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.

Stash Report 111917

Fabric In
Through work I had access to a room filled with fabric and no limitations.  If we are lucky our school is invited about three times a year, but it doesn't always work out that I can go.  This time I could.  A lot of it was not quilting fabric so I literally felt my way around the room picking the fabrics that were most likely quilting cottons.  The lady supervising the room asked what I would do with it all.

Hmm.  We just made 35 pillowcases for Houston and quite a bit of that fabric came from this source last year.  I also made 2 quilts last year that were auctioned to benefit the local elementary school and some of that fabric came from here. We will make Christmas ornaments at school and I was able to pick up some Christmas fabric.  In another room I got several cards of Christmas trims that will also get used for our classroom Christmas projects.

22.5 yards

It is such an odd variety that it just freshens up the stash a bit.  It also makes me feel more generous in using it up on projects that get donated.

Guessing about 2.5 yards since there are a few FQ in this mess still in their packaging.

Amazing how a few pieces really add up.  After I got it all washed, measured and folded it was a bit over 22 yards.  I also picked up a bag that was loaded with scraps of all shapes and size that Little S is working on ironing.  I'm going to say it was 25 yards total.   It is doubtful I will dig my way out of this hole by the end of the year, but boy oh boy it felt like Christmas!!  All for free makes it even better.  How could I possibly not load up?

Fabric Out

I finally got the weighted fidget lap blanket finished for my father. 

Weighted Fidget Lap Blanket  0.5 yards

I also remembered the football pillowcase and finally gave it to a budding football player who was thrilled.

Football Pillowcase  1.1 yards

Fabric Purchased This Week:  0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 71.46 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week: 25 yards
Fabric Acquired YTD: 46.04 yards

Fabric Used This Week:  1.6 yards for lap blanket and pillowcase

Fabric Used YTD: 100.98 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 16.42 yards stashed


I'm deep into the hole, but who can resist free fabric.  I hit 100 yards out and that's great.  I have a few more finishes coming up, so maybe I'll break even by the end of the year.

Staying accountable with quiltpaintcreate.

Friday Finish 111717

Last Friday I had the day off and Little S had to go to school.  That was a very unusual combination, but had to do with making up the hurricane days from Irma.  Her public school make up schedule was different than my private preschool make up days.

Wrighted Fidget Lap Blanket

I considered doing errands, but decided a day at home alone was the best choice and it was.  I got the sewing room kind of cleaned up.  I also started and finished the weighted fidget lap blanket for my father.  Even though I had planned in advance to add a zipper, buttons, and ribbon loops I basically made it up as I went along which is kind of obvious.  I used the last bits of fabric from his bed size weighted blanket and a few "kind of" coordinating fabrics.  I had one last larger piece of the feathery fabric that I was using as backing and it was my guide for size.

When I took it to him on Monday he was very curious and started fiddling right away.  He doesn't open his eyes much anymore so all the touchy feely is good for him.

The staff says using the weighted blanket at night makes a huge difference in helping him sleep, so I am hoping this will help keep him seated.

Another pillowcase

I had another finish from the week before that I had forgotten about.  A pillowcase for a coworker's son.  He is really into football, so when I got this piece of football fabric not long ago I immediately thought of him.  Since we had made lots of pillowcases lately it seemed like a pillowcase was the thing to do.  He loved it!

Very Happy Recipient!!!

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

Stash Report 110517

Fabric In - More fabric in this week.

This great blue polka dot.  $1 for 3 yards at a yard sale!!

Love the polka dots!

Miscellaneous scraps from a co-worker.  2.06 yards total.  Since it's getting cut up anyways it won't matter that it's already in bits and pieces.

Assorted scraps and pieces.

Fabric Out -  Aprons for the girls and College E's Bestie.  Now that fabric is completely gone except for a 6" strip in the strip drawer.  That was pretty quick usage.  It is nice when something turns out like I envision.   2.14 yards

Two finished last weekend

Two more this weekend.

Weighted lap pad 0.6 yards

Bright and cheerful.

Fabric Purchased This Week:  3 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 71.46 yards

Fabric Acquired This Week:  2.06
Fabric Acquired YTD: 21.04 yards

Fabric Used This Week:  2.74 for aprons and lap pad

Fabric Used YTD: 94.27 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 1.87 yards used


Still ahead of things, but barely.  Hoping to hit 100 yards out in 2017 and I think that is very doable.

Staying accountable with quiltpaintcreate.

Friday Finish 110317

More aprons.  I feel like I make a lot of aprons.  College E can't find her apron from last year when she worked at the preschool.  So when this large piece of fabric made an appearance it seemed perfect for a new apron for her and for her Bestie in college.

You will never see spills on that fabric!!

I had to make them very quickly to take advantage of Grown Up R taking a road trip and dropping off a care package.  The embroidery machine cooperated and everything went smoothly and they were done.  I don't like bias tape ties on the aprons I use for work, but I had good colors on hand and for the amount of use they are going to get I figured it was fine and definitely sped the project along faster.

I did my best to accommodate all sizes since College E is smaller than average and her bestie is larger.  I think they will be happy. There is just a smallish piece of this fabric left and I am thinking Little S is due an apron that is not child-size.

Approx 20" x 20"

The same night I also made a weighted lap pad for one of the students in our school.  It was such a cheerful fabric and I added little ribbon tabs all around for extra fidgetability!

Very realistic frogs.

He had such a huge grin on his face and was so happy that it was his favorite color.  His teachers say that it is helping a lot.  Just the right size and weight.

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

Stash Report 102917

Fabric In - In a weak moment I went to my favorite thrift store.  That don't always have fabric that I am interested in, but this time they did.  The prices were great and I didn't hold back.

Amazing how happy these little bits can make me feel.

The football fabric (25c) I already cut for a pillowcase but I'll report on that later when it is all done.

The pieces/bags ranged from 25c to $1 and none of them were less that 1 1/3 yards.  Some were over 2 yards and one was even almost 4 yards for $1.

Total 2 yards in a zip bag for $1.

Someone's UFO.  Love the fabric choices.  Since most of it is cut it will make a quick top. $1

It all totaled 17.19 yards at a total cost of $7.25.  I really can't be sad about that! 
I had had a rough week and this was cheap therapy.  Perked me right up!

Folded and measured and ready to use.

The red flowered on the bottom is already made into aprons for College E and her best friend, but I'll report on that separately.


Fabric Out -  I finished the weighted blanket for my father, which you can read about here and here.  Most of the fabric to make that was from 2 king flat sheets and a twin flat (also from the thrift store!).  I did not count them in since they went right into the project, so I am also not counting them out.  I do get to count the front of the blanket cover which was from stash - my mother's stash but now that is the same as mine.  For sentimental reasons I still keep it separate.



Fabric Purchased This Week: 17.19 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 68.46 yards

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

Fabric Used This Week:  2.67 yards for blanket front

Fabric Used YTD: 91.53 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 4.19 yards used


My numbers took a hit, but considering how much fabric I used up with the pillowcases for Houston I did not feel bad at all replenishing at these prices!  I have a few finishes I need to catch up on reporting and a very old finish that I finally have photos for, so that will help me over the next few weeks as well.

Staying accountable with quiltpaintcreate.

Friday Finish - Weighted Blanket

The weighted blanket for my father is done at last.  It was not hard.  I followed the instructions from Confessions of a Fabric Addict, but enlarged it to 60 x 60.

Pinning the back to the pocket front.

Wow, did it take a lot of fabric.  I would like to say it all came from stash, but considering that my strips needed to be 60" long and my backs and fronts had to be 62" square minimum I went with the recommendation to use flat sheets.  I hit the jackpot at my favorite thrift store a few weeks ago when their linens were 1/2 off!  I got 2 king flats and a twin flat for $6 total and I used it all up.  The front of the cover is from stash - my mother's stash actually which is appropriate since it is for my father.  There was just enough after I pieced it for extra width and length.

Marking the vertical lines to finish the pockets.

I don't know if I miscalculated the weight needed or if the weight of the fabric making it was so heavy that it overloaded my final weight.  I only used 50 of the 100 pellet pouches that I had planned to use.  That worked out fine.  We just put a pellet pouch in every other pocket and the weight is evenly distributed.

On the bed.  Size and color is good.

His initial reaction while sitting was that he liked the feel of it.  We are waiting to see if there is an improvement in his sleeping, which in turn will prevent the falls.

One of the employees at his memory care facility saw the blanket and asked about it.  She was very curious because she had looked into purchasing weighted blankets to have on hand, but the cost $150+ held her back.  I assured her that $150 was cheap for all the materials and labor that goes into it.  She will follow my father's progress.  She did say that mine was prettier than the catalog blankets.

So that is a heavy weight lifted from my to do list - all puns intended!

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

Pellet Pouches

I'm working on a weighted blanket for my father.  He lives in a memory care facility and wakes at night and gets up on his own and falls - a lot.  I knew about weighted blankets and "logs" for children and we even use them in my preschool.  But I recently learned that a weighted blanket can also help adults with insomnia and other issues that my father deals with.

It seems like it is worth a try.  I am using this tutorial from Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  I'm making mine bigger so it will cover an adult body, but the basics are the same.  I started by making 100 "pellet pouches".

Little S sewed the first sides.  She offered and actually enjoyed it.  Wow!  What a huge help that was for me.  The last few weeks have been pretty hectic and as much as I wanted this project to be on the front burner it just wasn't.  So getting the pellet pouches done was a good step.  I've got the math done on the rest of the blanket so I should be able to move along on it now.

100 Pellet Pouches !!

I used assorted odds and ends of fabrics that I was pretty sure I would not use for anything else to make the 5" x 5" pouches. 


Fabric Purchased This Week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 51.17 yards

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

Fabric Used This Week:  1.53 yards for 100 pellet pouches

Fabric Used YTD: 88.86 yards

Fabric Stashed in 2017: 18.71 yards used



Staying accountable with quiltpaintcreate.