STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  28.625 yards

Fabric added this week 5 yards

Fabric added year to date  30.5 yards

Net used 2017  -1.875 yards

 

More backing fabric added this week, so I'm back in the red!!!!

 

I've been a bad blogger lately, but I've been working in any few spare minutes that I can find.  It seems like we're busy from morning to night. I did get another quilt top pieced, this time from scrap 2 1/2 inch strips - thus the need for more backing fabric.

 

The block pattern is called Ladder Star and is one of Bonnie Hunter's Addicted to Scraps in Quiltmaker magazine. 

Whenever I had a few minutes, I'd cut pieces for a block, then when I had 2 cut, I'd stitch them together.  I made 48 blocks, along with many bonus half-square triangle blocks, (stitched as leaders and enders),which I used in the 2nd border. The only "new" fabric used was for the 2 plain borders, but was also from my stash.

I really have to find some time to pin-baste quilts - I now have 3 waiting!

 

Check out all the progress shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times. 

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  0 yards

Fabric used year to date  28.625 yards

Fabric added this week 0 yards

Fabric added year to date  25.5 yards

Net used 2017  3.125 yards

No visible progress this week.  DH and the band have been busy, entertaining at 3 nursing homes last week.  Add in a day at Disney's Animal Kingdom with friends, and my quilting day, and the week just flew by.  I'm still trying to find time to pin baste my 2 completed quilt tops.  I've been making blocks for another project, using 2 1/2 inch strips from my bin.  I'm getting close to the 48 blocks that I need for the next scrappy quilt project.

This week the band plays another 3 days, with my quilting day on Wednesday, another Disney day planned with friends, and 2 quilt shows to attend on the weekend as well.  I'll try to squeeze in a bit of quilting too!

Check out the progress shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Used this week 7.25 yards
Used year to date  28.625 yards
Added this week  13.5 yards
Added year to date  25.5 yards
Net used 2017  3.125

I finished another baby quilt, made from a cloth book panel, yesterday, so I didn't have to go back into the "red" again!  My fabric order from Connecting Threads arrived, with backing fabric for 2 more scrap quilts that I have waiting to be quilted, and a couple of sets of 2 1/2 inch strips for another project.

Yesterday morning, I managed to get both backs pieced, pressed and starched, ready to pin baste.  Now I just have to find time when DH isn't off entertaining at the local nursing homes, and when there is a quiet time at the clubhouse, so I can use the large tables.

Saturday morning, DH and friends entertained at a fund-raiser for a local charity at their walk-a-thon.  Thomas Promise is a local charity the provides food to homeless students on the weekends, when the school meals are not available.  They receive a backpack full of ready to eat food.  The charity is currently providing 1000 to 1600 bags of food to students in our county, each week. 

Check out all the progress at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

 

ANOTHER SMALL FINISH

I finished the quilting and binding on Wednesday.  I used a cloth book panel, cut out the individual pages and added sashing and cornerstones.  When using a book panel, I look for one that doesn't have a very obvious beginning and ending.  This one worked really well, as did a book of opposites that I used last year.

The bad news is that my backing fabric for 2 more quilts arrived this week, so I'll be back in the red again on Sunday!

I have a second baby quilt almost completed, but 2 days at Disney World, and my quilting group on Wednesday used lots of my time this week - all things I enjoy.  DH and I go to Disney often, enjoy the fresh air, the stroll, the people and the entertainment.  I dislike walking, as I prefer to ride my bike, but I get lots of exercise on our Disney days.  I should get a step counter to see how many steps we take!

Back to quilting as soon as my cakes come out of the oven.  My neighbour gave me a starter for Amish friendship bread, and mine was ready to go today.  I discovered that you could freeze the starter, so I put it in cup size containers and save to use later.  This way my neighbours don't run when they see me coming!

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week  8.125 yards

 Fabric used year to date  21.375 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  12 yards

Net used 2017  9.375 yards

Thanks to completing my spinning spools quilt, I am well on my way this year, until my next order of backing fabric arrives!  

I pin-basted two more baby quilts this week, and have completed all the "stitch in the ditch" quilting.  Now I just have to get on with the rest of the quilting in each.

Yesterday was spent in the kitchen.  I made cranberry sauce - I have a great recipe for cranberry ginger cookies, and never have enough sauce leftover when we have a turkey, so I made this batch just for cookies!  I also made a pot of calico beans to take to our neighbours' Superbowl party today, along with some French onion bread.  I made a batch of granola bars, and some raspberry coconut bars to take along for those with a sweet tooth.  DH and I aren't great football fans, but we have fun with the gang, and enjoy watching the commercials each year, and eat lots of food that we only indulge in at Superbowl.

Check out all the progress shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

A BUSY DAY WITH MY QUILTING GROUP

Today was our weekly quilting get-together.  15 busy quilters met at our clubhouse for 4 hours of sewing, visiting, sharing, etc.   A few people dropped in for a quick visit, and to see what we are working on this week.

Several were piecing their row quilt parts - lots of little pieces.  Several were working on their own choice of projects.  A wool applique project was cut out and prepared for blanket stitching, and some hexagons were being hand stitched together.  I brand new quilter cut the pieces for her first quilt, and another cut pieces for a baby size quilt that she wants to try to machine quilt herself!   

We also had a visitor drop in to ask about our pillowcase sewing day, scheduled for March - she saw the information in our monthly newsletter.  Last year, my group completed 201 pillowcases in 4 hours, and we hope to do as well this year!  The Cases for Smiles coordinator will be attending, so we are looking for lots of volunteers. 

 I had another finish this week.  I was inspired by Bonnie Hunter's "spoolin' around challenge" from a couple of years ago, and I made 192 spools, using 1 1/2 inch strips from my scrap bin!  I decided to make them into blocks, and used more 1 1/2 inch strips for sashings and cornerstones.  
The two gold borders were made from cut-off backing fabric from a quilt I completed in the fall.  The middle borders were more 1 1/2 inch strips, joined together and cut to length.  The binding is also scrappy, with leftover 2 1/2 inch strips stitched together.  I kept the quilting simple, stitching in the ditch around the blocks and the spools, as the quilt was busy already.  I was able to use just over 8 yards of scraps to make this top!