The un-intended July NewFO

Really I wasn't going to start anything new this month.  I'm suppose to be finishing up UFO's this summer.

It all started when he who will remain nameless brought home a cold and shared with me.  When I was not feeling so great but feeling restless I headed up to the sewing room.  Just sort of wandering and I opened my 1.5 inch square drawer and sat down at the machine.

[caption id="attachment_2212" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 1.5 in squares[/caption]

First I started with similar squares paired with white squares.



I wasn't really thrilled that look so I pulled out sets of five and started making darling little 9 patches.  Oh I'm so loving my little 9 patches that are going to finish at 3 inches.

[caption id="attachment_2209" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sweet Little Nine Patches[/caption]

Now when I finish with a fabric or when I'm sorting scraps I cutting 1.5 inch sets of five.  I raided the pantry for the little paper plates and I keep the sets next to my machine and sew some as leader/enders and sometimes for 10 mins or so in the morning before I start my day.

[caption id="attachment_2211" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Paper Plate Sorting[/caption]

I have 23 of these little beauties so far and I don't know how many I'll make but I'll just keep making them for a while and see what I end up with.

[caption id="attachment_2210" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My Stack of 9 patches[/caption]

This could become a long term UFO.

I'm linking up with Barbara at Cat Patches with my July NewFo.

Design Wall Monday July 29, 2013

It's Monday again, I know it's over stated but Mondays really do come around fast.  I've been busy outside of the sewing room a lot lately but I did manage to finish up the apple quilt and it's at the quilter. So I pulled out my summer UFO.  My quilt club breaks for the summer but at the last meeting in June we can challenge ourselves to finish a UFO over the summer.  So I jumped in.

My choice was my mini tumbler charm quilt.  This is a charm quilt in the traditional way with 999 different fabrics with no repeats.  First I set some rules guide lines.  1.No Christmas fabric and no Halloween fabric. I mean that would make it to easy cause I have tons of Christmas and Halloween.  2. The border fabric does not count in the 999 fabrics.  Other than that every thing was fair game. I've worked on this quilt off and on for a couple of years.  I put fabric pieces aside that I think I haven't used and then I'd pull out the cutter and the rows and double check the fabric before cutting.  The last time I worked on it was last year but put it away with many tumblers cut but still needing more.

The quilt is due September 5th at our first meeting or there is a $20.00 ransom, so I guess it was about time I pulled it out again.

The rows are pinned on the design wall so I can double, and triple check the fabrics.



The tumblers I have cut are on my new design boards so I can check against those too



Here are my stats to date:

Need 37 rows of 27 charms  to complete the quilt

Have 24 Rows  Need 13 more rows

Need 351 charms -  Have 232 cut - Need 119 more charms--

Time to dive in to the stash closet.

For more design walls head over to Patchwork Times

Stash Report Week 29, 2013

There was shopping done this week, there was lots of shopping. Want to see?

First is this great retro fabric called  "Potluck"  I love it.  It will become Aprons and maybe a few other items.

[caption id="attachment_2189" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Potluck[/caption]

Then there is this apple fabric

[caption id="attachment_2190" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Apples Yum[/caption]

Along with this green and red and creamy white that are going in to an apple theme quilt, I'll show you tomorrow.



Just look at all this wonderful Halloween fabric.  Oh yes Halloween gets the royal treatment , it's a gift giving holiday here.  There will be new holiday pillowcases this year.

[caption id="attachment_2192" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Halloween[/caption]

Everything was bought with a purpose and some is already in the works.

There was some out-going fabric too, I finished up the t-shirt quilt and it's at the quilters

Here are the numbers:

• Added last week: 19 yards


• Added this year: 327 yards


• Used last week: 8.25 yards


• Used this year: 180.75 yards


• Net 2012  -146.25 yards   

For more stash reports head over to Judy's at Patchwork Times.

Finally Made My Mini Design Boards

I've wanted to make a set of these mini design boards since I first read Lori's tutorial at Bee In My Bonnet.  I even made a special trip to the store to pick up foam board and it's been leaning against the wall behind my cutting table.  Oh dear, could it really be a whole year that I've been waiting to make one?

[caption id="attachment_2179" align="aligncenter" width="300"] design boards[/caption]

 

While my sister was here visiting I put it on my list of projects we could do.  On her last day here we finally made them.

[caption id="attachment_2178" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Following directions, sort of[/caption]

I love love love them.  Instead of hot glue ( I'm a klutz with a glue gun)  I used Fabri-Tac that I use for my upholstery projects. I will be making more of these darling design boards in different sizes.

[caption id="attachment_2180" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Two for each of us[/caption]

I'm linking up with

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Crazy Mom Quilts

with my long over due finish.

Does Your Mind Wander When You Iron?

This week I've been working on a t-shirt quilt.  Anyone who has made a t-shirt quilt will probably agree that the most tedious part is ironing the interfacing on to the t-shirts.  When I first started making t-shirt quilts and I was ironing the interfacing I would hold the iron in place and count to 10, now don't laugh but I would often lose count.

I have to confess that it doesn't take much for my mind to wander off in any new direction and standing there holding the iron and counting I would look around and anything that caught my eye there went my mind too.  If I saw a fabric, I was thinking about what quilt I could make with it. A pattern and I was thinking what fabric do I have and what would I need to get to make this pattern.  Then there was ironing with my left hand and making the grocery list with my right..talk about losing count.  Lucky for me I always use a pressing cloth (old sheet) so there were no burnt t-shirts while  my mind wandered around the sewing room.

[caption id="attachment_2170" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ironing interfacing[/caption]

Now I only count to five and go around the shirt twice and make sure it's all fused.  My mind still wanders but I'm staying on task better.  HA!



The center of the quilt is an old  baby blanket.  I used steam a seam and fused it to muslin and added the blue border and fused it too so I'd have something to sew the rest of the quilt on to.  This was a very very well love blanket.  I'm taking it to my longarm quilter this week because of the blanket in the middle it's going to need custom quilting.

To see more works in progress head over to Freshly Pieced

Design Wall Monday July 8, 2013

It's so hard to grasp the the year is half over.  I've not gotten half of what I wanted done even making my get it done list didn't help this year.  I'd make my list and then something will come up and I'm changing course in mid stream.  My goals for the rest of the year is to just keep at  my first half of the year list.  :)  Then there are the quilts I want to get done for Christmas too. What to do first.

First I'll finish the QOV top that is on my design wall.

[caption id="attachment_2163" align="aligncenter" width="225"] July 8, 2013[/caption]

These are the blocks I started many many months ago for Alycia's February Block Drive.  Now you know how far behind I really am.  I'd like to finish it up this week and then take it and my sister's top and make an appointment for the long arm and get them quilted and sent off.

No sewing happen today, someone who will remain nameless passed on their sore throat and I just don't feel like dealing with the heat in the sewing room.(Mr Bill)  I think I'll set on the couch after dinner and check out everyone's design walls

Linking up with Patchwork Times for more design wall viewing.

Stash Report Week 27, 2013

I missed last week because my sister was here visiting and we were fabric shopping!  But there was some sewing going on too so some fabric came in and out without being counted and some moved in.

We finished up her QOV top (borders came from the stash)

[caption id="attachment_2156" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Quilt of Valor[/caption]

and then some pillowcases(just the cuffs from the stash) for the quilts that are all done except for the label.

[caption id="attachment_2157" align="aligncenter" width="300"] QOV Cases[/caption]

I also sent some fabric home with her, out is out right?

 

• Added last week: 1.5 yards


• Added this year: 308.0 yards


• Used last week: 8.5 yards


• Used this year: 172.5 yards


• Net 2012 -136.5 yards  

Last week Judy talked about keeping up with keeping track.  This is the second official year that I've been doing this.  Before that I'd started in the middle of the year and just kept track in my note book.  This is my second year of recording it on my blog which makes much easier to go back and compare my numbers, cause I don't have a clue where that notebook for 2011 is hiding.

Now I have to explain that I love numbers.  Math I'm not so wild about but numbers now that gets me going. Numbers are just full of information.  They tell you where you are, where you've been and they can tell you where you can go.  Love them!

Week 27, 2012, I had only stashed 35.75 yards this year I've stashed 136.5 yards.  Somehow this year I've stashed 100.75 more yards than at this time last year.  Yep this is the year I was going to stay in the black and really put a dent in the fabric closet.  (OK Kathy pull yourself together and stop laughing).  But this is where numbers come in ...are you ready?

There are 25 weeks left in this year.  All I have to do is use 5.5 yards a week and I'll break even at the end of the year.  If I use 6 yards a week I'll not only break even but I'll have used an extra 13.5 yards. Doesn't that sound wonderful ?  Heck all I have to do is finish up some UFO's that are setting here staring at me and I can meet that goal and surpass it. Now of course there is a catch,  there's always a catch right? you guessed it didn't you.  No bringing in fabric.  Ok Harriett back away from the checkout button.  :)  Like that's going to happen.

For more stash reports I'm linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.