Sewing Report Sunday Week 25

Neither of my sewing reports have changed since last week, but you wouldn't know that because I didn't post it last week. lol

Last week, my daughter came to visit and she brought the two boys she is adopting. They were into everything and it was busy and stressful. I think both of us were exhausted when they left. Do you know how you childproof a construction site? Don't let children in! But Brownie wanted to see the place so we did the best we could trying to keep the boys safe.

For the last two weeks, I didn't buy, bring in, or unpack any new fabric, so those numbers haven't changed at all. In the sewing challenge, I didn't do anything last week either. I didn't even go upstairs. We're on the every other night mowing schedule again and on my off night, I am just staying cool inside. The week before though, I sewed for four out of seven days.

Not sewing all week, my success rate dropped to 64% and my stash total remained the same at 378.50 yards.

If you are one who likes Wordpress better than Blogger, I am having a problem editing Wordpress and I haven't checked to see if the comments are broken too. Let me know if you have a problem please.

Even though I have nothing to add, I'm going to link anyway. One of my 2018 resolutions was to keep up with these two linkys this year.

Check out these two blogs to see what other people have really accomplished.
15 Minute Challenge at Life in Pieces
Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Quilting in the Works - No Scrap Too Small

Disorder is like a weed - if you don't keep it under control, it will take over. Sunday afternoon, I noticed that it had completely overtaken my cutting table in the form of scraps. So I took everything off the design board and started working on a new project to tame the scraps. If you can guess what this is going to be, you win a gold star!

One down, five to go. It's amazing how long it takes to piece strips together, especially when the strips are pieced as well. I spent at least five hours cutting and stitching and I only finished this and made a few strips for the next one. I decided to use the first yellow scrap I came to, no matter how small and I pieced those together until they made a strip a little over 24 inches long. I am going to FMQ this one, but the rest of them will be quilt as you go stitch and flip.

And the big news of the day? The HVAC guy is here right now finishing the air conditioner! I might be able to sew in a cool room this afternoon!

Yesterday was the last day of net neutrality. I know a lot of people are happy to see it go and others are upset. I am, well, neutral. I hope it doesn't change our internet service or our blogging world.

Linking to:
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Making aat Love Laugh Quilt
Main Crush Monday at Cooking up Quilts
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework
Moving it Forward at Em's Scrapbag

Sewing Room Sunday June 10

I should have done this post yesterday but we were on the go all day. We took lunch to mother-in-law for her 91st birthday and then brother-in-law and his family came down. Last night, we spiffed up and went to The Majestic Theater in Dallas to see Guys and Dolls. It was really good and we really enjoyed it except the seating killed our backs. We were a little late getting there so I didn't get any pictures of us or the theater. Hubby took a picture of the last cast call but I haven't seen it yet. We got home after midnight and needless to say, I didn't get up early, not that I ever do.

So on with the reports! I had a pretty good week in the attic, considering the heat and the a/c working going on up there. I am reporting seven days sewing, but it was the bare minimum fifteen minutes most of the time. I am happy to report that the a/c is now installed; the next step is getting a professional to make the last connection. I can't wait!

For the 15 Minute Challenge, I stitched 7 out of 7 days this week.  

Yearly, my numbers are 107 out of 160 days.

So my success rate is 67%.

I have started a new project that I can't share yet. It is a Christmas gift and in the off chance the recipient still looks at my blog, I don't want to ruin the surprise. But, because of it, I had to buy some fabric, and I have to buy more in the next week or two. It looks like I used a half yard, but that's misleading. I needed a two big pieces out of two fat quarters, and the remains of each quarter were put into the scrap bucket.

That brings me to my stash report.

Fabric in this week is 2.5 yards

Fabric out was only 1 yard.

1.5 yards was added to my stash,

Bringing total stash up to 378.50 yards.

The above report shows all the fabric that has been added to my stash cabinet this year, including fabric that I've unpacked or been given, less all the amount I've used or given away. The actual amount bought this year is 30.25 yards and the actual amount used is 35.75. Next year, I need to come up with a better way to keep up with my numbers.

Have a good afternoon sewing. I'm linking to:
15 Minute Challenge at Life in Pieces
Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

New Quilt Block Idea, and Someone Else Already Made It

You know I've been making Disappearing Four Patch blocks. I've got it on the design wall and the more I look at it, the more I just don't quite like it. There was something wrong but I couldn't put my finger on it, until I looked at one of the pictures I had taken. Then, the offending block jumped out at me. It's the yellow. Yellow just doesn't fit with my color scheme.

Before I threw it into my scrap bucket, I wondered what it would like turned on point.

Not bad. Then, I wondered what it would look like if it was square but the X still went from corner to corner. So I lopped off the points.

And I liked it!

I deconstructed it to see how to make it, and the easiest way was to make an hourglass block and then cut it like the D4P. I thought I had created something brand new. But a quick search showed that someone had already thought of this design, and she called it Arrowhead. I was bummed. Then I found her instructions and they weren't anything like mine, a little more difficult I thought. I was un-bummed.

I found one very similar called Disappearing Four Patch with a Twist. It was made from a four patch which was then cut up on the diagonal so had an hourglass in the center instead of a four patch, and pieced triangles. Cute and easy to make, but not like my block.

I started making a few, taking pictures and making notes, and then I decided to google "Arrowhead" instead of Disappearing Four Patch, Disappearing Hourglass, or Disappearing Half Square Triangle. And that's when I found it. Someone had made one exactly like mine. I was back to being bummed. But not bummed enough to quit making them. I am making them out of bright fabrics, totally out of my comfort zone. Here is one of them.

If you want the instructions, you can find them here. Or you can just make an hourglass block, and cut it like a Disappearing Four Patch. The only thing I would add to the instructions I just linked is to starch your fabric before cutting it. It will keep the triangles from stretching on the bias.

On now to Scrappy Saturday. I've caught up with my May RSC blocks and made one June block. And here is where I have a problem. I don't have aqua or turquoise fabrics other than the three I used on that block. (I used the wrong side of one of them to make my fourth fabric.) Not in my scrap bucket and not in my stash. I don't want to buy anymore fabric right now so this may be it for June.

The top row is in shadow; those are really medium blue blocks.

I'm linking to:
UFO Busting at Tish's Adventures in Wonderland
Scraphappy Saturday at soscrappy
Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Scrappy Saturday and Sewing Room Sunday

On the few days this week that I did any stitching at all, I worked on the Ferris Wheel blocks. I used the last white center yesterday and I'm not sure where I got it. I think it may have been Kona White, so I'll check at the LQS tuesday.

I decided to add on to this post instead of starting a new one for the piddly amount of sewing I did this week. I didn't add or substract any fabric from my stash, and I only sewed three days this week, and that was on the EPP Ferris Wheel. I didn't keep track of my time either because there was so much stopping for this and that.

Since we goofed off yesterday, this will be an afternoon of work, and I am sooooo sunburned from yesterday! Have a good week everyone.

Linking to:
15 Minute Challenge at Life in Pieces
Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate
Scrappy at soscrappy

June One Monthly Goal

Summer has been here for awhile. It seems that pretty spring weather is only here for a few weeks and then the heat sets in. Summer brings different chores, keeping newly planted shrubs alive, working the garden, and once again, daily mowing. It doesn't leave much time or energy for sewing, and lately I've been working on EPP in front of the tv in the evening.

Today's temperature at 5:00 PM was 98F with a heat index that felt like 106F.

I'm melting!

I'd love to say that my goal is to finish this quilt by the end of June. But it's hot, and I need to be realistic, so my goal is to cut all my fabrics, make all the first four patch blocks, and finish fifteen D4P blocks.

This is where I am right now. Six D4P blocks completed. So far, since I haven't had many fabrics in colors I want, I have been cutting each fabric as I make the block. I think that is slowing down the process. If I can locate all the fabrics I need, and get them cut, I can do some chain piecing and speed things up.

I was going to make this quilt seven blocks by 8 blocks, with no borders.  But I am making this for our 5th wheel and it has to have a rounded corners on the foot of the bed.  The bed in our trailer is on a platform that we have to step up to on each side of the bed.  Anything dragging the floor is a trip hazard, so regular corners are out.  I don't want to cut the corners on these blocks, so I have decided to put a couple of borders around it, so I can round those instead of the blocks.

This is what it should look like, and this is when I wish I had EQ.  Oh well, I cobbled together a design in MSPaint without round corners.

I'm linking to:
One Monthly Goal for June at Elm Street Quilts.
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts