Design Wall Monday April 4th, 2011

Here is my UFO # 4 from Judy's  UFO challenge for this year.  I have not gotten very far on working on the UFO's.  I am still working on the one for January but wanted to get to this one as well.  The one for January is in the quilting phase and that is not going well.

My UFO for this month is a double wedding ring wall hanging from the early 1980's.  Yikes.  I had most of it together and then decided to improve my piecing and took most of it apart.  All the melons are done and I think there are 3 almost complete circles.  Anyway, it will get done this time!!!!!

The colors aren't quite as faded as they appear in the photo.

Lucky me-I have a new sewing table.  My machine isn't in the table in this photo since I couldn't wait for my husband to adjust the platform before I took the photo.  I'm looking forward to may happy hours using this table.

Stash Report 4/3/2011

Quiet week here but I did get some sewing done.  A quilting friend gave me a small kit.  I put it together as something simple and mindless to get back into sewing.  It was almost too mindless as I did not turn the blocks correctly and wound up with some colors not evenly distributed.  Sigh.  Oh well.  Maybe I'll fix it any maybe I won't.  This little piece is nice a bright but so far it has no home.

I am not counting this fabric in my stash.

I have some Moda Rites of Spring fabric that I purchased in Panguitch Utah at the Scrappy Appleyard Quilt Shop many years ago.  It was to make a lap quilt for our RV.  The colors were perfect but I never got around to it.  Now we have a newly painted master bedroom and remodeled bath.  The bathroom is black, white and grey.  I bought some chili colored towels-actually more a brick color.  The red in the Rites of Spring line matches the towels perfectly and I want to use that fabric now to make a quilt for our bed.  Its the fabric in the lower left corner.  Unfortunately I only have a FQ.

These are the pieces I had.  I found a charm pack on the internet and I bought this yardage at my LQS yesterday.

The solids that I found are a pretty good match.

I would really like to have the other reds from the original fabric line but haven't found any on the internet.  If any of you have some of this fabric that you would be interested in selling please let me know.

I haven't picked a pattern yet for the new quilt but I know it will be scrappy in appearance.

Used this week...0
Used year to date...6 3/4 yards
added this week...2 yards
added this year   13 yards

Net gained...6 3/4 yards

Isn't spring great!

Here in Arizona we don't really see much change in the seasons.  The weather has seemed more drastic at times the last few years.  I do miss the seasonal changes especially the spring.  I am lucky enough to have several orange and grapefruit trees so we do get great flowers and a wonderful scent.

Surprisingly I do have a lilac-not a plant you generally see in Phoenix.  It took me years of babying it-over 20 years in fact.  This is the result:

I am so happy that a few days a year, I get to enjoy lilacs and their wonderful scent.  I have a lot to be thankful for.

Design Wall Monday March 21, 2011

My design wall is finally back up-at least temporarily.  It is in fact, always temporary.  I have a large laundry room/office/pantry and that is where  my design wall gets put up.  It is over some storage cabinets. It is a really nice location because I can get back quite a way to get a good look at my project.

See the pole attached to the cabinet near the ceiling.  I just take the pole and slip it through a sleeve sewn into a flannel table cloth.  It is slick-great thinking on Hubby's part.

Here is my Ladybug Hugs quilt (again) on the design wall.  I need to embroider the face and antennae so it is ready to be quilted.  Oh, yeah and piece the back.

My MIL gave me this thread chest.  It is old but not REAL old.  Look at all those wooden spools.

Stash REPORT 3/20/2010

I wasn't going to do a report this week as there was nothing in or out this week.  No real sewing, just some mending.  Then I remembered that I made a few star blocks for Just One Star.  Moda is asking for donations of star blocks for Quilts of Valor.  Check out their site and participate.

Here are my stars on my recently rehung design wall.  Each stars takes about one fat eight.

And I made another snap purse from Stitchin' Sister's pattern.  This one is for my MIL.

So:

No fabric in
3/4 yard out
Year to date in 11 yards
Year to date out  6 3/4 yards.

Check out the other stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday March14, 2011

My design wall has not been reinstalled yet so I am using a design key rack and door lever.

Purses are very "in" right now.  I rarely carry one and if I do, it is small.  However, I just love all the new designs and the fabric combinations.   Have you seen SNAP HAPPY! by Stitchin' Sisters.  It is a fun little purse.  It comes in 3 sizes and you will never guess what keeps snaps it closed and keeps it shut.  I made several this past weekend at retreat.

The orange/black combination was made from 2 fat quarters.  The small one was from scraps.

See the secret ingredient?  It is a piece of cheap tape measure.  You can find them for 99 cents at the 99 Cents only store.  Don't use a "good" as they are too stiff.  You just pull on the prairie points to open the bag.

I also finished up 2 grocery sacks which are a gifs for a friend.  I used Oak Street's pattern Fold-N-Go Green Grocery Bag.  The bags are fully lined and the bag is a little complicated to make but the pattern instructions and pictures are very helpful.

They also have a small wine carrier that has 4 compartments.  I made one a while ago for a gift and forgot to take a photo-it was much more complicated to make.

Be sure to check out the other design walls.

STASH REPORT 3/13/2011

It has been a quiet week for sewing.  The Arizona Quilt Guild show was this past weekend and I fondled almost every fabric that was available but I resisted purchasing any. I'm so proud.  The show was awesome, as usual.  Our guild works hard to make this event a success every year.

Nothing in and 6 yards out!!!!!!!!!  Last weekend, our small quilt group attended a retreat at Quilting on the Rim in Linden, AZ.  We had an awesome time.  I managed to get a quilt top done and a few little bags made.  Photos tomorrow.

I have finally got most of the unpacking done in the house so it is time to unpack and organize the sewing room.  Unfortunately, these were the last boxes packed and they were packed in a hurry.  The worst part is they were packed by my husband so I have no clue about what is any box.  It is like Christmas-all surprises but no organization!

It looks like a mess but it is actually coming together.  You can see that my machine is set up already.  I tried to sneak in a little sewing but in my rush, I broke my last available needle.  So far, I have unpacked 5 boxes and no sign of a needle anywhere.  I have tons of needles so I refuse to buy any now.  It surely gives me motivation for unpacking the rest.

Be sure to check out everyone else's stash report.