Stash Report

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            26.00 yards

Added since last report:     1.50 yards
Added Year to Date:          12.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             13.50 yards

Well, not a lot happening in my quilting room!!  Not even much to report regarding stash but have been enjoying all that others are doing.

Both my daughters and my son were home this weekend. Since we had bad weather the weekend of my birthday, they celebrated my birthday this weekend. It is always a joy when all of the children are home. Did miss Norm, the son-in-law.  It is always so much fun to tease him!!  LOL  What a wonderful weekend. 

Hop over and check out Patchwork Times to see what others are doing.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/31/stash-report-week-13-2013/

Beth

Design Wall Monday

I have gotten seriously hooked on string quilts lately. The current string quilt I am working on is from MaryQuilts.com. The String Diamonds look so dramatic. The blocks are 8 x 11 inches (my blocks are a little bigger than the directions). It is always so amazing to me how these scrap quilts can utilize such a variety of fabrics and still look awesome. Do not want it too bright since I plan to send this to Eagle's Healing Nest where military veterans and family can go to help heal the invisible wounds of war.

Hopefully I will be able to get some more sewing done today. We have to have a new furnace installed today. Our other furnace quit on Thursday and we have been struggling to keep the main floor warm. Since we do have in-floor heat in the lower level and a gas fireplace on the main level, it has been tolerable. Should be back to normal by the end of the day. Can't have anything upsetting the sewing routine for too long!!! LOL

Hop over to Judy's Design Wall and see what others are doing:
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/18/design-wall-march-18-2013/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            26.00 yards

Added since last report:     5.50 yards
Added Year to Date:          11.00 yards

Net Used for 2013:              5.00 yards

I just had to do it!!  After all, it was a sale! I bought five yards of black Kona cotton. It was on sale for $4.95 per yard at Crafts Direct. It was tempting to buy other colors, but I did hold firm and only bought the black. (Do I get a gold star for that?)  Did buy 1/2 yard of dragonfly fabric so that I can make a gift for a good friend of mine who loves dragonflies. Thought that was a very good reason to purchase more fabric.  LOL  

Attended Featherweight club this week. One of the attendees, Sarah, had her challenge project (not due until August) almost completed. The challenge is to make a "disappearing 4-patch" quilt with only "solid" fabrics.  An example of the project is in the new magazine, "Quilty - Jan/Feb issue," by Mary Fons.  We can make our quilt any size, just can't use batiks or tone-on-tones. What part of not doing the project until the night before it is due, do some not understand??  After all, I am a regular member of procrastinators anonymous.  TeeHee

Currently, there is a mess in the studio. I am working on a string quilt and the strings are dumped out on the floor. Quite a few blocks have been completed but the pile of strings just does not seem to get any smaller. I just know they reproduce like rabbits over night. Plus, there are more strings piled on the sewing cabinet. Where do they all come from??

Hop over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see what others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/17/stash-report-week-11-2013/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:      12.50 yards
Used year to Date:            26.00 yards

Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           5.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             20.50 yards

Okay -- So I have been procrastinating at sewing the last border on my "Dotty Dresden Plate" quilt. Also, it would be nice to report some yardage used.  Decided to just get the job done. On Monday, I worked putting the last border on and thought I would be done. Hummmm - Didn't work out that way!!!  When I laid the quilt out, it was like it had DIED!!! It was booooring!!!  BooHoo -- I didn't like my quilt anymore.... The edges just dropped off the face of the earth...   It was all washed out. The colors did not appear to be as vibrant.  

Well, guess it was time to get creative. I did not want to completely rip the border off, so I started trying out different options. Finally decided to add extra plates around the edges and another border of black fabric. That did it for me. Here is the finished top. I like it much better. It is 93.5" x 109.5". It grew with the addition of another border.  Now it just needs to get quilted. We'll see how long before that happens!! LOL

Make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/10/stash-report-week-10-2013/

Beth

Stash Report and Stuff

Used since last report:         0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            13.50 yards

Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           5.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:              8.00 yards

No change to the stash report. Not sure if that is good or so-so!  Means I didn't finish anything that would help reduce the stash. February turned out to be a lost month. There are so many items I had planned to complete and didn't finish any.

I did attend the Machine Embroidery Retreat in February for five days at Grand Casino Mille Lacs, MN. Of course, it took the week before the retreat to organize and find everything that I needed to take. It was a good thing that we only live 30 miles from the retreat because when I was unpacking at the Casino, I was missing my main project bag with all the cut pieces for most of the projects. I would not be able to do a lot of the projects without it. Hubby had so nicely been helping me pack the vehicle and I did not notice the project bag was accidentally set back down in the sewing room and it did not get loaded when we were loading the vehicle. So it was left at home. A nice little round trip was necessary but at least I hadn't lost it.

We finished so many projects and I did not come home with so many UFO's like the last two years. Both Maureen (good friend) and I were so happy with what we accomplished. Finished a name tag and a snappy bag done with bobbin work besides the projects shown below. Two projects I did not do at all. We had a fun time and there were so many of us that know each other that a lot of visiting also took place. I may go next year. Depends on the projects

Flamingo embroidered on Pet Mesh Tote

Cowl fleece scarf with embroidered snowflakes

Embossed bath towel for my guest bathroom

One end of a cutwork placemat. Stabilizer is still on it.

Since watching Bonnie Hunter on QuiltCam (http://quiltville.blogspot.com/) with all her vintage machines, I decided to drag my Singer 99 (3/4 size head) with the Bentwood case out of the closet. I bought her on an auction for $25. Her birthday is 4/2/1931, so she is no youngster.  The pretty little girl needs to be cleaned and oiled. To sew with the machine it has a knee control lever that fits in the slot on the  bottom section of the case (lower right in the picture) in place of a foot pedal. Now I need to find a place to set her up so I can sew on her. Guess I will try to get my treadle machine up and running. The treadle needs a new belt and then I can try her out.

A week ago, my youngest daughter treated me to a stage show in Minneapolis called "Buckets and Tap Shoes" for my birthday. It was so much fun. The two main guys in the show tap danced and drummed on everything except a drum. It was amazing what they were able to do with buckets, pails, water glasses, plastic 55-gallon drums and metal pipes. They even were drumming on the floor.  The theater building the show was in had been saved from demolition and moved to its current location and then renovated.  Due to the smaller size of the audience area, it was such a wonderful friendly informal event. We visited with other attendees even though we didn't know anyone.

Make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/03/stash-report-week-9-2013/

Beth