Monday 24 February 2014

Design Wall Monday - Feb 24

My design wall is now holding the backing for my latest quilt.  I found enough black in my stash for the back, and decided to use up all the leftover bits I had (or most of them anyway).  That's why the colour sequencing is a bit off this time.  Those little tiny 1" squares of green are all I had left.

The quilt itself can be seen here.

I spent yesterday at a sew-in day with a great group of ladies from the modern quilt guild. Rather than starting a new project (which was very tempting ) I packed up my paper piecing block of the month project and focused on getting caught up there. I finished 2 star blocks, and got half-way through 2 house blocks.  Not too bad I guess. It was a bit optimistic to think I could finish the 7 blocks I was behind :)  The star blocks still need to be trimmed to size, but I didn't have my 12" square with me so I'll get to that later this week.

Drop by Judy's blog for more design walls today.



Sunday 23 February 2014

Stash Report - Feb 23

Finally I have some usage to report. I think this is my first finished quilt of the year, since the New Year's Day mystery.
7 yards used in this quilt - which desperately needs a name.

I'm working on the backing now, which will use up the rest of the coloured fabrics and then trying to find some black batting for quilting it.

Nothing else to report today, so my numbers for the year are:


Totals for the year:
 201 3/4 yards in
 28 1/2 yards out
Total: 173 1/4 yards in

Drop by Judy's blog to see what everyone else is up to. 

Monday 17 February 2014

Design Wall Monday

Still working on the same quilt, but lots of progress has been made.  All the rows are sewn together, and the quilt web is ready for final assembly.

Here it is, adding the last few blocks.


And ready for ironing.





Drop by Judy's blog for more design walls today. And maybe by next week I'll have something new on my design wall.

Sunday 16 February 2014

Stash Report - Feb 16

I thought I was going to be able to report nothing in today. But no, I stopped by the quilt shop to pick up some additional fabric for my next quilt. I have a layer cake, and the perfect pattern for it.  But I needed a bit more of the background fabrics in order to fill out the full quilt.  So, 1 1/4 yards of fabric came home with me, and I have a little bundle all set up. Not sure if I'll leave it to sit and take it to retreat in April (that's so far away) or cut into it once the current quilt is complete.  It took a lot of restraint to avoid starting it this week - but I distracted myself with a block of the month instead.

I might actually have usage to report next week. I'm assembling rows on the quilt I've been working on, so depending how much time I can devote to it I might get it done.  Monday is a holiday after all.

Totals for the year:
 201 3/4 yards in
 21 1/2 yards out
Total: 180 1/4 yards in

Drop by Judy's blog for more stash reports.

Saturday 15 February 2014

Rainbow quilt

I think it's done!  Ok, not done, but all the blocks are ready and laid out. As usual I'm using down the last scraps of some fabric, in order to get all the blocks out of it.  I'll look at it up here on my blog for a day or two (or maybe 2 hours - patience is not my strong suit), to make sure I don't need to adjust any block positions. Then it will be time to start sewing all 400 blocks together.


Monday 10 February 2014

Design Wall Monday - Feb 10

My design wall has been taken over by my current adventure.  I picked up a new colour to add to the mix - fortunately the shop had a bit of it left. And like I said yesterday, more background arrived in the mail.  I think this quilt is starting to take shape now.   I'm pretty happy with the general layout, so I just need to make some more of the medium and small blocks to fill it out.  Looks like it's going to be about 80x80" when it's done.

The disaster that is my sewing room is pretty apparent in this photo.  I really need to clean up the floor and figure out what I have down there.  It's all piles of projects right now.  I also planned my next project, which should be a bit simpler than this colour flow.  But I don't have quite enough fabric, so I didn't cut into that one yet.

I also decided what I'm going to do with the mystery bag from the LQS.  A 12 1/2" block, due March 10, so I have some time, but the plan is in place now.  That one will stay off the blog until after the reveal at the shop, however.

Also this week I made 2 more blocks for Judy's Tell it to the Stars mystery.  I think this is going to be a *very* purple quilt.

Drop by Judy's blog to see what everyone else has been up to this week.


Sunday 9 February 2014

Stash Report - Feb 9

5 yards. That's what the mail man brought me this week.  I bought it a week or so ago, but until it arrives in the house, it doesn't count :)  I found the background fabric for my current quilt online, and I needed more so I ordered 5 yards - more than I need, but I do love this fabric and I know it will find a home.  And this way, my free-form quilt design won't be stifled by not having enough.

And, what's the yardage in a layer cake?  I guess I have to count that too, since I caved in yesterday and picked one up while I was at the shop. 42 10" squares - let's call that 3 yards.

so that's 8 yards in, and nothing out this week.

Totals for the year:
 200 1/2 yards in
 21 1/2 yards out
Total: 179 yards in

Drop by Judy's blog for more stash reports.

Monday 3 February 2014

Design Wall Monday - Feb 3

My design wall today is a bit of a mash-up.  First, we have the blocky quilt I've been pondering for a week or so. Still looking for true inspiration here - I found a picture of the original inspiration quilt, and realized what I've done wrong.  So I'm going to move ahead in my own direction and stop trying to make it fit a mold.  I picked up a gold fabric in the same line as the other colours, so I hope that will add a bit of pop and help me find my way.

Then we have 3 blocks from the Border Creek Station mystery. Dessert, as she calls it.  There are a few (5 or 13, depending on your quilt size) scrappy 6" blocks scattered in the setting.  I don't know where they go, and I might regret my colour choices in the end, but I can always make more of these later, since I only need 5 of them.

The fabric on the left is a challenge from my LQS.  Make 12 1/2" block, to be entered into a contest.  I LOVE the colours, so I hope I can do something beautiful with them. These will stay on the wall for a couple of weeks looking for inspiration. The block is due March 10, so I have a bit of time.


Drop by Judy's blog for more design walls.

Sunday 2 February 2014

Stash Report - Feb 2

A little bit of usage this week
4 1/2 yards - scrappy churn dash
4 yards - churn dash backing

and a little bit of incoming
1 yard in - some additional colour for my current quilt.

More out than in!  With 3 quilt shop trips, I think I was very restrained this week :)

Totals for the year:
192 1/2 yards in
 21 1/2 yards out
Total: 171 yards in

Drop by Judy's blog for more stash reports.

Saturday 1 February 2014

Catch up day & February Goals

It's time to catch up again. This seems to be a regular event for me. I realize that I'm way behind on my BOM projects, and I spend a weekend working away to catch up.  This weekend apparently will be no different. 

Judy posted the next Tell it to the Stars block, and reminded me that it's time to step up to February.  Fortunately that project is on track and I do have last month's block finished (ok, it's only been 1 month so far), so that's on track.  Here are my January blocks.

But then I started thinking about my other BOM, and I know I'm behind on all of them. So, time to make my Downtown blocks (2 houses, 2 stars to catch up), Toes in the Sand (1 month to catch up) Guild mystery (I'm not sure I even saw instructions for this month), Border Creek Station (just 1 month behind) and I think that's all of them.

I just read the LQS newsletter, and there's a new challenge brewing.  One block a week for 49 weeks - for only $25.  I think I have to join this one - I live so close to the store and I'm there almost every week anyway.  I wonder if I'll be able to stay on track for an entire year (if your block isn't done, it costs $5 to get the next one).

Last month I set some goals, and then promptly forgot about them.  So let's check back.  Ok, here's what they said:
  1. quilt 3 customer quilts - Done
  2. quilt last year's Easy Street top - not done
  3. attach hanging sleeve to swoon quilt, so it can go to the quilt shop for display - Done
  4. catch up on Downtown and Tell it to the Stars BOM projects TITTS is (was) up to date, but only got half of Downtown done.
Not too bad, over 50% complete.  For this month, I'm have a pile of customer quilts to get done, so that's priority number 1.  Getting any of my own stuff quilted is probably a dream this month, with the customer promises I've made.And Downtown needs its own entry, because paper piecing takes a chunk of time. 

So here are my plans for February:
  1. Finish the current one before next Saturday, and 3 others that I've promised for February.
  2. Catch up Downtown
  3. Catch up mystery quilts (Border Creek and guild)
  4. rest :)