I didn’t intend to, but I ended up having a sewing marathon yesterday. I just about finished the Celebration of Freedom top. Only have to attach the corner units and it’s done.
I’ll work on the borders next weekend. I just want to thank Judy at Patchwork Times so much for sharing her pattern with all of us.
Take a look at what’s on everyone else’s design wall at Judy’s blog.
How to do you calculate your stash used? Do you count it when you pull it for a project? Do wait until it’s in the quilt? Do you take the easy way and use the yardage measurements on the pattern? Just curious.
I don’t count it until I cut it. So my numbers look very low for the work I’ve done on my Celebration of Freedom quilt. I’ve been cutting yardage as I am ready for it. Surprisingly the center medallion took very little yardage. I’ve used mostly the cream background fabric.
So here is my report for this week. I’ll be cutting a lot more today, but that will go in next weeks report.
I’ll show my progress picture for tomorrow’s Design Wall Monday report. I’m almost finished with all the blocks so it is progressing nicely.
As you can see, I’ve broken my 90 day run of “no buy”. I’ve been watching the Missouri Star Quilt Co’s Daily Deal and when the Breathe of Avignon was listed last Tuesday I could not resist. This is a fabric line I want to collect. So I will be grabbing it every chance I get.
Enjoy your Sunday and hop on over to Judy’s blog to see how everyone else is doing.
On my design wall today is the center medallion for Judy’s Celebration of Freedom quilt. Judy very generously shared her instructions with us and it just caught my eye.
This is a stunning quilt and I just had to make it. One evening last week, I recreated the quilt in Electric Quilt so I could get measurements and yardage requirements. This was really fun since I don’t use EQ very often. Judy gave us the block names so it was a simple matter of just placing them into the layout and then adding borders that I liked.
Then, I spent all day yesterday on the paper-piecing of the medallion, which is not my favorite thing to do, but it was kind of fun. The good news is that all the fabrics I need for this quit are from my stash.
Not sure what I will do today. Probably cut the squares to make all the quarter-square triangles needed. But I really have a stack of tops and backs that need to be sandwiched. Depends on what mood stikes me. I am on holiday today after all.
Head on over to Judy’s blog to see what’s on everyone’s wall today. And if you are in the mood for a giveaway, visit Karen’s blog for her Sunday giveaway, a day late…
I couldn’t help myself. I had to post about this great give-away going on over at Stash Manicure.
Head on over here to get in on the fun for yourself. Oh but wait a minute. Never mind. I want to win this one. 
More later on what I was up to last night.
Well, it was Grandkids-2, Sewing-0 around here last weekend. So not much progress on the stash until yesterday. My grandkids are gone for the next four weeks now so my weekends can be devoted to finishing up these WIPs that have been hanging around for too long. Here’s my report for the past two weeks.
I’m still on a roll not purchasing fabric. On Wednesday, it will be 90 days since I’ve purchased any fabric.
I made some progress putting together a couple of backs for baby quilts. And, I’ll be doing more backs today, but I’ll count those next week. In the meantime, I did make a nursing cover for my niece’s baby shower next Saturday. It was so easy. And, to think they charge $35 in the stores for these.
My niece picked the fabric from my stash and then I looked at a couple of tutorials (here and here) to get the measurements, etc.
It was hard to take a picture because the fabric is black with colored polka dots. I flipped the bottom corner to show the pocket on the inside. There is one on each side. The trick is the boning that you place in the middle of the top. That’s what holds the cover away so the mother can see the baby while it nurses. Cute idea actually. What will they think of next.
To see how everyone else is doing in the stashbusting efforts, check Judy’s blog.
Here’s what’s on my design wall right now. Blocks I’ve been putting together for a Double Hour Glass baby quilt.
These were made from my 1.5″ scrap bin and some white muslin 1.5″ strips. I have three baby quilts to make this summer and these are for one of them.
I got the idea from a tutorial on the Cluck Cluck Sew blog. My blocks are much smaller finishing at just under 4″ square. I’m not sure how big this will be or what kind of borders I’ll use yet. It’s just developing as I go along.
For more Design Wall Monday links, visit Judy’s blog.
Can’t believe it’s the middle of June already. Where has this year gone. My last post was two months ago!!!
I’ve got so much to share. I’ll try to do it in the next few posts. I’ve been quilting up a storm and working way too hard. No time to add any posts to my blog.
So let’s start with this weekend. I finished my Christmas Lights top, finally. Sewed together the last of the rows Friday night and added the three borders yesterday. Whew. It’s probably one of the largest quilts I’ve made yet at 79″ x 67″. I tend to work on smaller quilts because the quilting is so much easier and I like to get things finsihed. Ha Ha.
Also, I received my box of strings and blocks that I won a couple weeks ago on Amy’s blog. Thank you Amy. Can’t wait to start making more blocks to go with the ones you sent.
As for Stash, well here are my stats. The good news is I haven’t purchased one scrap of fabric since March 20th. I’m on a roll here.
Given all the quilting I’ve been doing I haven’t used that much yardage. That’s because I’m trying to get my scraps used up. I’ve made three tops all from scraps so no yardage used there. I count the scraps as used when I cut up the yardage for whatever quilt they come from.
These are blocks I’ve been making over the last four weeks or so, all from scraps. They are laid out in Bonnie Hunter’s Patches and Pinwheels pattern. So far I’m really liking it. Very scrappy.
I need to make lot’s more 16 patches and a few more pinwheels. They won’t all fit on my wall, but this gives a good idea of what they will look like when sewn together.
I had a three day weekend this past weekend, and here’s what I accomplished.
A Trust Me or Square Dance top. Started on Friday morning, cut apart and sewn back together on Saturday, and borders added on Sunday.
I didn’t have a pattern. I searched on Google and found a couple of web shot albums that showed in progress pictures. So I calculated how big the template needed to be to work with my 5.5″ finished squares and away I went. The inner border is made up of all the squares left over from cutting the pinwheels. It really was a “Trust Me” project. I was very doubtful that it would come out right. I took pictures along the way so I can write a tutorial for when I want to make this one again.
This will be perfect for one of the baby quilts I need to make between now and November. The top finishes at 45″ x 53″.
Want to know what everyone else is up to? Visit Judy’s blog today.
I’m sitting in the Starbucks across from the Flagship Nordstroms having my reduced fat turkey bacon egg white whole wheat English muffin sandwich for breakfast. Sounds awful, right? But it really is pretty good and only 340 calories. I know I supposed to be on vacation but I was horrified when trying on pants last night at Nordstroms. Walked out with three pair of Not Your Daughters jeans and they were tight and a size larger than the ones I bought two years ago. Sheesh!
Here are some pictures from my phone from yesterday. The view out my window and the original Starbucks at Pike Place. It was in the high 60’s and absolutely gorgeous. I walked until I couldn’t go any further and then shopped till I dropped.
I did visit the quilt shop at Pikes Place. Walked out with the end of the bolt of some Raspberry Dimples (about 3 yards) at 40 percent off.
Well, it’s stopped drizzling now so I’m off to do some more exploring before the conference starts.
Today, I’m on my way to Seattle. I’ll be attending a User Assistance conference this next week that starts tomorrow evening and decided to go early for a mini vacation. My colleague, Shannon, will arrive tomorrow afternoon so until then I’m on my own.
I’ve been to Washington several times before but never Seattle. My son was stationed at the Bangor submarine base in the early 1990’s while in the Navy so we always visited that side of Sound.
Of course the first thing I researched were quilt shops and found one on First and Union Streets about a block from Pike Place. Not sure if I’ll go there today or tomorrow morning. And, of course, I’ll be visiting the Flagship Nordstroms which is about a block from my hotel.
I’m looking forward to posting from my iPhone to keep a journal of this trip. This post is being written somewhere near the California and Oregon border at about 30,000 feet. But of course it won’t actually post till we land. We took off about 15 minutes late because the tow vehicle broke and they had to round up another one to back us from the gate.
More later…
This week my Connecting Threads order arrived and I hit the local Sew, Quilt, Craft Festival here at the San Mateo Expo Center. Not only did 48 yards of fabric get added to my stash this week but I also came home with some rulers, assorted accessories, AND a Janome Gem Platinum 760.
I’ve wanted a lightweight machine that I can travel with (by car or air). And, this was a steal. I actually wanted the AQS anniversary edition because it was on Show Special for $359. But they didn’t have any in the booth and rather than go out to the trailer outside, they owner of the shop offered me the Platinum 760 for the same price. All the same features as the AQS version, plus 40 more decorative stitches. And, only 12 pounds. It was on show special for $489 and I got it for $130 less. Plus they threw in the 1/4″ foot with the little fabric guide, the FMQ foot, and the SITD foot. Now I’m set for the retreat I signed up for in October.
I did actually use 3/4 of a yard putting the outer border on the Scrappy Sixteen top I’ve been working on. Now that top is complete and I need to choose a backing.
All in all, this was an expensive week for me, but I’m delighted with my purchases. So here’s my stash report for this week.
Visit Judy’s blog to see what other’s have reported for their Stash this week.
Judy is having a Quiltathon this weekend. Unfortunately we don’t get Monday as a holiday so I’ll have to see what I can accomplish in just two days off.
Saturday: I cut and pieced two of the blocks for the Asian Saturday Sampler from 2007: September and October. Two more to go and I can think about a top. These took me several hours because of all the pieces to cut and sew. We were given Marty Mitchell templates to piece these blocks, but I’m finding that I can cut 2.5″ strips and use my easy angle ruler much faster and easier than using templates. I guess it’s all in what you prefer and that’s why it’s good to try new ways of doing something. You just might like it.
After those two blocks were done, I sewed together some more truck blocks for a Quilts for Kids quilt from my stash. All that one needs is borders now. I also sandwiched another Quilts for Kids quilt that will go back with the kit I just finished for them. I’m using the Bravest Dragon fabric I got last weekend for the backs. Very cute for a boy quilt.
Sunday: Today, I’ve cut all pieces for the last two Asian Saturday Sampler blocks. They are sitting by my piecing machine ready for the speed piecing. I’ll post pics when they are complete.
I also FMQ the second Quilts for Kids quilt. This was my second attempt at using my FMQ foot on my Sapphire 850. I love it. The work is not perfect, just loops, meanders and a few practice hearts, but I think it turned out pretty good. I need to learn how to not get all crunched up when doing FMQ. My shoulders are tight. I hope to get the binding on both of these QFK quilts tonight but the day is fading fast.
Update: I managed to get both Quilts for Kids bound and finished tonight. Just need to wash and dry them and send them off to their new homes.
Not such a good weekfor stashbusting. I hit my LQS huge parking lot sale last Sunday and brought home 46 FQ at $1 each and 3.5 yards (all that was left on the bolt) of a couple of great fabrics for backings at $1 a yard. Who could resists that sale? I’ll tell you though, it was a free for all pawing through those FQ bins.
Here’re my stats for this week:
Here’s what’s on my wall today. A few months ago, I won a blog give-away on my friend Cie’s blog. She sent me a bunch of pre-cut scraps, squares, triangles, and bricks. Now what to do with all these 2.5″ x 4.5″ bricks? They are in muted shades of browns, reds, greens, with a little gold thrown in. Not my normal palette.
Well, I let them simmer on the back burner for awhile and it all of a sudden hit me. My other friend Kimberly’s pattern Sassy Sixteen uses 3.5″ x 6.5″ bricks. Why wouldn’t the smaller size work just as well. And so I started sewing… and sewing… and sewing, listening the audio book Whiskey Sour by JA Konrath. And, the more I sewed, the more I liked it.
The top now measures 56″ x 64″. I’ve put a gold 2.5″ inner border around it. And, I have started the piecing for a piano key outer border with more of the same scraps.
In the meantime, this weekend, I managed to get one of my larger tops sandwiched so I can start quilting it. And, my Leaders & Enders book arrived. I just love all the quilts in the book. So I’m off to start cutting 2″ strips and squares.
I’m happy to say I’m still in the black for using up stash. Although, it won’t be that way for long unless I get busy. I just ordered 10 yards from Connecting Threads but I won’t add it here until it actually arrives. I better get busy.
Well January isn’t quite over yet, but if I wait till tonight to report, it won’t get done. This is my first report for 2010. I’m keeping my log in Google Docs this year because I can publish it from there. Much easier. So here’s what I’ve bought and what I’ve used from stash this month.
It looks like not much sewing is going on, but let me add that I completed a Quilt for Kids top from a kit (I’ll quilt it today) and completed a QFK top from my stash. And, I put together a 56″ x 48″ top center using the Sassy Sixteen pattern. I used 2.5″ x 4.5″ scraps rather than the 3.5″ x 6.5″ called for in the pattern. I won the scraps in a blog giveaway. They were already precut and I had no idea what to do with them. It suddenly came to me that this would work and it did. I like the top much much better than the scraps. 
I’ll post of picture of it tomorrow since this top is currently on my design wall.
I also started and finished a Laurel Burch Christmas Wall Hanging top (sandwiched and waiting for quilting) and added a row to my String Diamonds quilt center. All the fabric for this quilt was already cut so I can’t count it as stash. However, note I counted the yards for the backing that I pieced.
I’m now in the habit of spending at least an hour each evening that I’m home on a quilting activity rather than sitting in front of the TV. So it’s been a very busy quilty month, just not much stash activity.
Don’t have a lot of time to blog right now although there has been some quilting activity in the past couple of weeks. I was away for the long weekend. But I had to pass this along.
Suzanne is having a great give-away at her blog and a sale at her online shop that you all need to get in on. Suzanne’s Great Big Giveaway (and sale)
I’m getting in on this one, so see you all later…
Mary posted about the One Million Pillowcases Challenge on her blog and I just couldn’t resist. I’ve got some cute fabric in my stash that just isn’t making it into any quilts anytime soon. But what cute pillowcases it will make.
So I whipped these two pillowcases out when I got home from work using the hot dog method. Very quick and very fun to make. From start to finish they didn’t take me more than an hour. I’ll be making lot’s more of these. They are great for when I just want to do some mindless sewing when I get home from work.
So that’s two yards of fabric busted so far this year.
I spent yesterday doing more organizing and scrap cutting. I also started cutting up some truck and train fabric into 6.5″ square for more Quilts for Kids from my own stash.
Today it was back to work and I was actually glad to get back after almost two weeks away.
Besides starting another book, I futzed around all day in my sewing area.
I decided to add another row of seven blocks to make it 7×8 blocks. Yesterday I made three more 12″ square string blocks so they could be cut for the Diamond Strings quilt I started last year. So today I cut the strips, made the blocks, added the sashing, and added the row to the quilt. Whew. Took me a couple of hours to do that. I’ll add a picture of the top tomorrow.
Then I got busy cutting up scraps and partially used Fat Quarters into 1.5″ strips for the zippered bags I’m making for our women’s shelter. These will be filled with the hotel size toiletries. I also cut the 10″ squares of pink lining fabric. Then I sewed together a bunch of batting scraps to make 12 10″ squares. So, now I’m all set to sew the strips in a QAYG manner.
In between, I sorted through more fabric and UFOs trying to get organized for the new year of quilting ahead.
It’s 9:40 pm now and I’m bushed. I’m going to hit the sack with the Jonnie Jacobs novel I started this morning. More tomorrow.
I wish you all the best in 2010. I hope you can spend this first day of the new year doing what you love because it’s said that what you do on the first day of the year sets the stage for the rest of the year. You’ll find me in front of my cutting table and sewing machine. No mysteries this year. I’ve way to many WIPs already started. But I do plan to start one new project today. I plan to start on my first charity quilt for 2010.
As promised here is my list of WIPs as we bring 2009 to a close.
It’s time I caught up with my blogging. Now that 2009 is rapidly coming to a close, I need to take stock of what I accomplished this year!
The most important completions for me recently are the two Quilts for Kids quilts that I finished and sent off before Christmas. The blue one was made from the quilt kit that Quilts for Kids sent to me. The Roman Stripes pink quilt is one I whipped up from scraps and sent along with the blue one.
These were so much fun to make and a great way to improve my machine quilting skills. I have so much fabric that I want to make a few more of these from my own stash to send in early 2009. I think I’ll set myself a goal to complete two Quilts for Kids quilts per quarter in 2010.
In addition, this year I completed two baby quilts for my two co-workers. You can read more about those quilts here and here.
I also made a set of 4 quilted place mats for my good friend, Kathleen. She chose the fabric from my florals and I backed and bound them in a green blender so they are reversible.
And, I completed 30 quilted pot holders for my Zonta Holiday Party gift bags.
Oh, and I almost forgot the wall hanging that I made for my mother’s birthday in January. You can read about it here.
I think that’s all that I actually started and finished this year. Tomorrow I will list all of the quilts that I’ve started this year but remain WIPs. When you see that list, you’ll know why I haven’t had time to finish anything else.
Merry Christmas to you all.
I picked up this really cute Holiday kit at one of my LQS on Wednesday for 50% off. It’s the Bountiful Blessings fabrics from Laurel Birch. This is the center panel. The kit came with other fabrics from this line for the borders, backing, and even the binding. It finishes 40″ by 40″. Perfect for a wall hanging or just a little Holiday throw.
Today is a very quiet day for since we do all our celebrating with family on Christmas Eve. So, even though I have many other WIPs calling, I decided to start this one today. It just seemed appropriate to me.
I did get a bit of a late start today after sleeping in until 9:30. Yikes, late for me is normally 8:00 am even on the weekends.
I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful holiday with family and friends. And, maybe getting in a little quilting as well this weekend.
Here’s what’s on my design wall today. Bonnie posted Part 6 of Carolina Christmas Mystery today. Don’t click this link if you don’t want to spoil the mystery layout. Wow, it’s spectacular. I threw some blocks on my wall to see how my colors will look. I really like it.
I’m still working on the rest of my part 3 and 4 units. I was sewing until I couldn’t sit at the machine any longer last night while listening to the Concrete Blonde Audio Book. I have about half of the required number made. And, 20 of the Pointsettia blocks and 15 of the Fox and Geese blocks. I may not make all of them and just have a smaller size quilt.
Bonnie is suggesting that her layout it not the only possible one. The more I look at it, the more I think I may play around with the Pointsettia blocks. However, I do love the stars that the Fox and Geese blocks make. Those are keepers.
I had planned to do some sewing tonight but I didn’t get home until 6:30. 90 minutes to make a 30 monute drive, just because the 49er’s are playing at home tonight. Sigh…
Check in with Judy L. at patchworktimes.com to see everyone else’s Design Wall Monday posts.
I’m a little late posting what’s on my wall (cutting mat) this week. I took the pic with my phone and the lighting was better on my mat than on my wall tonight.
I have half of the Part 3 units sewn (yes, I’m making the bonus triangles), but not cut or pressed yet. And, I’ve sewn about half of the HSTs for Part 4.
But, I couldn’t help myself. I had to see how my color scheme was going to look in the blocks, so I put a couple together. So far so good. I like it! The green and blue block looks better in person. It’s a little overexposed in the pic.
Haven’t had a whole lot of time to sew this week. I hope to make up for it on the weekend.
Even though I’ve made the full number of units for Parts 1 and 2, I’m not sure I have the energy for a large quilt. So I’m going to stop with half the Part 3 and Part 4 units and see what moves me when I see the layout in Part 6. Maybe I’ll make two small ones!
