Stash Update Week #31

I'm sounding like a broken record! and usually, I don't start dreaded the stash update until much later in the year! lol

Fabric added this week: +5 yards
Fabric added this year: +174 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this year: -160.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: +13.5 yards

What I accomplished this week:

pieced 4 Patch Posie to a flimsy

Goals for this week:

quilt and bind (yes, finish!) 4 Patch Posie
work on FAB Birthday gift~super secret~birthday is August 10th! :)

4 Patch Posie

In the end, I decided to stay true to my own personal challenge of using other's color choices. My friend Wojo likes black and grey together so~I framed out the posies in alternating black and grey. I decided a little red would *zing* but boy, the inner border here looks orange. Red here at Bell Creek Quilts. :) I cut the outer border at 5.5 inches simply because I was running low on it and this was the second buy!

My math brain must be on vacation because I made 24 posies and only used 20 in this set. I guess into the orphan box they go. I'm not sure that I am loving it but someone somewhere will~right?!

Pattern: 4 Patch Posie by HDDesigns

WIP Thursday

I made 8 more *posies*. I decided to frame them in black~of course, not enough of the *correct* black in the closet. argggghhh..

...+5 yards. Kona black along with more of the original fabric. A little cream/tan for a future QOV. :)

I've been looking through the web for a few ribbon storage ideas. My BIL made my SIL a wonderful ribbon box last summer and I think that will be on my Christmas wish list or maybe DD's. :) The adult children no longer exchange gifts on DH's side of the family!

In the mean time, I saw this idea and DD/I emptied a couple of plastic bins with holes. I found my stash of PFChang chopsticks and ta-da~ribbon storage.

It will work for now to tame the ribbons! :)

Design Wall Monday

After cleaning and sorting 3/4 of the sewing room (and yes! DD cleaned and sorted the card making supplies!) I decided to sew for a little bit. Last winter when I was asking about *favorite two colors*, a friend answered black and grey. I immediately thought of the 4 Patch Stacked Posie pattern by HDDesigns. I was hoping to locate my actual pattern in the cleaning but no such luck. I do remember the basic plan as the FAB's helped one another with this pattern a few years back. Here is the black/grey print for the *posies* along with the black swirl for the backing.

Here are a few of the *posies*.

Not real sure that I am liking it. The original plan was to be a Quilt of Valor but I am thinking it might be a bit *edgy* and maybe a teenager would like it more~maybe Margaret's Hope Chest. I was also pondering sashings~maybe alternate the blocks in black and white /or grey~as opposed to standard sashings with cornerstones...I'll let that idea simmer and marinate while I finish more of the blocks. :)

Stash Update Week #30

I did buy more backing fabric on sale~nothing too interesting and I did finish a quilt this week!

Fabric added this week: +8 yards
Fabric added this year: +169 yards

Fabric used this week: -9.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -160.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: +8.5 yards~still a gain...

What I accomplished this week:

completed the Rainbow quilt
pieced a binder cover

Goals for next week:

simply. sew.

A Quick Project

Take a few orphan blocks.

Add a Jonas binder~clearanced at $1.50 along with some papers from DD's last year notebooks.
TaDa! A *new* binder that I will be able to take with my to quilt guild meetings. The bonus is a place to store my name tag so I won't loose it! That is~if I could find my one that I made for this guild! lol It is *missing in action*. I have been wearing a name tag from a previous guild but I'm thinking I may have to break down and make another more current one. :)

The Rainbow Quilt

Wednesday was pick-up day for DD's clay class art pieces. Which meant, it would be really nice if Mr. J's quilt was done. I did finish the final stitches in the morning and we gave it to Mr. J at about 11:00 am. I think he was pleasantly surprised at the quilt. Here it is!

The quilting. DD went modern and minimal. :) And lime green thread!The backing. As I thought, I need to stretch the back just a bit~so I added the lilac strips. The original Rainbow quilt was found on Mama's Sparks' blog here.

The quilting is Contempo from Lorien Quilting found here.

Roadtrip Tuesday

On Tuesday, DH and I went to a financial planning meeting in a northern Chicago suburb. DD tagged along and read her book. Here is the view from the 14th floor conference room. The building we are in is actually the reflection of the glass. Our advisors were telling us that normally, one can see the Chicago skyline. But since the weather has been hot and hazy~the view is obscured. I kinda like the closer view anyway! :)

After the meeting it was lunchtime! We drove around a bit~read DH was lost but really?! who cares as we found this yummy restaurant to eat at.

This dude meet us in the lobby.

Here are a few of the *master grillers* working the kettles.

Sorry~no pictures of the meal. I was very hungry and ate my sammy in about 5 milliseconds! All that talk about $$ made me very hungry...lol. After the meeting~I decided the best course of action is to die at 88~before I run out of $$...

After lunch, we walked around the Woodfield Mall a bit. DD got some new shoes for school. DH was *speed walking* through the mall so I opted for the *let's head home before rush hour* choice. We got home at about 5:30 pm. Just in time for dinner. I told DH that we are cutting expenses by eating macaroni and cheese with bolgna sandwiches for dinner. That ought to buy me one more month of living expenses on the other end I figured...88 and 1/12th years.

DH said, "Let's go out". Guess who won?!

My calzone was very tasty and enough leftover for lunch today! :) Make that 87 11/12 years old. :)

Design Floor Monday...

...er, Tuesday! Rainbow quilt is all pieced as of Sunday. Good thing, too as it needs to be gifted on Wednesday. Yikes! Is that tomorrow!?

Quilt inspiration found on Mama's Spark's blog, here, you'll need to scroll down a bit to see the original! :)

Stash Report Week #29

A good week in the sewing room! No fabric added and a finish!

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: +161 yards

Fabric used this week: -10 yards
Fabric used this year: -151 yards

Net fabric for the year: +10 yards

What I accomplished this week:

finished Star Struck
pieced Rainbow to a flimsy

Goals for next week:

quilt and bind Rainbow
start another project!

Star Struck is a Finish!

The *glamour* shot.

The quilting.

The pieced backing. I started with the center piece and added to the top and bottom for length. I knew that I wanted to include the extra blocks but I wonder~why did I make some with the gold center and some with the blue?! As is the case sometimes~I almost like the back better than the front! I thought that one of the gold stars would do double duty as a label, too. :)

Star Struck pattern found here.

Ebb and Flow pantograph found here.

WIP Wednesday

Yesterday was designated a *sew day*. I was able to finish all the 6.5 inch blocks needed for the rainbow quilt.

I also pieced a back for the Star Struck quilt and loaded it. Now to re-calibrate the long arm and quilt!

Stash Report Week #28

Well, this week I didn't buy any fabric. I also, didn't finish any projects. My stash in/out numbers stayed the same.

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: +161 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this year: -141 yards

Net fabric for the year: +20 yards

What I accomplished this week:
sewed blocks for the Rainbow quilt

Goals for next week:
sew more rainbow blocks
piece back for Star Struck

DD and I did head to downtown twice last week to attend Summerfest.
The billing is: 11 days 11 stages 700 bands. DD and I went to see THESE guys. :)

Hop on over to JudyL's Patchwork Times to see more stash reports~some even have pictures posted! :)

WIP Wednesday

Ahhh...much better picture~used the flash! I am continuing to make my 6.5 inch crumb squares for this rainbow quilt. Green, blue, purple and red 6.5 inch blocks are done. The blocks that don't fit on the design wall are tucked away...waiting for assembly of the quilt top. Only orange and yellow blocks left to make. Orange maybe the most challenging as I am limited in the scrap box! DD is much happier to let me sew when a project is for her to gift~lol. I am enjoying the freedom and mindless sewing of this quilt top! :)

I first saw this arrangement on Mama Spark's blog, here, you will need to scroll down a bit to find it.

Design Wall Monday

DD really likes, I mean REALLY likes, her clay class instructor, Mr. J. He is also the *teacher's helper* throughout the school year. Mr. J runs the 9th hour that DD stays after school where she does ALL of her homework under Mr. J's watchful eye. He has also introduced her to the world of animation and film making. Mr. J even let her make a Christmas gift for Grandpa in her clay class even though she will need to finish it up in the next school year. Do you suppose DD will be the only student with summer homework to finish?!

DD asked if I would make Mr. J a *crummy* quilt as a *Thank You*.

Excuse me?! I know that I think SOME of my quilts are crummy but you, too?!

'NO! NO! Mom! One of those quilts with all the scrap pieces...a *crummy* quilt.' Aha...a *crumb* quilt. At first, she wanted a purple crumb quilt for Mr. J, but when I showed her this picture of a collaborative quilt that Mama Spark had made (you will need to scroll down a bit)~DD thought it was perfect for Mr. J.

Today I made the purple blocks. The rest of the blocks were on inventory! Sorry for the wonky picture. The reds and oranges are a bit off. :)

I think this is just the right project to help get my *quilting mojo* back on track!

My USA Flag Banner

After Memorial Day, I put away my USA Flag banner so good...that I couldn't find it for 4th of July. After searching for it, I was deciding *IF* I should buy a new one at the garden center. Then I thought, "I should shop the stash first!"

This is what I came up with...a totally *feel good* mini project. I found a USA flag t*shirt that already had interfacing applied to it, a piece of scrap batting and navy fabric with red/white stars.



Ta-da! a new and recycled USA Flag banner! The middle tab is a little high but I am totally *loving* it!
I can hardly wait to see how it weathers the first rain~I can imagine all sorts of t*shirt mini banners to hang in this spot!

Stash Report Week #27

Going in the wrong direction!

Fabric added this week: +15 yards
Fabric added this year: +161 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this year: -141 yards

Net fabric for the year: +20 yards

What I accomplished this week: pieced Star Struck to a flimsy (pattern here)

Goals for next week: piece backing for SS

Hop on over to JudyL's Patchwork Times to check out the other stash reports.

Saturday's Sewing

I finished the Star Struck to a flimsy! Yay! Next step is to piece a backing. I'm really happy to have moved this into the *to be quilted* pile and off of the design wall! :)

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day! to all my Canadian friends! :) Image found here.

The Quilted Basket had a 75% off~We Don't Want to Move It Sale. I succumbed. +15 yards.

Some backings and borders.

Some panels. I'm going to try real hard NOT to feel guilty! :)