Let's Hear It For Color Catchers!

I am a big proponent of color catchers, and I've blogged about them before.

 http://sewingoutofmycomfortzone.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-many-color-catchers-do-you-need.html

Here's my latest experience.  I just bought 4 1/2 yards of red flannel for backing for two quilts.  I always wash flannel before using it because flannel shrinks so much, and since it was red, I threw in 4 color catchers.  This is what they looked like after the first wash with cold water.

I know there are only 3 in the picture. I don't know what happened to number 4.  Down the drain, maybe, or wrapped up in the flannel. 

 In any event, I knew I had to wash the flannel again. This time I tried warm water.  The color catchers still came out pink.   I washed it a total of 8 times, twice in hot water, until I got color catchers that could pass as light pink.   

                                           That's acceptable to me.  It is in the dryer now.

Jamestown Landing Center Pieced

I got the center of Jamestown Landing put together this week.  It took 2 and a half movies.

I'm not going to get any sewing done this weekend, but I'd like to get the borders on by next Wednesday.  Maybe!

Linking up:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/ufo-challenge-update-5/

http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2016/07/lets-bee-social-135.html

Stash Report, Exchanges Received

I received both of my exchanges this week.  Here are my I Spy squares:

And my Birds in the Air  blocks:

I have no immediate plans for the I Spy blocks, but at least I'll have them on hand the next time I need to make a baby quilt.  I'm playing around with a Birds in the Air layout, but there's no hurry on that one either.  

I did get a couple more pillowcases made, so I have some fabric used to report.

Used this week:2.375 (pillowcases)

Used Year to Date: 63.375 yards
Added this week: 5 ( I Spy and Birds in the Air blocks)
Added Year to Date:66.375 yards
Net Added: 3.0 yards

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2016/07/24/stash-report-july-24-2016/

RSC: Hot PInk

Hot pink is the color this month, but I don't have very many pinks in my scrap bin, hot or not.  So I made nineteen pink string blocks using whatever pinks I could find.

Linking up: http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2016/07/scraphappy-saturday.html

Jamestown Landing Again

While I was visiting my parents last week, my niece and sister helped me remove the paper from my Jamestown Landing string blocks. That saved me a ton of time!  When I got back in town, I started piecing the rows together.

This quilt is a little tricky to piece.  You have to make sure your string blocks are leaning in the right direction.  A design wall is a big help, but as much as I love my wall, I wish it were a couple of feet longer.  

Linking up: http://www.joscountryjunction.com/ufo-challenge-update-4/

http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2016/07/lets-bee-social-134.html

Stash Report

It was a big fabric buying week for me.  I tried to compensate a little by making 3 pillowcases.

Used this week:3.375 (pillowcases)
Used Year to Date: 61.0 yards
Added this week: 9.5 (backing for Daylight, neutral, 2 FQ)
Added Year to Date:61.375 yards
Net Added: 0.375 yards

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2016/07/10/stash-report-july-10-2016/

Jamestown Landing Progress

I've gotten all the string blocks made for Jamestown Landing.  When I go to my mom's next week, I hope I can get one or two of my sisters and nieces to help take the paper off.  I've also finished the star blocks for this quilt.

Somehow Jamestown Landing has pushed Talkin' Turkey out of the queue.  I'm really interested in completing this one!

Linking up: http://www.joscountryjunction.com/what-im-working-on-241/

http://www.shecanquilt.ca/2016/07/scraptastic-tuesday-july-link-is-open.html

June Goals/July Goals

In June, I wanted to
:
1. Bind and hang red and white Ohio Star.  Done!

2.  Cut and send out I Spy squares for exchange. Done!

3. Make and sign 40 Bird In the Air blocks for exchange.  Done!

4. Bind Amanda's quilt.  Been meaning to do this for 3 months now. Done at long last!

5. Complete one Crazy Quilting class or make substantial progress on both.  Not even touched.  This is one project I can't force myself to power through.  It takes creativity, and right now my creativity well is dry.  I put it away for a while.

6. Continue to participate in RSC.  Done!  I've made good progress on Jamestown Landing, my blue project.

7. Evaluate rulers, books and think about a plan for them   Not finished yet.  I have done a little thinking but not enough.

In July, I'd like to:

1.  Get paper removed from Jamestown Landing string blocks.
2.  Continue RSC.  The color is hot pink this month, so I'll probably just make a few blocks.  I don't have much in the way of hot pink scraps.
3.  Complete broken dishes units for Jamestown Landing.
4.  Chose at least one quilt top and get it to a longarmer.  Two would be better!
5.  Finish Needle Guardian stitching,
6. Start Scream House finishing.  Would like to get the pieces all backstitched, but that may be a stretch.  
7.  Work on Talkin' Turkey.

Stash Report, Culling the Herd

This week I took a good look at my collection of 22 quilt tops waiting to be quilted and decided to let a few go.  I'm sending off 5 tops to charity.   I don't love these  enough to pay a longarmer to quilt them.  That will leave me with 17 tops, which is still too many to hoard, but I'm going to cull them gradually.  The goal:  this year keep it as no more than 20 tops.  In 2017, get it down to 15. In 2018 and beyond keep it to 10 unquilted tops.  That seems reasonable to me!

Here are the tops I'm letting go:

                                                        Bricks and Stepping Stones:

Grand Illusion:

Gray Spider Web:

Zipper Quilt:

                                                              Bricks, Cobblestones and Pebbles:

Used this week: 6 (PoD backing and binding)
Used Year to Date: 57.625 yards
Added this week: 3.5 (Peanuts pillowcase fabric)
Added Year to Date:51.875 yards
Net Used:  5.75 yards

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2016/07/03/stash-report-july-3-2016/

Amanda's Quilt Bound!

I finally made myself finish the binding of Amanda's quilt.  I'm thrilled that this one is finally done!

This is my second Project of Doom quilt.  All of the books have hand stitched titles, and the blocks were paper pieced.  This is a free pattern from Fandom in Stitches. My version is 88" by 61". http://www.fandominstitches.com/2015/07/harry-potter-bookcase-quilt-along.html

Linking up:  http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2016/07/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-big-things-coming.html

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-tinker-tote.html

http://persimondreams.blogspot.com/p/scrap-quilt-challenge.html