Stash Report 032617

At the tail end of Spring Break I got in another trip to the Thrift Store.  Fortunately there was not much I was interested in.  I did end up with this stripe that seems like it would play well in all sorts of combinations.  I almost used it as backing for the first attempt at the Emergency Quilt, but that entire quilt got set aside when it was discovered I needed a girl quilt.   Just under 2 yards for $1.  My kind of deal.  

Brown with stripes.  Super versatile.

The Emergency Quilt helped my numbers this week.   This quilt was not on my radar at all but I got it done on time and all from stash. You can read the long story here and  here.

Bright and Cheerful

This quilt was made from a long forgotten barely even a UFO, a cute scant half yard that was given to me ages ago, old Cranston VIP yardage that was given to me last year and the last bit of batting left from a larger quilt.  And I can't even tell anything is gone.  I'll never use it all!!

Perfect for a baby girl and I love the quilt details.

So basically from nothing but my time I ended up with a super cute baby quilt.  

Fabric Purchased This Week: 1.94 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 24.78 yards

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

Fabric Used This Week: 2.85 yards Emergency Quilt
Fabric Used YTD: 27.54 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017:  2.76 yards out

Still heading in the right direction, but barely!!

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times.  

Emergency Quilt Done in Time

TA DAAAA!

A bit over 24 hours from start to finish!  A record for me.

Trying for a straight line.

The fact that I didn't have to go to work or prep anything for work helped a lot, but I did wash and hang 3 loads of laundry, cook dinner, help Little S with homework, take the girls out for lunch, go get the power cord for the sewing machine and it was my day to visit my dad in Memory Care. 

I am starting to love the walking foot for bindings.

I guess that means I am dilly dallying too much on my normal sewing projects since they take much longer.  No, because even with chores and stuff a vacation day is very different than a work day. Especially the energy level.  

Pinned and ready to quilt.

Anyways, I am super pleased with the result.  While I was sewing I had the feeling that the mom that this quilt is going to really needs a good "pick me up" and I think the bright energy of this quilt and the love it comes with will be good for her.

This old Cranston VIP fabric was perfect for the backing

The Winnie the Pooh fabric was just right for the outer border.

Linking up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict to show off finishes.

Emergency Quilt

Not what I planned for the design wall today but good.

Not quite this loud in real life.

Señor G is going to Guatemala on Wednesday and on Saturday afternoon asked if I had a baby quilt to give a long time friend of ours there who had a baby.  

On Saturday the details were : No idea how old or the gender.  So I pulled some fabrics quickly and cut 6" squares and got mostly finished with a boy top.  

Quick baby boy top

Then on Sunday the details were: girl,  5 months old.  So I set aside the boy top and checked what might be already started that could be pulled together quickly. 

On top of the urgency was also the fact that on Saturday we were all up very early and out of town most of the day for a college open house and scholarship interview for Middle E.  Then on Sunday I was up early to go pick her up and bring her back home.  So I was tired and not running at full speed.  Very thankful it was only 2 hours away and not 8 hours like Grown Up R's college.  

So proud of you, E!

I debated just buying a gift. Then I took a nap and woke up motivated to USE THE STASH!  

So I poked around more and found a forgotten UFO that originally was a kids quilt kit my niece had started.  My girls had worked on it a bit as well.  Then it got set aside.  Then we got another identical kit from the other niece.  Fortunately they ended up stored together.  The colors were bright and cute.

The completed section was too small to become a baby quilt unless I added lots and lots of borders.  But I couldn't work out the unsewn pieces to enlarge the sewn section because of limits of certain colors.  So I unsewed parts of the sewn section and redesigned the layout.  No before and after pictures unfortunately.

I was able to use one of the borders that came with the kits with minimal piecing.  Then I added a cute pink Winnie the Pooh fabric from my stash as an outer border.  I was cutting it very close on that, but I was successful with a sliver to spare. Whew. 

So by bedtime Sunday  it was a  top.  It is about 40" x 40".   I usually prefer my baby quilts to be larger but under the circumstances I am pleased.  Today is the last day of Spring Break and my goal is to get this quilted and bound today.  I think I can.  I think I can.

The backing is also from the stash - a pretty floral that was given to me last year.  This is where the smaller size is advantageous.  I won't have to piece the backing.

Linking up to Patchwork Times and Em's Scrapbag to share what we are working on.

Stash Report 031917

It is Spring Break and I made a quick trip over to the Thrift Store.  Even though there were several cuts of fabric I exhibited self-control and only got one piece.  The smaller pieces were priced a little high for their size and I had no real need for them so that helped my will power. 

The silver stars are a bit on the pink side, but I still think it will be useful.

I did get this red with stars.  1.83 yards for 50c!  $0.27/yard   I want to try to get the back done for the Red White and Blue quilt while I'm on Spring Break.  I'm sure I can work this in. 

On the OUT side I finished the Baby Boy ABC Quilt and that was ALL stash. 

Quilt and Matching Burp Cloth

Fabric Purchased This Week: 1.83 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 22.84 yards

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

Fabric Used This Week: 3.06 yards ABC Baby Boy backing, binding and burp cloth
Fabric Used YTD: 24.69 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017:  1.85 yards out

Still heading in the right direction!! 

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times

Baby Boy ABC Quilt is Finished

I thought and thought about how to quilt this and what color thread.

A windy day

I borrowed my sister's machine because I have a walking foot for it.  So I was thinking of straight line quilting.  I went with red thread since the backing is red and it is so colorful on the front. 

Straight lines on both sides of all the blocks

I quilted straight lines in the center and diagonal lines in the borders.  The red thread worked out well I think.  

Diagonals in the borders

Spring Vacation gave me a full day to sew uninterrupted.  Got the quilting done and then binding. 

The back shows the quilting details really well.

Because there is so much red fabric I washed it yet again with a Color Catcher. I was surprised at how much color came out again even though both front and back had already been washed.

There was just a bit of the ABC flannel left so I made a burp cloth also. 

Matching Burp cloth with baby's name

I am please with how it turned out and glad that I tried something new.  The client is happy and that's really the important part. 

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

ABC Baby Boy Quilt is a Top

A surprise finish considering how my last few weeks have gone - sick and super busy.  So I am very happy.  It's going to a new baby boy and I think the look is just right.

Hmmm.  A little wavy after the pre-wash.

I was really unsure about the borders.  The orange border was already cut and in the same bag with the ABC squares that were also already cut.   It seemed like a waste to not use it as the inner border especially since the length was good.  

I auditioned almost every other color for the next border including strips of the ABC fabric also already cut.   Blue worked best and I like it even better with the green corner square.   

For me the decision making is always the most time consuming part of a project.  Sewing goes quickly after that. 

Plan A for quilting: I need to fiddle with the sewing machine I use for quilting since it was super uncooperative for another project.  I am hoping it just needed a "vacation" and now it will be fine.  Unfortunately I have lost interest in the quilt that is stuck under the uncooperative foot. 

Plan B is to borrow my sister's machine for which I have a walking foot and use that to quilt the ABC quilt.  Will probably be faster and less frustrating.  

Either way I am happy with reaching the flimsy stage on this.  Super Duper happy it was all stash and the backing will be as well! 

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

Stash Report 030517

No trip to the Thrift Store and a surprise finish yesterday, so my report is good.

50" x 50"  A size that will last Baby M a few years.

I did not expect to be this far along since so much else was going on in life so the finish is even more appreciated.

I could not remember if I had pre-washed the red and I was nervous with all that white.  So I washed the flimsy with a "color catcher" and I'm glad I did.  The backing will be red, but I know it has been washed, so I'm okay there.

There is no deadline, but the baby is already here so the sooner the better! 

Fabric Purchased This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 21.01 yards

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

Fabric Used This Week: 2.35 yards ABC Baby Boy top
Fabric Used YTD: 21.63 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017:  0.62 yards out

Out of the red!! 

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times

Sewing Goals Progress - February

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.

In January and February I did not intentionally work on any one project, but I also did not start anything new.  I ONLY worked on what needed to be done.  That seems to have worked as I did make progress and had some finishes and several advances.

WORKS STILL IN PROGRESS

Red White & Blue 

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

Scrappy Mountains Majesty

Jan: Need to decide on borders or not. I have fabric for a backing already, but is it enough?

X Marks the Spot 

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

Strips That Sizzle 

Jan: Decide on borders or not.  Choose a backing. I have a possibility but need to check size.
Feb: Dark blue borders seemed to speak to me and are sewn on!
The forest green sheets will be fine and are already prepped for the background.

Making Progress

Spider Web

Jan: Count the finished blocks. Lay out and web the top together. Then choose a backing.  

Feb: finished a few more and it is the new Leader/Ender project

Curtain Quilt

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

Boxy Stars 

Jan: Keep Leadering & Ending

Feb: Finished squares L/E style during the Carnival Quilts.  Choose sashing and setting squares.

Tentative Layout that I didn't like.

Quinceanos Quilt

Jan: Hopefully by May 2017 before she graduates from HS.  It is 3 years late already.

Choose borders and backing 

College Quilt
Jan: After Middle E commits to a college. Choose design.   I have fabrics if it is college #1

Feb: I noticed that she loved a chevron design in a non-quilt item. For now chevron is my plan.

Christmas Quilt

Jan: 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
Jan: Got a tentative commission to make stockings for a co-worker's children during the summer.
Follow up showing her fabric options.

Aprons for My Girls

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

Another Baby Quilt

Feb: Found out a co-worker is going to be a grandma.  I need to get details 

And Another Baby Quilt

Feb: My sister needs another baby boy quilt for a friend.  No preferences. Simple design.

Due ASAP. 

FINISHED PROJECTS

Davis Carnival Quilt 

Jan: waiting for squares to come back from class.  Due March 2017

Finished late January!!

Bettler Carnival Quilt

Jan: waiting for squares to come back from class.  Due March 2017

Finished mid-February.

Lucy the Cat's Pillowcase  

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

Finished by New Years!! Lucy loves it!

Linking up to Patchwork Times, where Judy has challenged us to get a project finished this month.