Score a Loss for March UFO Finish

I just never got around to finishing the quilt I designated as my March project for A Lovely Year of Finishes at Sew BitterSweet Designs. I didn't know I could just name a part of the quilt to finish, not that it would have made any difference. I just had too many things going on. So it will be my April UFO project as well. At least it's sandwiched now.

Design Wall Week 13

I wasn't going to post today because I didn't think anything had changed this week. But then I remembered that I ripped out the applique stitches on the one butterfly block I did, and did it over. This time I put the block on point and appliqued using variegated thread. I changed the butterfly body style from the plain rectangle in the pattern to more of a popsicle stick shape. I'm not happy with the size of the feelers though and will make them bigger.

Linking to Design Wall Monday #66 at Patchwork Times.

Quilting Fabrics Stash Report, Week 13

Hard to believe it's already thirteen weeks into 2015. But the weather is approaching hot and winter is definitely behind us. I am finally showing negative numbers across the board in my stash report. It is a little misleading because it's not all fabric used; some of it is fabric just moved to another location. But I'll take it. I'm pleased that I have stuck with keep up with a report this long too.

Linking to Fabric Report #28 at Patchwork Times.

Sometimes Men Make No Sense at All

We were supposed to have thunderstorms and hail last night, so I spent yesterday cleaning out the garage so we could get the cars in. After work, Hubby helped me and we got it done just as the dark clouds started moving in. And then... nothing. Not a drop of rain and no hail. Nothing but wind. But in the course of cleaning, rearranging, and putting up stuff, Hubby mentioned that he wanted to have a man sale. Not a garage sale, a man sale. A sale for men only. I told him he couldn't keep women from coming to a sale and if he posted an ad for men only, it would only make women curious and they would come anyway. And what about couples who go to garage sales together? And, most importantly, what about women who enjoy using tools?

You would think after being married to me for forty years, he would know better than to say women can't do something. Who was it who bought a sewing machine at a garage sale? It was him. And who was it who found the planer at a garage sale? It was me. I told him he would miss out on sales if he discriminated against women; plus, he would have to live with me and that might be worse! I advised him to post it as a tool and equipment sale instead, but he insists he will have a man sale.

What brought about this argument discussion was when he asked when I was going to be finished with the three banquet tables I bought to sandwich quilts. They are currently set up in the living room my sewing room. I told him I planned on pinning the Around the World from the Couch quilt today. What I didn't tell him is that he has to help me. I hate closing those pins, even with a spoon, especially in the middle of the table.

Then he thinks he is going to set up all his stuff on the tables and pull them out on weekends when the weather is nice and he doesn't have something to do. Again, I silently sighed and rolled my eyes because I know you can't decide to have a garage man sale at 7 a.m. on Saturday and expect anyone to see your last minute ad on craig's list or sign at the corner - especially since we are on a dead end street. And again, you'd think after having garage sales many times in the last forty years that he would know that. But then, he was never in charge of the advertising, sign making, or change collecting. He just put out the signs where I told him.

I'll let you know how his big man sale goes if he does it this weekend.

Card Trick

Began and Finished 2015

Design Wall Monday

Not much has changed on the design wall, but I've been working on the Sweet Sixteen, and have the length I want now. I've spent more time working on preemie gowns than quilting, and sad to say, but all those are in the trash. If it wasn't poor pattern design, it was my sewing machine jamming up on the embroidery stitching. But I think I have it figured out now.

You can also see part of my cutting table, also a WIP, on the right.

Stash Report 12

I am finally showing a reduction in the stash, but it's mainly because I pulled out some polyester fabrics which somehow found their way into my shelves. I have a separate stash for clothing fabrics.

I have done some sewing this week, but I've also done some buying. A woman from the church stitching group told me the hospital was badly in need of gowns for premature stillborn babies. I thought it would be easy, so agreed to make some, but then I found that a pattern for the size she said doesn't exist online. But I did find quite a few burial gown patterns and I downloaded a couple in various sizes. I thought I'd make them up and let the hospital tell me which size they need most. I never even knew there was a need for these and found quite a bit on the internet. A lot of people use old wedding dresses to make them, and I just donated my wedding dress to the thrift store last year. Bummer. But I found some pretty white on white cottons and thought I'd start with that. It's probably a good thing I didn't try to start with satin because sewing some of these tiny pieces is hard enough with cotton.

I've been working on the Sweet Sixteen quilt, which has also used some fabric this week, and hope to get a backing on the Around the World next week. I'd better hurry though, that was my March UFO and it's still just hanging there.

While the report looks pretty good for a change, I looked back at my first Stash Busting post of the year and saw that I way behind my goal of using five yards per month. I started the year with an inventory of 265.09 yards of fabric, and with this report I am at 256.50. (At some time I started rounding to the nearest quarter yard.)

I know that looks like I am only 6.5 yards short of my goal, but April through July are gardening months, and December is just a crazy month. So that really just leaves four months to make a dent in the stash. I hope to keep quilting this summer, but I know in the past that the garden and yard work have been consuming and exhausting.

I'm linking to Fabric Report #22 at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall 11

Not much change on the wall. I thought I was going to finish the Double Irish Chain top yesterday, but then realized I need one more row. Tomorrow maybe. Today's schedule doesn't have any quilting in it. It's going to be a beautiful day and I need to get the yard mowed and get some hoeing done in the garden if it has dried enough. More rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.



Linked to Design Wall Monday #1 at Patchwork Times.

My Stash Busting is More Like Stash Building - Report 11

If it weren't for that fabric I left in the car last time, I would finally have shown a dent in the stash. But no, I had to start a new quilt and didn't have enough fabric for it. If I had worked on that quilt after buying the fabric, I might have been able to show a reduction in my original stash, but I didn't.

What I did do this week was work on projects I already had on hand. I sent the Card Trick Quilt out to be quilted after our group decided it would make a nice quilt to donate to an fund raising auction held by Campfire Creek Therapeutic Riding Center. And I went to the Dallas Quilt Show. Some gorgeous quilts there and also some quilts that won ribbons that didn't look ribbon worthy to my untrained eye. I would show pictures, but I didn't think to get the maker's names or permission. But I'm sure there are people who didn't read the rules in the quilt show guide book who will post pictures. But I just had to read every word in the guide book so now I can't show them.

I will tell you about some of the quilts though. There was a category called Show Chair Theme, and the theme was "Funny Quilts". One quilt was titled "Shades of Gray" and it had gray lamp shades in various gray hues scattered about on a solid background. Another was a quilt that looked like a painting of a dog and the bottom border had tiny tennis balls hanging from the trim, because the dog loved tennis balls. And one was a pieced red quilt (at least I think it was pieced) with an appliqued cat in the center. The cat's claws were stretched up and at the tip of the paws, the quilter had shredded the quilt top. So funny for those of us with cats.

And now on to my very disappointing stash report.

Fabric In: 4.25 yards

Fabric Out: 2.5 yards

Weekly Gain of 1.75 yards

Yearly Gain of 2.41 yards

Current stash total of 267.5 yards

Linked to Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

I had to look back at last week's design wall to see what has changed, it's been that slow.  I've worked on butterflies and have only five more to finish before appliqueing to blocks.  I'm joining finished rows with the Double Irish Chain, and still making blocks with the Sweet Sixteen.  I also added some QAYG star blocks for a baby quilt.  It's partially paper pieced, so that has been good practice for me too.  The Around the World hasn't been touched even though I had good intentions of getting out the tables to baste it yesterday.  That is my project for today since I have my sewing machine pushed against the wall already.

I'm linking to Design Wall Monday #48 at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report Week 10

The report actually looks a little better than it should. I bought some fabric the other day but haven't got it out of the car yet. I can't remember exactly how much it is, so it will be added in next report.

I'll link to Patchwork Times when she puts up her post.

March UFO and Design Wall Monday

I've decided on the Around the World quilt as my March UFO. I put it on hold when I was trying to decide on a border and now I've decided not to put a border on it at all, so all it needs is quilting. Surely I can get that done in a month, and start prepping the next quilt for a finish.

I finally got up my nerve to start appliqueing the butterflies onto blocks. It was easier than I thought, but I am going to have to watch the tips as the threads seem to pile up there.

On the wall is the postage stamp Double Irish Chain, which is just a few blocks shy; the Butterflies, which I'm basting to a lightweight muslin and turning. Probably not the best choice, but it seems more durable for a quilt that will be used, and I'm still not confident enough to do turned needle. And last on the wall is the Sweet Sixteen, which I hope to make into a twin size, so I have quite a way to go yet.

Linking to A Year of Lovely Finishes #28 at Sew BitterSweet Designs, Sweet Sixteen Quilt Along #5 (check out the speed method for this block) at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Design Wall #1 at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report Week 9

I had another good week, at least there was some going out and none coming in.  It helps that we had a week of ice and snow so it was easy to stay home and sew.  But while I was sewing, I was also thinking of the summer garden, knowing that my sewing usually comes to an end when the garden needs so much work.  But for now, I'll enjoy our chilly days and getting some work done inside.

Linking to Patchwork Times #18.