Stash Report -- Week 15

Bought a precut and some background fabric for a quilt for my stepmother.  Doing an experiment for my students to see if using a jelly roll really does save a good amount of time.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 38 yards
Added this Week: 4 1/4 yards
Added Year to Date: 19 3/4 yards
Net Used for 2014: 18 1/4 yards

Happy Easter

Bunnies are everywhere at Easter ... I happen to love them ... I used to have two house bunnies that gave me such immense pleasure.  They were our pets and they behaved just like dogs ... Flopsy and Theodore.  Theodore especially was like a dog.  We had Flopsy first and then came Theodore, and it was amazing how much Flopsy mellowed and changed when Theo came ... it was so cute seeing them always head to head or next to each other.  I had to promise my husband I would never have bunnies again; both of them had different diseases and because I am the animal person I am, we treated them and it was outrageously expensive because they are considered exotic pets.  But I still love bunnies and I specially love seeing them at Easter.

A couple of weeks ago while at work, I decided to go on a hunt for bunnies ...

I found them in almost every room of the store ...

And I even found them in some different places ...

These are the bunnies I just made for Easter ... 

Here is one I made for myself ...

Beacause of course I love bunnies!  May the Easter bunny bring you joy and hopefully chocolate!!

Happy Easter!!

A Matter of Mulch

Once a year our small city has a day where we can take anything we want to toss and drop it off at the local recycling/trash center.  Great day to get rid of the piles of large broken things we have acquired, and not have to pay for it.  The other great thing about the day ... Free mulch!!  My hubby loves to sleep in, so I am never able to get there early and always keep my fingers crossed to get some mulch.  But this year since our son is back home as a working man, and is not adverse to getting up early, we left at 8 for our first load.  There were several trucks there already, but my strategy was to not get there at 7 when they opened.  I did not want to be waiting in the early bird line .... We timed it well.  Filled up, went and had a coffee and a quick breakfast at Starbucks with my sweet son.  He is an industrious young man and I am so proud of who he continues to grow into.  Went home and unloaded, and then while I was busy moving mulch, the boys went back for 2 more loads.  We just made it stretch to cover what we wanted, but we could have used one more load.  They had gone back for load number 4, but it was too close to closing time.  I am so thankful for the 3 loads we got ... That was a lot of money we saved, and makes the yard look so nice and tidy.  It was a long day.  By the time we finished it was about 430 and I was so dirty I left a ring in the bathtub ... Haha!

And while it was snowing in other parts of the states today, we had our second day of 80 degree weather!

Getting nothing done

Well after a productive weekend away a week and a half ago, I've accomplished no sewing or longarming since I've been back.  I did get in my sewing room over the weekend and did a little sewing on an old project. I have a quilt to make for a very special someone, and I haven't worked on it very much.  I would really like to get it done this year and so I decided to make a couple blocks over the weekend.  It felt good.  I have lots of longarming to do, I just don't know what has been happening to the days.  It has been 90 here the last 2 days and that is just way too hot to spend over my longarm.

I'll show you a quilt I finished a couple of weeks ago ...

A quilt that a dear friend made for her granddaughter.

The memories in the making of this quilt are very special, and I thought of this as I was quilting it.

The granddaughter is going to love this gift from her grandma ... Made with love. I used Omni in top and bobbin in my favorite color, Bronco.  Did a sweet little loopy loop.

I forgot to get a shot of this on the longarm ... It's a cute quilt made with a large apple core design.  Her piecing was lovely.  I was a little nervous about pinning the top on because of the wavy edges -- I alway pin with a straight edge. But I got it on and it worked out great.  Used the same Omni Bronco thread in top and bobbin, and customer requested a loopy design.

Hopefully I'll get something done this weekend!  And here's a picture of the sweetie that always makes me smile.  She is so adorable!!!! Xoxo

I hope you're getting time to sew ... I tend to forget it should be something I enjoy doing, and not something I have to do.

Stash Report - Week 14

Nothing in or out this week 

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 38 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 22 1/2 yards

Stash Report - Week 13

Oh gosh ... Behind a week ... This is last week's report!  My daughter's quilt contains 6 yards of fabric all from my stash!  Woo Hoo!  That will make a dent.

Used this Week: 6 yards
Used year to Date: 38 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 22 1/2 yards

Retreat

Hi friends ... I realized I had not written anything besides my stash report all week.  I am away at a quilting retreat in the woods for a few days and am having a great time relaxing, quilting and eating! I'm working on my daughter's quilt and have started sewing the rows together.  Here's a picture of earlier when I was laying it out

It is really looking cute as I put the rows together. I'll be back with more after I get home in a couple days.  This is the view from our porch

I want to live here!

Stash Report - Week 12

Made some fun bunny bags this week for my Easter sweeties ... I'll share them later when they are done.

Used this Week: 1 1/2 yards
Used year to Date: 32 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 16 1/2 yards

Stash Report - Week 11

Whoa ... the week got away from me and I forgot to post my stash report earlier!  Nothing in and nothing out as I am still not working on my daughter's quilt .. which means I haven't figured out how much fabric I cut out for it yet!  New stash report in just a couple of days!  How did you do?  Are you working on busting through your stash, or are you adding to it?  Our store right now has fabric for 35% off ... it was really hard to walk out of there after work on Thursday without any fabric!  I kept thinking ... oh, but I could use some for backs ... then I remembered my stash report, and my accounting to all of you!

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 30 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 15 yards

 I don't think I showed you these ... this is the little black dress fabric above that I bought a couple of weeks ago

This is the 10 yards of backing I bought for my daugther's quilt ... at half price I could not pass that up!

Longarming and gardens

Both of these feed your soul, don't they?  I am happy to report that after 5 days, my new plants are still alive!  I'm checking on them 3 times a day.  Haha

I have been at my machine doing some work in the last week.  Here is an adorable quilt my friend made ... It was a year long class in piecing techniques and was very challenging.

She actually made two quilts!  This one in 30's fabrics and the other one is a more coordinated color wave.  It was supposed to have a complicated border, but she decided she would rather enjoy her quilts and get them done now, rather than shove them in a box to finish another time.

She did an amazing job piecing this, don't you think?  She really just loves close, all over small quilting, so I did my little signature swirl.  Since my color selection of Omni thread is limited, I used a Signature in an ivory color with a prewound Glide bobbin ... Love that brand of prewounds!!!

So sweet!!!

Speaking of Omni thread, I decided to add to my color selection since I am loving their thread.  My friend, Tina at work, is in charge of ordering supplies for the store.  Well I just added handed my order to her one day, and two days later I had the thread in my hands!  Now that is service ... Great service by Superior, and really great service by my secretary, Tina!  I really love having a secretary ... I wonder how much income my longarm business has to generate to afford one?! I'm sure I can't afford Tina .. But she is a good friend!

More neutrals and a dark one in there too!  There are so many different shades of beige, cream and taupe ... I want them all!!!

Here is what happens when you dress a sweet one year old in an outfit that mommy loves, but baby doesn't!

Seriously ... Hahahahahahahaha ... That is a look her Daddy has ... It says "I am not having this!"  I just love how expressive my granddaughter is!  My daughter-in-law to be has quite a time ahead of her ... Two definite strong personalities, daddy and daughter!

Saturday happenings

I wish I had reporting to do on quilting, but I have none!  It is so beautiful right now in San Diego; we are getting 80+ degree weather.  So of course what do you do when it's that nice outside ... you go out and play ... or garden.  We have a huge yard and I am always complaining about how it doesn't look as nice as I wish it did.  Neither hubby nor I are gardeners, and so most days you will not find us in the yard.  I decided last weekend that I could either continue to complain about the lack of a nice yard, or get off my quilting rearend and do something about it.

Now this might not look great to you, but this area was previously covered with weeds last week.  We went to Home Depot today and got a few plants.  Two geraniums here, front and towards the back.  This dirt is like clay and even with amending the soil, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

This area was also covered in weeds last week, and here we have two pink kangaroo plants.  Aren't they cute?  They are supposed to be drought tolerant ...

I have wanted a big rosebush for a very long time.  I have planted small ones, but never had any luck.  This bush is beautiful and we really amended the soil and watered it in.  I sure hope it grows ... I am not a southern California gardener.  I have been here for 20+ years, but still can't get the hang of it.  I was born and raised here, but in my earlier adult years we lived in Virginia.  You picked a plant, dug a hole and a week later it was beautiful!

Now let's see if I can keep the varmints away from the new plants ...

In addition to gophers, and pests, I have to worry about the three furry animals that live here!

 

As well as the big guys that live here too ... they juggle the soccer ball every night.  It doesn't always stay in the play area!

Charlie insists on sitting between them when he wants to play.  He has popped about 5 soccer balls and they are strewn throught the yard ... he doesn't want the popped ones though ... he wants the new one they just bought!  He's waiting patiently ...

Stash Report - Week 10

Well I have been a busy bee this week ... went shop hop shopping and scored some half price fabric for the back of my sweet daughter's quilt that I'm making ..also bought a yard of a really cute gray fabric with black polka dots -- Little Black Dress (love the name); that is going into my stash.  I did use 3 yards for some cute Easter bunny bags, which I will show later.  They were so fun to make and super fast, and I got to bust some stash!

Used this Week: 3 yards
Used year to Date: 30 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 11 1/4 yards
Added Year to Date: 15 1/2 yards
Net Used for 2014: 15 yards

My net used really went down this week, but as soon as I figure out how much I cut for the quilt I'm working on for my daugther, that number will go up!

Sweetness

I have some pics and a post later to tell you about the shop hop in the San Diego area this last week.  I went to a couple stores with two good friends .... Hope to post that tomorrow.

My baby's birthday was last Saturday and she turned 1!!!  I wanted to send her something very special for her first birthday from her grandparents.  Our daughter also wanted to send something just from auntie.  So we got a couple books for Kylee from auntie.  I was in a hurry to get them wrapped and in the mail; while at Target I grabbed a cute roll of wrapping paper and noticed it was $4 ... On top of that I needed some cute ribbon.  Then something new caught my eye ...

It's called Spritz ... And appears to be a brand by/for Target.  This roll of wrap was only $1 and each package of trim above was also $1.  I put back my original roll and thought I would try this instead.

The wrapping paper was sturdier than I thought it would be -- very nice.  There was also quite a bit on the roll.  The raffia type ribbon was strong enough that it didn't snap when I pulled it tight and knotted it.  The package of felt flowers had little stickies on the back and stuck perfectly.

I checked Target's website and they have 195 items listed from wrap, trim, paper products, cards, balloons, candles and more.  Check those aisles out next time you are looking for something different and affordable for birthdays and other occasions!

She loves the baby doll we got her

And I love how sweet she looks behind the dolly stroller we sent

I can't stand how adorable she is and I sure miss her ... Love her little curl in her hair.  Both my kids have straight hair, so it is special that our sweet granddaughter has curls!

Stash Report - Week 9

It's almost the end of the week and I didn't post my stash report yet.  I don't know where the days are going ... I'm just trying to keep up and clearly it's not working!!  Haha. I did buy a little fabric last week for a bed quilt for my daughter ... She's 19 and I haven't made her one yet.  It's going to be very scrappy, but I didn't want to scrap the light background and I needed 2 yds of something.  She was home on break last week, so I had her pick it out.  That was fun.  I did cut out her quilt ... Almost all of it, but I haven't figured out how much fabric that was, so I'll include that in next week's totals.

Used this Week: 1/2 yards
Used year to Date: 27 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 2 yards
Added Year to Date: 4 1/4 yards
Net Used for 2014: 23 1/4 yards

Getting into my stash

As you can tell from posts over the last few months, I have really been into using fabric out of my stash.  I've shown you pictures of how I have it organized, by color and all folded nicely.  Need a reminder? ...

By collection

By color

I love walking into my quilting room and seeing these nice neat little stacks.  Somehow my stacks have grown ... even though I haven't added any fabric.  I think when I was over in the cottage, I was able to spread out more.  I had some cabinets and a shelving unit in addition to a bookcase full of fabric.  Now I just have the bookcase ... it is making me get organized and pare down ... that is good.

I have told you I am a saver of scraps, but I take my scraps and cut them into strips ... from 1" to 3 1/2" and then put these strips in bins

Obviously just a picture of the strips, but the bins are full and overflowing

See?  Clearly a strip quilt or something is in order!  I brought this subject up, because my theme for the year is managing my stash ... using my stash, what is a stash?!  If you have quilted for any length of time, then you have collected fabric.  But like everyone, when I'm trying to create a quilt, it is so much easier (and more fun) to just buy new fabric.  Who wants to use that old stuff that maybe I'm not as much in love with as when I first bought?  And it's so much easier to make a quilt out of a line of fabric than actually having to dig and think about what I have.  If you've been paying attention, you have noticed in my blog over several months, that I've been focusing on this idea.  My goal for this year is really getting serious about getting into my stash and using all those fabrics I keep passing over.  We've all done it, and you know what I'm talking about.

A couple months ago in preparation for a new class I'm going to be teaching this year at the store, I made a table runner out of my stash.  I loved what came out of the creation ...

I started with picking five fabrics ... I didn't really know in what direction I was heading.  I picked a couple of greens, a couple reds and a yellow.  I really wanted to use this yellow because I thought it made everything pop.

 

Then I added a couple more greens to give it some depth and difference.  I picked several neutrals; I wanted some interest in the difference in colors ... not just all one shade.

 

This is what I came up with!  I thought it best to design a pattern that everyone could make instead of just talking about their stash.  But this has been on the schedule now for two months, and not a lot of interest.  So I'm going to refocus my energies on really using the stash.  The class is going to focus on bringing stash to class, talking about what to do with it, and giving you lots of encouragement and ideas.  My class is the last Friday of the month from 10 to 1.  I am so excited about this whole concept and I want to get everyone else excited about it too!

 

When I put the runner together, I did not have enough lights to balance out the color, but I went with it anyway.  My original thought was "oh no, there are too many of the dark neutrals and I can't leave it like that."  But then I remembered that this was not about perfection and what it should be ... it is driven by what I had to work with.  You know what?  I love this little quilt!  It is so darn cute and fun. 

After I got it all together, I was trying to pick out a binding.  I didn't want to use the red that was already in the quilt, I just thought it was a little too blah ... I thought about using a scrappy binding, but it didn't thrill me.  I had this windowpane red fabric that I had not used a lot of in the quilt and I knew that would be dynamite as the binding!  It sure is and I love it.  What I've realized lately is that it is really nice to have some kind of a nice geometric print as the binding.  I used to stay away from those because I thought it was too distracting and that the print would not align correctly.  I have changed my tune there ... I don't care if it is not perfect ... it's not supposed to be, it is just supposed to catch your eye ... and this one surely does.

I hope you will play along with me here and dip into your stash and start creating and using what you have. This venture has really made me think twice about purchasing new fabric ... I keep telling myself  "oh, I can't buy new fabric.  I keep talking about using what I have - I cannot post that I bought new!"  So you all didn't even know it, but you're keeping me on track!  Ha, ha

Dip into your stash ... start with a small project to get your feet wet.  Find a block that you like and make a few of them.  This block was set on point because it really made it stand out even more.  But you don't need to do that; just make a few blocks, add a border or two, and step back and admire what you created!  This little venture helped me use about 3 1/2 yds of fabric.  So there you go!  Please let me know what you're working on and what you create.  I would love pictures and also your permission to share it here and get all of us going in the right direction. 

As I've said before ... the more fabric we can use, the more excuse we have for adding to it to deplete our losses!

Stash Report - Week 8

Whoops .. forgot to post this yesterday!  No sewing this week, but I am starting to feel the itch of not piecing ... so I have big plans for later in the week.  Tune in to hold me to it in next week's stash report!

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 27 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 2 1/4 yards
Net Used for 2014: 24 3/4 yards

Have a great week!

Only Six Left

... Six quilts left that is it!  I mean six customer quilts.  We won't talk about how many of mine need to be quilted.  They are not even in the count!

This quilt I have had since last May and another great friend was very patient!  It was from a string quilt class that I taught.  I love this quilt ... It is a great way to use up your scraps.  In my stash I have strips cut from 1" to 3 1/2"; when my bins are full it is time to do something with them. My bins are full, so I think it is time for a string quilt!

 

I did a close together stipple because I love the way the design looks on a busy quilt like this.  It just gives it so much texture.

I used Omni thread in top and bottom in a gold color.  It really popped on the darker colors.  One of my longarm teachers told me when you're not sure of a color thread to use, try gold.

Next was this adorable baby quilt.  I have decided that minkee and flannel are my two favorite backings!!  When you quilt over them, the fabric just soaks up the stitches and it looks beautiful!  It also really feels good when you're quilting on it as well.

 

I did a curly swirl with a heart thrown in here and there.  Omni thread in top and bottom in Baby Pink.

This quilt is so cute ... I love the pink and brown, and with the minkee on the back, I want to curl up with it!

 

And look who is the cutest valentine ...

She just started walking this weekend and she is so proud of herself!