Stash Report Week # 8

This report is a bit early, but I'm confident there won't be a change in the stash in the next two hours. It's been crazy at work the last couple of weeks, and this week has been no exception. At the end of the day I've been too tired to even look at my sewing machine. Sunday I did get a few more string blocks made and used a little bit of fabric -- but then later in the week I spotted some election day fabric which would make a great backing for the Election Day Challenge quilt I haven't started. Since it was marked down to next to nothing, I bought what was left on the bolt -- 8 yards.

Here's the report

Fabric Added this Week: 8 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 44.75 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 1.875 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 19.205 yards

Net Stash: +25.545 yards

My First Quilt

Judy over at Patchwork Times asked if we remember our first quilt. I do, so I thought I'd tell about it since all I've been doing the last couple of days is cleaning up the mess I made making string blocks. Who knew string blocks could be so messy, but that's for another day.

The picture above is of my first quilt while it was being assembled. I promise it's really finished, but I don't have a better picture of it.

My high school offered several different sewing classes: Sewing 101, Tailoring, Family Clothing, and several other classes I can't remember. I took them all. In Family Clothing, the proejects were clothes/things for others. I've got a cute 2T middy dress for a toddler, I made my dad a dress shirt and my mom a blouse in that class. The other project I remember is the quilt.

A 36 inch square quilt, of alternating 9-patches and solid squares, tied, would have met the minimum requirements of the project. But hey, why do something simple -- that I wouldn't be able to use -- when I could make a quilt for my bed?

The quilt was designed so the white squares in the second border would sit on the corners of the mattress. The daisy centers and petals in the center and in the cornerstones were machine appliquéd, then the hand quilted around them. The borders were attached with the flip and sew method. There was no other quilting -- and that's where the problem begins.

I used polyester batting, but it wasn't wide enough. In the picture of the back you can just see where the batt is butted together. I used a whip stitch to hold it together. But after repeated washings, the stitching started coming undone, until the last time I washed it, it came completely loose and bunched up.

At the time, I had no idea how to fix it, or where to take it to get it fixed. It didn't really fit my king size bed, but I did like it and wanted it fixed 'someday'. The last time I know I saw it I was living in Montgomery, Alabama about 7 moves and 22-24 years ago (about the age of my oldest UFO).

A couple of years ago I started looking for the quilt to fix it. I'm confident in my skills now, that I can fix it -- if only I can find it. I've looked for it on and off for the last couple of years with no luck. I'm hoping it's a case of I haven't opened the correct box, and not that it got lost on one of our moves. I'm rather certain I did not deliberately get rid of it.

That's the story of my first quilt. What's yours?

Stash Report Week #7

This week more fabric came in than went out.

Monday was the Kansas Trouble Stash Society meeting with a whopping 10.75 yards. Tuesday a package arrived from Tammy with red and greens in exchange for the music fabric I sent her a couple of weeks ago. Since I counted the music fabric Out, I'm counting this fabric In. Then Wednesday I added another 2 yards for borders and binding for my Pink & Brown quilt -- which still needs borders. I haven't made it to the basement with the fabric to wash.

In the use department, I finished setting the blocks together for the Pink & Brown quilt, finished ALL of step 1 on OTR and finished making the pinwheels and half-pinwheels from step 2. Most of this is not countable as it had all been chopped up prior to the first of the year. I did have to cut a few more strips for the pinwheels.

What is countable is the 2 Broken Dishes blocks I've made to take to the retreat in April and the String blocks I made yesterday to send to Australia.

So.

Fabric Added this Week: 15.25 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 36.75 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 4.125 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 17.33 yards

Net Stash: +19.42 yards


I seem to be going backwards. Got to do something about that.

String Blocks

Today between recieving roses from my husband and hauling Seven to the vet for her shots, I've been making quilt as you go string blocks. Without a doubt, I can make a mess in my sewing room when I'm quilting, but I haven't made a mess like this in a while. On the other hand, I'm really pleased with the way the blocks are turning out.

Pam

Happy Valentines Day!

DH was up bright and early this morning to go hear one of his band students perform in a Solo and Ensemble contest. When he came home he brought me these beautiful roses.

Thank you DH. I love you and the roses.

Pam

Changing My Mind

The other day on the way to the Kansas Troubles Stash Society meeting, my friends and I were discussing which projects we were planning to take to the retreat in April. On my list was my Pink & Brown quilt. The blocks have been finished since November, and I had 4 rows sewn together. But why was I delaying completing this top?

It finally hit me. I'm trying to make sure that I finish things -- get the quilts bound and labeled -- and use stash to offset fabric purchases. This particular quilt is going to the in the top stage for a while -- may even hang out in the need borders stage -- and I "can't" count the fabric since the blocks were already made prior to the first of the year.

So, I changed my mind after I got home on Monday. I needed some mindless piecing and putting these blocks into a top filled the bill. Obviously it's off my list for April, but there are several more where this came from.

Now all I need to do is figure out the borders.























The brown fabric in the chain was a challenge fabric. My friend, S, said it was ugly and I disagreed, so I had to figure out a way to make it work in a quilt. It's a vintage piece -- only 36" wide and came from her MIL's estate. Back in the fall I figured out I have enough left to do a narrow border, but I also want a wider outerborder - I simply haven't figure out what yet. Maybe scrappy from the rest of the fabric?

I'll keep it hanging for a while to see if inspiration strikes.

Pam

Computers!

This morning I sat down to add a couple of labels to an older post. Somehow that post got deleted. Decided I needed to be a little more awake before I attempted to do anything else.

Then this afternoon my work computer got slower and slower -- I wrote it off to all the open applications and decided I deal with it later after I went to the KT Stash Society meeting. Well, it's not playing much better now, so I'll be up early calling the helpdesk in the morning. Urgh!

On a quilting note, I have completed ALL of Part 1 of the Old Tobacco Road mystery. In fact the missing post is from when I thought I had completed it. Last night I discovered I was missing the 8 half 4-patches. I'm happy to report they are now completed and everything from step 1 is pressed and pinned together in groups of 10.

I mentioned going to a KT Stash Society meeting. I don't have much in the way of a stash of Kansas Troubles Fabrics, other than 3 or 4 kits. I really like the Wildflower Serenade and Wildflower Serenade II. In fact, last November when I got to see samples of the WSII, I wrote down the 3 fabrics I wanted to use to make a 4-Patch Stacked Posies quilt. Not even thinking about it, I managed to get to the shop with the information, so yes fabric came home with me for a new quilt, a binder cover, a jelly roll just because and a FQ 10 3/4 yards total. I best get to sewing.

Well, back to muttering about the computer.

Pam

Week # 6 Stash Report

No new fabric into the house this week, and not much that hadn't already been counted. We misplaced the Kansas Troubles Blocks and I had to make a replacement block, so I'm only count 1/8 yard this week used.

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 21.5 yards

Fabric Used this Week: .125 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 13.125 yards

Net Stash: +8.375 yards

Strip Twist Center Finished

Last night I sewed the last few seams on the center of my black and white Strip Twist. Now I've got to figure out what to do for a border.

To Read or Quilt?

I love to read. I love to quilt. So frequently I find myself listening to books on CDs. However, occassionally, I have to step away from the sewing machine and actually read a printed book. Earlier this week I read The Lover's Knot A Someday Quilts Mystery by Clare O'Donohue. A little romance, a little mystery and a little quilting. Can't beat that.

When I wasn't reading or watching Leverage I got a bit of pieceing done. I've completed my 20 black & white Strip Twist blocks. This evening I sewed them into rows and even have two rows sewn together.

Tomorrow night I'm going to a school concert, so I hope I'll get this top completed this weekend -- or at least get the rows sewn together. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do for a border yet. Time will tell.

Pam

One Down and 19 to Go

And I'm not talking football yardage. All my quarter sections are sewn and pressed, so now I need to get them into blocks.

Need More Light?

Recently the LQS and quilting cataglogs started carrying a stick on light for sewing machines. Some of my friends have it, but to me it costs more than I'm willing to spend at this time.

Today, while DH and I were out running errands, I found an inexpensive alternative. It is a Coast Tackle Box Light. At the time, I wasn't positive that I would be able to use it on my sewing machine, but was confident, I could use it for something, and it was only $5.

Well, I must say, it does put a little light on the subject.


I’ve clipped it to the ‘hood’ of my sewing machine. It’s too heavy to for the hood to stay up, so when I’m using cone thread, I’ll have to figure something else out. But for $5, what a deal.



Now, back to the black & white Strip Twist.

Pam

Stash Report Week #5

This week I finished the Heart Appliqué wall hanging, using 1 1/4 yards from my stash. I also cut the strips for Strip Twist and if my math is correct, that’s another 5 yards for 20 blocks. So, 6 1/4 used this week.

On the other hand, I picked up the background fabric – twice – to go with the Fairy Frost I bought two weeks ago, along with the inner border and binding. I currently think I want to use FF Denim and it’s not in the current sample book at my LQS. Three yards of the brown fabric I bought with nothing in mind brings my weekly purchase to 9 1/2 yards.

Fabric Added this Week: 9 1/2 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 21 1/2 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 6 1/2 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 13 yards

Net Stash: +8 1/2 yards