Plenty of Variety

It was the last week of school with students.  I had thought maybe I would not get much sewing in, but I was motivated to get the dragonfly brick quilt top finished this week.  No lesson plans or papers to grade worked in my favor.  I got a few columns ironed and added each day and then it was done!

Not the best randomization, but it will do.

My progress was interrupted by cutting up the remains of t-shirts from a huge t-shirt quilt for dog toys.  Most of the books we read aloud in class this year had a dog, so it seemed fitting to make dog toys.  I had intended for them to be donated, but the students were so excited and quick at making them that they each took one home - and there are still plenty left for donation.  

Lay out the strips and tie around the tennis ball.

Super successful!  I will write a detailed post about that project later.  Since the t-shirt remains ended up in my stash after giving the quilt to the client, I am going to count that as fabric out of the stash as well.

Choose 3 and braid!

I was distracted by a last minute call for help from an old friend who needed a formal dress hemmed.  Thankfully, it was a relatively simple hem.  She didn't want to keep the train and the lining was not attached at the hem.  Bonus: time spent catching up while pinning!

I surprised myself with 100% stitching time in May.  Woohoo!  All those little bits of time are adding up to finishes.

 15 Minute Report

15 minute days/week = 7/7

15 minute days/May = 31/31

15 minute days/2025 = 155/169

Success Rate = 92%

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week:  5.37 yards for dragonfly brick quilt + 10.5 yards for dog toys

Used year to date: 62.34 yards

Acquired last Week: 0 yards

Acquired year to date: 7 yards

Net used in 2025: 55.34 more yards used

Linking up to Life In Pieces to share progress.

Linking up to quiltpaintcreate to share stash movement.

What I'm Working On

 How did I do on last week's list?

• plan & add borders to the Hexagon Baby quilt  NO PROGRESS
• prepare a backing for the Hexagon Baby quilt  NO PROGRESS
• send the red & green fruit quilt, the Illusions of County Clare quilt, and the HST quilt to the quilt finisher who will then send them on for hurricane relief in WNC  PROGRESS  
• prep more parts for leaders and enders  NO PROGRESS 
• reclaim the sewing room  NO PROGRESS

When I was packing up the quilts, I saw that I could fit another quilt in the box.  Not wanting to waste the space I made a quick decision to start a new quilt.  I went with something quick and that took all my sewing time last week.

Columns are ready to join. 

Here's the list for May 26 - June 1:

• sew the columns for the impromptu dragonfly quilt
• prepare a backing for the dragonfly quilt
• prepare binding for the dragonfly quilt
• try again to pack that box to send out to the quilt finisher!
• cut 300 2" squares from linen for a VBS craft project
• cut strips from t-shirt for students to make dog toys
• prepare hand work to take on our trip the following week

Hmmm.... Considering it's the last week of school I might have over-planned.  But some of it has deadlines.  We'll see!

Unexpected New Project

Things took off in a totally different direction this week.  I was packing up the box of quilt tops & backings to be sent for finishing and was surprised to find that I potentially had room in the box for another quilt.  I didn't have anything larger than a baby quilt that was in progress.  Starting a new quilt was not on my radar, but why not?!

All that is left of the original focus fabric.

I had just seen a video of a simple looking quilt made of layer cakes cut in half and arranged like bricks.  I didn't have a layer cake, but I could cut fabric in bricks.  I found a focus fabric and built from there.  I cut my bricks 5.5 x 10.5 to maximize the amount of fabric I had available.   

Placement has undergone many changes since this first try.

It turned out that what I pulled from my stash that remotely went together were not large pieces, so it got all used up.  A few bricks needed to be pieced, but I doubt they will be noticed in the end.

Barely anything left.

15 Minute Report

15 minute days/week = 7/7

15 minute days/May = 24/24

15 minute days/2025 = 148/162

Success Rate = 91%

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week:  0 yards

Used year to date: 46.47 yards

Acquired last Week: 0 yards

Acquired year to date: 7 yards

Net used in 2025: 39.47 more yards used

Linking up to Life in Pieces to share progress.

Linking up to quiltpaintcreate to share stash movement.