Stash Report 092814

Appliquéd Hearts

An unexpected finish when I should have been finishing something else. Oh well. Fabric out is fabric out, right?  It will go to the guild for someone else to quilt and then on to Hospice.  So it is really going out!

Fabric Used This Week: 2.79 yards for front and backing

Total Used 2014:  56.97 yards
Fabric In This Week: 0 yards 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 16.08 yards
Net Used 2014: 40.89 yards

 Head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with their stash.

Stash report 092114

Drawstring lunch bag

This was a pretty quick project that took longer to think through than actually do it. You can see the process here.

Fabric Used This Week: .5 yards for bag front & lining - all from stash, drawstring cord too!

Total Used 2014:  54.18 yards
Fabric In This Week: 0 yards 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 16.08 yards
Net Used 2014: 38.10 yards

Head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with their stash.

Drawstring Lunch Bag

My high-schooler has been taking her lunch to school in a ziploc bag. I envisioned a fabric version of the plastic bag. I still had shark (the mascot!) fabric left from previous projects for her.   I thought about it for a few weeks, then I finally cut the fabric. Of course there was not enough since it was directional. So I added a contrasting insert and had to set it aside while life happened.

Finally this past weekend I desperately needed to finish something in my life and have some small amount of control. I showed her how far I had gotten and offered to embroider her name in the blank spot - thinking she was too old for that. Nope, she was all for it.  

Got out the embroidery machine, which is about 25 years old but still works for simple stuff.  The thread broke. The needle broke. The thread jammed   The thread broke. I have never had this much trouble before.  By the time I set and reset her name it was not the least bit even. She was still happy with it. If she keeps it full and closed up it is less noticeable. Just don't tell anyone your mother made it!

The rest of the bag was easy peasy.  I know I could have figured it out on my own, but since things were not going smoothly I looked it up.   I used this tutorial    and it went together so quickly.

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

Scrap Bag Flimsy

I got this to the flimsy stage.  The background story on this quilt can be found here.

I really, really like this layout.

I would like to use the pink for a border but not sure I have enough.  That challenge will have to wait for a time with no distractions since I need to concentrate to get it right the first time.

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

Scrap Box Quilt

Stash Report 082414

I am working on a project that started with 1 orphan block, some pieces and some scraps.  When my MIL let us into a box of scraps that had been given to her I found this.

I really liked it and as we dug around we found more bits and pieces that obviously went with it.  So I brought it home since I really needed another project!  The good thing is that it didn't take much space in the luggage.

It has been waiting and waiting.  I ironed up the scraps a while back so then they were positioned temptingly.  I resisted and stuck to what had to be done.  Finally, last weekend we watched 3 movies.  I never watch TV and rarely rarely watch a movie, so this was a big deal.  (We had 3 free Red Box movies and it was the last weekend before school started.)  I had to have something to work on while we watched, so I got out the pieces, pulled more fabric from the stash and that kept me busy.   Over the 3 movies I got all the pieces cut and organized.  The background green was the limiting factor.  I was able to barely get 20 blocks, which was my goal.  There was no more of the reddish pink from the original scraps, so I went with another pink altogether and it turned out fine.

Got them ironed and squared up and started playing with layouts.  The obvious was this, except I didn't like the incomplete row and there was no way to make 4 more blocks.














                                 Tried this next and I LOVE it.

The background green is much softer in real life.

I would like to add a border of the pink, but I am not sure there is enough for even a very narrow border. We'll see once I get the blocks sewn together.

Blocks are squared and there are no glaring color mis-placements - yet!

I would definitely make this design again, but do it using strips rather than blocks.  It would go faster with fewer seams for the same look.

My Stash Report rules say that I can report fabric as used once I get an entire step of the process done.  Little bits of progress keep me more motivated over the long run.  So here's my report.  I only counted what I added from my stash, which was not much after I got it calculated.  But fabric out is fabric out!!


Fabric Used This Week: .25 yards 

Total Used 2014:  53.68 yards
Fabric In This Week: 0 yards 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 16.08 yards
Net Used 2014: 37.60 yards

Head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with their stash.

Rail Fence Finish

I haven't sewn in over a month probably. I might be going into withdrawal!!  Every summer I want to catch up on the girls' photo albums - I'm only 20 years behind!  This was the summer that I was at least able to make progress.  But that meant re-purposing the sewing room. I have been thinking of it as working in paper instead of fabric. Combining colors, cutting carefully, making sure it is all lined up correctly!

But I just had to get in a sewing fix. This was super fast. The strips were already cut thanks to the quilt guild.  There was a lecture on working with strips and bags made up to take home and try.  Little S thought she would make this one but there has just been too much going on.

Orange Windmills and Blue Windmills

I had already sewed the strips together randomly. So in a rare alone moment yesterday I cut them in squares, laid them out and webbed them together. All together including sewing the strips maybe 2 hours. What's my excuse for not getting more done more often?

There was extra of the orange strips so I used that for a simple border. After it was sewn on I found 12 blocks that had been left behind when I laid it out.  What to do?  It was destined for hospice and was on the small side so I went ahead and un-sewed one border and added the extra blocks. That brought it up to the recommended size.

College Girl R was home for a week. A very nice surprise!! When we took her back to school I missed the guild meeting to turn the rail fence top in, but at least it is finished.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts  and Confessions of a Fabric Addict  to show off finishes.  I have missed being part of the Friday Finishes for the past weeks.  Glad to be back.

When All Else Fails Sew It!

A few weeks ago I made the pirate ship for Pirate Camp at the preschool where I work.  But two sections had come unglued. I suspect I used different types of hot glue sticks and some worked better than others.  I did not want to repair it with hot glue and have the same problem and have it come loose during camp next week.

So after having the ship moored in my living room for the last week and me laying awake nights I finally hit upon the solution - sew it.  So bright and early this morning I got out the thickest yarn I had and the biggest, longest, sharpest needle and got the job done.  It worked fine.  I had to use a spoon to help push the needle through some of the thicker spots - 3 layers of cardboard - but over all it was a good solution.  I even went around a few extra places just because since I liked the way it looked.

I was almost out the door after dropping it off at school and getting the last camp details taken care of when I remembered I still had not cut a door for the kids to get in and out! 

It's a finish and it involved sewing, so I am claiming it for a Friday Finish!

Linking up finishes with   confessions of a fabric addict  and  Crazy Mom Quilts and richard and tanya quilts.