It's Been a Bonnie Week (stash report week 4)

"Bonnie" as in good and "Bonnie" as in Bonnie Hunter!

First, I picked up Easy Street from quilter Kathy Monday afternoon - how cool is that swirly panto? (I really must learn how to get better pics.)

 Please don't ask what pattern it is as Kathy doesn't use pantos, she just freehands it all!

Quilt show entires are due Tuesday.  I'm trying to decide if I want to enter it or not.





Then, after being out for MLK Day on Monday, the kiddos got another snow day on Tuesday - uggh.  However, rather than let 4 boys have the run of the basement, unsupervised, for an afternoon, I sat at the ol' featherweight and stitched up Clue #2 for Celtic Solstice.

Frankly, I didn't think it was ever going to end!  I mean, I stitched on it all day Saturday and then most of the afternoon on Tuesday to get 100 units.  Of course, each 3.5" unit has 6 pieces with seams that had to be pressed.

Sunday after posting my numbers, DH's jeans made onto the cutting board.  Uggh - there were three pairs to narrow in the legs and shorten.  It wasn't so bad, but it was 2.5 hours that I could've spent on something a little more fun!

That's it.  I haven't sewn a stitch since Tuesday. With a small consulting gig, snow days, and trying to get back to a regular workout that was derailed by the holidays, it's been tough to reclaim a schedule.  Then there's that pesky housework and cooking that must be done - uggh!

With the 30-40 degree change in our weather that came along Friday, I am feeling a tad under the weather.  Thank goodness for Afrin!  It's probably allergies, it's red cedar season, but the cold weather seems to keep all this allergy business at bay, so I'm kind of looking forward to the colder weather that's coming back to us sometime tonight! I need to get busy on Clue #3.

My numbers are unchanged from last week's report.  As soon as I feel like wrestling with trimming Easy Street, I will get it bound and get back in the black.

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 0
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 0.42
Net used YTD: -0.42

Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Some Stitching' (Stash Report Week 3)

Alrighty!!

My vow not to buy fabric lasted about one week!

While getting my charms ready for the Charming Stars pattern, I discovered that my stack needed a few more squares.  So, I clicked over to Connecting Threads and picked up a little 24 count charm pack.

Yesterday was our group's sew day.  I worked through the week to get the starpoint squares ready so that I could mindlessly put the 9 patches together.

However, I was so busy gabbing and eating birthday cake - we had a surprise party for Elise - that I only worked on Clue 2 of Celtic Solstice.  Didn't sew one red & white 9 patch all day.

Then there's Clue 2 of Celtic Solstice.  They're not pretty but I got loads of little pieces stitched together, but there's still more stitching to do - uggh!

It was so nice to have our sew day.  As soon as DH went back to work last week and I was home with DS and his friends, all sewing ceased!  We hadn't sewn together since November and it was nice to stitch and catch up and laugh.  It's so much different than stitching in my basement corner with Netflix or Pandora playing.

Cheri flew in for the birthday party and we had such fun.  She was stitching away on a loaner featherweight and gave me all these waste triangles from her project.

Well, they were already together in pairs ready to chain piece, so I ran them under the needle.  There are 50 trimmed to 1.5" so far and these four are pressed.  I have no idea how many there are; done enough counting for Clue #2.  I'm thinking they would make a cute pillow top.

Also got a call yesterday from Long Armer Cathy - my Easy Street is done.  I'll go pick it up tomorrow - can't wait to see it!  Entry forms for our guild's biennial quilt show are due by Tuesday evening and I'll have to decide whether to put it in or not.

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 0
Added this week: 0.42
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 0
Net used YTD: -0.42

Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Official Snow Day #3

It's Monday and our holiday time at home has been extended by snow.  DH and I agreed that Jan. 2nd was awfully early for the kids to go back to school. Two rounds of snow has given them 3 days off and school is cancelled tomorrow, too.  DH also got a snow day today, which was supposed to be his first day back.  Although, he's doing a bit of work while I try to quilt in the basement with 4 boys between the ages of 7 and 9 basking in their 3rd day off school.

Yesterday I cut out some background muslin to make 16 of these star blocks. This is block one - just had to see one made up.  I think it might make a nice graduation gift for our babysitter.

See those eight 2" bonus HSTs that come with every block? Maybe they can find a place in a border.

This is a Moda Bake Shop pattern called Charming Stars.  The red & white charms I'm using are from the first blogger swap I ever participated in about 3 years ago now.  One of the participants made this quilt with her charms and it's been on my list ever since.

I've been cutting for Clue 2 of Celtic Soltice as well.  I need a break before cutting another 100+ neutral squares.  Maybe a bit of reading is in order.

Namaste

Happy New Year (stash report week 1 of 2014)

Hope you all had a happy holiday season!

With out of town visitors in varying numbers for 10 days, I didn't even attempt to find the time to blog.  I did well to get enough sleep and keep the kitchen clean with all the meal preparations going on.  Due to snow forecasts my in-laws arrived a day later than planned and left a day earlier, so the original 12 day stay became 10 days.

On New Year's Day, day one with no company, I cleared my sewing corner and got it back in working order and slowly decided how to tackle Celtic Solstice.  I had only done parts of clues 1 and 2, so I decided to concentrate on one clue at a time.  In between lying on the couch and watching Miss Marple on Netflix, I cut most of clue 1 and continued cutting the next day and then got to stitching.  Bonnie revealed the mystery on New Year's Day and it is lovely! 

I have been thinking about my sewing goals for the new year.  Last year I was all about trying to finish projects.  And I did.  There are 3 finished queen size quilts and 1 at the quilter's plus a few smaller quilts scratched off the UFO list.  I also started "quilting by checkbook" in order to get projects finished.

However, it's so much fun to start new projects.  And, I have so many fabrics pulled with specific patterns in mind.  Also, there is the bolt of muslin that I got for Christmas last year that I barely used in 2013 and charms from swaps over the past two years just waiting to be used.  So, I'm going to start new projects and enjoy sewing again!

I am going to enjoy starting new projects without bringing 150 yards of fabric into the house, again!  With Celtic Solstice, my oranges, dark blues, and yellows are quite depleted.  But, I plan to stick to the fabric already pulled for projects.  I will need to buy border and binding fabrics here and there, but I will concentrate on using what I have.  As usual, the biggest dilemma is deciding which project to start first!

What are your sewing goals for 2014?

The best part of the new New Year?  Starting off with a clean slate on the ol' stash report!  I do not count fabric "out" until a top is complete, but I do count tops and backings before quilting.

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 0
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 0
Net used YTD: 0

Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Last Finish of 2013! (Stash report week 51)

Here it is!  The last quilt of the year.  

This is my second Bonnie Hunter Pineapple Blossom quilt. Used a jelly roll + yardage for my MIL's Christmas gift.  I used wool batting off the roll from Hancock's (not Hobbs, which had an uneven thickness to it - won't buy that ever again) so it's nice and light to launder but still warm.

This is my last finish because tomorrow I have to pack up my sewing corner til next year.  Eleven days to be exact, the storm knocked a day of our guests plans.  I know ya'll can commiserate with me, no sewing for over a week!  

I cut some 2" strips for the Celtic Solstice mystery, maybe I can get DH to take his parents somewhere and I can sneak in some sewing time on the featherweight.  Or, I may have to call a quilty friend and see if I can escape for a few hours on day 8 or 9!


The last thing I need to do is alter DH's new 3 pair of pants/jeans.  They have been lying around for at least 2 months - ugghh!  He has been such a great help this week cleaning.  He worked on the kitchen yesterday while I finished his mom's quilt.

Oh - and DH's learning.  Our son's den mother has a home business in which she supplies onesies with "tattooed" sleeves to shops and retailers worldwide.  Well, she thinks she needs an extra pair of hands, someone who can sew, to help her out.  She told her story to DH and said, "Your wife sews, right?"  And he answered, "No, she quilts."  YEAH!  He's learning!

To the numbers.................

My last package form the Scrappy Trip Along Flickr swap arrived this week.  Three yards of neutral 2.5" strips!  I like doing swaps, but they can get expensive - $12 for postage.  

Now that I have 3.5 of my containers full of 2.5" strips, it may be time for me to do something with them rather than accumulate more.  Assuming I have any time to think over the next 11 days about anything but the next meal that needs to be cooked, I need to come up with a strategy for using fabric in 2014.  The most obvious is to not buy any more fabric!!!

Used this week: 0.41
Used YTD: 120.173
Added this week: 3
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 150.625
Net used YTD: -30.452

Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Winner of Traveling Stash Box #1!!

And the Mr. Random Number Generator chose......
...
...
...

#1 - Dee Dee

I have emailed Dee Dee and await her confirmation.  This box has been traveling around blogland since 2011!

If you'd like to throw your hat in the ring for other stash boxes, Katie maintains a current list of the boxes' whereabouts - http://karmawillowdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-traveling-stash.html.

Cherie has a giveaway for  Box #6 on her blog, Quilted Jonquil.  Take a look at some of the pretties she's added!

Giveaway reminder!

Please don't forget about the Traveling Stash Box #1 Giveaway.  

Leave a comment on this post before 9AM CST tomorrow morning to have this fun box hit your door step next week.

Have a great day!!