Home Alone

We finished the Carnival Quilt this week.  Whew!  That's a big check off the to do list for school.

something is wrong with my phone camera - every photo recently is blurry

The students sewed diagonally through their blocks and then I sewed more diagonals in the border.  I thought I would put the binding on with them or leave a section undone to show them, but I was making such good progress last night I just went ahead and finished it.

pieced backing - frogs & lizards!

Several students asked what I was going to do this weekend since it was a three-day weekend.  I thought I might sew a lot or read.  But what I really needed to do was deal with the accumulated mess in nearly every room.  It turned out that I was home alone today, which almost never happens.  

intense concentration

I doubt if I am the only one that makes a bigger mess in order to deal with the mess!!  I got all the mess except my school things on the dining room table taken care of - even some things that were on the maybe in the future category.  What a huge relief!  Thanks to FB marketplace I didn't even have to drop things off at Goodwill - I just posted them for free and POOF they are gone!  It feels good to start the weekend with a clean slate - literally.   

Blue crayon in the works!

In thinking about what to work on next, I did a complete 180 on my RSC.  I had thought to do butterflies because that is pretty much what I am known for at school.  I even worked out the math, but I just wasn't feeling it.  I looked at ideas for RSC and when I saw the crayons, I knew that was it.  Years ago I wanted to make a crayon quilt.  I cut telephone pages for string piecing and chose strips from my stash users drawers and it is coming together.  Blue was last month, but it is the color I have the most of, so I started there anyways.  

2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days this week = 7/7

15 minute days/Feb = 12/14

15 minute days/2026 = 41/45 

Success Rate 2025 = 91%

The Carnival Quilt is finished so I can report that stash movement!!  

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 2.63 yards for Carnival Quilt backing and binding

Used year to date: 10.16 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 0 yards

Net used in 2026: 10.16 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces 

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

Angela at SoScrappy

Getting Caught Up

It took all week to get caught up at school after the long weekend trip to Guatemala.  I never realized how much effort I put in each day to staying on top of grading, prepping, planning, etc.  Creating sub plans for three days beforehand  instead of doing the usual school work plus not grading while I was gone, put me WAY behind.  Interims are due on Monday and I am happy to say that I am ready with time to spare!!  

Now I can sew!!  I would love to get the Carnival Quilt finished this week.  With some focus I think I can.  Finding a striped fabric to use as the outer border instead of making a piano key border was a huge stroke of luck.  It will also work well to make the frog fabric wide enough for the backing.

I need to get something new prepped for leaders & enders.  I had been working on the chunky churn dash blocks, but it would be a better use of my time to get a good plan for the RSC and prep that instead.  Prioritizing got the floppy bunny finished in record time in early January, so I need to stick with that strategy.  

It feels so good to be thinking about sewing and not grading papers!!

2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days this week = 5/7

15 minute days/Feb = 5/7

15 minute days/2026 = 34/38 

Success Rate 2025 = 89%

The Carnival Quilt is a flimsy so I can report that stash movement!! I still have not sorted the fabric that I brought back from Guatemala, so that report is still pending. 

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 3.18 yards for Carnival Quilt top

Used year to date: 7.53 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 0 yards

Net used in 2026: 7.53 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces 

Donna at quiltpaintcreate 

Frederique at quiltingpatch

Angela at SoScrappy

Carnival Quilt 2026 has a Center

We got all the blocks completed and joined.  Whew!  Now to decide a border and backing.  I have a few ideas, but it is on hold until I am caught up on school work after my long, long weekend trip.  

2026 Carnival Quilt Center

My numbers are not as bad as I thought they would be.  There was prepping and planning as well as sewing, but it all moved me forward on projects, so I will take it.  

2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days this week = 5/7

15 minute days/Jan = 29/31

15 minute days/2026 = 29/31 

Success Rate 2025 = 94%

Fabric came back with me, but I won't report it until I get unpacked and get it sorted.

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0.00 yards

Used year to date: 4.35 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 0 yards

Net used in 2026: 4.35 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and.....  

Busy, Busy Week

We sewed every day at school this past week.  Thank goodness, since that was the majority of my sewing activity.  Lots going on a work and it isn't going to slow down this coming week.  Some weeks are like that.

Almost all of the students got their blocks made and sewed a border around it.  We had already planned the layout, so as they finished their blocks, they placed them in position.  As soon as they had a "neighbor" to their block, they started forming rows.  It is so fun to see their enthusiasm.  So much fun that I completely forgot to take pictures!

The 2025 quilt for reference

Here is last year's quilt for reference.  This year will be similar.  Current photo next time.

 2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days this week = 7/7

15 minute days/Jan = 24/24

15 minute days/2026 = 24/24 

Success Rate 2025 = 100%

No stash movement this week.

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0.00 yards

Used year to date: 4.35 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 0 yards

Net used in 2026: 4.35 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and.....  

 

The Carnival Quilt that wasn't a "Carnival" Quilt

Two hours from finishing the Carnival Quilt I found out that there is no Carnival Auction this year.  We have new administration this year and we were told of the change 10 days before the Carnival.  I guess I should have been suspicious that there was no information about, nor requests for, auction items or teacher experiences.  But after decades of Spring Carnival Auctions I never thought to confirm before I started this year's quilt back in December.

47" x 55"

So ..... now what do I do with it?  Personally, I do not need a reminder of this year's class.  But how do I decide who gets it?  Do I just pick someone?  I do have a student in mind who would benefit from an emotional connection and confidence boost by having it.  But how do I make it seem fair and non-partial?

It was with mixed emotions that I finished the last of the quilting and the binding today.  I love the quilt.  The backing fabric had been in the stash for forever and is just what this quilt needed to tie all the colors together.  The backing and binding are the perfect combination and the whole thing is just so soft and cozy.  

I missed sewing last Sunday due to a trip to Savannah to see the girls.  Then on Thursday I came home from school and just plain forgot that sewing was a thing to do!

15 Minute Report

15 minute days/week = 5/7

15 minute day/Feb = 13/15

15 minute days/2025 = 40/46
Success Rate = 87%

With the Carnival Quilt finished I have some movement.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 2.12 yards for Carnival Quilt backing and binding

Used year to date: 10.31 yards

Acquired last Week: 0 yards

Acquired year to date: 7 yards

Net used in 2025: 3.31 more yards used

I dropped off a load at the thrift store and then went in to look for a fish tank filter to replace the one at school that stopped working this week.  No aquarium equipment, but I did find this - 2 unopened packs together for $5.  I don't usually use fusible, but figured I'd find a use for it somewhere at that price. 

Linking to Kate's Life in Pieces to share progress.

Linking for quiltpaintcreate to share stash movement.

Carnival Quilt Continued

The students and I are still working on the Carnival Quilt.  This week we got the center of the top quilted.  It came down to the wire on Friday afternoon, but everyone got a chance to sew so I could finally bring my machine back home.  I had every intention of finishing it this weekend, but that hasn't happened.

Between sewing at school and prepping the back for the Dear Jane quilt at home I was able to work on projects every day this week.  

15 Minute Report

15 minute days/week = 7/7

15 minute day/Feb = 8/8

15 minute days/2025 = 35/39
Success Rate = 90%

No finishes this week, so the Stash Report remains the same.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0 yards

Used year to date: 8.19 yards

Acquired last Week: 0 yards

Acquired year to date: 7 yards

Net used in 2025: 1.19 more yards used

Linking up to Life in Pieces to share progress.

Linking up to quiltpaintcreate to report stash movement.

7 Years of Carnival Quilts

Another post that sat unpublished.  This is from early spring 2020.  These quilts will always be remembered since that Spring Carnival was the very last thing we did just days before we went on lock down and the entire world changed.  The quilts did eventually get to their winners.

Imagine my surprise when my new job paired me with Ms. D for whom I have been making Carnival Auction Quilts for the last 6 years!  We are "switch" teachers - I teach Reading and Social Studies, she teaches Math and Science and our homerooms switch mid-day.  So I had a built-in opportunity to have the kids in both homerooms make their signature blocks. 

I also took advantage of the slight lull in academics before Christmas and took in my sewing machine so the kids could actually sew part of the quilt.  They likened the experience to driving a car - some were cautious and some were reckless.  Overall, a very good experience. 

I had hoped to get the quilts made during the Christmas break, but that didn't happen.  Ms. D is for sure getting a new student after the break and there is a strong possibility that I will as well.  So I am holding off a bit.  I did get all the ironing and squaring up done. 

Tentative layout, but I'll make it be longer than wide.

The new student in the switch class throws off my original layout, but since all the hourglass blocks were made by the kids I don't want to change to sashing.  There are also 2 kids who never finished their blocks so holding out for them also.  I can add a block to represent the school if needed.  It will all work out.

My class added blue borders to their blocks as a built in sashing.  They had to think about it.  Odd numbers had short strips on the sides; even numbers had short strips on the top & bottom.  That way only the corners have to match and not each strip.  I kept them in their class order even though some of the same fabrics ended up next to each other.  I thought that the familiar order was more important for the kids than visually pleasing to me.  I'm not going to buy it - they are.  I did go ahead and sew them together leaving a space just in case.  If we don't get a new student I will put the block to represent the school on the front.  Since I have an associate (we are the "overflow" class) our blocks will go on the back to make the array work on the front.  There's no way I would get 4 new kids this month - is there??

The kids were very curious about why one class made hour glasses and the other class made sashing. I was able to talk about arrays and how the quilt has to make an array somehow in order to work.  Different numbers make different arrays.  They understood that and saw their math in action.  Win win!

D Quilt Finished

And the Winner Was ......

I followed the progress of the auction quilt online.  The class is different each year and it is hard to know how the families will respond.  This year was definitely a tougher sell.

After a slow start with no bids at all, I suggested they lower the starting bid from $100 to $60 to at least get some action going.  That did the trick.  It ended up going for $120.  Of course it is worth more than that, but since most of the supplies were purchased from thrift stores, it was mostly my time that went into it.  

No matter - it is a contribution to the school and the kids had a great experience sewing.  Administration sees my commitment and I can check that off my list for the year.  The winner definitely is deserving and will treasure it.  That's the most important part.

One year I offered a sewing lesson instead of a quilt and we made a pillowcase, but that 2 hours ended up being more stressful to me than making a cuddle size quilt.  We'll see how I feel next year when the carnival comes around again.  I always say no more, but then I do it anyways!

Carnival Quilt #12 Complete!

Not much fabric movement, but 2 big projects done.

Not quite done in this photo, but the only photo of it finished has kids' faces.

This year's Carnival Auction Quilt is finished and delivered.  This is the 12th quilt I have made for the school auction.  The kids were so happy to use the sewing machine and see it all come together.  I used fabric from the mask stash that was big enough for something bigger than masks, so I can't count any of it out from my personal stash.

Of course, the quilting line where I got off track shows in the photo!

I also made a runner for the cashier counter at my favorite thrift store.   They are trying to protect the glass top of a vintage sales counter/cabinet they have.   I had a hard time getting started, but once I looked at it as just a long skinny (88" x 16") quilt, the project moved right along.  They supplied the focus fabrics, but I did use my own fabric for the black binding.  The 2 fabrics they chose clashed too much to use either one as the binding.  Black will get less grimy from use as well.  0.4 yards out.  Very generously, and quite unexpectedly, they gave me a voucher to use at the store!    

Fabric In This Week: 0 yards

Fabric In YTD: 6.04 yards

Fabric Out This Week: 0.4 yards

Fabric Out YTD: 6.3 yards

Stash Movement: 0.26 yards out

As far as time spent sewing .....  

I knew I started the year off far better than I could maintain in the long run and the last two weeks proved it.  But I think now I realistically know how often I can sew, which is important because I don't want to make myself sew if I'm tired and make mistakes.  Also, now that I am not sewing masks and the front burner projects are done I did not have something ready to sew and didn't have time to make a plan.  That has been remedied, so maybe this week will be better.  Either way I'm okay.  

Days of at least 15 minutes of sewing this week: 5/7

Days of at least 15 minutes of sewing in February 20/26

Days of at least 15 minutes of sewing in 2022: 48/57

Percentage: 84%

Considering the workload at school I am pleased.  Two big projects completed this week, and a project prepped to work on in small bits during the week, so I'll take that as a good week.

Linking up to Kate's Life in Pieces to share progress and stay accountable.

Carnival Quilt Progress - Stash Report 021322

Plenty of sewing, but no movement in the stash.

Center finished!

No inner border?  Too dark.

I got the Carnival Quilt center finished.  Then had to decide on borders.  White inner border or not?  It definitely lightened things up, so that is the direction I am heading.

White inner border?  What a difference!

Fabric In This Week: 0 yards

Fabric In YTD: 6.04 yards

Fabric Out This Week: 0 yards

Fabric Out YTD: 5.9 yards

Stash Movement: 0.14 yards in

As far as time spent sewing .....  

Not a great week, but some weeks are like that.  Between school and after school commitments, I was just too tired some days.

Days of at least 15 minutes of sewing this week: 5/7

Days of at least 15 minutes of sewing in February 10/12

Days of at least 15 minutes of sewing in 2022: 40/43

Percentage: 93%

Still very respectable overall percentage and most importantly projects are moving forward!

Linking up to Kate's Life in Pieces to share progress and stay accountable.

Super Carnival Quilt

For the 6th year I made an auction signature quilt for Ms. D's class.  My idea this year was to make hour glass blocks as the alternating blocks in greens since that is her favorite color.

The weekend before I started making them I found a great piece of super hero fabric at the thrift store.  Perfect.  That could be the backing and borders.

On the same day, but at a different store I had found small cuts of bright solids which turned out to be the same colors as in the super hero fabric.

I quilted it with a bright variegated thread in double lines around the seams.  The quilt went together pretty quickly which was a good thing since I was still in the throes of 120 hours of professional development.  The kids loved it.

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

Weighted Lap Pads & Hot Pads

No fabric in this week.  None at all.  Whew!

Fabric out:

2 frog & turtle weighted lap pads for Craft Fair - 0.63 yds

I love this fabric!

2 ocean weighted lap pads for Craft Fair - 0.76 yds

The perfect use for a large print.

4 cloth napkins with mitered corners for Craft Fair - 0.71 yds

Before they were sewn.

24 signature squares for carnival auction quilt - 0.71 yds
(no photo - you know what a white square looks like - right?!)

6 quilted hot pads for Library sewing class - 0.72 yds

4 of the 6 finished hot pads.  Nice job, ladies!

Fabric Purchased since last report: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 95.01 yards

Fabric Acquired since last report: 0 yards

Fabric Acquired YTD: 22.65 yards

Fabric Used since last report: 3.53 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 136.56 yards

Total: 4.65 yards destashed

This week I was in a kind of limbo not knowing from day to day when I would start the new job.  Since I didn't start the new job I started some new projects.  Thankfully they were little and got finished.  Now if I could just settle down and get some of the big projects done.

The Library class yesterday went great.  Quilted hot pads.  The ladies are all excited about setting up additional classes outside of the library, so that is encouraging.  I had my first sale on Etsy this week which was exciting as well.

Kate over at Life In Pieces has challenged us to try to stitch 15 minutes each day.  I was able to sew at least 15 minutes most days.  Some days more.  I am happy for that.  Labor Day I even got Little S sewing!

Days stitched since last report: 6/7
Days stitched this year: 236/258
Success Rate: 91%

Linking up to QuiltPaintCreate and Life in Pieces to keep accountable.

Friday Finish 021618 Carnival Quilt

This was a fun quilt to put together.  I got to try a new block design and because of the colors the class chose I was able to use up some languishing units for the border.

2018 Carnival Quilt

I took it to them this week and they were so excited.

Pieced back used up odd pieces

This is something I do annually for this teacher at the local elementary school.  It is a lot of fun.

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

Stash Report 021118

Fabric Out:  Binding for Carnival Quilt  0.35 yards  I had already counted out the front and backing a few weeks ago.

2018 Carnival Auction Quilt

The Carnival date usually sneaks up on me, so I am glad to have this done in plenty of time and not be rushed.  I'll try to get out of work early one day to go take it to the class in person.

Back - the white has green shamrocks in it!

Fabric In:  Nothing - again!! I stopped by the thrift store briefly for the first time in weeks and thankfully they had no quilting fabric.  I got canning lids instead - 2 unopened boxes for $1/box !!

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

Fabric Used this week:   0.35 yards
Fabric Used YTD: 20.26 yards

Total: 7.13 yards used

Little by little I am headed in the right direction. 

Less work brought home, so more sewing in the evenings.  It doesn't show in my stash, but it was progress towards a finish.  Still one night when I just didn't have any more oomph.  But that's okay.  Overall I am progressing and that is good.  Haven't started anything new and even have a few finishes lately, so I am pleased.

Days stitched this week: 6/7
Days stitched this month:  Feb 8/10
Days stitched this year: 37/41
Success Rate: 90%


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

Stash Report 011418

Instead of going to the thrift store for therapy Friday after work, I stayed home and sewed for therapy.  Much more productive.

I finished the Carnival Auction Quilt top and backing.  The teacher likes to show the students each step of the quilting process, so I will get the flimsy and backing to her to show off and then I'll quilt it when it comes back.

My helper wasn't quite tall enough!

I like this a lot.  I went way out of my comfort zone on the blocks and then stretched myself more by trying to use up blocks that were abandoned years ago as an outer pieced border.  They worked perfectly.  I was nervous about the math to get the borders right, but it turned out to be easy and worked the first time. I considered adding another round of pieced border blocks, since there are plenty, but it is big enough.

I had to piece the backing and it isn't my favorite, but it will do.  Apparently I had plenty of small green pieces of fabric, but not much that was large.  The focus is the front with the kids' drawings so the backing doesn't much matter on this one.

The center of the quilt was already counted out when I finished that a few weeks ago, so now I will count out the borders and backing.

Fabric Purchased this week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 4.81 yards

Fabric Used this week: 3.35 yards for carnival quilt borders and backing
Fabric Used YTD: 9.64 yards

Total: 4.83 yards used

I have also been trying to sew for 15 minutes each day.  This was easier before I went back to work, but this past week I have still been able to make it happen.

January 1-13 13/13 days of sewing 

Linking up to quiltpaintcreate to stay accountable and Life in Pieces to keep track of those 15 minutes. 

Last Stash Report 123117

Since this is the last day of the year, this is about as accurate a yearly report as there can be.

FABRIC IN: From my favorite thrift store.
Moda sea foam w/ dots, pink chenille & blue chenille = 0.76 yards for $0.75

Last fabric added for 2017

FABRIC OUT:
91 Reusable Sanitary Pads = 8.09 yards

91 pads ready to go

Center of Carnival Quilt (greens only since white was purchased specifically for this project and never counted in) = 1 yard

Carnival Quilt Center

Red White and Blue Quilt Backing = 10.10 yards

I missed getting a finished picture, but it is all sewn together now!!

Fabric Purchased the week:  0.76 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 101.98 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Acquired YTD: 46.04 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 19.19 yards for pads, carnival quilt center, RWB backing

Fabric Used YTD: 136.48 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 11.54 yards stashed

Not bad at all considering how much fabric came in this year.  I am pleased with my year and in surpassing my goal of 100 yards out. 



Staying accountable with   quiltpaintcreate.  

The Last Friday Finish of 2017

Big finishes this week.  It is amazing how much sewing I can get done when I don't go to work!

My new walking foot made a huge difference on the pad project!!

The reusable sanitary pads project (Days for Girls) started with good intentions.  In October, when the other teachers and I finished with the pillowcases for Harvey victims we thought this would be another good cause.  I had plenty of materials on hand (surprise! surprise!) and we dove right in.  It turned out to be way more than we could chew.

Cute & practical

The straight sewing on the pillowcases was just right for their beginning to intermediate skills.  These were just the opposite.  Lots of layers, lots of curves, and zig zag stitching that needed to be precise.  All the fabric we started with had already been cut, so the only thing was for me to take them home and work away at it, which means it get set aside, but took up lots of space.

91 pads ready to pass on for pins & shipping.to Days for Girls

My recent plan was to make that be my priority project as soon as I got the sewing room cleaned up after Christmas.  The girls were gone for the afternoon after Christmas so I had completely uninterrupted sewing time - and no pressure for dinner since there are plenty of leftovers. I got the last 51 pads finished.  As a bonus I actually got a system going where I could piece the carnival quilt blocks in between pads.

Carnival Quilt Center

This week I also got the backing for the Red White & Blue quilt done at last.  I had almost all of the strips ready, but needed a large enough place to lay them out to decide on the placement and then cut the last two and sew them up.  This week I am not teaching, but I am tutoring so I took the pieces and used my classroom to lay it all out.  We have a sewing machine in the class so I just sewed them up as well.  HUGE RELIEF that this step is finished.

Red White & Blue Backing ready to sew

I have been trying and trying to figure out why the thread is breaking so much when I use my Brother machine on the frame for quilting.  I had narrowed it down to the darning foot and had gotten a replacement.  It didn't really make sense, but the foot had more then a few issues that had already been "fixed" so that I could still use it, so getting a new one was overdue anyways.  Sure enough when I reloaded the finicky quilt and tried again this week I had the same problem.  I now think it is the sheet as a backing that is causing the problem.  So I loaded this little one as a test on that theory.  After a not-so-smooth start I got in the groove and got it finished up in no time with no more thread breakage.

Test Quilt

CLEAN WORK SPACE 
+ DETERMINATION 
+ GIRLS GONE 
- WORK 
- DINNER 
= DONE DONE DONE

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