Design Wall Monday, April 22, 2024

I started off the week with this block on my Design Wall.  It is for the Sunshine Retreat Block.  One lucky retreater will win all the blocks.  As usual this is if you want to participate.  The fabrics were pulled from my Mom's stash during my recent visit.

This is the Sunshine Monthly BOM where I am in sore supply of 30's fabrics.  Kerry to my rescue =^.^=  I have several to add deep in purple, she will be sending me a variety in red, blue, green, maybe an orange or yellow.

As mentioned yesterday, Kolonization is off and running under my needle once again.  With these two complete.

And these four cut out last night.  I have fabrics selected for another block, but it will need to wait until tomorrow.  These blocks take awhile to select the fabrics from a combined stash of Kathy and what I have in mine.  Then the cutting of all the pieces.  It may not seem like much, but you would be wrong!

I also fit in the preparation of the sleeve and binding for the Sunshine 2024-2025 Opportunity Quilt.  This quilt is beautiful and will look striking with the dark aqua binding.  Tickets haven't been printed quite yet.  Interested...let me know =^.^=

Until next time, happy sewing!

Sunday Stash Report, April 21, 2024

I discovered this cute pattern on the web.  A quilter had it made into bluebirds vs. sparrows.

Seeing this version I had to have the pattern.  It is called Sparrows by Pen and Paper Patterns.  The pattern shows 65 1/2 x 71, but I won't make it that large.  This will make up cute with the blue scraps and a bit of gold and blush and...who knows what for the three HSTs.  My blue storage bin could use a bit of thinning out!

During the purchase of Sparrows pattern a suggestion for this pattern Wolly Stars by Coriander Quilts.  Well it is also cute and came along with my purchase.  Look for these in the future.

I puttered and pattered around my sewing room this week getting ready for the Sunshine Guild's Retreat coming up the first part of May.  I also cut and sewed up two blocks more for Kolonization which I will share in tomorrow's Design Wall post.  

Today I am at the Padres baseball game.  Of course there needs to be a WIN!  The weather is much better than last week during the Billy Joel / Sting concert where we sat the second half in a heavy misty rain.

Nothing finished this week and no fabric came into stash.  Hope your week ahead is great =^.^=

Used this week: 0 yards 
Used YTD: 33.5 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yard
Purchased YTD: 49.5 yards
Net used in 2024: -16 yards


 

Design Wall Monday, April 15, 2024

Katerskill is complete =^.^=  This is yet another UFO done for this year.  It took a long time to bind this quilt as I wasn't used to much more than small quilts lately.  I am not a fan of white binding, but Katerskill has it.  I have it in my foyer to admire through Memorial Day.

The second Story Book Quilt is complete too.  Remind me that I don't like a flannel binding...please.  It will please some child with its softness, but not my fingers!  I hadn't planned to make two of these quilts; who knows there may be a third some day in the future.

Kolonization is next up.  Time for some machine sewing.  Kathy was generous with her fabrics; now it is time to work with them.  You will see this project for a couple of weeks I am certain.  The stripes will be the next to conquer for these blocks.  First I plan to get the rest of the blue parts of the flags complete.  Kolonization is the last of the 2023-2024 Sunshine UFO Challenge.  It needs to be complete by June's meeting.

 

Sunday Stash Report, April 14, 2024

 

Another one complete =^.^=.  The Yellow Truck has already been gifted to Ray.  He received a baggie with scraps in October for his birthday LOL.  Finally, he has the result.  I like the way the yellow fabrics stand out for the month of July.  Ray plans to put it in his "car room" and bringing it out into the main part of his home during July.

Yesterday I went to Petco Park and saw Billy Joel and Sting.  It was a great concert with both artists playing all songs that are familiar.

Nothing running under the sewing machine needle yet.  Spending lots of time with binding and labels.  Hope to show something from under the needle next week.

Nothing to turn numbers this week.

Used this week: 0 yards 
Used YTD: 33.5 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yard
Purchased YTD: 49.5 yards
Net used in 2024: -16 yards

Design Wall Monday, April 8, 2024

October Morning is complete...except I haven't thought yet of a name.  Without a name I can't make a label.  Without a label it doesn't qualify as a 2023-2024 Sunshine Quilters 2023-2024 UFO Challenge completion. :(  I am not going to make a label to satisfy this requirement.  I will just have to hold on to it until an inspiring name comes to mind.

I am working my way around Katerskill still.  It will not be done either to qualify for a UFO completion.  I am not going to make a label when I can get four labels on the expensive paper.  I do have a name though.

The Story Books Quilt and the Truck of the Month July are in a similar situation without labels.  Oh well next month I will have these to claim as complete.  Guess my valent attempts to get these done was a flop =^.^=

Sunshine Quilt Guild monthly meeting is tomorrow.  Hope to land more in the bimonthly fundraiser.  The drawing is tomorrow!  Happy sewing everyone on this Lunar Eclipse Day.

Sunday Stash Report, April 7, 2024

Two UFOs finished and ready for counting on Tuesday night's Sunshine Quilt Guild meeting.  I have another Story Book Quilts and two more Truck of the Month to bind, but they aren't UFOs.  Heads down on the UFOs!

Two more to go.  I will be working on October Morning first because it is the smaller of the two.  Katerskill is a big quilt =^.^=  Not sure I can get it done before going to bed tomorrow night.  I head straight from home to work to guild on Tuesday.  I will bring it one way or another, certainly should be started...

Nothing to turn numbers this week.

Used this week: 0 yards 
Used YTD: 33.5 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yard
Purchased YTD: 49.5 yards
Net used in 2024: -16 yards

Design Wall Monday, April 1, 2024

 

Today is travel day.  I will be working on the Transportation cross stitch project during the flight.  I finished the train and nearly finished with the tractor.  I haven't looked to see what vehicle is next up.  The pattern instructions changed a bit from previous patterns put out by the same company.  I find them a bit more difficult to follow, but hey I know how to adapt =^.^=

Hard to leave family, but that's the way of things.  I will return in August and have more time to spend there.  I will be retired then!  That sure sounds nice.

Watch out for cute little pranks.  Happy April Fools Day.

Sunday Stash Report, March 31, 2024

Left these two Story Book Quilt quilts for binding.  One of them is a UFO that I will want to have done before Sunshine Guild meets a week after my return from visiting family.  I tried to have Kerry ship them to me in Maryland, but they were already in the mail =^.^=.  Oh my, not sure I will get all this binding done in time.  Know that I will be giving it my best shot!

Nothing to claim on my stash...but I am using up Mom's!

Used this week: 0 yards 
Used YTD: 33.5 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yard
Purchased YTD: 49.5 yards
Net used in 2024: -16 yards

Design Wall Monday, March 25, 2024

 

Left Katerskill at home to stitch the binding on when I get back from visiting family.  I hope to get it done before Sunshine Guild meets for April meeting a bit over a week from when I return.  This is a UFO that I want to claim.  There is just one more month in the challenge.  I have a bunch done that just need binding.

Have a wonderful day.

Sunday Stash Report, March 24, 2024

 

I'm having fun today with family.  Sister and I drove down this morning to Mom and Dad's home.  Stopped at Costco to fill up their freezer!  This is a thing that Karen does every time she visits.  Also one that I have come to anticipate when I'm in town.

Before leaving on Saturday I completed the second stamped cross stitch projects.  Kwak is on its way to Kerry's for some fun quilting designs that she will carry out.  The back is the same as the sashing and the binding will be the same purple as the frames for each of the ducks.  I took on the plane with me the third project that is called Transportation.  There will be more on this in days ahead.  The train is already started.

Fortunately for the stash count this week nothing purchased, but yardage to claim used =^.^=

Used this week: 4.75 yards 
Used YTD: 33.5 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yard
Purchased YTD: 49.5 yards
Net used in 2024: -16 yards

Design Wall Monday, March 18, 2024

 

Another UFO completed.  This Truck of the Month July by Erica Made is so cute.  It will fit perfectly in my kitchen nook.  I've been wanting to finish this for a long time.  It has been cut out just waiting its time under the needle.  So here it is!

I also had inspiration that Kerry would like this too.  So I made one for her in her favorite color RED.

This one is for my friend Ray.  He is into antique cars and has a yellow one.  I set this aside for his birthday that was in October. It soon will be gifted to him once quilted.  All three of these will be headed off to Kerry for her magic before the end of the week.

I won the Sunshine's Block of the Month coordinated by Hallie.  These are the blocks received with some leftover to make another block pink center block units.  I will be playing around with a complementary layout in coming days.

Both Story Book Quilt projects returned from Kerry quilted.  Look close at the cute owl pattern that was found by Anne Bright called Who's There.  Thread selected shows up the design well on the teal flannel that was also used for the backing.  There are two of these to bind when I return from my visit to parents and sister.  I also have the binding for Kilowatts to finish...Love the binding!!

I am also working to have the Baby Ducks done along with the Truck quilts and my Sunshine 2023-2024 UFO (a surprise due in May) in the mail to Kerry for quilting by Friday.  I am ready for Thursday sewing to put the sashing together and cut a backing.  Wish me luck!

My next post will be from Maryland as I travel on Saturday.  I'm excited to see parents and sister.  Perhaps my brother-in-law, niece/family, and nephew/girlfriend will be around to visit with too.  Happy Spring everyone =^.^=

Sunday Stash Report, March 17, 2024

My time at Rosie's was more than I expected.  I ran into several friends and catching up on their lives.  They also helped me find fabrics for the Baby Ducks project.  Nothing that I anticipated, but isn't that usually the case?  I went for orange and left with purple.  The sashing fabric is really cute, look close, the purple went too perfect to use anything else.

I also enhanced my stash (like it really needed a boost).  Neutrals are usually good to bring home.  All the next pieces were not especially necessary, but with the sale they had going on...look at the prices!

As if these wouldn't satisfy me enough...two new patterns to boot!

Now if I kept finding the time to sew the rest of the week as I have been able to this weekend, I may be able to complete what I want to mail to Kerry before I leave on Saturday for my Spring trip to Maryland with a couple of days in Virginia.

I finished up several projects and got back some projects to bind that I will share with you tomorrow.  Still down this year in using my stash, but you wait to see this change later this year after I retire on July 8!  Yes, big news for me to announce...

I did find time to make the customary Corned Beef and Cabbage.  We had all the trimmings less the Irish Soda Bread!  Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone.

Used this week: 8 yards 
Used YTD: 28.75 yards 
Purchased this week: 13.5 yard
Purchased YTD: 49.5 yards
Net used in 2024: -20.75 yards

Design Wall Monday, March 11, 2024

Here's the next UFO to finish.  I have all the pieces cut for three projects.  Two will be gifted.  I will have something to show you on Sunday Stash Report for sure.  There are lots of small pieces, but they should go together fairly quick.

This is Sunshine Quilt Guild February BOM.  Hallie coordinated it; providing us with the pink centers.  Our donation to the project was four white squares and eight pinks.

Sunshine Quilt Guild meeting is tomorrow.  Jo will be providing the how to on wool applique.  We could either bring our own or make from her offering.  Beware It's Halloween has been waiting its turn and since it is a wool project...I plan to take advantage of Jo's expertise.  Beware It's Halloween is a 12 month installment project.  There are eight candy corn blocks of wool on cotton to be made.

These are tools Kerry and I saw at RD2CA.  Kerry has a friend who can get special pricing so we both purchased from her.  Has anyone tried the Magic Pins?  I know I will like the new size ruler.  The blades will work just fine for my smaller cutting needs.  I haven't used the small cutter in a very long time, but I will have it when the time comes.

The mail also brought Katerskill today (along with the tools).  It is awesome!  I love it!  Katerskill is a UFO too.  I will have it bound and finished for next month's Sunshine Quilt Guild meeting.  I will share it with you on Sunday or Monday next week.

See some of you tomorrow and others perhaps later the end of the month.  Until then have wonderful days in your sewing room =^.^= or wherever makes you happy.

Sunday Stash Report, March 10, 2024

The Baby Ducks quilt is finished.  I trimmed the blocks into squares yesterday and placed them on my design wall.  Time to sit back and enjoy these cuties.  I plan to look for the sashing and border fabric tomorrow at Rosie's.  A calico still stands out in my mind.

I had hoped to hold off on this start.  It will be my third stamped cross stitch project since last March.  The stitching is like potato chips for me.  Easy, relaxing, and a project easily transported along with dodging the cats as they curl up on  my lap in the evenings.  Kosmo and Kassy are very good to leave the thread alone although they have been quite curious seeing it move in and out of the cloth =^.^=

October Morning (2024 UFO) finished today.  It would have been finished on Saturday, but piece of sashing didn't fit quite right.  I made it work, but then a second piece of sashing didn't fit quite right either.  Both of these just happened to be of the same fabric...  This had me thinking that it couldn't be coincidence.  Well it wasn't!  They were both apparently cut at the same time and a 1/4 inch to short.  Time for my Clover seam ripper to come out.  Didn't take too much to correct it thank goodness.  A name is being sought...

Used this week: 3 yards 
Used YTD: 20.75 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yard
Purchased YTD: 36 yards
Net used in 2024: -15.25 yards

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

 

Happy Wednesday!  The last duck has been completed <Quack, Quack>  This guy will soon be cut on the solid lines with the other 11.  I am both excited to move on to the next steps of this project nearly as much as I am that it is finished.  These ducks are just plain Happy.  I headed over to Hobby Lobby after work last night to pick up the floss for the next cross stitch project.  While there I checked out the fabric to see if anything twisted my neck for duck sashing and border fabric, but nothing did.  You never know where the just perfect fabric will be waiting for you.

A little about the next project.  It is all transportation vehicles.  As you would know I needed all but two of the 12 colors of floss.  $0.53 is what I paid for each unit.  There was a time according to the bands around some of the floss in my stash when they were $0.15 per unit.  Can any of you remember a lesser price?  You will be seeing a lot of this project once it gets going.  It will definitely be my project when I head to Maryland in a couple of weeks.

Hope your Wednesday is a good one for you =^.^=

Design Wall Monday, March 4, 2024

As you can see I have lots of maple leaves after a full day of sewing yesterday.  I used the leftovers to make the two maple leaves to the left of the full size maple leaf.  These two and the full size that was gifted from Pam on the back.  There is one maple leaf among the 25 that will be in the quilt top that was also gifted by Pam.  Without Pam this project with all the variety of her stash would not have been possible.  Wish I had a photo of Pam's project to share with you that caught my attention nearly a year ago.

The final steps are to add the sashing and perhaps only a binding to this project.  A teal binding might be just what this project needs.  What do you think?  A decision will be made this week so that I can get my needle into the next UFO.

Have a great March!

 

Sunday Stash Report, March 3, 2024

 

This is duck #11.  A cutie with a strawberry ice cream cone.  Just one more to go then it will be time for figuring out a setting.  Kerry will do as before cross hatch quilting around the blocks of each duck.  She tells me there is a cute duck design that might work out for the borders.  I have been giving lots of thought as to what to look for in the sashing and border fabric.  My mind keeps going to either an orange check or dot pattern.  Then it comes to a calico.  Who knows what awaits when I head over to Rosie's!

I have been working diligently on October Morning.  I will share my progress after today's sewing on my Design Wall post tomorrow.  Nothing changes in my stash, but yardage is coming soon.  Let me get done with October Morning and mostly Pam's stash before I add to the Purchase category =^.^=

Used this week: 12.25 yards 
Used YTD: 17.75 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yard
Purchased YTD: 36 yards
Net used in 2024: -18.25 yards