A Happy Girl and A Stash Report

First up - the happy girl.  Last month I told you about the Nightmare Before Christmas Quilt I had just finished (you can read about it HERE), so I thought I'd share this picture of Cerena with the quilt when she received it.   I think it was a hit!

 

I've started working on another niece/nephew quilt, still making my way through my batiks stash. That stash "ain't what it used to be" (as they say), so I added to it when I was at retreat in July.  Just some FQs but not a bad selection. 

 

If you ever get to Shipshewana, Indiana try to make a stop at Lolly's Fabrics and Yoder Department Store to do a little stash enhancing.  And make sure you allow plenty of time!  

I'm using the "All Stacked Up" pattern by Linda and Carl Sullivan for Colourwerx. Here's a preview -

AUGUST

Fabric Added in August - 3.7 yards

Fabric Used in August - 14.5 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 55.7 yards

Fabric Used Year to Date - 153.4 yards

Net Used in 2022 - 97.7 yards

Days I sewed in August - 31/31

Days I sewed this year - 232/243

Percentage - 95%

August Goals and a Stash Report

I'm still so excited about meeting my July goal, that I'm ready to set another somewhat challenging goal for August.  So.  Here we go.

A while back one of my nieces asked me to make a quilt for her daughter-in-law, Cerena, who had loved one of her gramma's quilts so much and for so long that it was completely worn out.  At the same time my friend, Denise, was working on a quilt for her DIL and needed motivation, so we decided to make it a sew-along.  She was using the pattern "Mountain Horizon" by Brittany Lloyd.  Cerena loves all things "The Night Before Christmas", so that was my first fabric choice and coordinating fabrics were soon to follow.

Of course I had to make it my own.  That's the fun part of using patterns!  I made several changes in the main block, combining some of the pieces, because I didn't want to cut up the focus fabric.  That meant creating a new pattern for part of it and making a test block just to be sure.  Can you see what I did?  

Instead of doing curved piecing I just raw-edge applique'd the half circles.  

Getting that first sample block made is always so motivating.

  

My August goal is to have all the blocks finished and get them into a top.  You never know.  I might get even more done than that!

JULY

Fabric Added in July - 15.7 yards

Fabric Used in July - 29.8 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 52 yards

Fabric Used Year to Date - 138.9 yards

Net Used in 2022 - 86.9 yards

Days I sewed in July- 28/31

Days I sewed this year - 201/212

Percentage - 95%

Linking up with One Monthly Goal 

Mar/Apr Goals Finally Met!

I am happy to announce (happier than you know!) that my March goal (which became my April goal) is finally done!  I knew I was right to not give up on it.  I put the binding and label on Natalie's quilt this week and it's ready to gift.

I was finally able to get some photos that show the true colors.  It's amazing what a little natural light will do.

I'm excited to be able to gift this one in person next weekend.  I've had to mail an awful lot of niece and nephew quilts the last few years, and that's not as much fun.  Isn't that a pretty quilting job by my friend, Shirley Jackson?

It's almost time for May reports, but I haven't done the April reports yet.  So, here they are -

APRIL

Fabric Added in April - 5 yards

Fabric Used in April - 8.9 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 26.3

Fabric Used Year to Date - 69.2 yards

Net used in 2022 - 42.9 yards

Days I sewed in April - 25/30

Days I sewed this year - 114/120

Percentage - 95%

Linking up with So Scrappy!

A Finish, Some Donation Projects, and a Stash Report

A lot has been going on lately in this sewing room of mine.  After spending two solid days of spring cleaning I spent some quality time in there last week.  

First, my "Lazy Eyes" quilt came back from my quilter (the fabulous Shirley Jackson), and I got the binding on it.  It was nice to finally check off something from my UFO list.  I love how it turned out, but I need to rename it.  I'm still thinking about that.   It might be inspired by the Post-It Note look!

 

I didn't realize how grainy the photos are until I had already shipped it, but I'm pretty in love with this quilt, so I'm going to overlook the blurry pics.  The most important thing is that my niece loves it.   Removing something from the UFO list isn't bad either!

I got five pillowcases made for the North Alabama Foster Closet, keeping up with my goal of making five each month this year.  

Then I decided to use up some fat quarters that were gifted to me a few years ago.  I added a teal print and a light aqua solid from my stash .....

..... and used a pattern designed by a friend.  Fun quilt, right?

It needs to be backed, quilted, and bound.   That should get done soon.  I am not going to let it end up on the UFO list!

With all this work I thought I would have a better stash report for March, but I knew I'd better buy the backing now for a Christmas Block of the Month I'm working on while matching fabric is still available.

MARCH

Fabric Added in March - 7 yards

Fabric Used in March - 11.7 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 21.3

Fabric Used Year to Date - 60.3

Net used in 2022 - 39 yards

Days I sewed in March - 30/31

Days I sewed this year - 89/90

Percentage - 99%

Can't wait to see what April brings!

Linking up with TGIFF!

March's "One Monthly Goal" and Stash/Sewing Reports

It's already time to set March goals?  How can that be?!!  

I only have two nieces left from my (long!) list of nieces and nephews who need new quilts from Aunt Sandy.  This one is kinda-sorta a UFO.  But not really.  Here's the thing.  I cut out and started working on a quilt for Natalie then put it in time out, and it ended up on the UFO list.  When I took it out last week to see if I wanted it to be my OMG (One Monthly Goal) for March, I decided I don't even really like it!  So I cut out a whole new quilt.  Still batiks (THAT supply is getting low!), and still contemporary.  For this one I'm using the "Doubletime Duet" pattern from Terry Atkinson's Allegro pattern book.

Except for saying that completing this top is my February goal, I don't have much more to say about that unless you want to see my sewing area at our hotel in Clearwater.  Hey. It works!

My February stash report is much better than last month's!

FEBRUARY

Fabric Added in February - 3.4 yards

Fabric Used in February - 35.1 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 14.3

   Fabric Used Year to Date - 48.6

   Net used in 2022 - 34.3 yards

   Days I sewed in February - 28/28

   Days I sewed this year - 59/59

   Percentage - 100%

See you soon.  I'm headed to the beach!

Linking up with One Monthly Goal

February's "One Monthly Goal" and Stash/Sewing Reports

It's time to set my OMG for February.  What I'm going to work on is actually a UFO, something I started last summer.  I only have three more nieces to make new quilts for, and this is one of them.  "Lazy Eyes" is a pattern in "Strip Therapy 2" by Brenda Henning.   I finished one block just to see what it will look like in batiks .....

 

..... and the rest of the 143 blocks are partially made.

The goal is to have the top completed by the end of this (short!) month.  I'm determined to do it.

2022 is also the year I'm going to do some serious stash busting.  The last time I did that (in 2015) I used about 150 yards net.  Matching that will be quite a challenge, especially considering that January's stash report is, well... not so great.

January

Fabric Added in January - 10.9 yards

Fabric Used in January -  13.5 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 10.9 yards

Fabric Used Year to Date - 13.5 yards

Net used in 2022 - 2.6 yards

After all the isolation of the last two years getting to shop for fabric in a real quilt shop did me in!  It could be worse, though, for sure.

Another of my goals for this year is to sew every day.  So far so good.

January

Days I sewed in January - 31/31

Days I sewed this year - 31/31

Percentage - 100%

So I'm looking forward to a fantastic February.  I'll keep you posted!

Linking up with One Monthly Goal