End to the Sunday Stash Report

It is a sunny, cool, breezy day here in Maine--perfect weather for working in the garden or sitting on the porch with a little handpiecing. Some of the leaves on my trees have already turned brown and fallen to the ground. It won't be long before Autumn is here.

I've decided to end my Sunday Stash Manager's Reports. After purchasing a bolt of 42 yards of muslin recently, I thought there probably wasn't much point in continuing to report it since the idea was to encourage us to reduce the stash. I am really pleased with the amount of stash I've busted the last year and a half, but I've been way more successful enhancing it. I also have to admit that my interest in reading others' stash reports is waning.

Funny thing about that, a couple of days after I came to my decision, I happened to see that the author of the website that originally hosted the Sunday Stash Reports posed the same question to its readers, whether or not to continue the Stash Reports. I have no idea what the outcome was, but I guess sometimes these things run their course, and then we move on.

For my own gratification, I plan to continue recording all Stash Events. I've really enjoyed keeping track, and I think anyone who stuck with it would agree it's an eye opener. I imagine there will be some discussion about stash busting in future posts, and I may even do an end-of-the-year Stash Report, provided the results are somewhat respectable!

Sunday Stash Report

I was busy all week working on my mini log cabin blocks, but I'm not reporting that stash until they're all finished, and I have six left to make for my little 36-block quilt. I also finished quilting my Christmas quilt, It's a Wrap, this evening, which makes me very happy!

I'll be loading another quilt on the frame this week, binding the Christmas quilt, making the rest of the log cabin blocks, and spending some time working on the projects on my Power of Ten list.

For the Stash Manager's Report, nothing in, nothing out!

Sunday Stash Report

This morning I finished hand sewing the binding on two sides of the snowman quilt, and I expect to finish it tomorrow. I started that quilt at a workshop in March, so I guess it will qualify as a WISP for this month's One Project a Month Challenge.

I loaded the Christmas quilt this morning and quilted about half of it. I was tempted to use my favorite red-white-green variegated holiday thread but decided I'd rather look at the blocks more than the quilting, so I'm using gold thread, which blends pretty well. The pantograph I'm using is Tannenbaum from Willow Leaf. It's an easy pattern, but I can't seem to get in the groove with it.

With the two quilt backs, I used up 7 yards from the stash this week and added some yardage from the quilters' yard sale. Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 7 yards
Fabric used year to date: 81-3/4 yards
Fabric added this week: 10-1/2 yards
Fabric added year to date: 190-3/4 yards
Net used year to date: -109 yards

Tomorrow Carolee is having a tea at her home for our large quilt group. It will be outside under the shade trees where we can also admire her extensive gardens. The featured speaker is Sandra Hatch, who is the editor of Quilter's World magazine. I heard that she operates that magazine out of her home here in Maine.

I checked out the Quilter's World web site and noticed you can purchase a digital magazine subscription. Has anyone else tried this yet? I recently bought a digital subscription to Creative Knitting magazine, which gave me access to two years' worth of back issues online. They were all available as pdf files that I downloaded to my computer. I imagine Quilter's World does something similar. At least it will save me some space on my bookshelves, which are pretty full.

Sunday Stash Report

So I'm a day late. Actually I'm a couple of weeks late. But first, a weather report. Here in Maine, June was the fifth wettest month on record. July was the second wettest month on record. So far, this summer has been the wettest on record in 138 years. Really.

It's taken all summer, but summer has finally arrived. Saturday was hot and humid, and yesterday we probably hit 90 degrees. Today was hot, sticky, and miserable; and tomorrow will be more of the same. I'm not complaining, mind you, because I know other folks have been hotter and for longer. Okay, wait, I am complaining. I hate this weather! It's why I moved up to Maine--to get away from it! I like cold weather so much better! On the up side, the lawn finally stopped growing, and I probably won't have to mow it all week. By Thursday we'll be back down into the much more reasonable 70s. Come on, Autumn!

Well, let's see, last time I did a Stash Report was July 26. I haven't accomplished anything significant in my sewing room, but I did work on my September Sun blocks. It's a 36-block quilt with 4 different blocks. The blocks will finish to 11 inches, and I've been kicking myself because I didn't redraft them as 12-inch blocks. What was Jinny Beyer thinking when she designed a quilt with 11-inch blocks? On purpose?

Over the last couple weeks I made two more pillowcases, used up about 3 yards of muslin for a quilt sandwich to play with a couple of new pantographs, and I bought a couple yards of one of my favorite green batiks to replenish my supply. Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 7 yards
Fabric used year to date: 74 3/4 yards
Fabric added this week: 2 yards
Fabric added year to date: 180-1/4 yards
Net used year to date: -105-1/2 yards

No apologies, no excuses. But, hey, I'm less behind than I was two weeks ago!

Sunday Stash Report

Well, I bought 7 yards of fabric at the quilt show. I thought I showed great restraint. I would have preferred to have bought 70 yards.

I finished another little strippy and crossed it off my Power of Ten list. The yardage for it was calculated a while back. I added Pillowcases to the list to replace the strippies. I'm planning to make 4 or 5 of them, some of which will be donated in the name of ConKerr Cancer. It's a project one of my quilt groups is working on. Today I cut the fabric for 2 pillowcases, so I'm counting it out of my stash.

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 2-3/4 yards
Fabric used year to date: 67-3/4 yards
Fabric added this week: 7 yards
Fabric added year to date: 178-1/4 yards
Net used year to date: -110-1/2 yards

Sunday Stash Report

No photos and nothing exciting in today's post, just the stash report. I feel like I haven't been home for five minutes this week, and I'm behind with just about everything there is to be behind with, including blogging. Seems like it's been a really busy summer for everybody. Sometime in the next few days I'll get some pictures posted of my adventures last week. I do want to thank everyone who left a comment about my Springtime Stars quilt--you're very kind, and I appreciate it.

In the meantime, I've made more progress with my Power of Ten list but no other finishes yet. Mostly I've been very absorbed with my Christmas in July project, the one called It's A Wrap; and I've worked a lot longer than just three hours on it. Of course all the fabric for it has now been cut, as well as all the rest of the fabric for the September Sun. I also have a strippie on the quilt frame, so I used up some stash for the quilt back. I'm practicing a pantograph called Bubbles on it, and it's really hard to keep those circles round!

I missed a stash report last Sunday and did buy a bit more fabric that week for my September Sun project and some extra background fabric. Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 9-1/2 yards
Fabric used year to date: 65 yards
Fabric added this week: 10-1/4 yards
Fabric added year to date: 171-1/4 yards
Net used year to date: -109 yards

Sunday Stash Report

At last, a stash report I can be proud of. This week I cut and attached the binding for my Springtime Stars quilt and have sewn down two sides. Two or three more hours and I should have that quilt finished.

Last night I finished this little Stars and Stripes tablerunner. I still have to quilt it. Some of the local girls have gotten interested in doing minis, which rekindled my interest as well. The little log cabin blocks finish at 4 inches, and I liked making them so much that I decided to make a little log cabin quilt. If I make 36 blocks, I'll have a small wallhanging measuring 24 inches, plus borders. I can't imagine I used more than a yard, front and back, for this little tablerunner, so I'm just counting a yard out.

I also cut the green and black fabrics for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, as well as quite a bit of the fabric for the September Sun quilt.

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 10 yards
Fabric used year to date: 55-1/2 yards
Fabric added this week: 0 yards--nothing, nada, zip!
Fabric added year to date: 161 yards
Net used year to date: -105-1/2 yards

Sunday Stash Report

Okay, let me just put it right out there--I bought 36 yards of fabric this week. I'm glad that's over with!

Three of us carpooled up to Bangor yesterday for a machine quilters meeting, and after the meeting we visited both the Marden's in Brewer and the Marden's in Ellsworth. Some folks already know about Marden's; and for those that don't, Marden's is a salvage company that buys all sorts of things from all sorts of places. Most stores have a fabric department where quilting cottons usually sell for either $2.99 or $3.99 a yard. The Ellsworth store has a particularly good fabric department. If you're ever up in our neck of the woods, make sure you plan a trip to Marden's.

Four of us are going to start working on a project together, a quilt called September Sun by Jinny Beyer. All of us are making the same pattern, but each quilter will choose her own fabrics and make her own quilt, so a shopping trip was in order. I've been a Jinny Beyer junkie for years; and as it happened, Marden's recently got in a whole bunch of Jinny Beyer prints. So, hey, I went shopping and stocked up! Who could resist at $2.99 a yard? Some of the fabrics I got will be for the September Sun project. I love these colors!

I didn't do much sewing this week, but I did get the Butterfly strippy completely finished, and I got the binding machine stitched to my Springtime Stars quilt. Still have to hand stitch it down.

So here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 3/4 yard
Fabric used year to date: 45-1/2 yards
Fabric added this week: 36 yards
Fabric added year to date: 161 yards
Net used year to date: -115-1/2 yards

I'll do better next month. Really.

Other than paying some bills and a little bit of reading, I have stayed off the computer as much as I could the last week, and my arm is feeling better. Just need to keep taking it easy for a little while longer.

Last I heard, the month of June was the sixth rainiest on record here in Maine. That was before we had another week of rain. In the last week and a half, I'll bet we've only had two days without rain. The sun actually came out one of those days. It was pouring rain off and on again today. I like rainy days usually, but I'm beginning to feel a little like Noah.

Sunday Stash Report

When I think back over this past week, I can barely remember what I did all week. For sure, I didn't do much sewing. I did finish knitting this piece. I'll bet you think it's a hat. You're close. Well, no, not really. It's a bowl. Actually it will be a felted bowl after I get it felted. The theme this month in my knitting class is felted wool, and we were offered two projects, either a set of bowls in five different sizes, or a felted tote. I'd like to make the tote next, but my teacher hasn't actually felted hers yet, and I'm waiting to see what it looks like before I start.

Next month, we will be working on miniature knitted Christmas ornaments--little tiny sweaters and hats and mittens and so on. I'm looking forward to it.

We have a block raffle at the Tacoma Lakes quilting group once a month, and the theme for June was Patriotic. I didn't get my block done in time for the drawing, but my good friend Koleen won, so I made her this block. It's called Fireworks from Kim Brackett's new book, Scrap Basket Surprises, and I love it! Eventually I'll make a quilt with this block. I found this great background fabric too, that looks like fireworks.

I went to Carolee's on Thursday for our machine embroidery group. Three of us who all have Berninas try to get together a couple times a month to learn more about our embroidery modules. Pauline is the brains of the group, but each of us has something to contribute, and we have fun. This time I learned how to quilt this small quilt sandwich, which is actually one of the blocks for my rag quilt. I think I probably blogged about starting this quilt a long time ago, but it stalled when I got to the quilting. I'm very excited about the new possibilities of quilting with my embroidery machine. Unluckily, my machine wasn't really stitching out some of the designs very well, so I took it to the shop for a tune up. I really hope I get her back in a week or less.

And I finished quilting a butterfly strippy this evening. I quilted it with, what else? a butterfly pantograph called Angel Wings from Willow Leaf.

As far as the Stash Manager's report goes, I didn't really use up enough fabric to even bother counting, and I didn't buy a thing this week, so nothing in, nothing out!

Sunday Stash Report

I've been shopping again, this time for backgrounds and blenders, those all-important companion fabrics necessary for so many quilt projects. I went to the quilt shop for only one fabric that I wanted to have more of on hand, a Moda light blue star on a blue background. It's one of the fabrics that Moda keeps printing, and it's available in several color ways. I'm working on a little patriotic tablerunner, and that's what prompted the trip. You know what happened after that.

I finished two more strippies and the snowman quilt top last week, but I'm only counting out the backing for one strippy. Everything else has already been accounted for.

So here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 2-3/4 yards
Fabric used year to date: 44-3/4 yards
Fabric added this week: 30 yards
Fabric added year to date: 125 yards
Net used year to date: -80-1/4 yards

Sure adds up quick, doesn't it?

Sunday Stash Report

Starting a new quilt is usually good for whatever ails me, and so is retail therapy. I've gotten about 20 large four-patch blocks done, half what I need, for the pink and brown quilt. Then I decided I'd better buy my border fabrics before they're gone, since that's usually my luck. The brown tone on tone will be the inner border, then the white, then I can't make up my mind about the outermost border. So far I'm leaning towards the one at the bottom of the photo. Opinions? Also picked up a stack of other fabric at the quilt shop.

Starting a new project often motivates me to work on an older one too, usually because I need the space on the design wall, so I continued on the snowman quilt. I finished all the machine applique on the snowmen two nights ago, so the center of the quilt is now complete. It didn't take me as long as I thought to do the machine applique, and I really, really like the way the blanket stitch looks. Now I just have to add some borders. My outer border is a dark green, so now the navy blue background in the corner star blocks is lost. I guess I'll change it to either red or mabye a lighter blue, if I have any left.


















Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 4-1/4 yards
Fabric used year to date: 42 yards
Fabric added this week: 21-3/4 yards
Fabric added year to date: 95 yards
Net used year to date: -53yards

Sunday Stash Report

There is upheaval in our lives and a lot on my mind, so I haven't done much sewing or knitting lately. I want to finish several projects but just can't seem to get motivated, so I'm doing nothing. Not good! Maybe beginning a new quilt would jump start me back into action.

I did finish the quilting on another strippy but haven't bound it yet. I quilted it with a Trumpet Vine pantograph from Keryn Emmerson. Interesting. I had a little trouble spacing the rows correctly, but that's what these little strippies are all about for me--practice.

Not one thing has changed in my stash for the last three weeks--nothing out, and nothing in either.

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used year to date: 37-3/4 yards
Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added year to date: 73-1/4 yards
Net used year to date: -35-1/2 yards

Sunday Stash Report

I committed Stash Enhancement again this past week thanks to the Shop Hop, but I sure had a good time doing it. Jeepers, it boggles my mind how quickly the numbers add up! I added nearly 15 yards this week, but I'm done shopping for a good while with the possible exception of backings. Time to get busy quilting again!

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used year to date: 37-3/4 yards
Fabric added last week: 14-3/4 yards
Fabric added year to date: 73-1/4 yards

Net used year to date: -35-1/2 yards

Still not too bad for the end of Month 4.

Sunday Stash Report

Several weeks ago, our local quilt chapter conducted a workshop to make some lap quilts for donation. I took fabric home with me from the workshop and have been working in earnest making quilts since Friday. Besides the two quilts in the photo which are now completed, I've finished three other strippy tops and cut kits for two more. Although I did bring home fabric for the strippies, I contributed some from the stash to complete a couple of the kits, plus some of the backings.

My goal for the week is to get the other five strippies completed, so I can get back to my other projects, including the miniature quilt I had hoped to finish last week.

I actually blogged about both of the quilts in the photo a long, long time ago, and it feels good to get them done. These will be my completed quilts for the One Project a Month Challenge.

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 9-1/2 yards
Fabric used year to date: 37-3/4 yards
Fabric added last week: 16-1/2 yards
Fabric added year to date: 58-1/2 yards

Net used year to date: -20-3/4 yards

Still in the red, but at this same time last year, I was 54 yards in the hole. That's improvement, but the Shop Hop is at the end of the week, so it'll probably get worse before it gets better!

Sunday Stash Report

The daffodils are blooming--spring has finally arrived in Maine. It was a lovely day, breezy, cool, so we worked in the yard. I spent seven hours picking up branches and pinecones knocked down by the winter storms, raking leaves, and pulling a few weeds. The War of the Violets has already started this year, and I've added lilies to the list of Weeds To Eradicate this year as well. Yes, I know lilies are a cultivated flower, but it's a weed if it's growing where I don't want it! I was wiped out by the time I came in for supper, and I'll be paying for it the next two days.

Last week I joined the ranks of the retired. The decision was put to me by an employer looking to pare down its work force due to the deplorable business climate, and it was a decision I agonized over for weeks. I changed my mind so many times I lost count. In the end I took the offer because, in my heart of hearts, I do not believe the Obama administration will be good for business over the next four years, and I wasn't willing to gamble away my retirement benefits by risking a layoff at some point. I'm not happy about it at all, but my consolation is that I can go back to the company as a seasonal hire during the holiday season.

In the meantime, I have plenty of housework to catch up on, and it feels good to finally get some of this work done. Course I also have a multitude of quilting and knitting projects waiting for me, and I will finally be able to make it to some of the quilting and knitting groups that meet during the day. And blogging! More time for blogging!

That said, I haven't sewn much the last week. I did make some headway on the Snowman quilt, but it's not close to being finished. On Friday we got together at Kay's for quilt group, and beforehand I foraged around in my sewing room for a small project to work on. I remembered a miniature I started years ago, so I dug it out to take with me. I made good progress on it and am nearly done with the blocks.

There are 13 blocks in the quilt, set on point. Each of the squares in those tiny nine patch blocks finishes to 3/8 ", so it is painstaking work. The whole top will finish to 18" x 18", so I'd be surprised if I used a yard of fabric, but that's what I'm reporting.

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 1 yard
Fabric used year to date: 28-1/4 yards
Fabric added last week: 0 yards
Fabric added year to date: 42 yards
Net used year to date: -13-3/4 yards

Goal for this week: finish the top.

Sunday Stash Report

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it. It was just my husband and I for most of the day, but my younger son came up from Portland in time for dinner. We decided to try this dish for brunch this morning, Spinach and Goat Cheese Strata, and it was simply delicious. It is sort of like a quiche, I guess, but no crust, and quick and easy to make. Not only was it a fine brunch dish, but it would be a lovely quick supper with a salad. I'm happy to share the recipe if anyone would like.

I'll bet I haven't sewn a thing in two weeks. I've been tired lately and preoccupied with things at work, and knitting fit the bill on many of those nights.

Not quilting hasn't kept me from thinking about it though, and it didn't keep me from shopping for it either! When I was down in Freeport the other day, I stopped in to Cottonweeds and found this lovely quilt on the wall, all done in batiks. So I bought the pattern and some background and border fabric for it and will supplement with fat quarters from my stash. I've wanted to make a pink and brown quilt for ages and have been collecting the fabrics for one, so I added a few more of those as well.

Last week I bought border fabric for the Neptune quilt plus another jelly roll.

So here's the Stash Manager's Report for the last couple weeks:

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used year to date: 27-1/4 yards
Fabric added last week: 16-3/4 yards
Fabric added year to date: 42 yards
Net used year to date: -14-3/4 yards

I wasn't in the black for very long, was I?

I did sit down at the sewing machine this afternoon, finally, and worked on sewing the squares together for the snowman quilt. I'm glad to be making some headway on it.

Sunday Stash Report

I missed the stash report last week, so there's a little more to report this week. I added 3 yards last week for the Springtime Stars backing, then counted it back out this week when it went to the machine quilter's. I've also used 4-3/4 yards for the snowman quilt so far.

Here's the Stash Manager's report:

Fabric used this week: 7-3/4 yards
Fabric used year to date: 27-1/4 yards
Fabric added last week: 3 yards
Fabric added year to date: 25-1/4 yards
Net used year to date: 2 yards

I'm back in the black!

Sunday Stash Report

I broke down and bought some fabric I didn't need this week, and it felt pretty good! Except for the medleys I get every month, this is the first fabric I've bought this year. When I went to the quilt shop to get the backing for my Springtime Stars quilt, there was a basket filled with jelly rolls and jelly cakes sitting by the register. Jelly rolls are all over the place now, but I'd never bought one until this week. The colors in these two really appealed to me. The jelly roll is called Neptune, and the jelly cake is called Gypsy Rose. I've already started a new quilt with the Neptune fabrics and had to run back to the quilt shop for a couple yards of background fabric to go with it.

Another medley arrived in the mail last week too. They're supposed to come once a month, and they usually arrive pretty close to the same day of the month; but this is the third medley I've received since February 2. I called today to ask why deliveries had been so erratic the last few months and was shocked to discover that I've been receiving Keepsake medleys off and on (mostly on) since 1993. Good grief! I've cancelled them now, once and for all.

Here's the Stash Manager's report:

Fabric used this week: 3-5/8 yards

Fabric used year to date: 19-1/2 yards

Fabric added this week: 14-3/4 yards

Fabric added year to date: 22-1/2 yards

Net used year to date: -3 yards

3 yards in the hole--okay, I can live with that. I'll have a few finishes coming up before too long, and that will take care of it. Provided I behave myself, that is. Last year was a terrible year for stashbusting, and I'll be happy if I break even this year. It's a start.

Here's the quilt I started with the Neptune fabrics, so I counted the jelly roll and background fabric right back out of the stash again. Fig Tree & Co has a pattern for this quilt, but I figured I could wing it without the pattern since the block is in the EQ6 library. I did get a couple other things from them though.

Anyway, it's pretty easy to make without a pattern. All you do is sew a pair of strips together, then cut 60 degree wedges from the strip set. You need 6 identical wedges to make a hexagon, and you can get two different hexagons from each pair of strips. You can make a quilt 6 blocks across x 7 rows out of a jelly roll. Background and borders are extra, so I'll be ordering a little more fabric this week for the borders. I think I'll be using the fabrics in the upper left corner for borders. I like these blocks because they sort of remind me of Stack 'n Whack blocks, but they're a lot less work.

Sunday Stash Report

There's not so much to report this week, only a quarter yard out for the backing on the Easter Egg quilt. However, I got a couple of Keepsake medleys for a total of 3 yards. Still ahead of the game, but sliding backwards a little. I'm on vacation for the next two weeks and hope to get some serious sewing done!

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 1/4 yard
Fabric used year to date: 16-1/8 yards
Fabric added this week: 3 yards
Fabric added year to date: 7-1/2 yards
Net used year to date: 8-5/8 yards

I have been Thinking Spring all week long, and this morning I heard there's a big storm roaring up the East Coast that will arrive here by midnight. They're predicting 8-14. I swear it's the Endless Winter...sigh....

Sunday Stash Report

The Star BOM is coming right along. All the blocks and sashing strips have now been sewn into rows, but I haven't sewn the rows together yet. This week my goal is to get the first couple of borders on and start on Border 3, the ribbon border. It's foundation pieced, something I like to do very much and don't spend enough time doing.

My husband and I had a conversation about this quilt the other day. He said it reminded him of Easter. All I can think about when I'm working with these colors is spring flowers--crocus, hyacinths, tulips. My son said it made him think of spring time, which seemed like a good name for the quilt--Springtime Stars.

When I cut for the sashing strips, I also cut all the border pieces as well and busted almost 7 yards from my stash. Yeah!

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 6-3/4 yards
Fabric used year to date: 15-7/8 yards
Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added year to date: 4-1/2 yards
Net used year to date: 11-3/8 yards