Stash Report, Week 5, 2011

This week was pretty good for stash busting. I used about 3 1/2 yards for the backs of my valentine table toppers and 1 yard for the bindings. I used 1 1/4 yards for the back of a baby quilt and 1/2 yard for the binding on my string quilt.

Used this Week: 6 1/4 yards

Used year to Date: 25 yards

Added this Week: 0 yards

Added Year to Date: 17 1/2

Net Used for 2011: 7 1/2 yards

Valentine Table Toppers

I love decorating for the Holidays. I really did not have much of anything for Valentines Day. So last week I decided I really needed to make something.

I really like to decorate with table toppers. For this one I used a pattern for the background but did not use the pattern hearts because I wanted these toppers to be done as quickly as possible. I used hearts cut with my Accuquilt Go. For the first one I quilted I did a meander filler. I thought that was taking too long so the rest of them do not have as much quilting.

For the ones I am keeping for myself I did not put a heart in the center because I always sit something there and you do not see it anyway.

For the other toppers I did not use a pattern at all and kept it very simple.

For the heart shapes I used dies I got from Sizzix that I got really cheap on Overstock.com.

The problem with using these dies with my Accuquilt Go is that I think the actual dies are thicker the Accuquilt ones. It really did a number on my cutting mat.

I used fusible web on the back of my hearts and stitched around them while I was quilting.

They really went together quickly and now I have some nice new modern Valentine decorations.

Plus, I have 2 extra to give away. I am giving one to Lou because she takes care of my cats when I go away. The other one is going to Margaret. She won it in the door prize drawing at the Pineapple Workshop last weekend.

Retreat Bee

On Monday I quilted this circle quilt that belongs to Lou. The circles are all chicken fabric and the white backgrounds are chicken wire.

Yesterday I went to retreat bee. At this bee we work on anything we want all day long. We always have so much fun and great food for lunch. The first thing I did yesterday was put the binding on my string quilt which is one of my UFOs #6. I did not take a picture yet. 

The next thing I worked on was my other UFO #6. I spent a lot of time Monday trying to decide the layout and what fabric to use. Here I was doing just a little more fabric auditioning for my final decision. 

This is the fabric and basic layout I went with. I did get some of it sewed on but did not take pictures yet.

Stash Report, Week 4, 2011

The fabric for my pineapple quilt was counted a couple of weeks ago when I cut it out. This week I used about 3 yards on some valentine table toppers. I will post pictures when I have the tops done.


Used this Week: 3 yards

Used year to Date: 18 3/4 yards

Added this Week: 0 yards

Added Year to Date: 17 1/2

Net Used for 2011: 1 1/4 yards



At least I am on the positive side now for Net Used this year.

Pineapple Quilt Workshop

Today 7-Sisters had a pineapple quilt workshop. To begin with we all made one block together and then we went on and worked at our own pace.

 This is Lou's first block. After she completed this one she went on to work on all of her blocks at the same time.

These are Margaret's blocks. She is going to use brown sashing between her blocks.

 These are Earleen's blocks.

These are Chris' blocks. She is going to use brown sashing.

These are my blocks. I have been collecting golds and dark reds for over 10 years.For about a year I have been looking for a pattern to use them in. I am really happy with how it is turning out. I am going to make a queen size quilt. I still have enough of these fabrics to make 1 or 2 more queen size quilts. I think now I will stop purchasing gold and dark reds.

Another Busy Day

This week has turned out to be a very busy week but I was able to get a little quilting done

This tulip wall hanging is Ruth's. Not sure, but it looks like a Pat Slone design.

This quilt belongs to Eunice. It was a BOM at a local quilt shop. I quilted one just like it earlier last year.

I am off now to a meeting. The Bayside Quilt Guild is in the planning stages of a quilt show. It will be a our first show. I will fill you in on more details later. Gotta run.

Customer's Quilt

I finished Nancy's quilt yesterday.

I love feathers!

UFO #6

I finished quilting my string quilt today.

Hopefully I will get it bound by the end of the week.

The Other UFO #6

I was sitting in the car for about 6 hours today. We went to PA to visit my Mother-in-law. That gave me the perfect time to work on my other #6 UFO. I do not do a lot of hand work but this is a block I started in my Baltimore Album Bee last year. I finished all of the hand applique today.

The main idea behind this block was to do dimensional applique and other things I have not done before like stuffing the stems and embellishing with embroidery. One of the reasons I had put off finishing this block is that I did not know what flower I wanted to put where I decided to put this yellow one. I had an idea what I wanted but I did not know how to do it. Luckily a few weeks back I found a tutorial on a blog for this one. It was exactly what I was looking for and I love it.

On the way home after I finished the applique I wanted to work on the design layout. I found a piece of paper in my purse to scribble on.

I am not really sure what I will do with this. I am thinking a small wall hanging would be good so a square layout would work. I will probably use Ricky Tim's fast flying geese to go along with the dimensional applique.

 When I make a medallion quilt I have a tendency to place the center block on point. I like this look but the quilt will get large quickly and I usually do not like to repeat what I have already done.

 This is the fabric that was my inspiration for my block. It is a Jane Sassaman. I absolutely love her fabrics.

I will use this fabric on one of the borders.

This top is another one of my UFOs. You can see it looks very much like one of my sketches. I really want the one I am working on to  be different but I do like this.

Stash Report, Week 3, 2011

The only fabric that I used this week was for the back of my string quilt. Saturday I went shopping with a friend to help her pick out fabric for the pineapple class I am teaching next week. Of course I can not go in a fabric store and not make a purchase. I got 3 1/2 yards (finished the bolt) of a nice bright red with white dots that was a Christmas fabric very cheap. I also got 2 nice pieces of brown because I never seem to have enough brown in my stash when I need it.

Used this Week:     4 yards
Used year to Date:    15 3/4 yards
Added this Week:    8 yards
Added Year to Date:    17 1/2
Net Used for 2011:    (1 3/4 yards)

Looks like I am not doing a very good job stash busting so far this year.

Quilt Vine: UFO #6

Quilt Vine: UFO #6

UFO #6

I am participating in Judy's UFO Challenge. For January #6 was chosen. Due to the fact that I have more than 12 UFOs some of my numbers have 2 quilts to complete. 6 happens to be one of those lucky numbers. But, right now I will be happy to complete 1 of them.

My string quilt just needs to be quilted and bound. Yesterday I started the quilting. For some reason I had a difficult time deciding how to quilt it. I spent about an hour and a half drawing on it with chalk and rubbing it off. I wanted to do something different that I hadn't done before but I also wanted something easy that I could do freehand with no marking. I did finish the center yesterday so now I am left with the borders. I guess I am ahead of the game because I know what I want to do in 2 of the 3 borders.

Easing Into The New Year.

I finished this quilt up this morning. It is Lois's quilt. It is a pattern by Susan Delaney.

This has been a very busy week for me. Today is the only day this week that I have been home. On Wednesday I got to teach  a class at the Bayside Quilt Guild. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera.

The class was on circles. I taught on 4 different methods of doing circles. The feature of the class was the 6 minute circle by Dale Fleming.