Stash Report - Week 20 - 5/15/11

Oh boy, I've got a lot of work to do.  As I said earlier this week I participated in a significant amount of retail therapy last week. I am now waaaay in the red and feel a strong need to fix that. I am getting physical therapy for my elbow and my LA is back and running so the plan is to quilt and quilt and quilt, ASAP. Many of my quilt tops have never been "counted" and none of the backs get counted until the quilting is completed. So once I get to quilting the number *should* turn around nicely. Well, that's the plan anyway.


I couldn't stay away from my machine one more minute so today I did one tiny little project - a bib to match the romper I made for dgd. She apparently has become a drooling maniac. I am being generous when I say it used 1/4 yard but with the binding it comes close and 1/4 increments are as small as I'm going to go. It still needs velcro closures but you get the idea - quick, simple, yet matches the outfit and gets the job done.

                                      
Stash Report
Used the past week: .25 yards
Used year to date: 28.75 yards 

Added the past week: 28 yards
Added year to date: 75 yards

Net used in 2011: -46.25 yards  :O

Check out other stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Mechanic

I never knew I had to be a mechanic to be a long armer. But when Olga needs tinkering with, I have to do it. And when she is really sick and has to travel from CT to Iowa, I have to take her apart. Taking apart, as you might guess, is the easy part. Putting her back together was a little more of a challenge.

But after some mistakes, some curse words, and some wonderful help from Susan, every thing is back up and working. Woot.

Here is Susan working on her beautiful Tumbler quilt.

Retail Therapy

My "tennis elbow" continues to afflict me. I have decided that since I have been sewing for a million many years without any problems but then as soon as I start crocheting I get an elbow problem, it must be the crocheting. So, with sadness, I have decided to make no more dishrags. I know, how will the world survive.

But as I lament my forced down time, I finally gave in to the intense pressure put upon me by my many friends someone - I shopped for fabric!! I went to Fabric.com and had a very good time surfing the site. THIRTY THREE YARDS LATER, it could have been worse - really.

First I got 13 yards of Navy Kona Cotton and 4 yards of Wheat Kona Cotton.

These will be used to make a Notre Dame quilt for ds #4 who will be attending there this fall.

Then I browsed thru the special Royal Sale they were having to celebrate the big wedding. I was looking for fabrics to make casserole carriers like the ones HERE, HERE and HERE. I browsed thru the whole site and repeatedly clicked "add to cart". When I finally went to check out, I had chosen enough fabrics to make 31 casserole carriers. Hmmm, a few too many. So I was a good girl and removed many fabrics from my cart and ended up with these.

I think they will work up nicely. I also bought 20 yards of webbing for the handles. I hope to make these as my Christmas presents for friends and coworkers this year.

I'm not looking forward making my stash report next week.

Design Wall Monday - 5/9/11

It's been two weeks since my last post. No sewing going on here because of the stupid elbow but the good news is that Olga, the Millenium, is home. I haven't opened the box yet but APQS promises me that she will be as good as new. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

So, I can't cut, iron or crochet but I'm thinking I can machine quilt lefty. I am certainly not the most proficient machine quilter in the world but I have had my LA for 10 years and I know I can do a meander one handed so I am going to tackle that this week on my UFO #9.

With my luck I will get "tennis elbow" in the left arm. LOL So I will start out doing only one pass at a time to be extra careful.

This should work up to a nice little charity quilt.

Check out other design wall at Patchwork Times.

Melt my heart

Remember this?

How much cuter is it with an adorable (in my very biased opinion) baby girl in it?

Stash Report - week #17 - 4/24/11

What can I say, I'm still on "no sew" so I had to do something, didn't I? Retail therapy was the only answer. And I WAS driving right past Joanns on my way to my wonderful SIL's house for a great Easter Saturday gathering. Was I really expected to drive by without stopping? At least all fabrics were bought for specific projects.

First, I got fabrics to go with some eagle fabric I picked up last summer when we were in Alaska. I've been wondering how I would show off the beautiful eagles and then I saw Jill's flamingo quilt. It's perfect for a large scale novelty print and quick and easy to boot. Perfect.

I also bought some backing fabric for Judy's Green challenge quilt project from February. My blocks are still at this state, needing the green sashing attached.

But at least now I have a pretty backing all ready. It is one of the new Denyse Schmidt fabrics from Joanns.

My long arm has had it's overhaul at APQS and I'm expecting it back here from Iowa some time this week. I am sooo hoping that my "tennis" elbow will be able to guide the LA without any setbacks. I really could use some finishes to help out my negative net used numbers.

Stash Report
Used the past week: 0 yards
Used year to date: 28.5 yards 

Added the past week: 13 yards
Added year to date: 45 yards

Net used in 2011: -16.5 yards

Check out other stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report - week #16 - 4/17/11

No sewing done this week, except with the Friday girls. We had family here the beginning of the week, then the rest of the week I worked on everyone's taxes. Ugh. Tonight I write the checks. Yes, I am a tax procrastinator. I don't mind paying taxes but I am not handing it in any earlier than necessary. :)

There won't be any fabric "used" for the next several weeks. I've been battling pain in my right elbow for quite some time.
"You have tennis elbow", says the sports medicine doctor (dh).
What!?!? I don't play tennis!!
"You can get tennis elbow from sewing."
I didn't get the memo. So what do I do??
"Ice, ibuprofen, and total rest, no sewing."
WHAT? NO SEWING?
"Yup, NO sewing."
For how long?
"Until it's better. Maybe a MONTH."

You know there are times when you don't get any sewing done for a while but that is sooooo different from being told you CAN'T. Sigh. Fine, I'll get caught up on my crocheting. "Nope, not that either." What?

Well, after much consideration I decided I had two options:

 1) Sew with the pain cuz I really want to sew - I have summer sundresses to make for the precious granddaughter.
"That's up to you but it can become chronic and never go away."
I just wanted to stick my tongue out at him. :)

2) Spend the next month finishing the reorganization of the sewing room.
"That would be a much better idea."

So since dh is still recouping from his surgery, we are going to watch "Hereafter" and I am going to organize this pile.

Most of these are pictures and patterns I have ripped out of magazines or printed off the internet over the last year or so. I put them in clear sheet protectors I pick up by the box at Staples.

I then put them in one of these binders that are divided into categories mostly by pattern; like baby, juvenile, nickel, strips, inspiration, applique (as if), etc.

This gorgeous one from RedPepperQuilts will go into the Inspiration Binder.

Now if I can just resist buying fabric over the next month it will be OK.

Stash Report
Used the past week: 0 yards
Used year to date: 28.5 yards 

Added the past week: 0 yards
Added year to date: 32 yards

Net used in 2011: -3.5 yards.

Check out other stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Quilters With Heart

What a joy today to spend the afternoon with my good friends. We met at Joyce's house again because Joe will be home till after Easter recovering from his surgery.

Playing with fabric today were Jeanne, Debbie, Amy, Joyce and me. We were so happy that Lynnette stopped by for a quick visit donning her beautiful blue cast. We were all thinking about Susan visiting the PNW and Elaine recovering from surgery.

We are still working to empty the bin of florals. We ironed and cut fabrics for a new project which Debbie worked on. Jeanne worked on a boatload of pet beds. And Amy worked on the Yellow Alternating Four Patch.

Finally

What do you do when you have four sons and your first grandchild is a girl? You make little girl clothes, of course.

This was my first attempt at clothing in 12 years and then it was simple costumes for children's theater. Note to self: directional patterns need to be considered when cutting out pattern pieces if we don't want the birds sitting upside down.

I really had fun learning some new techniques like snap tape for the crotch. And then, of course, I had to make a coordinating headband.

The next outfit will be a little sundress with matching bloomers. Too cute.

Monochromatic Challenge for March

My brown challenge project is finished and I love it!

 

It is adapted from the Chubby Charmer pattern by Quilts Illustrated. I have made this one smaller and used strips instead of charms.

I also added a covered bottom to mine. After trying many different options, I have found that the best material to use for the bottom base is a plastic corrugated lawn sign - the kind that organizations use to temporarily advertise upcoming events or politicians use before elections. They are more than happy to let you have those signs once the event has past. The plastic easily cuts with an old rotary blade or an exacto knife.

I especially love this tote because it has snaps on the side which allow you to make the bag smaller,

or open the snaps and make the bag larger.

I now have a gift ready when I need one. This may become my "go to" pattern for the remaining monochromatic challenges. I just can't keep making quilts that end up being UFOs, like the yellow:

and the green challenges:

Check out other Brown monochromatic challenge finishes at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday - 4/12/11

I guess it is time for me to pull out UFO #4, Twister. It will need a good pressing because it has been stuffed in a bag for quite a while and a relearning of how to cut the blocks. The project was started last Spring when a group of us all tackled it at one of our Thursday night gatherings. I know most of them are now finished so I want to get this one finished also. This is the project so far.

I used a Layer Cake collection for it but I can't remember the name. It will eventually become one of the Twister designs by CS Designs.

Stash Report - week #15 - 4/11/11

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks because I just haven't had the time or energy for the computer or posting. DH had surgery and was in the hospital for several days with complications. Friends and family have been wonderful.

He is now home recovering so I am finally back to sewing. This week I finished my brown challenge project from last month and I made a romper for Paige.

Stash Report

Used the past 2 weeks: 3.5 yards
Used year to date: 28.5 yards

Added the past 2 weeks: 0 yards
Added year to date: 32

Net used in 2011: -3.5 yards

Check out other stash reports at Patchwork Times.