Sunday Stash Report - Week 31

I had a couple more Joann's coupons to use up, so...

Three more yards of the DS Quilts - I decided, in Denyse Schmidt-fashion, to finally make a log cabin. But in non-DS-fashion, I'm making it traditional.

I also grabbed 2/3rds of a yard of the orange/black from the remnants - it's a good Halloween filler, or OSU filler.

My other fun purchases were a new set of colored pencils for $0.50 at Target (love back-to-school sales!), the Sew-It Kit and small graph paper book from a Border's clearance sale, and the Bag Making Bible, which I've wanted for a long time. I made my first bag based on a u-handbag tutorial - love her stuff!

I also have some finishes! I forgot to count the basics class sampler last week, and I decided not to put borders on the Christmas Kaleidoscope, so the top is done on that. It's basted and ready to quilt this week.

Used this Week: 3.75

Used Year to Date: 81.68

Added this Week: 3.66

Added Year to Date: 131.2

Net Used for 2011: (49.52) yards

 

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Christmas in July - Week 5

I'm having one of THOSE weeks.

The AC broke - twice. 

{It's only been over 100º every day for over a month. No biggie.}

At the hotel on Sunday, I couldn't connect to the internet, but something sure managed to infect the laptop anyway. So now I'm erasing the hard drive. And poor Nettie the Netbook is STILL at the repair shop. 

{Three people + 1 PC = arguments over whose turn it is to play Plants vs. Zombies.}

The DVR broke twice, the Keurig has been short-cupping me...

So, basically, not much sewing this week.

Christmas Kaleidoscope is done because I cut the borders wrong. I pieced the backing and mopped the kitchen floor in preparation for basting. I even have a plan for the quilting!

The center of Christmas Stars is pieced. I finally ordered fabric for the borders, too.

Er, I'm going to have to find a picture to trace onto this, because I forgot that I can NOT draw.

So since this is the last Friday in July, the summary is...
1 quilt pieced/basted
1.75 wall hangings pieced
1 table runner pieced

And now it's almost time for Quilting August!

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 20

This week, the major WIP has been the air conditioner. :(

This was Sunday; it was fixed Monday; it briefly went down to 76 on Tuesday; died again Tuesday night. Today, it's already 86 inside and 92 outside, at 9 am, and it's supposed to reach 110. I'm praying the repairman gets here on the early side of "mid-morning."

Needless to say, the sewing machine and the iron are not on until this is fixed. My sister was here last weekend, so I didn't get much sewing done beyond basting a dress for her.

Luckily the Dude was cleared by his tonsil doctor to go to day camp, so he's safely in the air conditioned kids' museum while I sweat.

I screwed up cutting enough border fabric for the Christmas Kaleidoscope, so it's going to be borderless. I started piecing the back together using leftover yardage from my stash.

I finished one more Frolicking Pinwheels as a leader/ender.

Untouched This Week:

Steelers Quilt 

 

Awaiting Quilting:

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt

Charming Wildflowers

In Planning:

Cars Quilt (the Dude)

Hunter's Star (my sister)

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 11

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Design Wall Monday - Week 30

I was going to make a joke about how this is my design wall...

But then this happened...

And now I'm too hot to be funny.

The actual design wall is Christmas Stars.

I was going to do a second block like this one, but now I'm thinking about just putting them together as they are. I like the middle star that I won't get by breaking up the blocks.
 I can still use the strips of 2.5" blocks I've already made in a border. I'm going to get something else for the first border, though. The white up there has roses and isn't very Christmas-y.

However, there will be no sewing, of the dress or the stars, until the AC gets fixed!

The cats have the smartest plan - get as flat as you can on the tile floor.

Preferably near a fan.

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 30

Yesterday was Fat Quarter Frenzy at my LQS. 

So, so damaging to my stash report.

I did try to keep to a list of things I needed. Ha - needed. Right.
15 Charlevoix - for Moose on the Porch's next quilt along
12 Grand Finale - um, because I like it
10 batiks - for St. Paul's Cross - I'm going to take a paper piecing class in September
12 Civil War - for Barbara Brackman's quilt along
3 pinks for the backs of doll quilts I'm making for neighbors who are moving
2 bats for the Dude, who called to make sure I was going to buy him something - I bought some glow-in-the-dark stars last year that will match for a quick Halloween quilt
3 beige Dimples - my ever present neutral
2 Army prints - since I have Navy, Marines and Air Force
Total? 59 fat quarters. For $99.94 - look, I kept it under $100!

Oh, and then there's this.

I had a bunch of 40% off Joann's coupons, so I succumbed. And I got a third of a yard of Cars fabric.

No finishes, since I didn't get the borders on the Christmas Kaleidoscope. At least next week the numbers will start going back down...

Used this Week: 0

Used Year to Date: 77.93

Added this Week: 19.08

Added Year to Date: 127.54

Net Used for 2011: (49.61) yards

 

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Christmas in July - Week 4

Several finishes or nearly finished this week!

The Kaleidoscope Quilt-Along is nearly finished. I have one border cut, and I'm going to add a second border of the red holly berries.

 I made the blocks for this in my quilting basics class two years ago, and just needed to fix the borders and iron the poor thing. Not that hard to do as leaders/enders for a day.

Haven't made any progress on Christmas Stars - my LQS's fat quarter sale is tomorrow, so I will either find something there or order the sashing tomorrow.

And I haven't had a chance to sketch out any embroidery on the table runner I made last week, but I did get a book on embroidery techniques from the library. I'm not in a hurry - I have a long car ride in August to stitch.

One more week to clear off my Christmas project shelf!

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 19

I have a finish, woo!

Well, a piecing finish. I'm adding applique hummingbirds to the corners.

Christmas Kaleidoscope is mostly pieced and on the floor. Which means...

Time for a cat inspection!

I just need to piece the fourth row, then the rows, then the borders.

I have a couple other Christmas in July projects finished/in the works.

I pulled out Frolicking Pinwheels out for leaders/enders. 

I've also been doing some organizing.

 All my scraps are sorted and labeled. The other stuff is vintage sheets and pillowcases, or my horribly disorganized clothing fabric. That's my next task now that my quilting stash is in order!

The boxing and labeling extended to the playroom. Why do we need a 16-quart bin of Play-doh supplies??

Untouched This Week:

Steelers Quilt 

 

Awaiting Quilting:

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt

I think my goal for August will be to quilt this pile. Less fun than Christmas in July, but necessary!

In Planning:

Cars Quilt (the Dude)

Hunter's Star (my sister)

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 11

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Design Wall Monday - Week 29

Finishing up the Christmas Kaleidoscope.

There's another row below and another to go on the side, but I ran out of room.

Everything needs to be squared to 12.5" unfinished before getting sewn together.

Hmm, I need to move one of those red/whites in the fourth row - three in a row isn't very scrappy.

I already have one of the borders cut, so this should finish up quickly. Which is good, since my sister is coming at the end of the week to help entertain the tonsillectomy patient, and she won't let me use the sewing machine while she's here. (Except to make her a dress.)

See more design walls at Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 29

I finished this:

and this:

Well... They're finished to the point of applique or embroidery.

I had to buy 1/4 yard of Kona bone to finish the table runner, but that's it. The table runner kit has been in my possession since we lived in Washington...and we moved in late 2008. 

Used this Week: 2.75

Used Year to Date: 77.93

Added this Week: 0.25

Added Year to Date: 108.46

Net Used for 2011: (30.53) yards

 

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Charming Wildflowers - Top Finished

Finished to the point of applique, at least.

{sorry about the shadow. still trying to figure out new camera.}

It's about 48" square, made from one charm pack of Wildflowers IV and some pink and blue Kona. 

Borders are white Kona, and I've already picked out a little hummingbird to applique. Just need to go through my scraps and find the right colors.

And then I need to decide on a backing and get to quilting!

Christmas in July - Week 3

Finished the table runner. Well, finished it to the point of embroidery. I'm thinking, since I made it longer than the original, about sketching a tree branch from which they can be "hanging." Just to fill in the white space a bit.

Christmas Kaleidoscope - not quite full blocks yet - but close!

No progress with Christmas Stars - I have fabric to finish it in an online shopping cart, but I'm thinking about waiting for my LQS's fat quarter sale next week.

And the next project?

This is my basic quilt class table topper from two years ago. All I need to do is continue to rip out the center seam, line it up properly and resew it, then add the borders. And press it. Geez, it looks like it's been crumpled in a bag for two years.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 18

My little dude had his tonsils out late last week, so this week has been a mix of lots of snuggling on the couch and lots of sewing time during 4 hour naps. He's eating solid food again and whining about his medicine, so I think he's on the mend.

Charming Wildflowers is close to being pieced. Next I have to decide on border(s). And I have no idea what to do there.
I'm thinking about pulling a couple of the blue/white charms, putting them in opposing corners, and appliqueing a hummingbird drinking from them. But what color border? Both the blue and the pink are along the edge...

Still plugging along on the Kaleidoscope Quilt Along. Can't wait to finish up all the blocks and see them up on the design wall!

I have a couple other Christmas in July projects in the works. 

Untouched This Week:

Frolicking Pinwheels

Steelers Quilt (though I pulled the border fabric out last night)

Awaiting Quilting:
...I think I need to bust out the walking foot soon...

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt

In Planning:

Cars Quilt (the Dude)

Hunter's Star (my sister)

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 11

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Design Wall Monday - Week 28

Charming Wildflowers, minus a row.

And why is it missing a row? Because I only have 39 charms, not 42. I didn't bother to count because I've never had a short charm pack before. So... Either I go with the 7x5 layout, or rip off some and make it 6x6... I don't know.

Regardless, it will need some borders next. Well, after I figure out how to make bi-colored setting triangles.

{And yes, I know there's a block going the wrong way in the top right. I have a pin in it so I remember to fix it. Eventually.}

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 28

IN: 2 yards of bone Kona for the Kaleidoscope quilt along and my next Saturday Sampler block.

OUT: a set of tonsils and adenoids. So that should help finish up a bunch of projects, since the poor little Dude isn't going to be doing anything but chilling on the couch for the next week.

 If I could get to my machine, of course.

Used this Week: 0

Used Year to Date: 75.18

Added this Week: 2.25

Added Year to Date: 108.21

Net Used for 2011: (33.03) yards

 
Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

LQS Saturday Sampler - Block 6

This one did not make me happy.

The pattern does not contain ANY pressing instructions, which annoys me to no end. I spend too much time every month trying to figure which way the seams will go, only to always have some not right.

This month I did get all the seams pressed the right way...but the block still won't go together right. It's especially obvious in the center pinwheel.

I pulled it apart so many time that I'm taking a break from it. It's done for credit at Saturday Sampler this month; maybe in August I'll rip it apart and try again.

See some more BOMs at What A Hoot!

Christmas in July - Week 2

I finished the five stars for my Christmas Stars, and decided that instead of the setting of the original quilt, I was going to set them with the second block from this quilt. So I sewed the strip-sets and four-patches for that...just need to pick a solid.

I still have a ton of charms leftover, including all the skaters. I can't bear to cut them. I'm thinking about cutting the remaining charms into strips and doing a piano key border. Or maybe piecing them together for the back.

The kaleidoscope is coming along nicely. I'm piecing the wedges together - by next week it'll be finished blocks.

My next project is a little table runner from Pieces From My Heart. Yeah, it's been in my stash for a while. I bought it when we lived in Washington, saw that it had (gasp!) embroidery and shoved it on a shelf for a while. I need to count charms to see if I can make it at least one ornament longer.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 17

While I was on vacation, I finished Manassas Railroad.

 

Charming Wildflowers is back to being a leader/ender project and slowly coming together. (That row in the middle is missing because it's on the machine right now.)

My Kaleidoscope Quilt Along is coming along nicely. I have a small pile of wedges that still need triangles, and a whole bunch to press, before the next set of instructions come out tomorrow.

I'm also working on a couple other Christmas in July projects. 

Untouched This Week:

Frolicking Pinwheels

Steelers Quilt

Awaiting Quilting:

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

iSpy Sliced Coin Quilt

In Planning:

Cars Quilt (the Dude)

Hunter's Star (my sister)

New Projects: 1

Completed Projects: 1

In Progress: 11

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Design Wall Monday - Week 27

Testing my kaleidoscope layout for the quilt-along.

I like how the solid separates the scrappiness enough that it's not chaotic.

Merry Christmas! Er, I mean, happy Independence Day!

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 27

I skipped a week of posting to take pictures of these...

 
{Tower Fall ~ Old Faithful ~ bison}
{Hellroaring Creek Trail ~ Lower Falls from Artist Point ~ Fountain Paint Pots}
{Teton Village ~ Grand Tetons ~ Jenny Lake}

But I didn't skip a week of shopping!

I stopped at Stitch 'N Time in Jackson Hole. Lovely little shop. There was another lady there shopping for a Round Robin border, and we all hovered around it for a few minutes deciding which batik to use. Made me wish I had time for a guild.

I found the Paddington Bear fabric in the clearance section, and nabbed the two Olivia fat quarters while I was looking at the food prints. (Mmm, peppermints.) I have an Olivia panel, so this will give me a little something to work with. Someday.

I got nothing done - obviously - but I'm catching up after being away from the sewing machine for 12 days.

Used this Week: 0

Used Year to Date: 75.18

Added this Week: 1.25

Added Year to Date: 105.96

Net Used for 2011: (30.78) yards

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Christmas in July - Week 1

The Kaleidoscope quilt along is coming along well. I'm making one row less than Elizabeth's design, because I'm tired of cutting I like square quilts. I picked up Kona Bone for the solid.

My second Christmas in July project is a star quilt based on this tutorial. I have four 12 Days of Christmas (Kate Spain, Moda) charm packs to use.

I thought there would be more dark fabrics to make the stars stand out, but there's not much value difference in the blues and greens, as the B&W photo shows. I'm going to do the star points in the red/cream and the centers in the blue/green, so hopefully it will still work.

Moda Bake Shop is also doing Christmas in July - check out past and present ideas!

Quilting on Main Street is hosting a Christmas in July Quilt Along - see what others are up to this month!