Stash Report 042317

Nothing In - Woo Hoo

A little bit out for Joey's Bag.  A very satisfying project.

Joey's Busy Bag- Ready to Go!!!

Fabric Purchased This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 36.74 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week:   0
Fabric Acquired YTD: 18.98 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 1.15 yards for Joey's Bag
Fabric Used YTD: 33.98 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 21.74 yards stashed

This was an unexpected project during a super busy week, so I even more thankful for the usage.

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times.

Friday Finish Joey's Bag

One of our students is headed across the country for medical procedures leading up to major surgery this summer.   He has been absent for the past two weeks to make sure he doesn't pick up any sickness heading into this.

We made a large "head" and took it everywhere we went and took lots of pictures.  We made a book of the photos along with drawings from his classmates. 

Then we got carried away and gathered "busy bag" stuff to keep him entertained on the airplane and in the hotel.  Then I got ambitious and offered to make a backpack for all the things we had gathered.  

I finished the ends of the cording before I delivered it.

His favorite color is red. I checked my odd fabrics for something heavier to make it sturdier to hold a load and withstand a 3-year-old. 

I found this practical but cute red ticking stripe.  I lined it with a solid red.  Also in the stash was this super thick cording in black so I used black for his name.  

Loaded and ready to go

I have made drawstring bags before but not in a while.  So I made it up as I went along.  I am very pleased with the result.  

The only problem was that I got a cold while working on it and loading it up.  So his mom has to sanitize it before it can even go in the house.  She is amazing and took it in stride.  

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

Stash Report 041617

Fabric Out
Sashing and borders for Boxy Stars

LOVE how this came out.

Fabric In

I went to a yard sale close by where the woman seems to clean out yearly and always has crafty stuff and her prices are low low low.  Her goal is to get rid of the stuff not make tons of money.  

That's a lot of stuff for $7

She kept telling me to take more and more.  She recognized a fellow Pack Rat when she saw one!

Crafts, school and sewing stuff galore!

Lots of it went to school but the fabric stayed home.  

Fat Quarters

Washed, measured and folded.

It was 11.96 yards.  What?  How can that stack be so many yards?

Lots and lots of ribbon.

 The wide wire edge ribbon went right to school and got used as hangers for these cool bird feeders.  The fun ribbons will go toward another school project coming up.

Bird feeders from oatmeal cans

I'm always on the look out for zippers.

The pink zipper got used for this zipper pouch for a birthday gift.

Super cute zipper pouch

I estimate about $4 of my total went towards the fabric so that is a great deal even if it didn't help my numbers at all. $0.33 / yard.  I can't be sad about that.

Fabric Purchased This Week: 11.96 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 36.74 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week:   0
Fabric Acquired YTD: 18.98 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 3.22 yards sashing and borders for Boxy Stars
Fabric Used YTD: 32.83 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 22.89 yards stashed

The fabric is coming in way too fast, but I just can't say no when it is this cheap.  Since fabric is not in the budget this is my way of building my stash affordably.

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times.

Friday Finish

I had cut the sashing strips last week when I needed something mindless to do.  So when I had some real time on Sunday afternoon I was able to just lay it out and web it together. It went very quickly.

It's a Flimsy

It helped that I didn't agonize too much over whether it was perfect or not.

Oops

Try as I might I saw some of the same fabrics "too close" to each other when it was all done.

Double Oooops

I didn't even think about unsewing and turning the block around.  I am only moving forward.

Needs some ironing

Then I moved on to borders.  I would have liked something with turquoise, pink and purple in it, but alas nothing like that in the stash.  I also thought about a pieced border, but maybe it is busy enough or maybe I am lazy.

Just enough blue in the pink stripe

After auditioning a huge variety if fabrics I ended up with the pink stripe as an inner  border.  More auditioning and ended up with the outer purple border that was just the right size print and shade of purple. I am pleased.

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

Design Floor

Boxy Stars are out again.

I've been thinking about the sashing, but didn't have the right fabric for what I had in mind, which was kind of shocking.  So I decided to go with just plain white.  I have tons of that from the rummage sale a while back and it makes no sense not to use it for this even if it is Plan B.

Layout #1

I also thought about the setting squares and for once did not agonize over if it was perfect or not.  I just went with the turquoise.  Turns out I had exactly enough of that particular fabric to get them all out of the same fabric, which I think helps to unify to scrappiness of the stars.

Layout #2

Now to figure out a border.  I will have to let it marinate for a while and something will come to me.  I am definitely not a "figure it all out ahead of time" person.  That is a problem sometimes are work since we teach in teams of two.  Oh well.

Layout #3 - and this wasn't the last!

Check out some other Design Walls over at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 040917

A little bit out.
Clara Barton's apron and hat for my coworker's daughter.

Clara Barton apron and hat!

And a little bit in.  I found some more fabric in the intern closet.  25 18" x 12" rectangles.  I do wonder what they planned to do with this fabric.

Red, yellow and green rectangles

Fabric Purchased This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 24.78 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week:   3.75 yards free from the intern closet
Fabric Acquired YTD: 18.98 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 1.75 yards 
Fabric Used YTD: 29.61 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 14.15 yards stashed

Still not the right direction, but I just can't turn down free fabric.

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times.

A Finish for Clara Barton

Two unexpected projects led to two unexpected finishes this week.

My co-worker's daughter will be Clara Barton in her class's living museum.  She had a plain dress but needed the apron.  I love making aprons.  I used the same McCall's pattern I used for her Christmas apron and it even had a nurse hat as well.

An apron for every occasion!

The red crosses are only pinned on so she can use the apron for real after the presentation.  I'll add lace trim if she wants later as well.

Who wouldn't love this!!

The other finish was a zipper pouch for Little S to gift at a birthday party this weekend. She knew her friend's favorite colors and had fun helping to choose the fabrics.   This was really fast.  The design is based on this tutorial from Sew Delicious with a few minor changes.

I can't wait to make more of these.

 Plus I personalized it with her name.  It can easily be adapted to whatever size you want.  The only limitation is your zipper length. 

Happy to have a finish this week. 

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

Sewing Goals Progress - March

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.

After three months of sticking with what needs to be done and NOT STARTING ANYTHING NEW (unless it is absolutely necessary), I think I have progressed nicely.  I did not finish any UFOs this month, but I did make significant progress on several.

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 backing. 
Mar:  Not sure why but the thread keeps breaking when I quilt.  ARRRRRGH!

Making Progress

Spider Web

Jan: Count the finished blocks.  

Feb: finished a few more and it is the new Leader/Ender project
Mar: all the triangles are finished. But not photographed!

Curtain Quilt

Jan: Finish colored strip sections and join to neutral sections.
Mar: All strips are joined.  No borders on this.  Auditioning backings. 

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

 FINISHED PROJECTS

Zipper Pouch

Needed a quick birthday party gift

Emergency Quilt 

Finished mid-March

And Another Baby Quilt

Mid-March DONE!!

 

Davis Carnival Quilt 

Finished late January!!

Bettler Carnival Quilt

Finished mid-February.

Lucy the Cat's Pillowcase  

Finished by New Years!! Lucy loves it!

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

Stash Report 040217

Cleaning Closets

I was offered a side job at work. With Middle E headed to college I'll take any extra work I can get.

The church intern office has 7 LARGE closets which store everything from the costumes and props for the annual living Bethlehem (cast of 200+) to leftovers from previous VBSs and anything in between. So my new task is to rearrange the Bethlehem stuff into the least accessible closets and consolidate/organize/remove whatever is in the other closets.  I have a very good working knowledge of what will get used and what won't and also who can use things that we can't, so this is a good job for me.  The interns and my boss would just throw it all away, which doesn't sit well with me.

During the job description walk through my boss pulled out a bin labeled "fabric" with the comment, "You might be interested in this personally."  Hmmm.  Does she know me or what?!

Freshly Washed

When I got home I separated the usable quilting cottons from the other fabrics. Since I had no idea where it had already been or for how long I washed it all right away.  

Measured and folded

What a haul!  Great colors that are sure to be useful.  I'm already envisioning the purple as sashing or borders for the Boxy Stars.  But who knew that such a short stack would add up to more than 15 yards!!

It's going to take me a while to dig myself out of this hole.  But what a wonderful

hole to be in!!

What a cute zipper pouch!

Some fabric did go out.  I made this cute little zipper pouch for Little S to gift at a birthday party next weekend.  I see more of these in the future.

Fabric Purchased This Week: 0 yards

Fabric Purchased YTD: 24.78 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week: 15.23 yards free from the intern closet
Fabric Acquired YTD: 15.23 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 0.32 yards 
Fabric Used YTD: 27.86 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 12.15 yards stashed

Definitely not the right direction, but I can't turn down free fabric.

Staying accountable with Judy over at Patchwork Times.