Monday, January 28, 2013

Stash Report and Design Wall


Used since last report:         2.00 yards
Used year to Date:            13.50 yards
Added since last report:     4.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           5.50 yards
Net Used for 2013:              8.00 yards

I am a little late for the stash report but my nasty cold has me operating at "turtle speed" - SLOW!! My Hubby very generously shared his cold with me. Since it was also our 45th Anniversary on Sunday, it was a bit of a bummer that neither of us felt like going out for dinner.  

Usually I do not like to sew anything when I am feeling under the weather, because if it can be screwed up -- I can screw it up!  ;>D   I did manage to get the borders on Easy Street without any major mishaps. I worked on the borders during Quiltcam on Sunday. 

 A friend of mine likes to put a stripe in the border of all her more contemporary quilts and I liked the look so much, that this was a good opportunity to try the look. I did cut the stripe on the bias, so had to be very careful handling the strips. The purple was cut on the lengthwise grain (parallel to the selvage), so there would be no stretch and it would stabilize the bias strips. The border is also mitered to take full advantage of the stripe looking like it is turning the corner. The stripe fabric was even in my stash. I only had to buy the purple and bought enough to use for the binding as well. I really like how it turned out.

I decided to participate in the RSC13 this year and will use the "Basketweave star by The ADD Crafter" for my rainbow blocks (http://www.add-crafter.com/).  I intend to only do one point per month. By the end of the year I should have three complete blocks and can work it into either a table runner or small wall hanging. The points are paper pieced and the background will be a variety of white on black. The color for January is hot pink. Well -- I found out I do not have very much hot pink in the stash or scraps. Guess we will have to do something about that!!!
Last Monday, it was Sew-Sew Monday at a local quilt shop. We didn't have a very big turn out, as it was 15 degrees F. below zero here in Minnesota.  (We have gotten "wimpy" over the last four years.) LOL There is even one knitter that attended. The quilts hanging on the walls are always such welcome eye candy.
While pressing the Blue Ridge Beauty blocks I am working on, I had the opportunity to try out the "Mighty Travel Iron" by Dritz. It is more then cute!! It gets nice and hot and did a nice job of pressing my blocks. Water can be used in it but I used just a dry iron. Of course, I had to buy one of those little cuties. It doesn't count as an addition to the stash!!!  
Wednesday morning I am heading up to Fargo, ND, to house/dog sit for my daughter and her husband. So I am currently deciding what projects to work on while I am up there. Just think - my own private retreat. I plan to take some string quilt projects along, would like to start "Talking Turkey" from Bonnie Hunters "String Fling."  May also take Blue Ridge Beauty along.

Check out Judy's Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:
and


Also, check out Scraphappy:

Beth

24 comments:

  1. I love the strip in your Easy Street. NICE touch. Pretty pink and black block. Beautiful fabrics.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and liking the border on ES. The pink block was a lot of fun. Have wanted to do it every since I spotted it.

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  2. Hey Beth! LOVE the stripe in there. Awesome! I have been using stripes as bindings and love that look also. Soooo jealous of the time you get to just work on projects. Have fun.

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    1. I agree that bindings done with a stripe, especially on the bias, are great. It was fun to put the stripe in a different location. Looking forward to my private retreat. I will definitely enjoy it!! ;>D

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  3. Beautiful job and the stripe and solid border are just perfect! Mitered corners to boot! Stay warm - Fargo sounds so cold = colder than Minn.?

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    1. Since our weather usually comes from that direction, they just get whatever we get earlier. It used to be a whole lot colder up there. There used to be times when they shut everything down and would fine people caught out on the streets. That was when my daughters were going to college up there.

      Mitered borders are actually fun to do and with the stripe, it turns the corner nicely.

      Thanks for stopping by!! :>)

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  4. Your Easy Street looks great. The stripe in the border. Good work!

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    1. Hey Mary, Thank you for the kuddos! The stripe was fun. :>)

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  5. Ooo, I LOVE that stripe in your Easy Street. Still trying to decide what to do with my borders. I just love all the Easy Streets out there!

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    1. Hi Sherrill, There are so many wonderful border options presented. I just did not want to do anymore piecing! LOL And I wanted to use the stripe some place, since all the colors used were in the stripe.

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  6. Beth I LOVE your Easy Street! Your borders are wonderful, especially that stripe - YUM!!! I just love what stripes can do for a border :*) Have fun at your "retreat" LOL!!! I and a couple of my friends are starting Talking Turkey in a month or so. It will be fun doing it together!

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    1. Hi Teresa, Talking Turkey will be a fun one to do. Will be fun to keep each other up to date on this one. Looking forward to the retreat! Love Hubby, but could use some time on my own. ;>D He has been constantly under foot lately. Thank you for the kuddos on the border treatment. This quilt just seemed to call for it, especially since the perfect stripe was already in my stash!!! LOL

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  7. I have already put my borders on Easy Street, otherwise I would have loved the bias striped borders! The stripes made your version very unique and classy.

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    1. Hey Jamie, I really liked how the stripe turned out in the border. I have a friend who does that a lot on her quilts which are quite contemporary and I always liked the look. Glad to pass the idea along!! ;>) It was fun to do.

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  8. Love your stripe in the border! And to think it was in your stash all along!
    On the fabric usage: Do you take it off the count when you pull it to use or when you actually sew it up? I tend to cut things and then sew them up sometime later!

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    1. Thanks for liking the border treatment. I collect stripes. They are so much fun to use.
      Fabric usage: For Easy Street, I counted the fabric when the center was done because I did not have the right purple in my stash and didn't know when I would find it. Then I counted the border fabric, once the borders were complete. Normally I don't count the fabric for the top until borders are done. I will count the backing as soon as I actually quilt it. Then I'll count the binding when I get it bound. This seems to work better for me then waiting until the whole project was complete. Hope this is understandable.
      Thanks for visiting. :>)

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  9. The blue and lime and purple quilt is awesome...so many pieces, tho! I can't imagine how much work =)

    Thanks for the "review" of the iron. I am looking for a travel iron the get HOT. So many of them don't get that hot.

    hugZ,
    annie

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    1. Hi Annie, Thank you for stopping by and that you like the Easy Street quilt. It was a fun quilt to make.
      I am trying out my iron that I bought. It seems to get as hot as the one in the shop, but it doesn't slide nice on the fabric when ironing. Will have to see if it gets better after I use it for a while.
      Take care,
      Beth in MN

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  10. Your border treatments on Easy Street are awesome. Miters and bias and stripes, oh my! It frames the whole quilt with such pizzazz, good job!

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    1. Hi Vic, The border was fun to do. Thanks for the kuddos! :>) Doing a mitered border actually made it all easier to handle because I could sew all the strips together before sewing it onto the quilt. Stay warm, Beth

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  11. Beth. your ES turned out absolutely gorgeous! I'm sure the person that is lucky enough to receive the quilt will love it! Your bias tripe border really makes it unique. Absolutely, love it!

    Kim in Wahkon

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    1. Hi Kim, Glad you are enjoying Quiltville!! It is always nice when I can hook another quilter on Bonnie Hunter's quilts, swaps, etc. Thank you for the kuddos. I have to admit that I am extremely happy with the border treatment on ES. Hopefully my granddaughter will like the quilt. Take care, Beth

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  12. Such a pretty Easy Street quilt and I just love the stripe in the border. A very pretty point block. You will have a wonderful table runner in December.

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  13. Congratulations on making such great progress on Easy Street. Love your star point. Great start on a rainbow quilt for sure.

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