Quilting Junkie

Stash Report Weeks 8,9&10

Mary-Kay — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:25:00 +0000

No, I haven’t fallen of the face of the earth. I just took a little break from the blogging and quilting world. It was a “sit on your butt” kind of break, no motivation to do anything but watch tv and play computer games (bejeweled blitz on facebook). But I did manage to finish one quilt and put the binding on another. So I guess it wasn’t all bad. The only bad thing I did was buy 12 yards of fabric but it’s all for the backings of two quilts. Once I have them all prepared for quilting I can add them to my busted numbers.

Fabric added this week: 12 yds

Fabric added YTD: 17.25 yds

Fabric used this week: 4.16 yds

Fabric used YTD: 59.36 yds

Net fabric busted: 42.11 yds

Have a great week and maybe I’ll have some pictures of my latest finishes tomorrow. Hope to see you then.

Mary-Kay

Design Wall Monday

Mary-Kay — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:31:16 +0000

Unlike most people in Ontario, I had to work today. No rest for us postal workers. No wonder we’re nuts. Anyway I don’t have the wall space for a design wall so I’ll have to use my floor.

Here’s a little quilt that I finished last week. It’s called X’s and O’s by Valerie Krueger of Hearts to Holly quilt shop. I like the bright colours and I like the fact that there are no points to match. Nice and easy to put together. And nice and bright too! I hope the recipient of this quilt loves it. I know I would. It just needs to be quilted and bound.

I showed the above quilt to my SIL and she wasn’t thrilled with the colours, a bit too busy for her tastes. Then I said I would make one in 2 colours and she thought that she would like that much better. I need to finish this one by the end of the month. Binding and all.

Have a great day.

Mary-Kay

Stash Report Week #7

Mary-Kay — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:26:38 +0000

I can’t believe I have already used almost 50 yards of fabric and it’s only week 7. I checked last year’s efforts and I have doubled those totals for this week. But in week 8 I must of had a break down because I apparently purchased 20 yards of stash. Hmm… I hope I stay out of the shops this upcoming week. It gives me great satisfaction to use what I already have when making a quilt. I feel like I’ve saved hundreds of dollars and I should be rewarded. No, skip that part. I’m doing myself a huge favour by using my stash. I’m saving all the money that I would have spent on fabric for a long-arm machine. And hopefully I can do this all year. Just stay out of the stores or if I have to go there don’t bring extra money or credit cards.

Fabric added this week: 0 yds again

Fabric added YTD: 5.25 yds

Fabric used this week: 1.78 yds

Fabric used YTD: 55.2yds

Net fabric busted: 49.95 yds

So I have actually used 55.2 yards but there’s those few purchases that take me under the 50 yard total. I will resolve to exceed that this week. Yeah!

I hope the weather is better for everyone including me and all this snow melts.

Oh and before I forget, Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone out there. Have a great week!

Mary-Kay

Baby Quilts and Other Stuff

Mary-Kay — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:38:32 +0000

How many baby quilts can you make in a month? Just last Saturday, my hubby thought that I should make a few baby quilts to have on hand for those just in case scenarios. I think he jinxed me. I now need 3 baby quilts before March 14th. Can I do it?

This is 2 samples of the blocks for baby quilt #1. The pattern is X’s and O’s by Valerie Krueger from Hearts to Holly in Charlevoix, MI. She is the owner’s daughter and she has a few patterns exclusive to Hearts to Holly. You should check out her patterns, they use a Holly Bunch which is a 12 pack of fat quarters.

This is the finished top. I really like how easy the pattern went together. A few fat quarters and away I went. No matching at all which makes it very easy for someone like me. Nothing to reverse sew because the points don’t match. The pattern originally required a Holly Bunch but I didn’t want to make a baby quilt that big, so Ionly used 6 fqs and it’s just the right size.

This is going to be quilt #2. I’m going to use the same fabric for the blocks and have the blue as sashing around each block. I have all the fabric cut for the blocks and I’m ready to start sewing. Maybe I can get it done this weekend. And it’s all from my stash. And quilt #3 will be in all pinks and it’s all from my stash too!

This is a little quickie baby quilt for my neighbour to give as a shower gift. I love using flannel, it’s so soft and cozy. And it’s really simple to make. I used 4″ squares in 2 colours and alternated them and voila! a quilt is born. I stitched along the sewing lines with that chicken-scratch stitch in white thread. Or is it a feather-stitch? Who knows?

And last but not least. This is the hanging of the month from Patchabilities. The local quilt shop Quilting Confections has this set up as a block of the month. Each month is a different theme with a different hanger. great for gift giving or some last minute gift.

This is also a quilt-a-thon weekend over at Patchwork Times with Judy being the hostess. Check it out and see what everyone is doing. Have a great weekend and happy sewing.

Mary-Kay

Too Good To Cut Challenge

Mary-Kay — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:04:04 +0000

I started my challenge quilt. And you’ll all be impressed to know that it’s all from my stash. And it’s been there for a while, years in fact. I don’t know why I never started it. I really like the batiks so maybe that’s why. Who knows?

This is all the fabric cut up and ready to be sewn together. I’m going to make this a twin size. One of my friends left me a comment that I should make it a queen but I don’t have enough of the backing or any like batiks. So twin it will stay.

This is going to be the backing fabric. I just love this stuff. I wish I had more of it.

I started marking the sewing line on the corner squares. I have 240 squares to mark but I’m not doing them all at the same time. Maybe 40 at a time.

And this is going to be the finished product. I can’t wait to get a few squares done to see how it all looks together.

But first, I must finish a few baby quilts that I’ve been commisioned to make.

Mary-Kay

It’s Time

Mary-Kay — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:36:04 +0000

….to start getting rid of some of the crap we’ve accumulated over the years. My laundry room has so much stuff in piles on the floor that there’s barely room to walk. I didn’t even finish putting the Christmas decorations away until today. We even took down the outside lights. Two things accomplished today. But my kids think I’m really crabby because I can’t stand the mess anymore. I think it’s time they started putting all their stuff away or else it’s going in the trash. I wonder how long I can keep getting them to believe me. Hmmm…..

Actually, all this stash busting effort has got me thinking of other areas of my house. Like my kitchen. How long do I keep a coffee maker on the counter before we decide we don’t need it? We usually drink instant coffee and I can’t remember the last time we made a pot of coffee, like maybe a year ago or more. And if I get rid of that and the blender, maybe I can get that stand mixer I secretly want but don’t need. Or maybe get rid of the 4-slice toaster and get a 2-slice one. Smaller is better. We never make more than 2 slices at a time unless we are doing a brunch and that hasn’t happened some time.

Okay enough grousing and time to get back to work. Actually I’m going to do a little bit of sewing. I have to make 3 baby quilts in the next month. I just made that flannel one last week and my DH thought that I should have a few on hand because there always seems to be the need for them. Well yesterday, my SIL called and asked me to make a boy one for a friend who is due in mid March. Then I got invited to a baby shower in mid March. I also have one to make for a frind of my sister’s. I have started that one and am going to make all 3 the same. I’ll post pictures when I have something to show.

That’s all for now. For all you superbowl shoppers, I hope you didn’t get too much stash fabric.

Mary-Kay

Stash Report Week #6

Mary-Kay — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:47:14 +0000

Here goes the news.

Fabric added this week: .75 yds (3 BOM’s)

Fabric added YTD: 5.25 yds

Fabric used this week: 6.92 yds

Fabric used YTD: 53.42 yds

Net fabric busted: 48.17 yds

I have sewn just a little bit this week. I cut out a lot of fabric and now I’d better get busy and sew it up. Have a great week.

Mary-Kay

Stash Report Week #5

Mary-Kay — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:38:01 +0000

Already a month has gone by. Wow! And I’ve actually used some stash up this week even though I didn’t sew often enough for my liking.

Fabric added this week: .75 yd it’s 2 BOMs that I don’t know if I included when I got them

Fabric added YTD: 4.5 yds

Fabric used this week: 7.91 yds

Fabric used YTD: 46.5 yds

I was looking through some photos of my stash for a photo of my ” Too Good To Cut” fabric and I noticed that I’ve used quite a bit of the stash.

Just a few photos of fabric to quilts. Have a great stash busting week!

Mary-Kay

Too Good To Cut Challenge

Mary-Kay — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:51:24 +0000

Nothing like waiting for the last minute to post about this. I have had this fabric for a few years and never really wanted to cut in to it. Everything is there for the top and I really like it but you know how it goes.

Fifteen half yard cuts and it’s all batiks. They are beautiful and I really like them just as they are.

The only non-batik is the white background fabric. Even the backing is a batik. I don’t think there is a white batik but I could get a very pale yellow or blue instead. But that would mean a trip to the fabric shop and we all know how that ends up.

And this is what I’m going to make out of it all. I think I’m have enough to make a twin size quilt but I don’t even have a twin bed in the house. And I’m not giving it away. Okay I just checked all the fabric and the pattern again. That’s the size I bought the fabric for. I just love batiks especially in these colours.

So I had better start cutting out so fabric. I need to make 30 blocks and that shouldn’t take all that long. Right?

Have a great day and let’s get some sewing done!

Mary-Kay

Stash Report Week # 4

Mary-Kay — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:29:58 +0000

Not much going on in my sewing room this week. I think I’m burned out from all that sewing in the previous weeks. Yup, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. And I went to a quilt shop and didn’t buy any fabric. I’ll have to avoid that place for a while because there’s some fabric calling my name, quite loudly too. It’s this fabric from Robert Kaufman- Deco Park and I just love the colours in it. Maybe if I avoid it by the time I go back there, that fabric will be all gone.

Fabric added this week: 0 yds

Fabric added YTD: 3.75 yds

Fabric used this week: .25 yd

Fabric used YTD: 38.59 yds

Net fabric busted: 34.84 yds

I hoping to quilt a lap-sized quilt today and get that off the table. And then I don’t really have any plans but I might start that Too Good To Cut challenge that Dianne at Rosewillow’s Unfinished Business has going on. Maybe I’ll get that all set up today. Better late than never.

Have a great day.

Mary-Kay