Sewing Reports and Design Board

I had a great sewing week. Finishing two UFOs this month made me feel great, and having positive numbers in both reports made it even better. On Friday, I started working on the green RSC blocks for March. After I made the first one, I thought it looked kind of like a clover, so I took a detour to make a miniture shamrock block.

So cute and fun to make except for those dog ear corners on the snowballs. Since I started having double vision, sewing on a thin pencil line has become very difficult. When I made the blue blocks in January, I forgot to put the dogears on the corners opposite the yellow corner on one block. I corrected that, but now I wish I had done all the blocks that way. That would be four less lines to see on each block. I don't think I hit the line on a single block yet. I have had to give up perfectionism. Maybe that's a good thing though. I used to redo things that were perfectly acceptable at work and home, and now, well, I've just had to tell myself that it's good enough. But if I ever make another quilt with this block, I'm making the snowballs without the dog ears on the far corners.  What do you think?  Could that look like a flower?

In the evenings, I'm working on the EPP Ferris wheels.  It's slow going and seems like I am using the same fabrics over and over.  I need to go dig through my bins for more variety.

I've also continued to make string blocks and have them in several sizes now thanks to another unpacked box. Among all the blocks in it, there were some pastel four inch string blocks. I have no idea what project I had in mind for blocks that size. Maybe as I continue to unpack, I'll find some instructions packed with the silverware or tucked inside a jar. Every box is a surprise.



And even some string blocks in single colors.  I think I'm going to continue making these in the RSC colors for this year.  Making just three snowball blocks each month isn't very challenging.

And of course, the UFO of the month, Jacob's Ladder, is still on the board.

Now on to the reports.  I never know how to record a week that is split between two months, so I basically do a double report. I spent time every day sewing. A good forecast for the coming week may be my downfall though. I really need to get outside and build some raised beds if it isn't too muddy. Digging in wet clay is almost impossible. It sticks to the shovel, shoes, and everything it touches. But for now, my report shows 100% for the month of February, for the week, and so far, for March.

Even the stash report is good. For the first time this year, I am showing more fabric used than added. Not only did I not buy any fabric this week, I didn't unpack any either. I've had a box sitting on my cutting table all week though. But it can just sit there, because a negative in that column sure looks good for a change.

Linking to:
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework
Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts
15 Minutes to Stitch at Life in Pieces
Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
BOMs Away at Katie Mae Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Main Crush Monday at Cooking up Quilts
Tuesday Archives at Val's Quilting Studio

It's Sunday - Time for the Weekly Reports

We had a week of rainy weather, cold, rainy weather. There were several days that I stayed in my rocker next to the heater doing English Paper Piecing instead of venturing out to my sewing space in the unheated attic. This is my Slow Sunday Stitching for the week. I started with a Ferris Wheel block but I'm not really sure where I'm going with it. It's a great way to use scraps, so I may just let it grow for awhile.

Someone commented that they knew this block as Jack's Chain. I had heard that before and looked it up again. Some Ferris Wheel patterns also list the name as Jack's Chain. But a search for Jack's Chain pattern mostly comes up with a block that uses nine patch blocks instead of the solid square block around the hexagon. I think it could go either way, so I had to decide which one to call mine. I'm not sure what a chain belonging to Jack looks like.  Maybe it belongs on a tow truck. Maybe Jack is on a chain gang. Maybe Jack is a giant swinging a chain around his head.  What is Jack doing with that chain? I don't know. On the other hand, I like ferris wheels. They are at the center of the fair next to the cotton candy. Bright, colorful, and fun and a great view from the top. So Ferris Wheel it is. See what other scrappy quilting are in the works at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.

I used a bit of fabric this week, two-and-a-quarter yards, and I didn't buy any fabric this week. I would have shown more going out than coming in if it weren't for the box of fabric I unpacked. I brought home a box from the storage unit today that probably has fabric in it, so next week's report won't look any better. So sad. I just need to be using more every week. Click over to QuiltPaintCreate to see how other people are using their stash.

On the other hand, I had a good week sewing every day. I have one finish to show for it, and hope to finish another in the next day or two. I'm read to get these UFOs done so I can start working on some new quilts. Check out Life in Pieces for more 15 Minutes of Sewing.

Sewing Report Sunday

I've been having fun with my scrappy flower blocks for the RSC Challenge. I've determined that I need two and a half blocks for each of the ten months. And since that isn't going to work, I think I'm going to make three one month and two the next. That will work well with similar colors like medium blue and dark blue, but I'm not sure about some of the other colors. I'll have to play it by ear.

Friday night, I dug out my travel kit and worked on a Ferris Wheel block (English Paper Piecing). In an effort to spend more time in the evenings with Hubby, I'm going to start working on these in the evenings instead of spending time by myself at the sewing machine.

This week I was gifted with fabric. A friend was thinning her stash and asked if I wanted some fabric. Well, yeah! Thinking it was odds and ends of less than desirable colors, I told her that my quilt group could always use fabric for our donation quilts. This was way better than odds and ends.

A kit with all the fabric needed plus the pattern. A really cute pattern, I might add.

A magazine with a pattern bookmarked and all the fabric to make it.

Another pattern with all the fabric to make it.

Some fabrics she had marked for various things, like "border" and "backing" but no pattern with it.

And 36 fat quaters.

After looking at the three patterns, I could tell they are not the kind my group likes to make, so I'll keep those and make them sometime.  The other fabrics will make some great wheel chair lap quilts.

Score!!!!

Unfortunately, now I have to record this in my stash report.  My supposed stash reduction report. Thursday, I thought I was doing great because I had used more than I had bought.  Then, this gift.  And to compound my loss of control, I ran across a sale Friday that I couldn't pass up.  A local quilt store had a shelf of 75% off fabrics and a few bolts of fabric for 50 cents a yard.  I didn't buy any of those 50 cent fabrics though.  I didn't think I could cut them into small enough pieces to hide the ugly.  But I got several of the 75% off.  So they too will add to the report.  Now my report is a runaway train headed in the wrong direction.

I also unpacked a box of fabric.  A big box, and it was nearly all fabric. QuiltPaintCreate said she gets a laugh out of these boxes of fabric I keep finding.  When we were packing up to sell our house, everything was going into a unit at a storage facility with pretty poor security.  Anything of value, I marked with code words like "Large canning jars" (or something else not worth stealing) meaning something of value and another code word to describe the item, or "Small canning jars" meaning something with little value.  Sounded like a good idea at the time, but I also had real canning jars or gladware, or whatever the code word was, and over time, I forgot what the other code words meant.  So nearly all our boxes are labeled "Canning Jars", "Gladware", "Books", "Paint clothes," etc.  Most fabric was used as packing for lamps and other odd-shaped breakables, but there are some boxes marked "Sewing fabric".   It's an adventure to open boxes; we never know what to expect.

I'm happy to say that I am still headed in the right direction in my 15 Minutes of Sewing Report. That will change in a month or so, so I'm going to claim this victory while I can.

If you saw yesterday's post, you know I finished the Glory Box Wallhanging. I spent some time one day quilting the Double Irish Chain but it was a battle. I think I can get it done but it's really bigger than I would like to quilt on my machine. After a few hours, my shoulder was killing me. I decided to give my shoulder a rest and then work on it in much smaller time slots until I get it done. I think it will also be a wall hanging because I still haven't mastered the ruler foot. Even when the top looks good, there are places on the back that look like the tension is off. But then the next section looks fine. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'm pretty sure it is the user, not the machine.

I also spent time this week with the ripper, and finding that some blocks I made several years ago didn't have quarter inch seams. More about that another time unless I decide it's not worth the effort.

I have sewed every day this week and for the month so far. I'm at 100% for those, but at 88% for the year. That shows what one bad week can do. I can just imagine how low it will be in July and August.

Linking to:
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework
15 Minutes of Sewing at Life in Pieces
Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate