Finishes!! (stash report week 7)

My first 2012 finish!!

Edit:  This is for the first quarter of the Finish-Along at Quilter in the Gap.  See other finishes on the linky party.  Here's my original post.

It used 7 5/8 yards of fabric - all out of my stash, didn't buy a single piece for this quilt!  I have enjoyed immersing myself in FMQ.  It seems that I found a rhythm and confidence that's been missing in previous quilting efforts.  There are more pics here on Thursday's post.

Then, I got the binding strips on the Dresden wall hanging.  I need to print out my label so I can attach it at two sides with the binding, which I do by machine.  


This one came entirely from my batik stash. It was so much fun to play with the colors in this one. The top used 6 ten inch squares and about yard of background - and I mean every teensy bit of that yard, had to piece the binding strips! The total comes to about 2 3/8 yards.

Last Sunday - after the stash report was published - I went to the Super Bowl sale at the LQS.  That was the place to be - it was hoppin'!  


Everything was 20% off but I didn't really need anything except maybe some neutrals for my Inchy flower garden. So, I came home with 4 half yard cuts.  Not bad! 

I had to buy some batiks, of course. And the black on white was so dainty - had to get some "just because." I think it's new from P&B.

I cut a few strips off the neutral and got out the GO! Baby and cut bunches of hexies from the new and scraps.  


In getting my garden together I found that I have some hexies missing.  

In the Inchy Hexagon Swap each person sends out 2 hexies and is supposed to get 2 back.  Well, after 6 months I have 9 hexies - 2 each from four people and 1 from the administrator as a welcome.  I will pay a bit more attention this go round.  My January swap partner is expecting a baby anytime, so I know she'll be really busy!!


I'm getting ready to go to a sew day this Saturday and yesterday I tried to figure out what to work on.  After concentrating on my quilting, thinking about the different piecing projects that are strewn about my space gave me the quilter's ADD - lol! Had to hit an early morning yoga class today to help get me balanced again!!

Strips for hanging sleeves

For my peace of mind, I need to focus. Sew, I have decided to get out the batiks that DS helped pick our for his Dresden plate quilt, which will be 6 blocks just like the one above. I may not sew a stitch next weekend, I may just cut all 126 fan blades and yammer the day away. Oh - but wait, I have to get hanging sleeves made to put on these finishes for the guild quilt show.


Here are the numbers!  WooHoo!


Used this week: 10
Used year to date: 12.15
Added this week: 2
Added year to date: 4.50
Net used for 2012: 7.65


Please click over to Patchwork Times and see other stash reports.

My quilting journey

WooHoo!  My first finish of 2012!

I really fell in love with this little quilt.  Maybe it's due to all the time we spent together on our journey to the finish.  Maybe all the time spent changing thread colors and fiddling with the tension to get good FMQ stitches.  Maybe it's how the quilting transformed my simple little quilt.  Maybe it's all the firsts that it represents in my little quilting hobby: 


(1) my first hand embroidery project (thanks to Clover & Violet)


(2) first time I used an old full size sheet as a back (a tight weave for FMQ but a real saver of $$ and time)

(3) first time I stitched in the ditch with my darning foot (over by the purple triangle -- another time saver)

(4) first time to turn the backing to the front as binding, just like my grandma always did (the decorative feather stitch seemed appropriate)

And on that last point - I liked it!!!  Followed the directions out of Better Homes & Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting, which is my favorite quilting reference book. 


It was so nice not to mess with those binding strips.  I may have to be more careful of my backing choices in the future so that I can do this more often.


This post is linked to Confessions of a Fabric Addict's Whoop Whoop Friday post.  Click over and check out some more projects!


Namaste.