What's on My Design Wall - 6/29

What's on my design wall? Technically the same thing as last week. So I'll answer the question "What am I working on right now?" It's this red work snowman from Crabapple Hill's Winter Wonderland. I bought this pattern several years ago and have been working off and on on the red work. I've also been collecting red and white fabrics to make the pieced blocks.

One block was finished a while back, and I just finished the second block a couple of weeks ago. This is what I grab when I know I'm going to be waiting somewhere. In addition to the block in the hoop, I have two more traced off and ready to go. There is no deadline for this quilt top, so when I finish up the red work, I'll start on the pieced block.

Check out Judy's blog to see what is on other quilter's design walls.

Stash Report Week # 26

Judy over at Patchwork Times has pointed out that we are halfway through the year. Am I as far along as I'd like to be with my stash? My goal was simple. Keep track. And good or bad, I've done that. It has been an eye opener for me. It has also made me more conscious of my purchase. I'd like to think it has slowed my purchases down, but I couldn't say for certain. I do know that I think about each purchase I do.

So how did my stash go this week? I cut fabric from my stash to make several cool ties (got 3 made before the outdoor concert last week)and I made another block for the Kansas Spirit quilt. Most of pile of green scraps has been cut up as well -- but I'll count those when I use them. I also worked on my red work snowmen.

The inbound fabric is 3 1/2 yards. 1 1/2 yards of the purple stripe batik, 1 yard of the plaid and 1 yard of the blue Ice print.

So here's report:

Fabric Added this Week: 3 1/2 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 159.5 yards

Fabric Used this Week: .875 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 53.702 yards

Net Stash: +105.798 yards

Scraps!

Over the past year, I've managed to get my scraps into this single laundry basket. It's about 18 inches square and 11 inches tall. It fits nicely under my fabric shelves. As you can see it's rather full - but I can't bring myself to toss out usable fabric. So, this week, instead of doing any number of other things around the house which need to be done, I've been working on my scraps.

I follow Bonnie Hunter's Scrap User's System with some variation. I've got shoe boxes on my shelves with squares, bricks, strips and strings. I've even been known to pull pieces from these boxes for quilts I'm making.

My goal is to clear the laundry basket -- some day -- but more importantly not add to it. So, moving forward whenever I finish a project I'm going to cut up my scraps if they are smaller than a fat eighth.

This week I've pulled a couple of handfuls of fabric out of the basket and cut it up, but I could hardly tell looking at the scrap basket. So, tonight I pulled most of the green out of the basket. I won't call it all, because I didn't do a complete search. There could still be some hidden in the middle.



I'm curious to see how many pieces I can get out of this. When I get this pile done, it will be back to something more pressing I'm sure.

What's on My Design Wall - 6/22

Last week's design wall project is finished. I posted about it a couple of days ago. So, it's on to a new project.

This week it is this table runner I made from the Kansas Troubles Quilters Cranberry Wishes line. Yes, it's a new project (so much for no new starts). Last fall I bought a jelly roll to make a couple of table runners and a bag from the Jammin' Table Toppers & Bag pattern, also from KTQ.

Although it looks to be finished, I want to add the raw edge applique flowers to the ends of the runner. I'm actually trying to figure out if I can fashion a poinsettia since this is a Christmas line. I'll either figure it out, go with the flowers as designed, or call it done.

Check out other quilters' design walls at Patchwork Designs.

Stash Report Week # 25

This week I finished a UFO, made a birthday swap block, started and nearly finished a new project all from stash -- if you don't count thread. I didn't have anything remotely close to use on a Kansas Troubles table runner, so a quick trip to to the store was in order.

Since thread was 50% off, not only did I buy the three spools of Gutermann color # 561, I also picked up spool of Coats & Clark in Caramel. It's a great color to use on just about everything (except Ks Troubles)and I'm about out. I'm happy to say that I walked in, picked up my thread and was back out the store doors with out even looking at fabric.

The table runner is bound but I am considering some raw edge applique flowers to each end so I've not declared it done.

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 156.0 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 4.125 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 53.702 yards

Net Stash: +102.298 yards

Finished a UFO!

As I mentioned on Monday, I started making this quilt in the early 90's as a high school graduation gift. This was before quilting took over my life, so I didn't really know what I was doing.

Today, it's finished. It's not perfect, but it's done. I think I'll call it Stars & Stripes.

What's on My Design Wall - 6/15

Nothing at the moment. I finished up the quilt from last week and haven't gotten anything else out.

That's not to say I haven't been quiting. I've made the next three Kansas Spirit BOM samples for the LQS, I finished the Pink and Brown quilt and I made a birthday block for a swap I'm in.

Currently, I suppose you could say my design wall is the ironing board.



This is a UFO from the early 90's. It was supposed to be my husband's godson's high school graduation present. I never finished it. One of the QCC (Quality Control Cats) threw up on it. But don't worry, he eventually got this quilt a few years ago.

Anyway, the front of this quilt is alternating squares of stars on a blue background with a red and white stripe. It seems I pieced the front and was going to do wide sew flip borders. The center section and the top and bottom borders were already sewn down, but there is no quilting in the center. I'm going to have to do some sort of 'tacking' to quilt it, as I'll quilt more puckers into it doing anything else. I've got one of the side borders on and just need to fix a spot on the other borer and then I'll be ready to do whatever quilting it's going to get.

Part of me says rip the border off and 'do it right'. But the part of me who wants it finished says just go with it. There's nothing special about this quilt, but I'm sure it will keep someone warm this winter.

What Ugly Fabric?

A year or so ago my friend S was going through her fabric and found this fabric. It was declared 'ugly', so I took it as a challenge to make a quilt featuring it. It is vintage - only 36" wide.

I started collecting pink and brown FQs with no idea where this quilt would end up. Last fall I found an Windham Fabrics ad which showed a free pattern called Pathways to the Stars. I knew then I had found my pattern. It's about 3/4 of the way down the page.

The picture is not very good, but I got the borders on earlier this afternoon.

Stash Report Week # 23

I'm happy to report no new purchases this week, and that I actually got some piecing done.

I completely ignored the handquilting I should be doing to do a bit of piecing. A Kansas Spirit block was due to the LQS, so I got it done timely and then came home and made two more. So there's one left to make.

I quilted Cherry Frolic, so used the backing and binding fabric I purchased last week, and I finally finished cutting the border for my Pink & Brown quilt. I also prepared the binding for the quilt so I move the 'scraps' into my stash and out of the project box.

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 156.0 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 3.995 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 49.577 yards

Net Stash: +106.423 yards

Cherry Frolic Completed

This morning before work I finished sewing the binding down on Cherry Frolic. I would say that 99% of the time, I machine sew my binding, but always have to go back and catch some that I missed. It's gotten better, but today I can say I didn't have to restitch any of it, and I caught all the corners.



I have to give thanks to Judy over at Patchwork Times. She was lamenting her large pile of quilts which needed binding and her readers talked her into machine stitching them. Here's the link to her binding posts. I followed her hints and the binding on my quilt turned out the best yet.

What's on My Design Wall?

Today it's "Cherry Frolic".

My design wall is only 48 x 60, so only one quilt at a time can be up on the wall at a time. Ladder to the Stars came down Saturday night so I could throw together ‘Cherry Frolic’. This quilt is from 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy and is called Fall Frolic in the book. Since I’m using the Oh-Cherry-Oh fabric line, mine is called Cherry Frolic.

Yesterday I got the blocks sewn into rows, so this evening I’ll work on getting the rows sewn into a top. Then Ladder to the Stars will go back up. I worked on the sashings a bit, and think I have them figured out, but didn’t get as far as testing my theory.

To see what's on other quilters' design walls check out Judy's blog

June's Goals

On the QIAD Forum, there is a thread to list your monthly goals. By the time I posted them yesterday, my June goals had already changed. But here they are:

#1 on the list is still my nephew's quilt, I've got 6 1/2 blocks left to hand quilt and then I'll machine quilt the border. I don't know if I'll get it done by the end of the month or not.

#2 - a new project. I came home from the quilt shop with fabric for a quilt from 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts (Fall Frolic). I'm making the quilt smaller 5 x 6 blocks and I've used a charm pack and jelly roll. The blocks are made. I'd like to have this quilted and bound by next Friday. We'll see.

#3 - Various blocks. I need to make a birthday swap block done, a Kansas Spirit block, and I'd like to make some of the star blocks to go with my birthday blocks.

#4 - Sashing for Ladder to the Stars.

#5 - I've got to write two sets of setting instructions for the Kansas Spirit quilt -- or at least get them far enough along we've got a good handle on yardage requirements.

#6 - Simply because I'm looking for some handwork to take to Music in the Park, Theater in the Park and on our trip at the end of the month, I'll work on my red work snowmen. I get done what I get done.

Wow. I'm exhausted just thinking about this. We'll see how far I get.

Stash Report Week #22

I suppose waiting until nearly 10 PM does not make my stash report any better. My LQS had a sale on pre-cuts last week. I stopped by on Saturday to specifically to pick up my copy of Sylvia's Bridal Sampler which I had ordered, but also picked up a jelly roll and charm pack. And backing and binding fabric. The fabric is Oh-Cherry-Oh by Me & My Sister for Moda.
I'm making a smaller version (40" x 48") of Fall Frolic from 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy. I finished all the blocks yesterday and just need to sew them into a top now.

In addition to the fabric I purchased, a friend gave me a pretty purple FQ and I won a door prize - a charm pack of Symphony and a pattern.

So, without further ado:

Fabric Added this Week: 7.25 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 156.0 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 2.75 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 45.62 yards

Net Stash: +110.378 yards

Halfway There

With these two blocks, I'm halfway through the handquilting on my nephew's quilt. I still don't know if I'll get it finished by the end of the month or not.

What's On My Design Wall?

Judy over at Patchwork Times asked "What's On Your Design Wall?"

This week it's the blocks to my Ladder to the Stars. They've been made since early May, waiting for the paper pieced sashings. Paper piecing is not high on my list of fun things to do. When I designed this quilt using 12" blocks, I had the size of the fabric for the gold points worked out to "a science". I haven't got that "science" figured out yet, so I've put off the sashings.

So, my goal this week is to figure out the paper piecing so I don't have to think and get a few more sashings done. I am not going to attempt to get all of them done (80 total are needed) as I need continue working on the hand quilting on my nephew's quilt and make this month's Kansas Spirit block.