Quick catch-up

With DS home with me all summer, except for a few camps here and there, I have a feeling the sewing machine will be quite lonely til school starts in August.

This is a quick post to show you some things I'd forgotten about.  First, in April I bought myself a cute tote for my GO! Baby.  I don't really take it anywhere but the tote holds the Baby and about 3 dies and 3 mats.  This clears up a teensy bit of shelf space and makes it easier to grab the cutter and use it.

Then, I joined a "low volume" charm swap on Flickr.  I must say that I love fabric swaps.  Making blocks and bags and such for others stresses me out, but grabbing some FQs or cutting charms is just so easy and adds such variety to my stash so quickly.




I have to laugh at the term "low volume."  It's what the ladies in my guild call "neutrals."

Seriously, neutrals are just the hardest fabrics for me to acquire a good selection.  I have no plan for these charms.  They will definitely go into a scrap quilt but whether it will be as 5" squares or as 2.5" squares or bricks, well, who knows.

The better part is that I did not have to go shopping.  Grabbed these two prints from the stash, both purchased because they were on sale, and started cutting.

Have you checked Hancock's of Paducah's web site lately?  They have lots of Moda marked down and several pages of fabric at $3.98-$6.98.

Happy shopping!!  Have a great weekend!!

What a week! (stash report week 21)

It's been sort of like a vacation for me this week.  DS went to my mom's the day after school was out - that was last Friday.  He got home yesterday evening.  It was "sort of" like a vacation because DH couldn't get any time off, so I was home alone most of the week.

I did hit the quilting.  However, without someone else here doing the same, no major house cleaning happened.  I am a great believer in "misery loves company" and without someone here to keep me on track, I had no motivation to get any deep cleaning done.

Three UFO's got completed this week, binding-binding-binding - WooHoo!






First, the T-block quilt for my step-dad, which is going home with him tomorrow with a note not to open until Father's Day.

And, then the very first quilt that is being used on our bed - Uncle Sam's Jacob's Ladder. Cheri quilted Baptist fans and I used the blue print for binding that I rejected as a border - knew I'd use it eventually, plus some was already cut.  This is our summer quilt, 100% Cream Rose Mountain Mist batting (very flat and not too warm for summer).






Finally, here' the Apple Cider quilt, the Marti Michell BOM.  I turned the back to the front as binding and I do not like it!  However, my not liking it does NOT outweigh my wanting to rip it out and do it over again!  The backing was a bit stretchy to me - not sure why - and it just didn't work as well for self binding as other backs that I've used.  This is our fall quilt with wool batting, oh so light.

I had hoped to get some other quilting done but instead I turned to my next UFO that is closest to being done - the Scrappy Friendship quilt.  It is now in one piece instead of three!  I haven't worked on this one since at least November.

I used Marti Michell's method of quilting in sections (book = Machine Quilting in Sections) and currently need to finish covering the seams via hand stitching the  strips over the seams.  I left a few quilting lines unquilted to finish once it was all in one piece, so I have those left to do.  Then, I plan to self bind it - yes, I really like this method when the backing cooperates, and I know this one will.

I finished the blocks for the 4th of July quilt.  I'm in no hurry to get this one done but thought it would be an easy top to finish at a sew day.  And, the piecing was easy while watching a couple of Mathew McConaughey movies this week (love that Texas drawl).

Since cutting is sometime the hardest part of starting a project,  I finished cutting the fabric for the 1930s Darlene Zimmerman pattern using feedsacks.  I had cut the charms but not the yardage.  Now this one is ready to be chain pieced at a sew day.









After doing the Pineapple Blossom workshop with Bonnie Hunter, I loved it so much I decided to make it for my mother-in-law.  I've an April Cornell Nature's Chorus jelly roll on my shelf for years.  I bought to make a quilt for my MIL b/c it's so springy and floral, very cheerful, her colors.  I needed to find the right pattern for it.

When I found this pretty little shirting (top) earlier this year, I knew I could use the jelly roll in the Pineapple Blossom pattern.  So, yesterday, I cut it all out with about 6 strips from the jelly roll to spare.  The original pattern uses 2" strips but Bonnie gives instructions for 2.5" strips as well to make 12" blocks. A jelly roll is just enough for 20 blocks.

So, my numbers only show binding, but I feel that I've accomplished a lot this week!

Used this week: 1.08
Used YTD: 61.58
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 58.75
Net used YTD: 2.83

Check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Stash Report Week 20

Wheww!!  Spring is gone and it's like summer here today.  It may get below 80 degrees after midnight.

No big finishes this week.  I've lost my mojo for finishing.  I have two quilts to bind and picked up another one yesterday.  Maybe it was the weather.



Yesterday was our sew day and I worked the entire day on chain piecing for Easy Street.  I haven't worked on this in months, since I've been so focussed on finishing UFOs.  It was so nice to sit and stitch. "Just keep stitch-ing, just keep stitch-ing."

This evening I have been finishing up about 40 more components and then I will be ready to start putting bocks together.  Well, after I press them all.







Quilty friend Elise "cleaned out a closet" and brought some kits to destash.  Of course, after seeing them all day, one of them had to come home with me! About 9 more yards!!

I chose something that I haven't tried before - a one block quilt.  Cutting the same shape from strips of fabric shouldn't be much different than cutting all those little pieces in Easy Street from 2" strips.










A few days ago my May Flickr fabric swap package arrived.  Since I went shopping for goodies to send my partner, they always want modern, then I guess I have to count these FQs in the stash report, too.

Arent' they pretty?  Love the teensy zippers - perfect for little coin purses.

To the numbers:

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 60.5
Added this week: 9
Gifted this week: 1
Added YTD: 58.75
Net used YTD: 1.75

Check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Hexie Friday

School is almost out and DS had a field trip to a community garden today.  It was great fun and it was evident that the kids really learned a lot in their Earth Links class.

Last week I showed some of my 1" hexies.  This week I worked on some blocks using my 3/4" polka dot hexies.

No EPP happened this week, applique and embroidery have been the techniques keeping my milliners needles busy.

Check out more fun EPP projects with BillieBee and Angie (A Quilting Reader's Garden)!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Mother's Day! (Hexies & Stash Report Week 19)

Happy Mother's Day!

We celebrated with my mom yesterday and gave her the sewing machine cover made from my grandma's scraps.  She found some scraps that my aunt, also deceased, had given to Grandma so it had lots of memories for her.

Since we went out for breakfast yesterday and out for dinner a few days ago for my birthday, I sent DH some recipes and requested a meal at home.  I don't know about you, but there's not many sites sexier than a man working in the kitchen!

I did a bit of handwork this week.  Angie and Billie are doing a Friday linky party for Hexie Friday.  It's not Friday, but the linky is still up and Angie is having a giveaway, so here are some of my evening stitches:

Finally, I did an "AHHH!"  Check out Tonya's new website for ordering these fun EPP creations.  There are lots from which to choose.

I have another of these and will use a light, medium, and dark blues to get a 3d effect, like a tumbling block.

Then, I worked on the 1" hexies.  Basted a few and added a few more pieces to large unit.













Finally, last weekend I worked up some square in a square blocks to go with some string blocks to make some everyday placemats.  I may get to these this afternoon.

For my birthday my mom and stepdad brought me some Fairy Frost FQs and some quilting thread.  My mom isn't a quilter and I didn't have the heart to tell her that it's hand quilting thread - and I don't really hand quilt.

However, they also brought me a straight stitch plate that fits both my Viking machines.  I'm excited to try that out this afternoon on some triangles, too.

Today I shopped for a  Flickr fabric swap that I participate in.  All my partners always want "modern" fabric, which I don't keep on hand. The newest shop in town calls itself "contemporary" and has lots of fabrics that modern quilters use.  While it doesn't carry the huge prints, it has several lines and basics that can appeal to many types of quilters.

I also shopped for clothes.  Uggh!  I am not a shopper.  The stuff that I want never looks good in the fitting room.  However, DH gave me gift card for a new shop nearby so I gave it a try and found some stuff.  WooHoo!


To the numbers:
Used this week: 1.25 (machine cover), 2.125 (giveaway fabric) = 3.375
Used YTD: 60.5
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 1.25
Added YTD: 48.75
Net used YTD: 11.75

Check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

And the winner is....

Comment #2.  Congrats to Angie!

 Thank you for the birthday wishes and for playing along!

Have a great week,
K-

Birthday Giveaway (and Stash Report Week 18)

In two days I will be another year older.  To celebrate, I will give one of you a gift (more details below).

I've reached both Lucy Ricardo's age (29) and Jack Benny's age (39) and have to decide which to go with - I'm leaning towards Lucy.  Although, the first time I helped in my son's kindergarten class this spring one of his classmates told me that I looked like his grandma, not his mom!



On a happier note: The birthday celebration started a bit early with a great package from my April swap partner in the Flickr Monthly Fabric Swap Group.

Pretty batiks, yummy chocolate and a pretty Villa Rose pattern from Christine in Washington state!

Our weather here was so nice most of this week that I've been outside, not inside sewing a single stitch.  The only additions are the pretty 1/4 yd cuts of extra fabric that my partner sent me.  So, my numbers are practically unchanged from last week.

Here's what I've pulled out for one of you! There will be a few little goodies added to the bundle.

Four FQs and a charm pack of 45 different dot fabrics.  The lemon, lettuce, and blue floral fabrics are from Paintbrush Studios.  The neutral is a Lori Holt design for Riley Blake.  The 5" charms are cut by moi from the various dots I've used in my 3/4" hexie flowers, which I've gotten away from recently.

This will be a quick giveaway, open to all.  Please leave one comment on this post telling me if you do hand sewing and, if so, what your most recent hand project is.

Rules and such:  A winner will be determined by the Random Number Generator on Tuesday evening (May 7th) at 9PM CST.  Any comment after 9M on Tuesday will not be included in the giveaway.  All "no reply" comments will also be discarded.  Please, if you are not sure if you are a "no reply" blogger, then leave your email address in the comment so that I can reach you.  If the prize is not claimed via email response by Thursday evening (May 9th) at 9PM, then I will draw another winner.

I know it is annoying, but the word verification is still on.  I tried removing it and still got spam, so it is there to stay.

Good Luck!

To the numbers:
Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 57.125
Added this week: 0.5
Added YTD: 47.5
Net used YTD: 9.625

Check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.