Field Trips in Fiber - Adventures in quilting, hand dyed fabric and fiber art.

Star BOM/Stash/List

I finally caught up on Judy's Star BOM! These stars take patience but they are worth the effort. I am very happy with my fabrics and how my blocks are looking so far. Going forward I will probably do them on groups of 2. It's kind of a hassle to pull out the project bin for just one block but hopefully I will not get behind by 4 again! I'm looking forward to getting this one done and having it hang in our bedroom.

Last night I got motivated and straightened up my sewing room. The cutting table and pressing board were both  piled high with my CRAP (creative resources and projects). It was starting to become just plain ole crap like I have elsewhere in the house. I actually started pulling out fabrics for Judy's new Quilt For an Hour project but looked around my sewing room and came to my senses. I decided to clean everything up and take stock of the projects that I have and consider how much sewing time I will really have over the next few months. Sewing time is going to be at a premium with my new work project. At this point I am just hopeful that I might have a reasonable schedule by December.

After cleaning and considering I decided to pull out the mini-log cabin blocks at one machine, a FMQ project for the other machine, the Star BOM and working through the stack of tops that need machine quilting. That (and the hell cat cross stitch) will be enough for a few months for sure. It turned out to be a good exercise because I was about 10 key strokes from some online fabric shopping therapy. I don't need that either! 

Which brings me to the stash report. Nothing in and .5 out for the backs of the postcards that I finished last night. 

This week IN: 0

This week OUT: .5

YTD IN: 159.5 yards

YTD out: 212 yards

NET OUT: 52.5 yards (Goal 100 yards)

And then there's the list. Last week:

• Catch up with the Star BOM blocks - there will be 4 total by the end of the week - DONE!!! 
• Load Mom's quilt and start quilting - at least I found the top and backing, it will be the next project
• Work on the mini-log cabin quilt - it's set up at least
• Complete and mail the MQResources cards - DONE!!

There isn't going to be a list for this week because I will be gone Tuesday - Saturday for our company's manager's meeting in Washington, DC. I'm not sure if I will even be posting or reading your blogs while I am away. I am going to take hell cat with me because sometimes we have a little bit of down time and maybe it will keep me from shopping at the mall next door to the hotel! But this will be my rolling list for the entire month of October:

quilting Mom's quilts

work on the mini-log cabin quilt

keep up with the Star BOM

FMQ samples on the DSM

start making Christmas postcards

hell cat cross stitch.

I also want to publicly thank DH for the horrid cold that he has generously shared with me 2 days before I am to deliver a 4-hour presentation to our Executive Committee. I sure hope the homemade chicken soup that he made today works a miracle! I'll see you all next Sunday! 

Sunday Update

  They are packed and ready to go! Four Quilts of Valor and 7 extra pillowcases will be on their way to Alycia. Yes, one of them is pink. It's that bright batik QFAH quilt and I made it specifically for a female soldier. It felt good to get these done and out of my sewing room. I've decided that the only part of quilt-making that I really do not enjoy is sewing on the label. Watching a good football game helps to get through it. I believe that this makes a total of 7 Quilts of Valor that Wanda and I have made and donated this year.

Thanks to everyone for looking at the tie dye shirts and to those who have bought them to help out a couple of charities!  

  At least I have a little something to report for stash this week. I made all of the pillowcases from stash - 11 in all but 3 were from Wanda's fabric left from her 2 QOV quilts. So I am counting 8 yards for the 8 pillowcases and I also sent all of the left over strips from the reversible quilt si I'm counting a yard for that for a total of 9 yards out and nothing in. Although my LQS got a fabric in this week and I'm pretty sure I must get some of it.

This week IN: 0

This week OUT: 9

YTD IN: 159.5 yards

YTD out: 211.5 yards

NET OUT: 52 yards (Goal 100 yards)

And then there's the list. Last week:

• Pillowcases and labels for the QOV quilts and get them mailed - DONE!
• Make the 3 blocks for Judy's BOM project - 1 done
• Finish the mini-log cabin blocks and start putting the quilt together - I didn't even look at it!
• Load Mom's star quilt for quilting - I tie dyed instead :(
• Start the MQResource postcards - they are about half done

• I also made 2 batches of soap - that wasn't on the list

The new list:

• Catch up with the Star BOM blocks - there will be 4 total by the end of the week
• Load Mom's quilt and start quilting
• Work on the mini-log cabin quilt
• Complete and mail the MQResources cards

Quilts of Valor, the stash and a list.....

  The project that possessed me the most during Craft Week was the reversible quilt. I started it as a class sample when I taught the class at the LQS. I purposely designed one side in patriotic colors so that it might someday become a Quilt of Valor.   The reverse side is made from Christmas-themed fabric.

I had about half of the blocks done when I left for Craft Week and had everything completed except the binding when I came home. I did the binding today. My Mom and I took this class from Sharon Pederson about 6 or 8 years ago.  The bookis excellent if this technique is of interest to you. It's an easy quilt-as-you-go technique. I've made at least 6 of these and my Mom has probably made 10 or 15 of them. I'm so glad to have this one done and I can send it out with 3 other QOV quilts.

Here's another QOV. This one was made by Wanda. I quilted it and Mom did the binding. I've had this one back for a few weeks but had not photographed it yet.

Now I just need to add labels and make the pillowcases and I will have 4 QOV quilts out the door! These will likely be the last QOV quilts for a while - at least until I figure out this new project at work and see what kind of time it's going to take.

My list for the week includes:

• Pillowcases and labels for the QOV quilts and get them mailed
• Make the 3 blocks for Judy's BOM project
• Finish the mini-log cabin blocks and start putting the quilt together
• Load Mom's star quilt for quilting
• Start the MQResource postcards

As for the stash: 
I bought 4 yards of fabric while on vacation but I alsofinished the reversible QOV. According to EQ, each side of the QOV is 9 yards. I also have about 2 yards of strips left over that I am going to send to Alycia for other QOV quilts.

This week IN: 4

This week OUT: 20

YTD IN: 159.5 yards

YTD out: 202.5 yards

NET OUT: 43 yards (Goal 100 yards)

Weekly List and Stash Report

Here's the list from last week:

• Load my next QOV (I have 2 new ones from Mom too) - no I did some other things first
• Work on the Reversible QOV - ditto
• Dye fabrics for Judy's Block of the Month - I'm working on it. I've got 1 color perfect and am refining 4 others
• Secret project #1 instructions and samples - instructions are drafted!
• Secret project #2 instructions - nope
• Quiltland Chronicles challenge - not this either

But I did get these things done!

 

• I quilted 3 baby quilts for Anne yesterday and today
• I finished Neely's baby quilt
• Tie-dyed T-shirts for James, Terri and Chris
• Dyed a quilt back for my Fresh Squeezed quilt

Let's see, what are my goals for next week? I've got company coming for the weekend so the list will be short:

• Work on the reversible QOV quilt
• Work on samples for secret project #1
• Work on instructions for secret project #2
• A couple of tie dye t-shirts
• Continue to develop the fabrics for Judy's star block of the month

 As for the stash: 
There's more on the OUT this week! I can now count all of the Monkey fabrics out because I am giving away all of the leftovers. That's a total of 13.5 yards!! I did a lot of dyeing today and will have that fabric to count IN next week - but I'll look good for a week!

This week IN: 0

This week OUT: 13.5

YTD IN: 123 yards

YTD out: 182.5 yards

NET OUT: 59.5 yards (Goal 100 yards)

Weekly List and Stash Report

Of course NOTHING got done this week (except for some shirts for Chris) so the list remains the same:

• Load my next QOV (I have 2 new ones from Mom too)
• Work on the Reversible QOV
• Dye fabrics for Judy's Block of the Month
• Secret project #1 instructions and samples
• Secret project #2 instructions
• Quiltland Chronicleschallenge  As for the stash:

As for the stash, I can now count 12.5 yards for the QFAH project that was completed this week! I also purchased 2.5 yards of backing fabric for the monkey baby blanket.

This week IN: 2.5

This week OUT: 12.5

YTD IN: 123 yards

YTD out: 169 yards

NET OUT: 46 yards (Goal 100 yards)