Stash Report

I used 10 yards this week thanks to the donation quilt mentioned in my last post.  My camera is still AWOL, so no pictures today.

 The fabric I added was 3 fat quarters for the Project of Doom Quilt, and  2 1/4 yards of 60 inch wide corduroy for a backing.  Using a JoAnn's coupon, it only cost me $6 for the whole piece of corduroy.  I couldn't pass it up, even though I am not sure which quilt I will use it for.  It used to be easy to find 60 inch wide corduroy, but most corduroy seems to be just 45 inches wide now. That extra 15 inches makes a big difference in how many yards are needed for a backing, so I try to buy 60 inch wide corduroy whenever I can find it. 

 

Used This Week: 10 yards

Used Year to Date: 28.75yards

Added this week: 3  yards

Added year to date: 27 yards

Net Used: 1.75  yards

 

I am FINALLY into net used instead of net added territory!

 

For more stash reports:   http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/10/stash-report-week-10-2013/

Letting it Go

I have many quilts that I've pieced, but they aren't quilted.  I am not interested in learning how to quilt on my home machine.  I make mostly big quilts, and I think quilting them would be an exercise in frustration for me.  I have a limited amount of time to sew, and I want to spend it making tops.  But I can't afford to have them all longarmed, so they sit, sometimes for years, until I come up with the money to get them quilted for myself or decide to give them as a gift.

Last week I decided to let one of them go.  The fabric for this quilt was an impulse buy. A couple of years ago,   I found a bunch of Fig Tree Quilt's Dandelion Girl on sale for $6 a yard.  I loved the soft colors, so I bought enough to make a quilt and some pillow cases.  These fabrics are some of the silkiest cottons I've ever used. 

I got the quilt made, and it has been sitting, waiting to be long armed for a few years.  I finally decided that I don't like quilt enough to pay to have it quilted.  I got it out today, and realized that it is too 'sweet' for me.  I'm sending the top, backing, binding and 2 matching pillow cases to a an organization that makes quilt for charity (estimate 10 yards in to total).  http://www.thegladechurch.org/info/quilt

Even though I didn't like this quilt enough to keep it, it was worthwhile for me to make it. This quilt taught me that I am a scrap quilter.   I learned that I won't be happy with a quilt that only uses fabric from one fabric line.  I like quirky, scrappy quilts the most. 

Somehow I've misplaced the camera, so I can't post pictures of the quilt I dontated.  I'm afraid I sent it off in the box with the quilt. Sarah said she would check the box  when it arrives and let me know if I sent the camera along with the quilt. I misplace things like scissors and keys on a daily basis.   When the camera  turns up, I'll post a picture of this quilt.

*** Update***
I heard from Sarah yesterday.  The box with my quilt arrived, but there was no camera in the box.  Which means the camera is still somewhere in my house.  I've looked all over, but I'm afraid I may have to do a multi-day clean up to find it.  Here's a link to Sarah's blog where she posted a picture of the quilt I sent.
  http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2013/03/whats-cookin-at-sweatshop.html

Doom Update, Seven to Go

I skipped posting my Project of Doom progress last week because I didn't have any new blocks completely done.  Embroidering the book titles is slowing me down again.   Here's what I have so far:

12 Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches, Modern Magical History

Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland, Voyages With Vampires, Flesh-Eating Trees of the World

From Egg to Inferno: A Dragon Keeper's Guide, Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Quidditch Through the Ages, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts, Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions

 

 

Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy, Magical Theory, Break with a Banshee, Charm Your Own Cheese

 

I also skipped a stash report this week because I have nothing used and nothing added.  This is my second week with nothing added.  I feel like I'm getting my fabric buying under control now. 

To see more design walls :http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/04/design-wall-march-4-2013/

Got Luck?

I'm very proud of myself for having this month's ornament stitched and finished early. 

This is a freebie by Plum Street Samplers.  Here's the link to the chart: http://plumstreetsamplers.typepad.com/plum_street_samplers/2011/03/got-luck.html

I stitched this for my friend Sue who is nuts about St. Patrick's day.  She is the only person I know who decorates for the occasion.  The green pins were made by dipping regular white pins into green fingernail polish.

To see more ornaments: http://stitchinglotus.ca/2013/02/ornament-sal-february-check-in/

The Polka Dotted Dresses

In 1971, when I was 9 years old, my mother bought yards white cotton cloth with red polka dots on it.  It must have been a great sale because she bought enough to make my sisters and I all matching dresses for Easter.  My parents didn't take a lot of pictures, but my mom did take a couple of all the girls in their dresses.  My brother is in this one.  I'm not sure what he is holding on top of his head.
My 2 youngest brothers weren't born yet.

Left to Right:  Julie (4), Martha (6), Angie (2), Laura (9), Karen (6 months) and Matt (5) 

 We wore a lot of hand-me-downs from our cousins and neighbors. At the time, we thought it was fun to have new matching dresses.  Years later, though, my sister Karen complained that she had to wear red polka dotted hand-me-down dresses for years and years. 

Linking up:  http://myplvl.blogspot.com/2016/10/tuesday-archives-131-free-choice-give.html

One Block Wonder Bound, Stash Report

Big surprise here:  I've used fabric this week!


                                                          Used This Week: 6 yards

Used Year to Date: 18.75yards

Added this week: 0  yards

Added year to date: 24 yards

Net Added: 5.25  yards

 

Still have a 5.25 yard gain to my fabric stash this year, but I'm headed in the right direction.

Someday I hope to be an expert at binding by machine.  But I'll never get there unless I practice, so most of the quilts I make for myself will be bound by machine.   I am not completely pleased with the way the binding on my one block wonder looks, but  it is mostly ok.

 I thought about what I would say to a friend if this were her quilt.  I certainly wouldn't tell her to rip out the binding and do it again.  So, I've decided to be as nice to myself as I would to a friend, and realize that perfect machine binding isn't something I can do yet.  But I'll get better.

 

I really like the quilting pattern the longarmer chose. It shows up better on the back of the quilt (pink pin wale corduroy) than the front.

 

To see more stash reports: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/02/24/stash-report-week-8-2013/

In Bloom

 

I'm going to call this my first daffodil of 2013.  It is not completely open but close enough for me.  Those cute little plants you see at the base of the daffodil are WEEDS.  They have taken over my flower beds.  I'm not gardener enough to work outside until it is about 65 degrees, and I know they will be even worse by then.

 

Last year my daffodils bloomed the end of January.