 yards
Net used for 2011:  7 1/4 yards

I miss my sewing room! It's been either busy or TOO HOT since last week to be in there (no AC and fans are not enough). I  now understand the Christmas in July fad, it makes sense to fantasize about the cool (some places cold) weather in December. 
On Sunday, I quilted a few rows on the Jelly roll race quilt with leaves.  They look somewhat decent on the front

Bu the back shows the true nature of my FMQ skills

After my wonky swirls from the last quilt, this is my second attempt at a discernible pattern.  I'm thinking I tried so hard to not cross or connect lines while meandering on my previous quilts that now I'm struggling to do the opposite.  Good thing there is plenty of rows on this quilt, that should give me enough practice.

I hope to get a few more rows quilted today if not all and then plan on pulling some fabric for a new project, a Christmas in July project???  Very possible!   I've never made a holiday themed quilt, this is a as good time as any to correct that.  Better finish my coffee and get started, I have snowflakes, Santa, reindeer, snow capped ginger houses and other winter-y characters to dig out!

Sunday Stash Report - July 3rd 2011

Fabric added this week:  0 yards
Fabric added YTD:  46 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week:  9 yards for 2 backings, 2 yards binding
Fabric used YTD:  53 3/4 yards
Net used for 2011:  7 1/4 yards

I'm so excited about my usage numbers, I found one of the lost notebooks and figured out I had not counted all the fabric I used (aka cut) for both the Courthouse Step quilt and the Jelly roll race. This week I'm adjusting for one of the backings and binding , and reporting actual usage as I prepared the backing for the Jelly roll top and a mock pipping/binding for both quilts. I'm back on the black, sweet!.

Speaking of mock pipping, I tried  this tutorial at TLC stitches  and love the results. It's very nice and neat, specially because it allows for decent looking machine sewn binding, but the time saved by not hand sewing is taken by the extra steps.  Not enough sewing time in my life and  I don't particularly care for the extra work.   Overall, I'm happy that I tried it. 

With that said, Courthouse steps is done, washed and ready to go home with the little peanut!.

.  Yesterday while in my Saturday Quilting Group class, I layered and pin basted the Jelly roll race top and it's now in the sewing room waiting for me to start the quilting. The idea is to try a different pattern on each strip but I'm getting cold feet now.  I definitely do not want to stitch in the ditch but it's a lot of rows and I want it done this weekend if possible. 
Of course, I'm going to give myself a couple of hours this morning to browse other stash reports at Judy's Patchworktimes.com , then get started with finishing my quilt.  I know I'll find lots of inspiration and good company!

PS. I've been trying to find a reply to comment button but I guess it doesn't exist since I couldn't find one.  I finally took the time to really explore blogger and found where I was supposed to fill in my email address and reply from there.... I've only been blogging for a few years now, jeeezzzeee!  I have more work to do before I get in the sewing room this morning!

It Feels Good to be Back

Fabric Added since my last post:  38 yards

Fabric added YTD:  46 1/2 yards

Fabric used since my last post:  10 yards (guess-estimate)

Fabic used YTD:  42 3/4 yards

Net used for 2011:  -3 3/4 yards

April 10th, that's the last time I had a Sunday Stash Report, didn't realize it's been so long.  I lost my entire hard drive to a Trojan virus a few weeks ago, (I had already been making without my camera) and  with it the motivation to post and as a side effect, lost track of time.  The quilting was sporadic for a little bit and my sewing room was neglected.  Of course, since I wasn't sewing, I had to shop for fabric. Hence the 38 yards.  I left off at trying to finish my (March I believe) UFO challenge and only got as far as pinning the layers together and cross hatched quilted on the chains

Then, I was taken our of my stupor by my Saturday Quilting group. a Jelly roll race project was scheduled in and I became excited about sewing again.  I selected purple and green for my project and started cutting fabric, I did write down the yardage used as I was going along, then lost my notepad. It must be buried under the new fabric LOL.  If I find it soon I'll adjust the fabric used on my next report. 

I loved the fabric combo so much that I kept cutting strips and turned the strips into these blocks then a finished top.

It's Courthouse square pattern from Another Can of Worms book by Debbie Caffrey.  It was fun and simple to make.  The little peanut loved and claimed it for herself, she kept saying:  "my blanket, my blanket".  So I dropped all other projects and intentions and free motion quilted it with wonky (very un-intentional) swirls.

Here's a corner

The plan for today is to attach the binding and finish this baby so that the little peanut can start using it right away.  It feels good to be back.!

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!.