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.
February 7th, 2010 in
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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…
January 19th, 2010 in
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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.
January 1st, 2010 in
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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.
December 25th, 2009 in
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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!
I’m sew excited. My Sew Steady table for my new Sapphire arrived today. Shipping was supposed to take 4-6 weeks so I thought it would arrive in time to go under the tree. Not so, only took three weeks from Connecting Threads.
Can’t wait to try it out, but I won’t have much time this week for sewing. It may have to wait for the weekend when I can set it up exactly like I want. Right now the machine and table are sitting on an old Singer cabinet. Not the best location for it.
December 7th, 2009 in
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I put together a few of my Carolina Christmas Part 2 units this evening. I don’t have a lot of nights free to sew this week, but I wanted at least a few part 2 units done before Part 3 is posted. Bonnie is saying that will probably be tomorrow night. So here are a very few…
Posted from my iPhone.
This morning, I finished sewing the HSTs so I’m ready for Bonnie to post Part 2. In the meantime I’m headed out to one of my LQS’s parking lot sale.
Posted from my iPhone.
I’ve actually gotten a lot more done today than I thought I would. My left wrist has been giving me a lot of grief today. But in spite of that, I’ve finished the two patch units for Carolina Christmas and I’m 1/4 finished with the HSTs. I actually have more of the twosies than I need but that will allow me to pick and choose the scrappy combinations when it comes time to use them.
I’ve been adding the setting triangles to my Christmas Lights top as leaders and enders for the sewing on this first part of the CC. That’s one way to make some progress and get this one off my design wall.
I’m heading out to an after Thanksgiving Dinner at my good friends home this evening so I’m pretty much finished sewing for the day. I’ll pick this up again tomorrow morning. I’d like to be ready for Part 2 when Bonnie posts it on Sunday.
I haven’t even finished sewing rows together for Christmas Lights, but you know I’m pulling fabrics and getting ready to cut for Step 1 in Bonnie’s new Challenge, Carolina Christmas.
I’ve decided on Blue, Green, Goldy Yellows and scrappy lights for this one. I have my Grandson in mind as the recipient for this quilt, but we’ll see how it develops.
But don’t be surprised if you find me digging into my Christmas scraps and making a second one right along with the first. It was a hard choice. I will have Christmas Lights in red, green, and gold, and I have a Christmas star quilt that I’m still hand quilting. How many Christmas quilts does a girl need?
I decided to get out my stash (which is stored under my queen size bed in plastic bins) to see what colors were calling to me. Clearly Blue won!
I don’t have as big a stash as most of the quilters I read about, but then I’ve only been a serious quilter since the end of 2005. This picture only captures my yardage (that’s not pulled for a WIP). All my cut strips, strings, FQs, and kit fabric are stored in other bins under my cutting table and in my closet.
I don’t have the luxury of a separate sewing room at the moment, but it’s certainly in the plans by the time I retire.
I hope you all are getting some time in your sewing rooms this long Thanksgiving weekend. Enjoy!
I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted here. But it’s not because I haven’t been busy. I have a three finishes to add to the list.
All in all it’s been a pretty productive Fall. And, I’ve got a couple more quilts that just need some final quilting and binding. I hope to get those done in the next couple of weeks.
I’ve also got my Christmas Lights quilt on my design wall ready to have the corner triangles added to the rows so I can sew the rows together. I’d like to get the rows together before I start Bonnie’s new challenge, which will begin the day after Thanksgiving.
So here’s my Stash Report for this week. While I did use 3 yards, I have to say that I added 3 1/4 yards because it was my birthday. I belong to the Birthday Fat Quarter Swap at Quilts Your Way. Here’s a picture of the fabulous Batik Fat Quarters I received from all my quilty friends. Aren’t they lovely? Can’t wait to put them into a quilt.
Here are my numbers for the year to date:
2009 Fabric In 100.74
2009 Fabric Out 52.39
2009 Net Used -48.35
Yesterday was my birthday. The big 60. And, my friends are welcoming me into the 60 something club. I don’t feel any different but somehow I feel like I’ve arrived. I felt the same way when I turned 50.
My son gave me the best birthday card that says it all. Here is a direct quote from the card. It’s from Hallmark so I’ll give credit where credit is due.
60 is about feeling excited to be alive at a time when you’re free to really live.
60 is about knowing yourself, being yourself-and truly like who you’ve become.
But most of all, 60 is about celebrating the beginning of the most beautiful years of your life.
I spent the day with my grandkids yesterday and we had our usual family party last night. Today, my friends are gathering for a barbeque. My best friend’s brother-in-law was also born on the 8th (although five years before me) so we are celebrating both our birthdays today.
Happy Birthday to us, John!
August 9th, 2009 in
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Here’s what’s on my Design wall today. It’s the first of eight blocks I need to make as part of the Quilts Your Way 2009 Squishie Block Swap.
The blocks are due in a month or so, so I better get busy. This block pattern is from Quilter’s Cache and is called Double Z. I will make a few of the others out of this pattern as well. Don’t know if it comes across in the picture, but on the wall there is a definite optical illusion going on.
That’s the only thing on my wall at the moment. Yesterday, I pulled all my fabrics for the 8 Squishie blocks, I sandwiched and pinned the crazy wild baby quilt, and that’s about all the quilting that happened here yesterday. So now I’ve got two baby quilts ready to be quilted. One more to go.
You can tell my grandkids are still in Louisiana with their other grandparents. My weekends are full of quilting at least for another couple of weeks. Here’s what I got accomplished yesterday. I got out all my 1930’s prints (of which there were more than I realized) and some scrap muslin and put this little baby quilt together using Mary’s Roman Stripes pattern.
I ran out of the white so I couldn’t put the narrow white border before the pink. I think it is so cute. It’s all sandwiched and ready to be quilted. I’ll do something simple like a serpentine grid.
I also got the back ready for the wild baby quilt I’ve been piecing. It will get sandwiched today and hopefully I get some of the quilting done.
I’ve also added my name to the list for the Shipshewana 2010 Retreat that Ruthie is organizing. I’m so excited. I think I’ve even found a roommate already. I just wish it was this year instead of 2010. I love Amish country. I spent a couple of days in Lancaster County last year after a conference in Philadelphia and I came home with 65 yards of fabric. I actually had to ship some of it home. You can see some of what I got here.
It’s a beautiful day here in the Bay Area today and I’ve just returned from an expensive trip to Target. Among other things, they had rolling storage bins on sale. The one with three big drawers for $8.99. I couldn’t resist. I won’t mention the brand but it starts with an S. I work for the company that makes Rubbermaid so I shouldn’t be buying the competition. But they are so cheap. What’s a girl to do!
I did well this last week, for me anyway:
IN: 2 yards
OUT: 4.33 yards
2009 Fabric In 93.52
2009 Fabric Out 46.25
2009 Net 47.27
So does fabric used on Sunday count for the new week or for last week? I plan to do more stash busting today. Just wondered.
July 18th, 2009 in
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Well, I’ll combine both my Weekly Stash and What’s on my Design Wall posts into one.
Sunday I woke up and took the pastel nine-patches off my wall and started cutting and sewing these fabrics.
I cut a total of 60″ so that’s about 1 2/3 yards busted this week. Nothing added.
I got all the blocks sewn together for the Crazy Eights pattern yesterday. Today when I got home from work I laid them out on my design wall.
It’s growing on me. I think I like it. I’ll border it in something that calms it down a little. maybe some of the turquoise or the purple. My plan is to use it for a baby quilt for a boy.
I’m much happier with this color combination than the pastels.
What do you think? Is it too crazy?
I do have some other ideas for the girl baby quilts. I really like the Roman Stripes pattern on Mary’s site. But with some 1930’s prints instead of the really light pastels. I’m going to make a few blocks to see what I think. Also, Dianne did a great pastel string quilt that I’d like to try too.
It was very liberating to be able to take down those nine-patches and put them in a plastic bag and tell myself it’s okay that they just weren’t working for me. I’m learning not everything I start will work out in the end. Someday, I’ll pull them out and put them into a charity quilt, so they wont’ go to waste..
July 13th, 2009 in
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I’m way behind on my posting. Here’s what’s on my design wall and has been for the past week. I just didn’t to post until now. Hopefully, it will be gone by Monday.
I had this pastel fabric and didn’t know what to do with it, but I do have three baby quilts to make so I was playing with nine-patches. I think this will work with white 3″ squares and a pink border for one of the girl quilts. I’m finding pastels are not my thing.
I read on Kathy’s blog (which she read about on Sue’s blog) about the “Power of 10″. I think I need to follow this to finish some of these UFO’s that are piling up. I will put together my list of top 10 projects and post it here to stay on top of it.
I need to find a way not to get bored with one project, so here’s the to-do list I made for myself last night to accomplish this weekend:
1. Finish binding my OTR. It’s 3/4 of the way done. DONE!
2. Cut one set of place mats for my bf Kathleen. She chose several fabrics that she would like place mats from out of my stash of florals.
3. Cut white 3 1/2″ squares for the baby quilt above. Decide if I want them to be on a white background or a colored background. I’ll try them out on some yardage before I start cutting 3 1/2″ squares. The answer is I don’t like it any way I try it. I’m going to put these nine-patches away for awhile and see if something else comes to me. Instead, I pulled some other fabrics for perhaps making a very bright baby quilt using the Crazy Eights pattern I have. More tomorrow when I put some pieces on my wall.
4. Finish making the nine-patches for the baby quilt above. DONE!
5. Pull out the fabric for the 2009 Squishie Swap at Quilts Your Way and start pulling fabrics from my stash.
6. Sew units 4 and 5 for the Christmas Lights mystery. And, then I’ll have all of the first part done. DONE!
So now all of Part 1 is finished and I’m just waiting for the next issue of Quiltmaker with Part 2!!! I got the last issue right around the 1st of June so maybe I’ll get the next one around the 1st of August.
7. Add the first border to Jared Takes a Wife. This will be the purple fabric.
Notice, most of these are small tasks that will take about an hour or so. This way I will feel that I’ve accomplished a lot! I’ll try to post pictures as I finish each one of these.
What are you working on this weekend?
I’ve been away on business and busy with other family things for the past two weeks. So not much quilting has been going on here. And, now it’s hot, hot, hot in the bay area again. We are just not equipped to deal with this type of weather. No air conditioning and no breeze to speak of. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. I just got back from Atlanta where it was 91 and humid. It’s only 86 and dry here. The problem is this house just holds the heat so in the evenings it’s actually cooler outside than inside.
Yesterday, all I managed to do was cut some fabric for several baby quilts I need to get done before the little ones start arriving at the end of August.
So that leads to my stash report for this week, month, half year. I managed to cut into 7 yards of fabric yesterday which is enough for at least two maybe two 1/2 baby quilts I have in mind. However, I did receive my Connecting Threads order or 2 Thread Packs and of course three sets of Riviera 2.5″ strips So whle I busted 7 yards, I also added 4 yards of strips back. Or, do strips really count???
2009 Fabric In 91.52
2009 Fabric Out 40.25
2009 Net 51.27
The fabric I cut is in the wash right now. It’s going to be another hot one, so I don’t know how much I will get done today. But I’d like to get the washed fabric cut into the pieces I need and maybe some mindless sewing of the pieces together. I’m sure I won’t be turning on that iron. I’m using Kimberly Camou’s Sassy Sixteen pattern modified to only 12 blocks instead of 20. This comes out to be a good size for a crib.
I’m looking forward to the three day weekend next week. I just know it will be foggy and cold. It always is on the Fourth. Last year the fog was so thick I could not see the road in front of me when I was leaving my brother’s after Fireworks.
More later and hopefully some pics too.
June 28th, 2009 in
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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.
