Stash Busting Report #13

I have no idea! NO IDEA how much fabric I'm working with this weekend.

A few weeks ago, I went into my ugly stash pile and started cutting it into strips and squares of various sizes. I regularly use 2 1/2, 3 1/2, 4 1/2, and 6 1/2 inch squares and strips, so cutting into my scraps is a great way to get the fabric I need for projects.

The project was a little overwhelming, as I haven't cut into it for several months. I wound up having an overflowing storage container of scraps. This weekend I got motivated to do something about it.... which brings me to today.

Yesterday I spent about 6 hours in my sewing room. I was sewing my 3 1/2 strips and squares into pairs, subcut those strips, and then pair two of the subcuts to make a 6 1/2 square. I had no idea how much I would wind up with. I think I'll have enough for two twin or double sized quilts.

Today is a Sew Day for me. My honey is off watching car racing with his Pops, so I have the whole day to do as I please! I see chocolate cake and Lifetime in my future!

Stash Busting Report #12

Sorry it's been so quiet on the home front, here. I have been doing stuff, just not blogging about it!

Today's stash report:

Used this week: 4 yards for curtains

Total used this year: 120.76

In this week: 1/4 yard (free gift from a quilt shop)

Total in this year: 22.24

Total busted this year: 98.5 yards

That's quite a number! Too bad my stash doesn't even look dented. The majority of that 22 yards was purchased in February on a trip north with a pal.

This morning we're having late brunch with friends. Brunch used to be at 7. Then 7:30. Then 8. Then 8:30. We've been at 9 for some time, and today I got a request to meet at 10. I may have to eat breakfast before I make it to brunch!

The rest of today's plans include prepping the walls in my sewing room for paint, and starting to cut out some white or beige strips so I can make some scrappy 1 patch quilts. I spent most of last week cutting my scraps into useable sizes and my scrap bin overfloweth. I figure I can probably get 6-7 quilts out of that stash... Wowzas. I'm feeling the need to clear out. Must be the Spring fever hitting a little early.

Did anyone see the SuperMoon? I missed it - so cloudy here you could barely tell there was a sky. :0(

Happy weekend!

Stash Busting Report #10

WOOT WOOT! I passed the century mark in my fabric used for the year and am ALMOST there for my net busted. I'm really really really really excited.

Fabric used this week: 7.07 yards

Fabric in this week: 0 yards

Net used, year to date: 94.8 yards

It has been a while since I purchased fabric, though it may not stay that way for long. I need to find some coordinating fabrics for on of the classes I'm taking at Sisters. Connecting Threads may be in my future.

Gotta go have brunch.

XOXO!!!!

Stash Busting Report #9

I've been really good this year about purchasing fabric. So far I've only purchased items on sale and for specific projects. YAY! And this year I didn't purchase anything, so I feel like I'm doing really really well. Pat myself on the back a little for that one.

I even managed to get some sewing done, which makes this week even better!

Fabric used this week: 3.25 yards

Fabric in this week: 0 yards

Net used, year to date: 87.50

2 yards went out for a NICU quilt, and 1.25 yards was a bag for my mom. Today's goal is to get

the blocks pieced for two more NICU quilts - and then hopefully get the tops pieced this week. I'll post

pics as soon as I can!

Trying....

Trying to get some tops done so I can count them in my stash busting tomorrow. Don't know how successful I will be! I have been distracted by "Fanny" a 1961 film starring Leslie Caron and a box of cookies.

This morning started out beautifully, but has turned gray and blustery. A perfect day to get some sewing in. Darling Husband and I may try to put in the new GFCI plugs we purchased a few weeks ago. Thank goodness we live a few blocks from the hospital!

Stash Busting Report #8

Nothing in, nothing out. So it wasn't a total loss. Am working on a bag for my mom, hoping to put some borders on a kaleidescope quilt, and maybe clean up my space a little. I'd really like to make Bonnie Hunters "Oklahoma Backroads" because it uses up so many 2 1/2 strips and I have a TON of those puppies lying around.

xoxo

Stash Busting Report #7

I did great this week!

I finished placemats, pajammy bottoms, pillowcases, and completed a large, king sized quilt. Then I purchased 1 yard of fat quarters, and my mom sent me 4 fat quarters.

Fabric used this week: 31 yards

Fabric in this week: 2 yards

Net used, year to date: 84.25

I also purchased a stippling foot. WOW! AWESOME. I'm in love with this thing. Can't stop now, have to keep making progress!

Au Revior!!

How now, brown cow?

It's the weekend, finally! I can sink into the wonderful comfort of my jeans, sneaks, and a basic tee - I get to hang out with my pals and my honey. The time is MINE. I dare you to try and take it away from me.

Today my honey and I went to the local Ace Hardware in search of GFCI plugs for the kitchen. Our house had them in the bathrooms, but not the kitchen. Are they legally required? I'm not sure. But our home inspector noted that they should be switched over - and since we're planning on selling our house some day, we might as well do it now. Right after he learns how to do wiring online with some how-to video. Thank god we live near the hospital!

Ace is one of those places that we can't get out of without spending way more than we wanted. Three GFCI switches, a welding gun thingy, a cover plate, and a Coke in a glass bottle, we were on our way home. Where we found we really needed four GFCI switches, but decided we could live with three. (Three are near the sink, one is on the opposite wall.) We're re-using some of the non-GFCI plugs to replace the ones in the house that look nasty. We thought they'd sparked and burned themselves up, but the home inspector said they were fine and safe to use.

Which brings me to my new issue. WHY oh WHY do you put brown colored wall sockets in a house and then paint the walls WHITE. The contractor who flipped our house (oh yes, we're on to you...) used a glossy white on the walls and then put in BEIGE wall sockets. I can understand if he was just using the existing sockets. But he did add new ones in the bathrooms, and those are beige too. Garr....

Ok. Done with that. I guess we will just slowly switch them out for white. I think they will look much nicer with the walls. He didn't do a good job patching, so we will need to re-patch, fill, and paint at some point anyway.

Coke in a glass bottle is awesome. Almost as good as ice-cold-Coke-in-a-can, which for some reason, is really hard to find around here. But Ace has it, so I usually enjoy one on the way home.

It's beautiful weather outside, too. My attempts to lure my husband outside to have fun (i.e. take a long walk) have been futile. So I think I may end up on a long walk by myself.

Bye for now!

Stash Busting Report #5 & #6

I was sooooooo bad!

And to make up for it, I've decided to count fabric OUT on a quilt when the tops and backs are ready to go to the quilter. Nothing like rationalizing, eh?

I headed north for a conference and stopped at a Craft Warehouse. Their fabric section was about three times larger than the one at home. The sale section had fabric starting at $2/yard. WOW!!!

I was glad I was able to spend time with a good friend. We gabbed, ate, walked, and assisted each other in spending far too much money. Will power be damned! However, I'm still OK in my Purposeful Purchasing. Everything I purchased has a project and I've already cut into some of it to start those projects.

Fabric used this week: 18.34 yards

Fabric in this week: 17.75 yards

Net used, year to date: 57.5

Head over to Judy's site www.patchworktimes.com to see how others are doing!

Stash Busting Report #4

Wow. Nothing in, nothing out. And our quilt store was having a sale! Yes, yes, I was tempted! But not enough to bring anything home with me. My mood certainly affects my buying habits!

Not to say there was no sewing done - there was! In fact, I made an entire quilt top last night, but unfortunately - it's not completed. Won't count for a while!

I have also given myself permission to rid myself of some dumb DUMB block of the months that I started in good faith and have become completely disappointed in. I can't find a place around here (or anywhere in this state) that will take blocks, so it's off to Goodwill with them.

Once I made that decision and took them off my design wall, the quilting vibe came back in full force. I'm so pleased! I thought it might be gone forever!

Speaking of which, I'm off to sew!

I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob....

That's one of my favorite quotes of all time, from Office Space. Yes, the geeky work movie from the 90's that suddenly becomes a timeless classic when you work in an office and can identify your own Milton and Lumbergh.

But this post shall not be about work! I am dedicating my weekends to no work talk. But I have exciting talk that is about missing work - so I thought I'd share.

I'm going to the Sister's Quilt Show this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!

And today, I have zero plans, so guess what I'm going to do?

Figure out what classes to take when I go to Sisters!

And sew, of course. The NICU up north needs some more baby quilts, so I am dedicated to making a few more today.

If I can squeeze it in, I should go to the gym. Maybe I should go to they gym first... Hmmmm....

Stash Busting Report #3

Nothing in, nothing out!

Though, the day is young - this could still change! The quilt shop is having a sale until Jan 23rd and I do have a gift card for the store. But.... I don't need any fabric, and one of my goals this year is Purposeful Purchasing.

Fabric used this week: 0 yards

Fabric in this week: 0 yards

Net used, year to date: 56.9

My sewing friend is visiting today and we'll see if we accomplish much! I may choose some fabric to make some additional baby quilts for the NICU in Eugene.

Hmmmmm.....

Visit Judy Laquidera's site to see how others are doing on their stashbusting! patchworktimes.com

:)

Stash Busting Report #2

I've done great this week!

I was able to finish the 8 boxer shorts and 3 baby quilts, for a total of 14 yards out!

Fabric used this week: 14 yards

Fabric in this week: 0 yards (yay!!!)

Net used, year to date: 56.9

Will there be sewing today? Perhaps. I have to drop some stuff at the library, hit the gym, and pick up a late Christmas gift.

I'm loving this stash reporting!

West Coast Joy - Thank You East Coasters!

One of my great joys as a west coaster is to wake up on Saturday morning at a leisurely 8 a.m., get my brekkie, and sit down with my laptop to catch up on my blogs. And by 8 a.m. most, if not all, of my east coast blogs have been updated and it's so exciting to read new posts while I scarf down my oatmeal. Thank you, east coasters! You have been productive while I was snoozing away. But no worries... while you are getting ready to bed down, I'll be stitching away. Or watching bad TV, but who's counting anyway?? ;-)

Remember I was telling you about the super easy 9 patch quilt pattern I'd managed to botch? Here are the quilts from that project. Like I said, it's 3 yards, 2 cuts, 3 quilts. Each quilt will just take 1 yard to back.

I make quilt tops for a NICU about three hours north of here. One of the great things about this particular organization is they will accept just the quilt tops. So lucky me, I get to count these in my stash report this week! I bet they get more donations because they take on the responsibility of backing, batting, quilting and binding. I know they do from me, at least!

The yellow was my focus fabric. It's got bunnies on it and is super cute. I paired it up with a light blue feather and a green check.

Each quilt turns out to be very unique. When I'm making these I sometimes hope they go to comfort a set of triplets... wouldn't that be cute?
Regardless, it's great fun to make quilt tops for charity. Super satisfying and comforting. This last one is my favorite.

I'm off for the rest of the day. I'm seeing Tangled and having lunch with a good friend, and then my darling honey and I are going to shop for showerheads and kitchen faucets. Think of all the fun we'll be having!

Why You ALWAYS Read the Instructions

I have been sidelined by a cold. Sadly, it has hampered my attempts at quilting...

I was planning on making 3 baby quilts from an awesome and easy pattern called Super Sized Nine Patch by Anita Grossman Soloman. I've made it before and the tops always turn out super cute. It's three yards and two cuts - et voila! 3 great baby quilts.

Except this time I felt foggy and breezed through the instructions... Only to have cut my fabric completely wrong. I will still be able to make the quilts, they just won't wind up like the pattern! But to think of it, which of mine ever really do?

And that is why I always want to read the instructions before cutting. Preferably with a non-cold brain. All that congestion equals confusion.

In good news though - all of my FiestaWare arrived from Macy's thanks to an incredible B-O-G-O sale (saved more than I spent!) and only one piece needs to be returned. It wasn't even a shipping issue, the finish just isn't right and has already been scratched. My local Macy's store said I could just bring the plate in and they'll swap it out for a good one. One reason I love Macy's.

Also, I was able to finish my honey's boxer shorts on Monday, so they'll go into the stashbusting numbers next week. 11 yards! Yay! I even went to the quilt store on Sunday and didn't buy anything but elastic (to finish the boxers!). Go me!

Well, I'm off. It's about time to dose myself with more Alka Seltzer....

Stash Busting Report #1

My first stash report. Yay!

Fabric used this week: 43.5 yards. WOAH!

Fabric in this week: 0 yards

Net used, year to date: -43.5 yards.

Here's how I'm counting:

I will be counting projects when they are fully completed - quilted and bound. Or, as in the case of the boxer shorts that I will hopefully count next week - completely useable!

I was lucky this week that I had three twin sized quilts come back from the quilter. The photo is of one of the three and it's sideways. I'll be learning about posting photos as I go. It's a little fuzzy! The quilts will soon be with my local Project Linus chapter

My other goal for 2011 that I haven't shared is that of Purposeful Purchasing. I will often just wander my LQS or craft store and grab fabric as I desire it. But... that means I wind up with a lot of fabric I have never used. Not that I won't, but that I haven't. So this year, I plan on practicing Purposeful Purchasing. I will only purchase fabric that is going into a quilt that I am currently working on. Since I generally have one project at a time this shouldn't be too much of a problem.

What to do with all that fabric I know I'm not going to use? I think they'll look lovely in pillow cases for the Million Pillowcase Challenge from APQ. Don't you think? Lucky for me the Project Linus drop off point is also the same as the MPC.

I must head out for brekkie with my DH and our amigos. It will be homemade and delicious and I'm looking forward to it!