Week 22 Status of the Stash - Yikes!!

OK - this was a week for stash enhancement.  I added 9 yards while on a Memorial Day weekend visit to Rapid City to visit my daughter. Exactly half of that was backing and it was only $6 a yard so I can't feel guilty there. Yesterday I went on a "ladies day out" (shopping/lunch/museum) road trip with 3 friends and one of our stops was a quilt shop. 15 fat quarters, a new ruler, and some paper-piecing paper came home with me.  Those were purely pleasure purchases - retail therapy!! 

I used a lot less this week than I bought: 1 yard for a backing, 2 yards for pillowcases, and another 1.25 yards cutting squares for guild.  

In this week: 14.25 yds
In this year: 107.5 yds 
used this week: 4.25 yds 
used this year: 111.5 yds

Status of the Stash: Only 4 yards ahead of my stash! 

Looking back at May

Like every month this one has gone by quickly.  It rained a lot so I sewed more than I thought I would. Hopefully we'll see more sunshine in June. 

• Saturday Sampler pieced blocks - DONE
• RSC15 blocks (3 green) - DONE
• work on a UFO (Hawaiian applique) - finished Row Robin UFO instead
• Clean my sewing room (since it didn't happen in April)
• all 13 friendship exchange blocks - DONE
• Monkey baby quilt for my new grandson due in June - DONE
• 2 flannel self-binding blankets for same grandson - DONE
• Owl Quick Strippee baby quilt (gift for later in summer) - flimsy is done

There were a few other items worked on in May as well.

• a couple of pillowcases, plus prepped a few more
• put together a wall hanging flimsy as a gift (still a secret)
• more hand quilting done on Hawaiian applique 

RSC15 block 11

The 11th block in RSC15 is the churn dash and it is done.

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for June is going to be light blue which is a color that was a bit sparse in my stash. I picked up several light blue fat quarters yesterday while on a museum, lunch, shopping trip with some friends.  I just needed an excuse for more stash enhancement, right?

Done!

Two more pillowcases done. 

Family time and stash enhancement

The past Memorial Day weekend was a grey, miserable, chilly, rainy weekend - except for visiting with family and friends in Rapid City. And except for all of the hugs we got from granddaughter Sophia. And except for meeting friends for lunch, getting a pedicure with my daughter, and a little fabric shopping, and a drive through the Black Hills up to Mount Rushmore.  So all-in-all it was a wonderful weekend!!!

Monday morning we finally escaped the house for a trip to Bear Country and a leisurely drive around the Black Hills. This photo was taken just before it started to rain - again. Sophia loves the baby bears at Bear Country. After Bear Country we drove up to Mount Rushmore, although we didn't stop. We've been there dozens of times but I just don't get tired of seeing "the boys" on the mountain. Even through the rain.

On Saturday DD and I had a mother-daughter day starting with lunch in downtown Rapid City with 3 of my friends who all live out there now. All 3 ladies are also quilters so you can imagine what we talked about at least part of the time. After lunch DD and I went and had pedicures. She is 9 months pregnant and can't reach her toes anymore so I figured this would be a nice treat for her. It was very relaxing!

And while she relaxed in the car I made a quick trip into a quilt shop in downtown Rapid City, called Quilt Connection.  So a little stash enhancement occurred: 4.5 yards of neutral batiks for backing at $6 a yard, 10 fat quarters just for fun, and 2 yards of a patriotic fabric.  So I added 9 yards of fabric pretty quickly.

Sunday was spent making freezer meals - 13 of them - to make things a bit easier once the baby arrives. The little guy could show up any time in the next couple of weeks. 

Week 21 Status of the Stash

I was slightly naughty this week and bought fabric I didn't need. I stopped in a little fabric shop on my way home from a school on Wednesday and found just a couple of fun things including 2 panels, 4 fat quarters and some pillowcase fabric. It was a 2 hour drive and I just needed to stretch my legs a bit - that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

But to balance that out I had some nice finishes this past week: a baby quilt flimsy (Quick Strippee pattern with owls), a Row Robin quilt UFO, and the last of 13 friendship exchange blocks. And since the exchange blocks will be given away soon I'm counting my fabric. 

In this week: 5 yds
In this year: 93.25 yds
Used this week: 9.25 yds
Used this year: 107.25 yds

Status of the Stash: 14 yards ahead of my stash! Yay!!!

Road trip stitching

Road trip stitching is self defense while silent husband drives. 

RSC15 block

Block number 10 is called Split Pinwheel. This is one of my favorites so far. Do I say that each time?

Summertime Row Robin

I'm so excited to have this quilt done and hanging up in my home office for the summer. The last of the embellishments were added yesterday while watching golf on TV.

This was a guild project - a row robin, rather than round robin - from a couple of years ago. My row is the large center row with the flip flops. Each one has ribbon and fun buttons on it to make it 3-D just like a real flip flop.

The fish row has button eyes and the beach ball row has buttons in the center of each ball. There are a few little shell shaped buttons on the beach house row. The bottom row is all paper pieced and each block is unique.  The top row is a mixture of applique and pieced blocks.  And I added this Loralei "patch" onto the front as the label. You'll find her on the beach among the palm trees. I wrote on her hat but decided I couldn't hide her on the back.  I LOVE the whole thing!!

Linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday.

Week 20 Status of the Stash

I finished my 6" version of the Saturday Sampler block yesterday and it is OK. There are a couple of spots I would like a bit better seam matching, but it is done.  I'm keeping up with the pieced blocks so far. Now I need to work on the applique blocks. I'm behind on those with only 1 of the 4 done.

No big fabric purchases this last week, but I did buy 2 pillowcase kits. I went into Ben Franklin just to buy some buttons and ribbon for my Row Robin and made the impulse buy of pillowcase kits. But I also finished the flimsy for a wall hanging (1 yard) that I can't show yet because it's a gift. and I finished 1 pillowcase from the stack I had cut and pinned together last week.  Next week I should have some better numbers because I have a couple of things nearing completion.

In this week: 2 yds
In this year: 88.25 yds
Used this week: 2 yds
Used this year: 98 yds

Status of the Stash: Still 9.75 yards ahead of my stash! 

Saturday Sampler

This one went together just fine but I am a bit worried about the small version. 

Perfection is in the details

Last evening I worked on adding some of the embellishments to the Row Robin UFO. My label went on the front of the quilt because it is just too cute to hide on the back of something that will hang on a wall.  This darling embroidered Loralei "patch" has become my label. It was lying forgotten in my stash and seemed just perfect for a label. See where I wrote all of the important info on her hat? 

Buttons were added to the centers of each beach ball in another row. This row looks like waves breaking onto a sandy beach and has several beach balls of different sizes bouncing along. And check out the kites my quilter added to the sky on this row. So cute!

Next up are the tiny little buttons for eyes on the fish row, and some flip flop buttons for the palm tree row.  And finally I'll need to add the ribbons and buttons to the flip flops in the center.  I hope to have this done and hanging by the weekend.

Baby Quilt is ready for the new baby

My newest grandson is due in about 6 weeks and his quilt is all ready for him.  The label I've put on all of my grandchildren's quilts is a little muslin heart with a colored heart on top. I'll write his name and birth date and my name on it when he finally arrives.  It's always exciting to have a new baby in the family.

My daughter didn't want traditional blue for his quilt so we chose the lime green, aqua and brown. There are monkeys in the white print. And the quilter added monkeys on vines in the quilting. Can you see the monkey face in the last photo? And the backing is a lime green dotted Minkee. It's very soft and cuddly.

I've linked up to Design Wall Monday at: http://www.patchworktimes.com/   See what other quilters are working on this week.

Week 19 Status of the Stash

Happy Mother's Day! I was planning to sleep in this morning and spend some leisurely time enjoying my coffee. Instead I was awakened at 5:30 by my cat howling at some animal intruder he thought he could see outside (imaginary?), and by the pounding rain. So I got up and put on that coffee and headed to my sewing room.

This week I bought 2 yards of a perfect coordinating fabric to go with my Saturday Sampler blocks and it is folded in the bottom of that project box so it's there when I need it. I want to start on this month's blocks later today. 

The only finish I had this week was my grandson's quilt which I'll show later in the week. It's grey and raining today so it's not a good photo day.

In this week: 2 yds
In this year: 86.25 yds
Used this week: 4.5 yds
Used this year: 96 yds

Status of the Stash: 9.75 yards ahead of my stash! 

My Sunday morning sewing was spent making 3 more blocks for the friendship exchange (top photo). Only 3 more blocks to go. And I also started putting some of the strips together for another baby quilt (below) needed for a summer gift.  No yardage counted as yet in the "used" column for either of these projects.

The afternoon might be a good time to start adding embellishments to my summer row robin quilt so I can hang it up in the family room to enjoy.

A secret spring project

The weather forecast suggests that I won't be playing any golf this weekend, so I think I'll be doing some sewing. A great alternative!!  This fabric is for a "secret" spring project I'm working on.

I did a little sewing last night too and have 3 more blocks done for the friendship exchange project I'm participating in. But I can't show you the blocks yet. They are also a secret. Six more to finish yet.

Home improvement

This morning we can say good-bye to our old deck as the crew just arrived to tear it off and make way for the new deck.

Our house is 19 years old and we assume the deck is original to the house. We moved in 9 years ago and have made a few repairs and have stained it several times. From day one I've hated the ugly plain railings. And the last 2 years the front half of the deck just shed splinters, paint chips, and small wood chunks like my cat sheds hair.  It is definitely time to replace it.

I am so excited about this and can't wait until it's done and ready to enjoy.

Round Robin - Wow!

The Round Robin quilt tops were returned to the owners and displayed at this weekend's guild meeting.  This one is mine and I'm just thrilled.

My center block is an appliqued Santa. The ladies were so creative in adding to this each month. Every border has such lovely details and I love every bit of it.

Each month the quilt was passed along to the next person on the list - for 6 months. And each month we had some specific instructions, such as add some applique or add something white.  I love how each round ties in with at least one other one. For example, both blue rounds have gold stars - pieced in one and appliqued in the other. Four of the rounds have references to Christmas carols. The green border with the flying geese really pulls out the green from my center blocks. Wonderful!!!!

Week 18 Status of the Stash

Last month at guild Mary F shared an article about selecting a "Word of the Year" for quilting. I decided mine could work for every aspect of my life. I chose FOCUS because I need some.  And I made a little flag to hang in my sewing room. I'm kind of thinking that during the course of the year I may add some embellishments to this flag. And maybe next year I'll make another flag with a new word.

My stash did not grow at all this week and I did use up a little of it. I finished another small pillow and 2 flannel self-binding baby blankets, which I'll post next week.  All of the pieces for another baby quilt needed for a gift have been cut. And I even planted my flower pots and played 18 holes of golf one day after work. It was a great week!!

In this week: 0 yds
In this year: 84.25 yds
Used this week: 5 yds
Used this year: 93.75 yds

Status of the Stash: 9.5 yards ahead of my stash! Yay!

RSC15 turns green in May

Green is the new color for RSC15 and I made my first green block this morning. It's the Sawtooth Star, which is what each of these 6.5" centers are actually set INTO. So this one is a star-in-a-star. This was block number 9 and I have to say they are looking great together. I can't wait to start making the alternate blocks in between these. 

Check out what other quilters are doing for RSC15 this week: http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

And I need to find some other green UFO projects to work on the rest of the month of May. Wonder what I'll find.

May goals

Getting this cute label onto the back of my Row Robin quilt is one of my May goals - along with adding all of the other embellishments such as buttons and some ribbon.  Maybe this label should go on the front somewhere instead.

I want to hang my summer themed Row Robin in the family room before Memorial Day.

My other goals are mostly the "usual" -

• Saturday Sampler blocks
• RSC15 blocks (green)
• work on a UFO (Hawaiian applique)
• Clean my sewing room (since it didn't happen in April)

But I also need to finish some things that have deadlines such as several baby quilts and my friendship exchange blocks.

• 9 friendship exchange blocks (4 are done)
• Monkey baby quilt for my new grandson due in June
• 2 flannel self-binding blankets for same grandson
• Owl Quick Strippee baby quilt (gift for later in summer)

That is probably more than I can actually accomplish in between work, graduations, baby showers, and a little GOLF.