Gypsy Wife April Blocks

I finished my April Gypsy Wife blocks, just under the wire.

 

All of these blocks are from my stash, and the colors don't 'match' in any way. I'm trying to use up the odd bits and not repeat fabrics in other blocks.  This is getting harder to do as I make more and more blocks and don't keep good track of what fabrics I've already used.

Stash Report

I added a little more than I used this week because I'm participating in a quilting round robin, and we need to send 2 yards of a focus fabric and 3 yards of a background.  I almost never use a 'focus' fabric when I'm making a quilt, and I don't have very many pieces of fabric bigger than a fat quarter in my stash.  I'm mostly a scrap quilter.  Each person in this RR will make a 12 1/2  inch center block and send it on to the next person who puts a border on it.  I think there are 6 people in my group.  My round robin will be done in neutrals. 

I've never done a quilting RR before, but I have done  many cross stitch round robins.  I've framed a lot of my favorite RRs, but I have a lot of them that are just sitting in a drawer due to the cost of framing and lack of empty walls in my house.

And now, because every post should have a picture, here's what  my favorite tree looked like two weeks ago.

Used This Week: 4.75 yard
Used Year to Date: 45.75 yards
Added this week: 4.75 yards
Added year to date: 41.125 yards
 Net Used: 4.625  yards

Celtic Solstic, Quilt 2

I participated in Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice mystery quilt that started last November.  I was going to make a king sized quilt.  I made 121 blocks and started piecing the top together.  Then I lost interest.  It sat for a while.  Then I decided I didn't like the quilt enough to make it for my bed.  So it sat some more.

After my son moved into his own apartment last month, I decided to make the Celtic Solstice blocks into 2 quilts for the bunk beds in his old room.  I finished the top bunk quilt top in March, and the other top today.  This quilt is wider than the first since it will be on the bottom bunk.  I wanted it to cover up anything that is stored under the bed.

This quilt is 84 x 75 inches.

I still have 25 Celtics Solstice block left over for CS quilt number 3.

I'm linking up with http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2014/04/elsas-quilt.html

Stash Report: Angie's Quilt Top Complete

I got my sister's quilt top together this week.

 

 

 

I opened the blinds to let in more light, but the colors aren't right in the picture.  The yellows are browner in the picture than they are in person, and the pink is brighter than in the picture.  This quilt is 92x71 inches.  It will go in the closet in the to-be-quilted queue.  Since I didn't  buy any fabric this week, I have net USED fabric to report instead of need added!

Used This Week: 4.75 yard
Used Year to Date: 41 yards
Added this week: 0 yards
Added year to date: 36.375 yards
 Net Used: 4.625  yards

To see more stash reports:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2014/04/20/stash-report-week-16-2014/

 

Stash Usage At Last!

I used 3 yards on the  Easter pillowcases, 8.75 yards on my son's quilt, and 7 yards of backing on Scrapitude.  I still need to bind Scrapitude, but I feel like I made good progress this week.

Here is Scrapitude, quilted but not bound.  It is so big, my king sized bed is the only good place I have to lay it out.

 

The quilting is a simple meander pantograph.  It is what my longarmer calls a budget pattern.

The backing is a neutral wide backing cotton I found at my LQS.  I liked not having to piece the back.  It saved me time, and since the wedding was in February, I wanted to get it done as soon as I could.  I hope to bind it this week.

Used This Week: 18.75 yard
Used Year to Date: 36.25 yards
Added this week: 0 yards
Added year to date: 36.375 yards
 Net Added: 0.125  yards

I'm still not in net used territory, but so very close! To see more stash reports:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2014/04/13/stash-report-week-15-2014/

A Spring Exchange

My cross stitch group had a spring exchange this year.  I received a pincushion from my partner Nancy.  I wish you could see close up how perfect her stitching and finishing are.  She used a Prairie Schooler  chart called  'S is for Spring'.

 

I stitched my partner 2 small bunnies from one of Sue Hillis' new Easter charts, but I had them wrapped and sealed in the envelope before I thought about taking a picture of them.  My exchange partner seemed to like them, though.

 

In other cross stitch news, I goofed up on my Torah stitch and will be frogging the rest of a row tonight.  Three hours of stitching.  I was off by one stitch.  If it were my piece, I'd leave it, but it isn't for me, so it has got to be pulled out.  I had to buy more black DMC today.  My favorite tool for frogging is a pair of curved cuticle scissors that have very thin blades. 

 

Old BOM Quilt

I got 2 quilts back from the longarmer this week, and finished machine binding one of them today!  This is an old BOM from about 2009.  I have had the top together about 4 years, and it has been in the waiting-to-be-quilted pile.  This quilt is 65x81 inches, and both the top and the bottom fabric count in my yards used since the top was never counted before (8.75 yards used). 

 

Each block has  different blue, red, black and white fabrics. 

 

 

This quilt is for my son's new apartment.  I think it will look great on his couch.

 

 

I didn't realize until now that he is decorating in primary colors:  red, yellow and blue.

 

I'm linking up with Sarah,  http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2014/04/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-quilty-hug-for.html  Crazy Mom Quilts,  http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2014/04/rockets-and-robots-quilt.html  What A Hoot Quilts,  http://whatahootquilts.blogspot.com/2014/04/boms-away-monday-ruffled-roses.html  and Link a Finish Friday,  http://blog.richardandtanyaquilts.com/2014/04/link-finish-friday-113.html

 

 

Easter Pillowcases

I finished 3 pillowcases today.  I'm happy that I'll finally have some yards used to report on Sunday!

Stash Report, Timeless Treasures Seaside Added

I've been trying to come up with an idea for a quilt for a girl who will be graduating from college next year.  I made her sister the Harry Potter Project of Doom quilt, and both girls loved it, but I don't think I have another Harry Potter quilt in me. 

After consulting with her mom, we decided maybe something with cats or something beachy would be good.  I looked at cat fabric and cat patterns, but nothing grabbed me. ( If you know an awesome cat pattern, let me know).  When I was in an LQS last week, I saw 'Seaside' by Timeless Treasures.

 

I love the color (sapphire), and the prints are beachy, and cute without being cutesy.  A few years ago I made this red and white quilt for my MIL. 

 

 

The cover quilt is 'Making History' by Swirly Girls.  The red and white quilt I made turned out great, and I think the blue fabric I bought will be just as pretty. All of which is a long winded way of saying I bought enough fabric to make a queen sized quilt.

 

If I come up with something I like better for Amanda, my husband has already said he wants a 'Making History' quilt.  I don't normally make a pattern more than once, but this one is a keeper, I think.

 

Used This Week: 0 yard
Used Year to Date: 17.5 yards
Added this week: 15.75 yards
Added year to date: 36.375 yards
 Net Added: 18.625  yards

Linking up with Judy:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2014/04/06/stash-report-week-14-2014/