Stash Report - week 12: More projects

Guess what!

Last night was Sew Down at my LQS and we decided to make Just One Star blocks.  We had a big pile of scraps that we brought to share, wish I had gotten a pic. Five of us made eleven blocks. 

If you add that up you know we made more than one.  Well, one of our ladies is so proficient with star blocks she churned out 6 of them!

I completed one other star block last night - for my guild's Civil War BOM.

Since I've finished two projects, this week I committed to two more.  Although, these projects are small, wallhangings, they really don't count as new projects in regards to my New Year's resolution.  I gave myself an out in that respect and specified no new quilt tops without a finish.

What are the new projects?  For the first time I joined a blog-land quilt along (QAL for short) - not one, but two, in the same week!  The first one is with Sew Lux Fabrics. There are three options/sizes: to use a charm pack, FQs, or a layer cake.  I chose the charm square option that finishes at 20x26 - perfect size and a great chance to use up some charms that have been sitting in my drawers for about a year.

Check out Sew Lux Fabrics and Gifts.  This store has yardage and pre cuts but I especially like the small bundles that they put together, maybe 4-6 FQs.  Great for small projects and much easier on the pocket book than buying the FQ bundles from the manufacturers.

Lynn of Lily's Quilts is hosting a dresden plate quilt along. She is also providing size options - yeah!  The plates are large and the 30x30 option is one block, the 60x90 option is 6 blocks.  The plate is not appliqued to the background as they are traditionally constructed, so we will be sewing a curved seam. That's a new one for me.  We will be using a quilt as you go method that I will read about, although, it may be mute since I am only doing one block.  New techniques in a small project = very exciting!

I had a great time going through my batiks to select 6 FQs.  This background fabric that is so horribly wrinkled here has been pressed and is awaiting its turn at the cutting board.

My other new project is making a mug rug for the swap at Leona's Quilting Adventure.  My partner likes Civil War fabrics.  I've shown some of my recent CW fabric purchases but I felt I needed some variety.  I have blues and browns but no yellow/cheddar or green.

One of our local guilds had their biannual show this weekend so I shopped the vendors and found one booth that had CW fabrics and they had two yellows. Here are my buys: one 1/2 yd, 2 FQs, and a pattern (not pictured are two used quilt mags for $.50 each).

That pattern is so cute. It's a miniature!  The double wedding ring blocks in this one finish at 3-3/4".  This is definitely a someday project.

Here are two little coin pouches I made for my son to carry his allowance in.  I used this tutorial from pmthreads.  It said the pouch finished at 4x3.25 but - wow- that is small.  So, I made another one a bit larger.  This was truly one of the fastest project I've ever made.  If I had more zippers on hand I would have made a few more.

So, on to the numbers:

Used this Week:   0
Used year to Date: 27.375 (27 3/8)
Added this Week:  1
Added Year to Date:  26
Net Used for 2011:   +1.375 ( +2 3/8)

Click over the Judy's blog at Patchwork Times to see more stash reports.

Stash report - week 8: lots o' blocks!

Springtime has hit..................for a while anyway.

Reflecting pool at Missouri Botanical Garden from mobot.org

 We had especially lovely days Wednesday through Friday which means that I didn't sew much.  My son went to preschool 4 mornings instead of 3 to make up for the bad weather. On his day off we went to the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Not a real tree, but his favorite spot in the climatron rain forest.

 Nothing was really growing yet, although the witch hazels were blooming and the daffodils were just peaking through the ground.  The novelty of being outdoors was enough to keep a 4 year old entertained.  We walked all the way around and played with puppets in the education center and read Dr. Seuss-style books about seeds and butterflies and fed fish food to the ducks and geese (still too cold for the koi to come up for food).

On the sewing side, things were rather unproductive.  I quilted some but not enough to finish a project. Still trying to figure out how I want to quilt a border.  Last night was "sew down" at my LQS and I got 5 blocks finished. 

These Hard Candy blocks are for my guild's charity committee.  Members can always donate finished quilts but we can also pick up blocks, or tops ready to be pieced, at meetings and bring them back.  An easy way to contribute.

This 12.5" Underground Railroad is also for the guild, for the Civil War BOM block exchange.

My biggest accomplishment last night was completing the  last block for the "Be Merry" Christmas BOM.  This star is 15.5" unfinished.  Now to the finishing kit, my favorite finishing kit ever, comprised of 8.5" plain blocks and double four patches!  Gotta love an easy finish.

One morning I pieced the first of five sections of my Turkish Delight BOM and took it my LQS Marti & Me club for show and tell.  I will be using Marti's Machine Quilting in Sections book to complete this one. This is my first BOM, did it right after I learned to machine piece, particularly strip piecing. 

That tag in the upper left notes which section this is so I don't get them mixed up later.

 The big story on this quilt is that the setting kit was comprised of 68 10.5" log cabin blocks!  That is a daunting number and it took me about at least 6 months just to start cutting and sewing them.  Took me another year to get them done - not b/c they're hard - b/c it's so monotonous!  One of these days I'll devote a post to all my log cabins.

Here's my Civil War fabric order that came in.  Boy! do I love getting fabric in the mail.  There are 6 half yard cuts of Jo Morton and Judie Rothermel.  I ordered from Stitch-n-Frame's winter clearance and even with shipping I got a great prices for 3 total yards.

Sew....here are the numbers:
Used this Week:    0
Used year to Date: 8.125 (7 1/8)
Added this Week:  3
Added Year to Date:  21.5
Net Used for 2011:   -13.375



How did I add 21.5 yds to my stash in less than 2 months?! Aye, aye, aye!!

Head on over to Patchwork Times to see everyone else's stash busting progress.