Design Wall Monday - April 14, 2014

Everyone has heard the saying measure twice cut once!  I try to double check before cutting but that sure didn't help me this weekend.   I had just 1/2 yard of a pretty floral fabric and was going to make two table runners out of it.  For one I needed to cut a 6 1/2 inch strip and for the other a 7 1/2.  

I cut everything wrong!!!  The 7 1/2 strip I cut 7.  Then I had to figure out measurements to make the block smaller with a 7 inch center instead of 7 1/2.  Not to hard but aggrevating.  

For whatever reason I cut then cut a 4 inch strip.  I think it was what one of the tone on tones were supposed to be cut for the first runner.  Anyway at this point I didn't have enough fabric left to salvage the second runner I wanted to make. I did have enough for one more 4 inch strip so after fuming for awhile I decided that I could make a small runner using 4 inch squares and small 4 patches.  Not what I had set out to make but with fabric so expensive (and this was new fabric not stash) I was glad to salvage a project out of it.  

Here are the first few blocks on my design wall.

Sunday Stash Report - April 13, 2014

This was a week where I did a reasonable amount of sewing but also hit a few fabric stores.  Went along for the ride with a couple of friends to one shop and purchased a couple of half yard pieces of fabric for table runners and a yard of fabric that goes with a panel that I already had.  Loved lots more of their fabrics but I didn't need anything and they are also the most expensive quilt shop in the area.

Yesterday we took a ride to Fredericksburg, VA to look around a bunch of their small antique shops and managed to also find a few fabric stores.  I just looked in most of them but bought some white with pin dot black fabric that will go with so many different projects and a piece of baby fabric as nice ones are hard to find.

The sewing part of my week was spent cutting out a couple of projects, piecing this simple baby quilt..

I also finally got the piano key border made and on my black/white and red quilt.  The quilt kind of grew and ended up measuring about 60 x 77...

It took a long time to make the border but I am happy with the results.

So my stats for the week are:

Fabric purchased this week:  9 yards
Fabric used this week:  11.25 yards (backing, baby and lap quilts)

Fabric purchased YTD:  33.75
Fabric used YTD:  102.25

Ok, by the end of June I hope to use another 100 yards of fabric, do you think I will make it?

Design Wall Monday - April 6th and Sunday Stash Report

My Sunday was spent participating in a Spring craft show so I never had the chance to do my Sunday stash report.  

I worked on several projects last week including finally getting the last border on this small quilt and the binding cut and made.

This quilt was made with extra blocks from a yet to be finished quilt top.   

I also worked on three table runners and started a new baby quilt in addition to getting a customer quilt quilted, not a bad week.    

Had a short visit by DD from college Saturday and the craft show Sunday so no sewing this weekend.  

My stats for last week are:

Fabric purchased this week:  0

Fabric used this week:  7 yards (black and white quilt and 3 runners)

Fabric purchased YTD:  24.75 yards

Fabric used YTD:  91 yards (yipee, will be up to 100 yards before long).  

As for what is currently on my design wall, it is the second of two runners that are basically the same, just one color change.   Though I followed the pattern I am thinking I am going to take the last row off of the runner, looks funny the way it ends.  

Design Wall Monday - March 31st and Weekly Goals

Any time that I spent in the sewing room this last week was pretty much spent quilting on my funquilter and not sitting at the sewing machine.  I did start to work with my left over blocks from the other red/white and black quilt I was making and got the sashing done at least.  I was thinking of a piano key border but finally found a fabric in my stash that I could just do a large border with so going to hopefully work on that today.  

My goals for this week:

1.  Quilt at least one customer quilt (Hello Kitty)

2.  Get bindings put on the Layer Cake and baby quilt I quilted last week and send them off to my binding fairy.

3.  Get the outer border on and binding made for the smaller b/w/r quilt above.  

4.  Need to cut out a project for the next sewing group.

Sunday Stash Report - March 29, 2014

Unfortunately don't have any big finishes or yardage usages to report this week.  I have been in kind of a funk and it has resulted in not much sewing.  On the good side I didn't feel like sewing so I did get three quilts quilted on the long arm.  One for a customer, one a baby quilt I had made a few months ago and also quilted my layer cake quilt.  

We had to close the quilt shop we owned in December due to not enough business.  With the holidays, myself being sick for a couple of months and then lousy weather I didn't really miss the shop.  We have continued to sell some items on etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/oldetownestitchery if you are interested) but that isn't keeping us very busy.   I guess now the not having a specific purpose to get up for in the morning and missing all the great customers is kicking in.  

Also the DD snagged a great summer paid internship for this summer so will be away from home most of the summer for the first time.  Was really looking forward to her being home from college but this is a great opportunity and I am very excited for her.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to get out of a retired/empty nest funk I would appreciate it.  I know everyone goes through it.  We so look forward to this time in our life but then wonder What Next?   We are lucky as I know so many people that didn't make it to retirement age and know we will adjust in time.

Anyway enough of that.  I did need to pick up black fabric for sashing and fabric for backing from my mini shop so this week for once purchases are more than usage.  

This weeks Stats:

Used this week:  3.25 yards (backing)

Purchased this week:  4.75 (backing and sashing fabrics)

Fabric used YTD:  84 yards

Fabric purchased YTD:  24.75

Still great numbers.  

I have been playing a little with working with the left over black and white blocks so hope to have a picture of that to post tomorrow.

Black and White Left Overs

I had 16 left over black and white and red blocks from a yet to be put together quilt.  In trying to decide what to do with them without making any additional blocks, I pieced them into groups of four.

Then I was wondering about sashing etc.  Plan black just didn't work so added the red corner stores.  I like this much better.  

So far the quilt measures about 42 inches square.  Trying to decide on one wide border, multiple borders or maybe something pieced like a piano key.    Think I will just have to leave it on the design wall for a bit of aging before I decide.  

Today's Project

I have been in a quilting funk the last few days, just have not wanted to work on any of my projects and didn't feel like starting anything new either.  Decided to channel my not wanting to do any piecing into getting some quilts quilted.  

Today's project was to quilt my layer cake quilt.  I really love this springy quilt.

Tomorrow I hope to get a customer quilt done and after that if I still don't want to work on any of my current projects I will try and come up with a backing for another of the quilts in my stack waiting to be quilted.  

Actually maybe this is just what I need to get a few more things to the finished point.