Cutting It Close

I did it! I did it! I did it!

What did I do??

1-This fabric will not go back in the yardage bin! There is one strip in my 2" bin and a small piece to be cut into a 2 1/2" square. The itty bitty little strip now is in the garbage.

2-Elliot Express is done! Finish #9 for the year.

3-And what makes me want to jump up and down---I reached my goal of 100 yards of fabric used this year. I didn't think I'd make it by May 1st but I spent this morning making backs and bindings for 3 quilts! and that put me at 102.5 yards used for this year. My next jumping up and down moment will be when the 3rd one of those backings is quilted.

So here is my new focus on four list:
1-quilt the Care Bear
2-quilt Doug's Drunkards Path
3-quilt Sister's Choice quilt
4-keep up with BOMs & quilt alongs.

Simple huh??? Time to get crack a lackin'!

Caught Up,,,

...Almost! I still have one BOM to do, it's a paper pieced star. I don't know why I'm putting it off. Maybe it's all the prep work. Cutting all the pieces takes time and thought and I'm not up to that right now. ;-)

These are the C blocks from the Pinwheels On Parade Party.
All caught up and ready for the D blocks and sashing.

These are all of my Jelly Roll Sampler blocks from the Moose on the Porch Quilt Along.
I am using strips from a "scrap" bag that I bought last year. None of the strips are a whole width of fabric so I get to play around with the blocks and make some a bit more scrappy.

This is the finished Care Bear top that will get loaded on the long arm next. This is number 2 on my focus on four list. I can't wait to see Clella's face when she sees this. She does love her Care Bears.

Then there is the hexagon quilt-a-long over at jaybird quilts that I have resisted starting but my resistance is dwindling and I think I will start that soon. I have a bin stuffed full of batik strips and this will be a great place to use them. Stay tuned, you know I'm going to show pictures soon!

But if I'm going to meet my stash usage goal of 100 yards by May 1st, I need to get my buns working. I only have 3 1/2 days left to get 'er done!!!

Design Wall Monday

The big design wall is empty! The Care Bear top is complete and the backing is ready to be made. My leader/ender project is ready to put the quarter blocks together, so that is my next sewing machine project. I get to this stage and I want to see quicker progress.

I have all my 3 patch rows separated in a plastic bin. I think I will lay them out like this and sew my little rows into quarter blocks then put them up on the big wall to arrange the full block.

I started this project in January, made a few quarter blocks in February and now I have I am ready to rock and roll with it.

Go over to Judy L's and see what she has up and then check everyone else.

Stash Report 4.25.10

The Care Bear quilt is coming along, only one border left to go on. I've been a gad about this past week so not much time was spent in front of the machine.

I'm hoping to change that this week. Remember my goal is to get to 100 yards used before May 1.

This week's report is a bit more encouraging. I just need to stay out of the fabric shops and if I do need to go, I don't need to buy it just because it's the end of the bolt and 50% off. But I know I'm going to!!!

Used this Week: 5.5 yards
Used Year to Date: 85.5 yards
Added this Week: 7 yards
Added Year to Date: 91.25 yards
Net Used for 2010: -5.75

Go on over to Judy L's and see how everyone else is doing. (If you are reading this on Saturday night, you need to wait until Sunday.)

The lilacs are from my old bush. We live in my grandparents old house and the lilac bushes have been moved from their original home. I am thrilled that after 35 years of living here, both the white and the lavender bushes have survived the trauma that my family has put them through.

Ohhh Nooo

Yesterday, I discovered the floor to the back porch aka utility room aka laundry room was a soaking wet mess. I discovered our water heater has a leak! Yikes. What a wet, nasty, stinky nightmare.

I spent yesterday afternoon going through a bunch of crap that was stacked out there. Lots of stuff got tossed! If we haven't bothered with it in all this time, we aren't going to bother with it now. Out it went. It was very therapeutic.

Tonight, hubby and son in law headed into town to buy a new water heater! We wanted a fancy tankless one but they were special order and we need hot water today. So being installed now is a fancy schmancy 80 gallon, lifetime warranty, energy smart water heater. I do have fabulous men in my life!

You know what they say, things happen in 3s......one down! Pray what happens next isn't anything serious!

Just Stuff

Hubby had to get up early this morning. 4 OMG 15! Too early for me, but knowing how I am, I stayed up, read blogs, sewed a few more care bear blocks (how cute are these?) and now I must get bsuy and have a somewhat normal day.

Blogger has been messing with my pictures. Several posts had pictures disappear so I put them back on. Then I started thinking of doing a makeover on the blog but I'm too scared of losing all my stuff. After all this is my diary and I don't have a backup of anything. If you know of any websites/blogs that have step by step instructions for blog makeovers, would you please let me know. I want to archive my posts, have the option to see older posts, have my favorites listed and show as they update...

I have been having a serious craving for fresh homegrown tomatoes. I started my seeds and finally have itty bitty tomato starts. Today I am starting my broccoli seeds. I really want plant outside but it is too early. I see all my southern friends with their gardens started and the pretty flowers planted but I must still wait for a couple weeks or so. I'm even looking forward to the canning season. Hope I'm still excited about it when the time comes.

I also need to stack some firewood in the woodshed. If I keep up with this as hubby brings wood home, we shouldn't have to spend the hottest day of the year doing firewood. I haven't been as good as helping with this project as I should be. Shame on me! because I do love my wood heat.

I've also figured out what this year's Christmas gifts will be and need to start on those. Better write those down before I forget what my plan is.

Design Wall Monday

This is the next quilt on my focus list. I don't think I've written anything about my new focus on four list. I stole the idea from the stashbuster list, where they talk about a fab 4 list. I wrote my projects on a white board and am on project 3.

Elliot's quilt is loaded and quilting is started (couldn't resist the sunshine), so I pulled out the panels for Clella's quilt. I played in EQ5 this morning to come up with some sort of layout. I decided to mix some blocks, not the ones in the diagram. I just needed to see if my plan will work.

Would you believe that after all my shopping Saturday, I have to buy fabric for this quilt! I am out of all my white background fabric. I knew that, but didn't see any at the sale. I'll pick some up next time I'm in town. I'm hoping to find a couple fat quarters to match the green and orange bears. This is going to be so cute and she is going to love it!

Head over to Judy L's and see what everyone else is working on.

Stash Report 4.18.10

Yesterday was the annual Stash Builder's Bazaar sponsored by the local quilt guild. I went with a plan instead of just going crazy for what I found. I wanted backgrounds, reds, pinks and lavenders and pieces for a small project I have in mind.

I found a couple fat quarters that I had to have--the socks and the cute novelties. The Elvis fabric was gifted to me by my friend Gloria and the pile of smaller scraps from Crystal. I included all of them in my count. The cones of thread are almost new, the beads are gorgeous.

I only spent $48 and figured my purchases values at close to $300 regular price. And I seldom pay regular price but when I am figuring a bargain..........

I'm closer to my 100 yards used......good thing I wasn't going for 100 yards net!

Head over to Judy L's and see how everyone is doing with their stash.


Used this Week: 11.25 yards
Used Year to Date: 80 yards
Added this Week: 20 yards
Added Year to Date: 84.25 yards
Net Used for 2010: -4.25

Early To Bed, Early To Rise...

...Without fuzzies in my eyes!!! I know I am a morning person, I don't normally go back to bed because when I wake up, I have days like yesterday. Staying up is my normal and I think I need to stick to my normal.



After doing a couple morning chores, I turned today into a sewing/quilting day. This is newest block from Moose on the Porch Quilt Along. Today is the 3rd time I've made this one block. Block 1, I had the steps going the wrong way, took it apart and resewed it. Block 2 didn't measure 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 because someone cut the light blocks the wrong size. I wonder why someone didn't notice this after block 1! This morning someone took out the too small pieces and replaced them with the correct size and now we have block #4. Someone is now happy.



Next on the list was to put the final borders on Grandson Elliot's train quilt. Now that the top is finished, I am going to fold the last load of clothes then make the backing, cut the batting and get to quilting. My goal is to have this quilt finished today!

Making This A Fun Day

I'm having on of those kind of days today. You know, the one where you can't concentrate on much so you just do the easy stuff??? I went back to bed this morning and when I do that, I pretty much wake up a zombie! So I spent some time cruising blogland.
I visited the sky is pink and read her post on reusable Swiffer WetJet Cloths. I love my WetJet and hate buying cleaner and cloths. I've tried making a couple and didn't care for them so I decided to try this one. It works fabulously!!! So I went back to the machine and made 5 more......I have old towels (you know the ones that aren't quite bad enough to cut up for rags!) and lots and lots of elastic. I think I will finish cutting up the old towel and make it all into floor cloths.

Oh, I read the comments and saw one about drilling a hole in the bottom of the bottle and refilling it with your own floor cleaning solution. Why don't I think of these simple things?!?! Now my kitchen floor is clean and maybe the rest of the floors will be clean today too.

This cute bag is for my niece, Nacloe. Baby Charlie is due in a few days and her nursery is construction equipment themed. I made it to give her at her shower but I didn't get to go--still sick and didn't want to share--so I had to wait to post a picture until after she got it.

I'd like to work on Elliot's train quilt but I don't trust myself today with measurements. I only have the final border to put on it. Maybe tonight......maybe tomorrow.

Design Wall Monday

It has come to my attention that I have not made grandson Elliot a quilt. He is 4. Do I feel like the worst Gramma in the whole wide world? Yes, yes I do. I have quilted quilts for him, I have put together a quilt for him that friends made blocks for but I never made him one that was strictly from me to him.

So I am making it now. Elliot Express has been designed in EQ5 and is now if full production. Hopefully one day this week there will be a finished picture of Elliot with his quilt. Until then, this is my focus project.

Head over to Judy L's and see what everyone else is focusing on this week.

Stash Report 4.11.10

Yes, I'm trying to distract you with chocolate chip cookies! Did it work?

My friend, Sonya, went to a quilter's sale. I don't understand how anyone could get rid of all their quilting stuff but this lady wanted to. Sonya was nice enough to call me to invite me to go but I was sick. She had been there the day before so knew what the lady had to offer. She had bags of scraps and strips, my weakness. I do fine with yardage, I usually have a plan when I buy it but if I see scraps and strings in bags, I want them and I want them all, especially if they are $1 a bag! So I asked her to get me 10 bags.

So I kind of spread out what was in a bag of scraps and estimated about a yard in each bag. The strip bags probably have 2 yards or so in each bag. So that's what I'm using for my stash report.

I even know what I want to do with the strips and can't wait to get started on that project. I've already used lots of the scraps on the project I'm working on now.

I'm still working toward my goal of 100 yards used by May 1. Weeks like this are going to slow me down but I have my plan. ;-) Wait until you see my next week numbers!

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used Year to Date: 69 yards
Added this Week: 13 yards
Added Year to Date: 64.25 yards
Net Used for 2010: 4.75

Go over to Judy L's to see how others are doing with their stash.

One More Off the Goal List

I have a notebook where I write my monthly quilting goals. If I don't accomplish a goal within the month, I move it to the top of the next month's list. The list is helping me keep my focus. I am still starting new things but I am also working on my goals. I am happy to mark the deer quilt finished. Hubby will deliver it to his hunting club and it will hopefully raise some money for them. I think he really wants it for himself.

Next project on my list is grandson Elliot's train panel quilt. I learned so much from this quilt about panels that I've got no problem with the next two quilts that both have panels.

We are having some crazy weather here today. Snow, rain, sunshine and cold wind. I'm ready for some warmth. I started my tomato seeds the other day and this morning saw an itty bitty green spot in one seed pot. Exciting! It amazes me how tiny the seeds are and how huge the plants get! I am soooo ready for a good homegrown tomato to put on my bacon sandwich! Yumm Now I will go fix a pb&j sandwich and dream of summer.

Design Wall Monday

Design Wall Monday! You come around so fast! With the crazy week I had, my quilting time was fast and furious! Today I have blocks from 4 different projects. It amazes me what I can accomplish in little bits of time.

Top left is block 3 from the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along at Moose on the Porch Quilts. Top right is one of two April BOMs for the BOM Quilt Addicts Yahoo group. The second block is a paper pieced star, it's ready to sew when I have time to sit at the machine.

The two blocks in the center are blocks for April and May for my small online group. We are about to the end of this BOM with just 2 more months to go. I think I know how I am going to set them and still need to play around with EQ5 to make it work. It will be fun.

The bottom row are blocks 1-3 for the Pinwheel Party at twiddletails. You know, the one I wasn't going to do. But darn, it's so cute. I kept going back and looking at the finished quilt and loving it more and more. I had to buy some black and dig in my stash for the colors. The blocks go together pretty fast (if you read and follow directions) and I did these 3 during my Friday night frenzy that started with sewing on a button.

Jump over to Judy L's and see what others have on their design wall.

Easter Fun

I always say

I have the BEST girls in the world!

Stash Report 4.4.10

Happy Easter

I have had a very busy week. Monday I did some stash enhancement for myself and Taylor. I bought 3 yards of black background fabric for The Pinwheel Party that I wasn't going to start and 3 yards of muslin for an embroidery project.

Between sewing with Taylor and babysitting while Crystal and Mike moved, I haven't had a whole lot of time to use up fabric.

I'm still working toward my goal of 100 yards used by May 1. I better get busy quilting some of my tops!!

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used Year to Date: 69 yards
Added this Week: 6 yards
Added Year to Date: 51.25 yards
Net Used for 2010: 17.75

Go over to Judy L's to see how others are doing with their stash.