UFO Challenge 021418

Boxy Stars is done!

Fun and easy!

I really like this one!

Thank you to Jo's Country Junction for the challenge to get some UFOs done.

Friday Finish 020918

Boxy Stars is done.  I really like how this came out.  I made it purple and pink because that is what I had on hand in 2.5" strips when I needed a project.  Little S does NOT like pink, so I figured I would just wait until the right recipient came along.

A generous twin.

Well, when she saw it all finished she asked if she could have it!  Awww.  "Of course you have it, but you need to make your bed so we can see it!"

I like the dark purple binding.

This one has been waiting for a long time and I'm glad it is done and glad that I still like it.

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

Stash Report 020418

I didn't think I would have any movement of fabric to report this week, but I did.  In the right direction, too!!

Fabric In: NADA  NYET  NOTHING  I've been too busy with other things to get to the thrift store and that's okay.

Fabric Out:
I gave away a sheet that I had gotten a while back to use as a backing since I have had such a difficult time with sheets lately.  4.4 yards

I remembered just in time that I had set aside fabric and purchased binding for a Valentines apron to use at work.  I use an apron every day at work and little by little I am broadening my collection to match the weekly themes.  This past week was Ocean Week and the kids got a kick out of my ocean apron.   0.58 yards

Just in time!

Boxy Stars got its binding. 0.54 yards

Binding is done!

I love that plaid!

Fabric Purchased this week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 13.13 yards

Fabric Used this week: 5.52 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 19.91 yards

Total: 6.68 yards used

There was just a little bit of work brought home this week, but that was because my work days were super long getting ready for our yearly fundraiser rummage sale.  I was determined though and still did a bit every day except Friday.  Even Saturday after a VERY long day of sale and clean up and taking leftovers to various places I still got sewing in.  That was very therapeutic!!

Days stitched this week: 6/7
Days stitched this month: Jan 29/31  Feb 2/3
Days stitched this year: 31/34
Success Rate: 91%


Linking up to QuiltPaintCreate to stay accountable with the stash and Life in Pieces  to keep sewing every day.

Stash Report 012818

Some progress this week, but nothing finished enough to call it "fabric out."  I finished quilting Boxy Stars.  The backing had already been counted out.

Quilted and trimmed!

College E came home for the weekend to attend an early childhood education conference with me and that was more important than sewing the binding on.  I did get the binding prepped and hopefully I'll get it sewn on after she heads back on Sunday afternoon.

Binding is ready!!

No fabric in either so the numbers remain the same.

Fabric Purchased this week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 13.13 yards

Fabric Used this week: 0 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 14.39 yards

Total: 1.26 yards used

I still brought work home in the evenings this week.  So that cut into my time and energy level, but I did get a bit of sewing related work done most days. Slow and steady.

Days stitched this week: 6/7
Days stitched this month: 25/27
Days stitched this year: 25/27
Success Rate: 93%


Linking up to QuiltPaintCreate to stay accountable with the stash and Life in Pieces  to keep sewing every day.

Frday Finish 012618

I surprised myself but getting my Boxy Stars quilted and trimmed and ready to bind.

Last Wednesday it looked like this.

Slow and steady

On Saturday evening it looked like this.

Making progress!

On Sunday it looked like this.

I just might finish this after all!!

And now it looks like this.

Quilted, trimmed and waiting for a binding.

The binding is cut and waiting to be sewn and attached.  College E came home last night with her friend to participate in an early childhood conference with me this weekend, so not sure how much will get done this weekend.  But I'd rather have her home than sew anyways.

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

UFO Challenge 012418

Last Wednesday it looked like this.

Slow and steady

On Saturday evening it looked like this.

Making progress!

On Sunday it looked like this.

I just might finish this after all!!

And now it looks like this.

Quilted, trimmed and waiting for a binding.

This is huge progress for me.  My first big finish since the machine I use for machine quilting started shredding thread last spring.  This is far from perfect, but it is the best I have been able to sew on this machine in ages.  I had tried all kinds of fixes and I think it ended up being a thread caught up in the machinery behind the bobbin housing.  I am not afraid to take things apart and it appears to have paid off in this case.

The binding is cut and waiting to be sewn and attached.  But I have had a another week of bringing home work every night, so sewing progress has slowed down.  And College E is coming home Thursday night with her friend to participate in an early childhood conference with me this weekend, so not sure how much will get done this weekend.  But I'd rather have her home than sew anyways.


Linking up to Jo's Country Junction UFO Challenge to show progress!!

Stash Report 012118

Fabric In: I haven't been to the thrift store since school started back up and I went back to work.  Two whole weeks!!  I broke down and headed over on Saturday afternoon since it was on my way to a few other errands.  The other errands were a bust, but the thrift store was great.  It looked like the craft room had just been stocked.  Lots of new scrapbooking supplies and new fabrics at good prices.  I don't have anything specific in mind since I am trying to finish things, but solids are always good and the red plaid will work for Dear Jane.  I have another FQ exactly like this one, so I thought that maybe with 2 I'd turn them into something. $3 for 8.32 yards  No regrets.

Latest haul from the thrift store.

The brown and yellow bundles each had 3 perfect yards (not scraps and no chunks cut out of them) and were $1 each.  The red was also a perfect yard for just $0.25!!  The white was actually 2 different white pieces and was just over 1 yard total for $0.25.

Fabric out made the fabric coming in was easier on my conscience.  I finished piecing the backing for the Boxy Stars quilt.

I love the plaid backing.

Now I am slowly working on getting it quilted.

Only 2 rows of stars left.  Making progress.

Fabric Purchased this week: 8.32 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 13.13 yards

Fabric Used this week: 4.75 yards for Boxy Stars backing
Fabric Used YTD: 14.39 yards

Total: 1.26 yards used

I have been trying very hard to get 15 minutes of sewing in every day.  The first week back to work was easier and I got a bit done every evening after dinner.  This week I had a huge project for work that I was working on in the evenings.  Some evenings I got in the 15 minutes anyways, but by Friday I was pooped.  Worked on the big project til after 9 pm and then hit the sack.  Overall it is making me more aware of trying to get some sewing time in.  Even the nights that I sewed the bare minimum I made noticeable progress.

Days stitched this week: 6/7
Days stitched this month: 19/20
Days stitched this year: 19/20
Success Rate: 95%


Linking up to QuiltPaintCreate to stay accountable with the stash and Life in Pieces to keep sewing every day.

UFO Challenge 011718 - Boxy Stars

My Boxy Stars finally has a back.  It has been waiting since last Spring at least. The plaid was one of the last purchases of the year from the thrift store.  It is perfect.  I'm so glad it worked out to wait on the finishing of this quilt.  There wasn't enough, so I added the pink to make it large enough.

I am so glad to finally have gotten the backing ready.  Now the quilting.  I am trying again with the machine and the frame.  I took am much as I could apart on the machine to try again to find out why the thread keeps breaking.  Deep down inside I found a thread trapped.  Hmmm?  I got it out and got the machine back together.

Boxy Stars nearing a finish.

It is doing much better, so I think I am on the right track with the fix.  Wasn't the thread, wasn't the tension, wasn't using a sheet as a backing, wasn't the needle, wasn't the free motion foot.  Seems like it was the stray thread where it didn't belong.  Slow and steady on this now.

Linking up to Jo's Country Junction to get some of the pesky UFOs taken care of. 

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.

Design Floor Monday

Bonnie Hunter's Boxy Stars has been my Leader & Ender project for at least a year.  It finally got to the point where I had 4 units left so I just sewed them and that was that.

It was a super busy weekend, so I just laid them out on the floor to think about placement every time I walked by.  This was my first try - random with none of the same fabrics in the same block.  But I think some of the pinks are too dark or too light and the star effect is lost.

Not quite right

I tried again making stars that were either dark or lighter and I think that worked better.  No photo though.

I sewed them up webbing style row by row and that was very fast.  I just made sure to only sew the horizontal seam on each pair not the whole row.

So Boxy Stars has moved out of the Leader & Ender stage and into the UFO stage.  Sashings, setting squares and borders next.

Linking up to Patchwork Times to share progress.