Stash Report 012917

I think I may have made it into the black this week.

Gown Up R's apartment is looking good.

Grown Up R decided on a table cloth from yardage rather than placemats.  Much easier.  A quick hem and  1.83 yards out.

2017 Carnival Quilt #1

And I finished the backing and binding of the first carnival quilt and it is finished.  Woo hoo.  Another 2.37 yards out.

I have the kids' squares for the second carnival quilt and I'm working on it, but nothing finished yet.

I did stop at my favorite little thrift store last week.  The damage wasn't too bad.  Two fat quarters.  Basic blue and a mauve.  Can't go wrong with plain blue and the mauve pink will go right into the boxy stars.  $0.75 

2 new Fat Quarters

Fabric Purchased This Week: 0.5 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 5.9 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Acquired YTD: 0 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 4.2 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 8.03 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 2.13 yards

Glad to be out of the red at last.

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times. 

Carnival Quilt #1 for 2017 Finished

Pretty close anyways.  It just needs a binding and the binding is made and ready to attach.  I'm going to use the leftover black sashing/border strips.  I think black is fine to stop all the colors from running over the edge!

Just need trimming and binding.

I also hemmed up yardage to make a table cloth for Grown Up R.  She had wanted placemats, but then decided on a table cloth.  Much easier.

Grown Up R's apartment is coming together nicely.

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict to show off finishes.

Sewing Goals for 2017

At the end of 2016 with my Stash in the red, I thought about being more productive, using the stash, finishing what I've started, etc, etc...

So I took a quick mental inventory of what needs to be finished.  That pretty much verified what I've known. I like making blocks and tops.  When I get to borders and backing I lose interest unless it is a deadline quilt. But it makes no sense to sew quilt tops and let them languish uselessly unfinished.

So here's my list of unfinished projects and "want to make" projects.  Maybe 2017 will see more finishes.  Maybe not. 

Red White & Blue 

Needs the backing to be pieced. Then send out for quilting because it is too big for me to quilt on my small frame and domestic machine 

Scrappy Mountains Majesty

Need to decide on borders or not. I have fabric for a backing already.  Need to make sure it's enough 

X Marks the Spot 

Need to decide on borders or not.  Then choose a backing or piece a backing. 

Strips That Sizzle 

Decide on borders or not.  Choose a backing. I have a possibility but need to check size. 

Spider Web

Count the finished blocks.
I think just a few more are needed.
Lay out and web the top together. 

Then choose a backing.  

Curtain Quilt

Finish colored strip sections and join to neutral sections.  Choose Backing 

Boxy Stars 

Keep Leadering & Ending

Davis Carnival Quilt 

Due March 2017

Waiting on 20 blocks from Students.  Choose a layout and fabrics.

As of Jan 21 just needs binding. 

Bettler Carnival Quilt

Due March 2017

Waiting on 24 blocks from students.  Choose a layout.  Beach theme requested.  

Quinceanos Quilt

Hopefully by May 2017

Choose borders and backing 

College Quilt
After Middle E commits to a college

Choose design
I already have fabrics if it is college choice #1

Christmas Quilt

Thinking that with my recent influx of Christmas fabrics I need to try to replace my Christmas quilt that was stolen.  This one would not be hand sewn.

Christmas Stockings
Just got a tentative commission job to make stockings for a co-worker's children.
During the summer.
Follow up showing her fabric options.

Aprons for My Girls

Lucy the Cat's Pillowcase  

Didn't get this done for Christmas, but no real deadline.  Use up the cat fabrics. 

DONE!!!  Lucy loves it!

 

Baby Quilt
Due September
Just found out another co-worker is expecting.
I'll wait to find out what her color preferences, gender, theme, etc are.

Stash Report 012217

The first carnival quilt for this year is quilted.   The quilting went quickly.  I love using bright variegated thread on kid quilts.

I love the variegated thread.

Preparing the back to make it big enough took some doing.  I didn't want any leftover of the backing fabric and I wanted to use up the extra pieces from the piano key border.  I got this fabric a few years ago at Goodwill super cheap thinking it would match almost anything and be a good backing or border.  Didn't work that way.  Too many colors in it maybe.  But I think it was perfect for this quilt and the kids agreed unanimously when I gave them several options.  

Wild and crazy and perfect for this quilt.

Then I had to prepare the batting.  I had enough scraps to join together a large enough piece for this quilt.  I call it "Franken-Batting". That is my frugal nature coming through.  I can't stand to throw anything away if I can still get use out of it.  In this case I saved the expense of new batting.  

The kids will be able to see all the layers of the sandwich.

I will send it back to school so the kids can see it in the "sandwich" stage.  Then the binding will be quick.  I have leftover black strips from the sashing and borders  so I will probably use that.  

Clarification: As with previous years, my Stash Report is designed to meet my needs.  I only get to sew in occasional spurts so I report fabric out when I have all of a particular stage of the quilt finished.  I can keep track better and I see progress more often which is more motivating.  

So this week I am just counting out the backing.

Fabric Purchased This Week: 0 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Acquired YTD: 5.4 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 2 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 4.01 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 1.39 yards

I am closing the gap.  The next carnival quilt should put me back in the black.

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times. 

First Big Finish of 2017

I got the first carnival auction quilt top done.

Almost stained glass.

I let the kids pick the backing and they also liked the busy colorful fabric that was my first choice.  

I think this will be the perfect backing.

Hope to get it quilted this weekend.  There is just a little pressure because the carnival is in 5 weeks AND there is a second quilt to make!  

Showing off finishes with Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. 

Yellow Yellow

Another good find at the Thrift Store. Solid yellow. This yellow makes me think of my girls playing "Punch Buggy" and yelling out "yellow yellow" when they spot a yellow VW bug!

4.75 total yards for $1 !!  It's in 3 pieces but I can live with that!

"Yellow, Yellow!"

On the out side: I got back the squares for one of the Carnival Auction Quilts.   It was a slow Saturday so I was able to get to work right away and I got the top done.  Woo hoo.  

The Carnival is less than 6 weeks away and I have 2 quilts to make so I was very happy for such progress.  Unfortunately, even though I have time to finish it completely I'm at a standstill because I promised the class I would show them the flimsy stage.  Otherwise I probably could have finished it all up on this 3-day weekend.  Oh well.  I can do other things on my remaining 2 days with a clear conscience. 

Almost a stained-glass effect as the sun comes up.

I definitely noticed that having such a close deadline on this quilt prevented me from agonizing too much on little details. I just went with my first reaction to almost everything and knocked it out it an afternoon.  

Well, almost.  One of the fabrics I had chosen for the piano key border ended up not working at all. So much so that I unsewed it and took it out.  Didn't add much time-wise and I'm much happier with the final combination.  

Clarification: As with previous years, my Stash Report is designed to meet my needs.  I only get to sew in occasional spurts so I report fabric out when I have all of a particular stage of the quilt finished.  I can keep track better and I see progress more often which is more motivating.  

I bought the white fabric specifically for the carnival quilt and had them cut and to the class relatively quickly so I did not count that as fabric in back when it happened and also will not count it out now. 

So I am just counting out the sashing and borders.  1.71 yards 

Fabric Purchased This Week: 4.75 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Acquired YTD: 5.4 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 1.71 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 2.01 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 3.39 yards

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times.

Still moving in the wrong direction but with two carnival quilts that will be made entirely from stash and finished soon I know I will get back on track in the near future .......if I stay away from the Thrift Store!

I Fell Off the Wagon Already

I had to go to Joanns to get twill tape for Señor G to fix his stationary bike.  Of course I also had to check the remnant bin.  I was looking for solid white since I just used up almost all my good stuff on the carnival auction quilt squares.  I was pleased to find a smallish piece.  I got an extra 20% off my total purchase for being a teacher so it was a good deal.

I forgot to report a pillowcase that I made right before Christmas.  The hedgehog main fabric was purchased specifically for this project and used up completely for the pillowcase so I did not count it in or out in any year.  The accent fabrics were from the stash. 

Fabric Purchased This Week: 0.65 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week: 0 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 0.30 yards 

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 0.35 yards

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times.

Hedgehog Pillowcase

A month ago Little S found this fabric for Middle E, who loves hedgehogs.  The plan was to make a pillowcase together for her for Christmas.  You can probably guess what happened.  It got put aside, then forgotten, then found again.

So on December 23rd I made the pillowcase.  It came out great - even though the hedgehogs are going sideways. Middle E loves it and that's what matters.

Showing off finishes with Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Tasty Tuesday - Sloppy Joes

When we lived in Russia nothing was easy, nothing was convenient and nothing was quick.  I quickly lost my perfectionist tendencies and just tried to accomplish one thing successfully each day.  Sometimes we describe our year in Russia as an endless search for food! Despite the difficulties we loved it there.

Needless to say cooking was a challenge. There was no world wide web to look up recipes. I had copies of my maternal grandmother's recipes from the 30s and 40s.  They were great since they used basic ingredients that I was able to get.  I had a few church cookbooks that used a lot of "box of this" and "can of that". For the most part they were no good at all.  

I used to spend hours trying to find something to cook.  (This was obviously before there were children to entertain!)  It was a happy day when I found this simple recipe for Sloppy Joes.  Even though we are back in the USA I still use it because it is so easy I can make it at the drop of a hat when I am short on ideas or time.  Everyone loves it every time.

Sloppy Joes 

credited to Joyce Scarborough
from Feeding Our Flock  by Jacksonville Christian Center

1 lb hamburger
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c ketchup
1 1/2 T Worchestershire sauce
1 t vinegar
1 t celery salt
1 t dry mustard
2 t sugar
2 t chili powder

Brown hamburger and drain.  Add other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

We eat it on buns or over tortilla chips.  Sometimes wrapped in a tortilla.

Feeds 4 with no leftovers.

Notes:  
I never use celery salt since I didn't have it back then and we got used to it that way.  
I also only use 1 t chili powder, since 2 was too hot for me.
I use regular mustard, not dry also because of availability way back when.

This recipe reminds me that I don't really like to cook anymore.  After all the trials of cooking in Russia and then the time consuming food prep in Guatemala I just am worn out from it.  I like to sew and I will make no apologies for that.  I always say, "We can't all be good at everything."   Thankfully my family seems to understand that and accepts it.

Please don't misunderstand - I do feed my family a good dinner 5 days a week.  Sundays we go out after church or pick up something from the grocery deli and one day is always leftovers.  But I am not a great cook and I don't enjoy it like my sister and sister-in-law do.  Now, I will stop before I get on my soapbox about cooking!

This is a good recipe.  Try it out when you are short on time.