Fabric Report & Catching Up

Used/donated since last report:   13.25 yards

      Used year to Date:                               38.50 yards

Added since last report:               27.00 yards

      Added Year to Date:                             72.75 yards

Net Used for 2015:                                     -34.25  yards

Have to admit that I have been on a fabric binge lately. Guess it is just like the food diet. Depriving myself of the fun of acquiring fun new fabrics just doesn't work!!  LOL

I just could not resist a collection of Tula Pink fabrics. I really like what some of the new young fabric designers are doing.

Tula Pink fabrics (Elizabeth Collection)

My straw bale garden is really growing like the plants are on steroids. Only problem is that the weeds are doing very well also.

Have finished quilting two quilts so far this month. It feels wonderful to have a couple of UFO's done.

Easy Street (Bonnie Hunter Mystery)

Strip Quilt

Our youngest granddaughter, Hannah, graduated from High School in June. Hannah is getting Easy Street as part of her graduation present. She likes purple, so I think she will really like it. She has become such a young lady. 

Hannah at graduation ceremony

Hannah with her dad, Byron (our oldest child)

The Minnesota Quilt show was held in Duluth this year. Since I rode the bus from Gruber's Quilt Shop to the show, it was a fun day with many friends and acquaintances. A week after the Minnesota Show, Brainerd Pinetree Patchworkers had their quilt show. I always like to attend their show. They have some very talented quilters.

So far it has been a busy summer. We will be going up to Fargo to help celebrate July birthdays. There are three of them: daughter Natalie, son-in-law Norman, and grandson Jacob.

Hugs to all and make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times to see what others are doing.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2015/07/12/fabric-report-week-28-2015/

Hugs, Beth

Fabric Report

Used/donated since last report:    0.00 yards

      Used year to Date:                               25.25 yards

Added since last report:               25.00 yards

      Added Year to Date:                             45.75 yards

Net Used for 2015:                                     -20.50  yards

It has been a busy month. Five days were spent in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the Machine Quilters Showcase and I was able to attend some fabulous classes for machine quilting ideas. Even won a teachers demo sample in Dusty Farrell's class. Jodi Robinson did a great job of showing simple ideas for contemporary quilts and Jamie Wallen is just such a great instructor. My head was overflowing with ideas.

Teachers sample by Dusty Farrell that I won. 

I tried to keep purchases down at the show but bought a lot of quilting thread and one set of rulers. The rulers will do the curved baptist fan and then I can fill between the lines for interesting fill.

Dusty Farrell sample of using the Baptist Fan Rulers

While we were in Cedar Rapids, we visited  Inspired to Sew at Pine Needles. It is a great shop and had a very large selection of batiks. There was a large section of sale batiks and some just had to come home with me. In order to use the batiks that I have, I of course needed more light value batiks.  

Well, I might have won the prize for most fabric acquired in one month (at least for me)!!! LOL  One piece purchased was a five yard sale bundle for a quilt backing. It was just so cute for a kids quilt. Also, I needed eight yards of backing for my Bonnie Hunter Easy Street quilt which needs to be finished before June 20th. That is when my granddaughter Hannah has her graduation party and I want to give it to her at the party.

Cute 5 yard bundle for backing!

Last week Tula Pink was at Country Fabrics in Brainerd, MN. She is so cute and funny and I was amazed at how much of her fabrics I have. She will have a 12- part segment on QNN. Think I will need to subscribe to QNN to watch her.

Tula Pink at Country Fabrics

Memorial weekend, most of the youngsters were home. The girls and I went to the Old Depot JUNKtion in Brainerd and of course we came home with a few interesting items for decoration. The rain held off until we were leaving Brainerd, so we had a fun day. The boys went fishing and brought home some fish. We sent the fish home with our youngest daughter, Brenda, and her guy, Scott. 

The roof was re-shingled this month. Glad to have the chore done. Hopefully we don't have to do it again for a long long time.

Hoping to finish planting my straw bale garden today, but it is cloudy and feels cold outside. I usually have everything planted by now. I only plant enough for fresh eating. 

Hugs to all and make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times to see what others are doing.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2015/05/31/fabric-report-week-22-2015/

Hugs, Beth

2013 in Review - Finishes and Stash

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:             62.00 yards

Added since last report:     5.00 yards
Added Year to Date:         104.17 yards

Net Used for 2013:            - 42.17 yards 

2013 wasn't a complete bust. While the stash was in the red, it wasn't too bad a finish. In past years it would have been a whole lot more stash added!! LOL

Some of my flimsies that were finished:

Easy Street - Bonnie K. Hunter Pattern

Dotty Dresden - Original

Diamond Strings- made two of these

Strip Twist - Bonnie K Hunter

Hopscotch, Butterscotch - Bonnie K. Hunter

Blue Ridge Beauty - Bonnie K. Hunter

There were a number of small projects that were full completions but I have piled up a lot of flimsies that need quilting. Guess I had better get my "buns" down stairs and do some quilting. 

Now it is time to think about my goals for 2014. I know that one of my goals is to purchase less fabric. The stash just is not shrinking!! LOL  

Thank you for stopping by and make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times and see what others are doing.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/12/29/stash-report-week-52-2013/

Hugs, Beth

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:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/27/stash-report-week-4-2013/

and

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/28/design-wall-january-28-2013/

Also, check out Scraphappy:

http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2013/01/scraphappy-saturday-pink-roses-for-hope.html

Beth

Sunday Stash Report

Used since last report:       11.00 yards
Used year to Date:             11.50 yards

Added since last report:      0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           1.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             10.00 yards

Wow, I am in the Black----  ;>) I have decided to count the center of Easy Street, since it is completed and I have not decided on the border treatment yet. Will need to go shopping for a purple because I do not have enough of the purple fabric that I used in the pictures. I have a couple of options for a possible border treatment but not positive yet which I will use. Leaning towards the top option. The stripe will be cut on the bias which is a much more interesting treatment than if it was cut on the crosswise grain. All depends on the fabric I find for the main border. May decide to do a pieced border. Shopping is of course such a hardship!!!! LOL 

This week I spent time with Marilyn Bujalski, a fellow guild member.  Marilyn is in charge of our guild web page for St. Cloud Heritage Quilters, http://stcloudheritagequilters.com/. I am in training and will take over the web page in 2014. It is a fun way to learn my way around Wordpress. We learned so much and accomplished so much in one afternoon. She showed me around her studio (which was just tooooo neat for words). After our getting together, she is now enthused about doing more on her blog. Hope she does.

Marilyn makes fabulous quilts using one inch squares and counted cross stitch designs. See the following link for an article about her: http://www.thequiltermag.com/features/158/MarilynBujalski.shtml  She is in the process of writing a book showing her process for making the quilts. 

I am so slow about adding the last border to my Dotty Dresden Plate quilt. Was hoping to count the yardage for this weeks stash report.  I have been asked to teach a class and while I know how I am going to do the border, not sure how I am going to write good clear instructions for inserting the plates around the corner. Still thinking ---  (that can be dangerous)   ;>) 

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

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/20/stash-report-week-3-2013/

Beth

Sunday Stash Report - 1/13/13

Used since last report:        0.50 yards
Used year to Date:             0.50 yards

Added since last report:    0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:         1.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:            -1.00 yards

I was hoping to report more fabric usage, but ----  VBG   For the last two days, I have worked on Easy Street. All the blocks are pieced and I have started putting the top together. This has been a fun quilt, and I love the colors. I don't have a border fabric yet.  Guess I need to go "shopping."  LOL  Hopefully I will be able to finish piecing the top today.

Our Featherweight Group meets on the second Thursday of each month.  So on Wednesday evening I decided to take Christine, my little white (celery green) Featherweight, out of her case and try her out. I absolutely love this little machine and I was so bummed when I received her and she didn't work like she was suppose to. I would sew for a while and then the belt would start slipping and the motor would get hot. She sat in the case for two years.  After I took her out of the case, I oiled & cleaned her, lubed the motor and then powered her up and practiced sewing on it. She sewed like a dream. I ran her at slow speeds and fast speeds and did this for an extensive period of time. Christine did not miss a beat. She has been behaving beautifully ever since. Who can figure??? Do you suppose she got over her "hissy" fit after sitting, ignored for two years? So on Thursday, she was able to go to Featherweight Group with me.

At the FW meeting Sarah, one of the members, demonstrated folding paper to make a pattern for fabric boxes. The paper box provides a pattern for making the fabric boxes. So, when I got home I just had to make a fabric box. Still need to make a bow for the top, but the boxes turn out very cute. What a fun way to present small gifts. I found this link which uses the same folding technique shown to us on Thursday:  http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2011/01/fabric-origami-box-tutorial.html

Couldn't bowl on Tuesday because I had a disagreement with the coffee table and the coffee table won. I stubbed my foot and have not been able to wear my regular shoes. It is slowly getting better (at least it did not interfere with sewing), but my foot was too sore to be able to wear my bowling shoes. Course, my blind score may have been better then my regular score would have been --  Point is, don't argue with the furniture by kicking it. You will not win!!!

Talked to my daughter, Natalie, this morning and she asked if I would like my own private retreat for a few days to  house & dog sit. Of course, I did not turn that down. I have gone up to Fargo ND the last two January's and done this for her and her hubby. My Hubby is welcome to come with but he prefers to stay home. Hummmm, what kind of mischief may he be brewing??? LOL

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

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/13/stash-report-week-2-2013/

Beth

2013 Stash Report - 1st of the year

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

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

Net Used for 2012:            -1.50 yards

I ended 2012 in the red and I am starting the year of 2013 out in the red - but the sale was just too hard to resist!! lol  For Easy Street I used mostly from my stash. This of course created a hole in my "paint box" and because I just may need some of the black on white and greens in the future --- I had to do a little restocking. 

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

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/06/stash-report-week-1-2013/

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years!!

Beth