GFG Anniversary and a Stash Report update!

It has been one year since I began quilting my Grandmother's Flower garden Quilt.  This quilt officially started in July 2010.  It took about 7 months to assemble using 1.5" finished hexagons and LOADS of scraps!  I have made so much progress in the quilting.

Here is a reminder of what it looks like.

This gives a better picture of what the quilting looks like.  I am a stab-stitcher I must admit.  I am working on learning the rocking stitch, but it is hard with the batting I chose (warm and white) and how thick my seams are.  I am learning and will change how I do things next time around!



 Way over in the corner you see what has not been finished yet.  I am so close to completing this quilt!  I don't have the time I used to but I still plan to complete this quilt by summer.  That will give me plenty of time!

And now for the stash report.  There are no changes from last week but I will be using more fabric in the very near future!

Used this Week: 0

Used year to Date: 7 yards
Added this Week: 0

Added Year to Date:8.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: -1.5 yards
UFOs (3: GFG, Charlottes Baskets, and the Wooden Bear July mini)

Please check out Patchwork Times for more Stash report updates!

There will soon be more UFOs.  My step-father unexpectedly passed away a few days ago.  My mother gave me his shirts and I will be making a quilt for her to snuggle with when she thinks of him.  Also, I was given another project to do and I just have no idea how to go about it.  I need to put my thinking cap on!



Stash Report: Week 4 and another Sip and Sew

I was originally going to bring my Charlotte's Baskets quilt to the LQS for their Friday Sip and Sew.  I couldn't wait and finished it a week early, so I had to figure out what else to bring.  I ended up going with my Orca bay kit.  I am going with purples, gray, black, and white.

A recent change took Sip and Sew from Wednesday to Friday.  If I wear my PJ's, I get a discount on any fabric purchased!  I kept purchases to a minimum so as to not disrupt my Stash numbers, but purchased Christmas fabric for next year's Christmas ornaments as well as a gray FQ to add to the Orca Bay fabrics.

In the picture below, you see I purchased an Omnigrid cutting/ironing travel mat.  The cutting mat does not appear to be self-healing so I really dont plan on using it.  I used it all night ironing my string blocks and didnt even have to get back up out of my chair to press at the ironing board!  I love it!  I purchased it on sale at Joann Fabrics for around 13.00.

I skipped around, but ended up finishing about 20 purple strings and 10 gray string blocks before I called it quits!

Now for the weekly stash report:

Used this Week: 4.5 yards (Orca Bay)
Used year to Date: 7 yards
Added this Week: 1.5 yards
Added Year to Date:8.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: -1.5 yards
UFOs (3:  GFG, Charlottes Baskets, and the Wooden Bear July mini)

You know it is big when you...

...have to lift the camera over your head to get a picture of the whole darn quilt!  I think it measures about 86 x 99 or so.  I LOVE it!  I wonder how many pieces are in this darn thing!?!

Unfortunately, this may be the last time I see this quilt for a while.  I think I want to hand quilt it, so I have to wait until the GFG is complete before I can start.  I am hoping my GFG will be done by summer.  Maybe this will be the motivation I need to keep working on it!

Next up?  ANOTHER Bonnie Hunter Quilt!  I just can't get enough of her scrappy interpretations and designs.  I am going to do Orca Bay in purple, black, gray, and white.  We shall see how that turns out.

Charlotte's Baskets Cornerstones

I found a pattern online I liked and scaled it down to 6.5" finished.  Almost finished...

Stash report: Week 3 with pics of projects in progress

Still working on Charlotte's Baskets!  I was supposed to wait until my trip to Sip and Sew this week to assemble this, but I was highly motivated.  I needed sewing therapy after coming home annoyed from my 2nd job.  So far so good!  I just need to make some cornerstones and then I can finish it!  I found a great brown fabric from my stash to use as an inner border.

Also, I started some new minis from Wooden Bear.  I have three of these to make and ran out of fusible just prior to finishing the third one.  I have a lot of blanket stitching to do!





...and now for the weekly stash report.

Used this Week: 2.25 yards
Used year to Date: 4.75 yards
Added this Week:0 yards
Added Year to Date: 7 yards
Net Used for 2012: -2.25 yards

UFO count:  3, including the two pictured above.  I also am working on quilting my GFG and am approaching the one-year mark!

Awesome little helper

Guess who actually found joy in ripping phone book foundations?

I will take whatever help I can get!  Only a few more to go!

Stash Report: Week 2

Another mini stashbuster!!  I just finished piecing sections for a piano key border on the Charlotte's Basket Quilt.

There are 34 sections in this pile.  Some have to be trimmed to 6.5" wide and they all will be starched and pressed again.  I haven't taken the papers off either.  After doing some math, I estimated about 2 yards of fabric went into these pieces.  This is an update on my fabric usage.


Used this Week: 2 yards
Used year to Date: 2.5 yards
Added this Week: 7 yards
Added Year to Date: 7 yards
Net Used for 2012: -4.5 yards

This week, I purchased 7 yards for the back of the Charlotte's Basket quilt.  I went with a flannel fabric from Connecting Threads.  I have nearly everything needed now to finish and just need some time to get to work!

Happy Quilting.

Strings and Playdoh

My kids wanted to play playdoh, so I took the opportunity to sew some string piano key strips for the Charlotte's Basket quilt.  5 down, many more to go!  I am digging through my 1.5" bin for most of this project.  I am still using phone book foundations just to make sure I am not warping it out of shape.  It just keeps things so neat, allowing me to trim it down and starch it up to the right size at the end.

I ordered the backing fabric for the Charlotte's basket quilt yesterday (the last of my Christmas present), so I need to get some more of this done to even out the fabric usage!  I am using flannel on the back, and will look forward to keeping warm under this one some day!

Happy Quilting!

Stash Report: Week 1, 2012

My first week reporting my stash usage, and I have something to report!  Friday, my MIL saw the Santa mini quilt I made for my grandmother.  She asked for one (and a few other ones too!), so I spent last evening and today finishing it.  I just have to get the yarn for the scarf and hat and embellishment buttons.  Otherwise it is finished!  I estimate I used about a half yard for this one.  It is also wonderful to use up bits of batting too!  I used wool here.

Used this Week: .5 yards
Used year to Date: .5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: .5 yards