Sunday Stash Report, March 31, 2013

Kommon Kongregation
63 1/2" x 84"

I have a report for USED this week.  My Seven Sisters Simplified by Marti Michell is finished.  After receiving some of Aunt Marti's scraps the middle block on the last row was assembled.  I cut the orange and not too matchy background in half for the second row on the far right.  I'm pretty pleased to have found the inner border in my stash.  All done!  I pieced much of the back together.  I did have a significant piece of Laurel Burch that worked out perfect.  I put together some pieces left over and voila a back that is big enough.  I hope to find a dark taupe for the binding, but I am sure to have some time to get to finding that fabric.  I'll be sending this off to Kerry's Quilting just as soon as I can get it there.

So here's my stash report for this Easter Sunday.  Hope others will show you how they did through the links at Patchwork Times.

Used this week:  13.5 yards
Used YTD:  105.75 yards

Purchased this week:  0 yards

Purchased YTD:  28.75 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2013:  77 yards

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I finished Krabapple completely.  This project is from a swap last year of 9-patches with 18 participants.  Thanks everyone for all your wonderful 9-patches.  Pretty much this same group of participants are busy making 5" HSTs for the current swap which will be due the end of June.  Wonder what projects will be made with them?

I'm still working on Kommon Kongregation.  Hopefully by the weekend I'll be able to claim yardage.  I've moved the blocks around a bit but no new blocks have been assembled.  I'll be digging around in my stash for a suitable inner border.  Stay tuned.

Happy Hump Day!

Design Wall Monday, March 25, 2013

Sunday I spent time hand sewing and making labels.  I have one more side and the sleeve to finish Krabapple.  The three in the middle are next.  Then comes that stack of labels tucked under Christmas Tree Ornament 2 to put on everything you see.  I'm ready for more Kerry!

Kommon Kongregation is what's on my Design Wall.  I finished the block in the lower left.  It will either stay as a full block or be cut in half.  I'm going to wait to test the purple block that is yet to be assembled before deciding which block from the two on the bottom (left and center) which gets cut in half for the second row.  I'm still moving everything around to distribute color best.  I also need to select an inner border color.  I'm leaning to a dark brown.  This is a Marti Michell design called Seven Sisters Simplified.

Dancing with the Stars is on tonight.  Krabapple will keep my fingers busy for the evening.  Lot's of other projects going on around the globe that you can see through the links at Patchwork Times.  Have a wonderful week.

Sunday Stash Report, March 24, 2013

Kooky Kins
 50" x 56"
2012 UFO

I've got Kooky Kins complete.  I just adore these Buggy Barn designs.  Those two sisters know what they are doing!  This is the second time making their Crazy Jack's design.  The first one was made in a workshop at Amidon's.  It was finished by Kerry and I and raffled off as a Sunshine Quilt Guild Opportunity Quilt a couple of years ago.  Needless to say that I had to have one of my own so that's just what I did.  I think the candy corn border just makes these silly pumpkins just jump right out at you.  You will also be delightfully surprised to see the variegated yellow/orange candy corn quilting pattern.  Thanks to Kerry's son-in-law for coming up with the clever name.

Kommon Kongregation Backgrounds and Setting Triangle Fabrics (new center and right)

I'm deep at work on Kommon Kongregation at present.  Aunt Marti of 52Quilts might have a purple for me to use as one of the stars.  I spotted the fabric from a photo of a block in a quilt she made recently.  (Check out her quilt if you have time; it's theme is Colorado.)  I've been looking for an eggplant purple reproduction fabric with little luck in the shops around my area.  My Mom of Sew What Else! has some grays that I might be able to use for the remaining backgrounds on their way to me.  I did pick up three at Cozy Quilt Shop on Thursday along with a solid more taupe than gray for the setting triangles.  This is my purchase for the week. I still might need Bonnie's help on more gray backgrounds with a stop by her LQS, Temecula Quilt Company.  It's great to have the help!  Kommon Kongregation is a Marti Michell design called Seven Sister's Simplified.

Back to the sew room!  See how others are making good use of their stash through Patchwork Times.


Used this week:  0 yards
Used YTD:  92.25 yards

Purchased this week:  2.5 yards

Purchased YTD:  28.75 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2013:  63.25 yards

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Kommon Kongregation

Here's where I am today.  I'm not sure that I like the full block on the fourth row from the right.  The star fabrics are much lighter than others.  Also the background seems not to work with the other backgrounds as well as the rest of the group.  I could easily cut it in half and make it work for one of the half blocks.  The jury is still out on this block being used at all.

These are the four backgrounds from my Mom that arrived yesterday.  You'll notice that the second from the right is the background fabric that is in question.  I have already used two of the others for half blocks.  The background on the top is in wait for the eggplant purples that I'm waiting on from Aunt Marti.

I decided to make another full block just in the jury says to remove the block completely.  Since I don't know whether I'll use it as a full or half...a full is going to be assembled.  This turquoise is a different color than I've used so far.  It seems to fit in fine.  I'll have this assembled today and solicit opinions on Design Wall Monday.

In the mean time I have three small quilts to get binding on and sewn down.  Krabapple is waiting its time for finishing the binding.  Labels need to be made for a bunch of them.  Never nothing it do in my sewing room.  Happy Saturday!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Here is my start for Friday morning on my current project Kommon Kongregtion.  

Seven blocks complete...

  Four cut and ready to assemble...

Three more backgrounds and setting triangle fabric found and ready to use...

I have a black FQ for stars waiting for a background, more FQ for stars to find in other colors in my stash, and perhaps Aunt Marti and Mom have something I can use on the way to my front door!

Had a very nice day at Kerry's yesterday.  She was "heads down" on her Pink and Brown Dear Jane.  When I left here home she was two side borders away from being able to put it on her long arm.  I helped over the past week with a few of the last blocks and other parts. She was pushing to have it finished on Sunday.  You'll have to find time to see how beautiful it has turned out on her blog Kerry's Quilting.

I'm headed towards my sewing room.  Happy Friday!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A group of us are just getting started on a HST Swap.  Each of us will make 126 5" units with a dark and a neutral fabric.  Here is just one way of getting that 5" unit and how the block could be cut into two smaller units.  Two for the work of one you could say...

First I selected an appropriate neutral and dark fabric that measure 5 1/2".  I marked a line through the neutral's center and sewed on either side of the line using my 1/4" foot as a guide.

Next cut the sewn block on the marked line.  Each piece when opened up is real close to a 5" HST.  Trim it up if it isn't.  The Bloc-Loc rulers work great for trimming down HSTs.  In my opinion it is well worth the cost of this specialty ruler. 

When you get your swap back you can use the block for any design.  It can be one of any size 3" to 5".  Make sure when you cut it down you maintain the HST by trimming away equal fabric from one of the neutral and the dark fabric sides.  If you want any size smaller up to 2 1/2" cut the unit in half both ways across the middle.  You will have 2 1/2" HSTs and two "fabric squares" that can be used too.  The 2 1/2" HSTs can easily be trimmed smaller, just remember that you maintain the HST by trimming away equal fabric from one of the neutral and the dark fabric sides.

Monday night I cut the fabrics for four more Seven Sister Simplified blocks.  This kept me busy while watching the opening season of Dancing With The Stars.  Tuesday night I'll be cutting the last three that I have fabrics for...  Tonight will be assembling.  Thursday might have me searching for more backgrounds or maybe I'll just decide to repeat one I've already used.  I've been on the hunt for two more since January.  I'm hoping a quick lunchtime visit on Thursday to Cozy Quilt Shop can work into my day sewing with Kerry.

Happy HST making.  I've got six done already with only 120 yet to go!  Can't wait to see yours...

Design Wall Monday, March 18 2013

I spent much of the day on Sunday binding.  I finished No Klucks Here Either! right around 3pm.  Took time out for a trip to Fresh and Easy for our Irish meal of corn beef and cabbage.  While the corn beef was cooking I pulled out the first two blocks of Kommon Kongregation and put it up on my design wall.

These two were made during the workshop earlier in the year with Marti Michell.  It is her design called Seven Sisters Simplified.  Next I paired up the background and star fabrics that best complemented each other.  My project will use a range of reproduction fabrics in various colors.  All will have a common gray background.  Let me say that I chose another difficult color in this gray.  I'm not sure I'll be able to find enough different fabrics in it as I had hoped. 

I honestly had to get myself into the Marti thinking...  Using her templates makes the project easy, but figuring out which way they go and what line to cut on was a bit of a challenge at first.  Maybe I was scanning the pattern a bit to quick.  Anyway I have it now!  Two blocks worth were cut out.

 After dinner and kitchen clean up.  It was back to the sewing room.  Now there are four with 13 more to go.  I plan on a solid gray for the large triangles that sash the blocks together.

The fifth block will be teal.  I have enough variations to make 11 blocks so I'll be looking for two more of each background and star.  I will also be keeping my eyes open for that solid gray.

See other projects today through the links at Patchwork Times.  Have a great second half of March.  Hope you were lucky yesterday.

Sunday Stash Report, March 17, 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I'd forgotten until just hours ago that I'd never taken Patrick out of the closet to help us celebrate this day.  Hope you have a lucky day.  I'm planning on something Irish for dinner...just what is yet to be discovered!

Khambray is done.  I was able to finish it yesterday and it's now in Kerry's Quilting queue.  I found a little trouble with Cathy Wiersbicki's pattern when it came to the outside border.  I found the top and bottom didn't need the 3" cut from each end as directed and the side borders were about 7" short.  I checked all my seams and everything measured right.  Fortunately I had enough scrappy fabrics left to make it all work.  Teal YLI thread is planned, a goldish black for Sew Batik, and a feathery looking quilting pattern called Exquisite will be used.  I've got a stripe in teal and gold that will be used for the binding when the time comes.  So today I have yardage to input to the "USED" statistic!

Khambray, March 2013 UFO, 85" x 97.5"

 I've also got lots of binding to do.  These three are all at the half binding stage awaiting their turn.  Do you recognize any of them?  I'll share a full frontal when their finished.

These are the last three Ornaments to be finished.  Kerry quilted them up yesterday.  I plan red binding for each of them.  

Here's the numbers for this lucky day!

Used this week:  20.25 yards
Used YTD:  92.25 yards

Purchased this week:  0 yards

Purchased YTD:  26.25 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2013:  66 yards

Friday, March 15, 2013

Khambray

Time to assemble!  I can see that used fabrics stat changing on Sunday!  I've finished all the units now.  Taken the time this morning to mix up the blocks nicely.  Now it's time to sew the blocks together and put the borders on.

I've got three small quilts completely done.  Kerry quilted them up for me last week.  First up is Koppice that was a 2012 UFO completed on time but hadn't been quilted.  I thought about trying to quilt it myself, but why when Kerry's Quilting does such a fantastic job.  Koppice is from a pattern I picked up at Temecula Quilt Co in Temecula, CA.  It's from A Collection of Small Red and White Quilts.

Koppice, 12 1/2" x 12 1/2"

Next Kadette was completed.  Natural thread was used and the pattern changed for each block, but they were all on the same batting and back making the quilting just a bit quicker.  Kadette was a 2013 UFO.  Its from a pattern called United We Stand by Mary Herschleb Designs.  I enjoyed the tiny paper pieced pieces.  There will be another one to make in the future as promised.

Kadette, 13 1/2" x 13 1/2"

Last but not least, a Christmas Gift for someone special made well ahead of time.  I've got three others in different colors done ready for Kerry's Quilting.  The pattern is by Quilt-Pro Systems.  It was their Block of The Day on December 5, 2012.  It was designed as a paper pieced 4" square pattern that I enlarged.  It should make a nice decoration for a small space.

Ornament 1, 13 1/2" x 13 1/2"

I've got three other larger projects in the binding queue.  You'll be seeing No Klucks Here Either!, Kooky Kins, and Krabapple in the next few days.  Kerry's also suggested that the next three ornament blocks can be done tomorrow while we are sewing together for the day.

I'm off to Bits and Pieces where they are holding the newest Buggy Barn book for me.  They ordered six and got them in just yesterday...all are already spoken for!  I'll be needing mine for a workshop I'll be taking on May 4th.  We'll be doing When the Cows Come Home which is the feature design in the new book.

Have a wonderful day today!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Going on line to the dictionary is a great place to start a search for a "K-name" for a project that needs one.  I usually end up with Merriam-Webster when nothing comes to mind right off considering the designers project's name.  For example, Kordova Klosure aka Orca Bay, jumped right out when I learned that Bonnie named it from her visit to Cordova and the colors of her project were of a sunset over the surrounding body of water.  You might laugh and say this is a stretch, but hey I've learned my lesson to come up with a name and put a sleeve on each project whether or not it needs one.  Because sure enough I will find that I needed it.

I took a workshop with Marti Mitchelle in January at Road to California Quilt Show in Ontario, CA.  The project "Seven Sisters Simplified".  Nothing came to mind that would work until Merriam-Webster showed me the way.  

First I looked up "sister" and came up with this:

sis·ter

noun \ˈsis-tər\

Definition of SISTER

1

: a female who has one or both parents in common with another

2

often capitalized

a : a member of a women's religious order (as of nuns or deaconesses); especially : one of a Roman Catholic congregation under simple vows

b : a girl or woman who is a member of a Christian church

3

a : a girl or woman regarded as a comrade

b : a girl or woman who shares with another a common national or racial origin; especially : a black girl or woman

4

: one that is closely similar to or associated with another (sister cities);

5

chiefly British : nurse

6

a : girl, woman

b : person —usually used in the phrase weak sister

7

: a member of a sorority

Next I looked up "simplify" and came up with this:

sim·pli·fy

 transitive verb \ˈsim-plə-ˌfī\

sim·pli·fiedsim·pli·fy·ing

Definition of SIMPLIFY

: to make simple or simpler: as

a : to reduce to basic essentials

b : to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline simplify management procedures;

c : to make more intelligible : clarify

Did you notice the meaning of "sister" 1) and "sister" 2)?  How about "simplified" c)?  Now that would be a mouthful for sure "Kommon Kongregation Klarified"...  How about Kommon Kongregation; it sort of has a ring to it.  Now a name is born.  Don't let me forget to put that sleeve on!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I was busy last night.  After my work day it was on to the grocery store.  Picked up what was needed for the week and then home.  I made a cake...four layers...quite unusual for me.  My Mom and Sister are the bakers in my family...  It's an Italian Cream Cheese Cake that my Sister found the recipe on Pintrest. I thought it would be wonderful to share it tonight with my friends at the Sunshine Quilt Guild monthly meeting.  I also made sweet and sour pork for our dinner.  After cleaning up a very big pile of dishes I was off to the sewing room to work on Khambray.  I achieved my goal for the day in sewing all the blocks together.  Wednesday I'll move on to the sashing.

Did you finish what you set out to do yesterday?  I'll be back later in the week with more progress on Khambray.

Design Wall Monday, March 11, 2013

I'm nearly finished assembling the blocks for Khambray.  I have only a few left more to assemble and then it's on to the sashing.  The sashing finishes out the outer parts of the pinwheel.  I debated about using the gold in the center blocks, but Collette came by and helped me with a second pair of eyes.  I've got a few more to put into the mix.

I'm hoping tonight gets me finished with the blocks.  Tuesday is Sunshine Quilt Guild so what doesn't get finished tonight will wait until Wednesday.

See what others have been working on through the links at Patchwork Times.  Have a wonderful week.

Sunday Stash Report, March 10, 2013

I continued on the San Diego County Cruisin' Quilters Run this past week.  I got to another three shops.  Fortunately all of these purchases will be USED pretty soon.

To complete the binding on Koda's Keeper I needed enough for a binding.  I'll probably also use some of this for stash enhancement.  Sue helped me by stopping by Crazy 9 Patch for it early in the week.

Kerry and I took in Country Loft, Rosie's, and Memory Lane where purchases were made for Seven Sisters Simplified and three Christmas Ornaments I have in the making.  3 1/2 yards was what I came home with.

So for this past week I brought the total purchase up a bit, but will claim a little with the completion of the fourth Christmas Ornament that Kerry slipped in and finished.  I'll have pictures to show of completions in the next couple of days once the binding is hand sewn down.  I had fun with the Cruisin' Quilters run this year.  I just might find myself making a few of the cute block designs that every shop passed out.


Used this week:  .5 yards
Used YTD:  72 yards

Purchased this week:  4.5 yards

Purchased YTD:  26.25 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2013:  45.75 yards

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

I don't know where Bonnie Hunter comes up with artwork she attaches to her posts, but I'm excited to share them.  I have been asked in the past "do you wind only one bobbin when you need one at a time or several?"  I usually do several unless of course it is a thread color I don't often use.  Speaking of thread time for me to pick up some more Natural Star spools.  I just can't seem to keep enough of this thread on hand! 

I took time away from my sewing room on Monday to watch Killing Lincoln which was aired on the History Channel recently.  (DH always records programs and watches them sometime later so he can fast forward through the commercials.)  The format wasn't exactly as I expected although Tom Hanks did a great job narrating.  Much of the events during that time took place in the area where my parents live now; so I was pretty familiar with many of the places mentioned.  If you have the opportunity to watch it there are lots of details I found interesting.

Here is where I stand today with Khambray.  I've not started putting the blocks together because I want to make sure I have the best variety in each.  I'm still sewing the first units together.  I am thinking by Friday I should be sewing the 30 blocks together.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Design Wall Monday, March 4, 2013

Hard to see the background pieces, but there are a bunch on the wall.  I have five blocks laid out so far with lots more pineapple sections to assemble.  In total 30 need to be made for this project.  So what do you think so far of Khambray?  

You can see on the left the process for assembling the pineapple sections.  Start with a triangle made into a square with background fabric.  Next slice it up equally four times, invert each piece and reassemble.  Khambray is going together quite nicely so far.  Khambray is my March UFO.

This is Koda's Keeper all finished.  I spent time yesterday putting together the back.  So nice to have this project done.  Koda's Keeper has been in my sewing room since 2007!

There are lots of other projects to be seen today on Design Wall Monday with Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report, March 3, 2013

I did some adding this week...  I did pretty good considering I was on the first part of the Cruisin' Quilters Shop Hop that runs March 1-10.  I made it to five shops and only brought home for projects that needed something more to finish.  The purchases are for Seven Sisters Simplified which I've yet to name with a "K"; Koda's Keeper; and finally Konfidential.  It was tough but I did restrain myself with purchasing a new brown inner border fabric for Koda's Keeper.  I knew I had something that would work from my stash.

Seven Sisters Simplified.  Got any ideas for a "K" name?

Koda's Keeper

Konfidential

It is a real guess on how much fabric I pulled out of my stash for Koda's Keeper.  It was a block exchange that took place in 2007-2008.  I included some fabrics for possibilities and participants added some in too.  Think I'll count the purchase for the outer border, inner border, 2 yards for the top because that sounds good, the binding and the back.  8 yards should be somewhere in the ball park.  So here's my numbers for this first week of March 2013.


Used this week:  8 yards
Used YTD:  71.75 yards

Purchased this week:  8.25 yards

Purchased YTD:  21.75 yards

Net Fabric Used in 2013:  50 yards

Check back tomorrow to see progress on Khambray my March UFO with www.52Quilts.com.  There are other quilters using up their fabrics.  Find time to visit their websites through the links at www.patchworktimes.com.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

I started assembling Khambray yesterday when I finished organizing my Shop Hop purchases.  I'm loving what I see so far.  I'll be back at it today for awhile.  So nice having the pieces already cut...allowed me to have results really quick.  My first impression is that I may want to keep the gold with teal out of the centers. Still lots of time to figure that part out, but my instincts are telling me it doesn't fit.  If you are just tuning in Khambray is my March 2013 UFO Challenge (#1) with www.52Quilts.com.

I will find time to finish Koda's Keeper borders and assemble Konfidential's back now that I have all I need to finish them.  There's a possibility of seeing Kerry tomorrow so I'd like to be ready with these two projects if it works out that way.

Enjoy your Saturday!

After The Hop! Friday, March 1, 2013

I've had a fun day running around San Diego country during the first day of the Cruisin' Quilters Shop Hop.  I visited five different shops.  The shops were Starry Night Hollow, Quilt in a Day, Fat Quarters Quilt Shop, Grand Country Quilters, and Crazy 9 Patch.  I was even a winner at Quilt in a Day; lucky #26 got me the pattern in the top left.  The theme of this years run "Just Deserts!  Each shop featured a deserts pattern and a recipe to compliment it.  Grand Country Quilters is a new shop that I'd not been to previously.  Here's what I brought home...

Five FQs from Fat Quarters Quilt Shop and Grand Country Quilters.  The to add to my Seven Sisters Simplified project that I started at Road to California Quilt Show workshop in January.

Konfidential

To finish what I need for the back of my #13 UFO Challenge, yardage (on the far right) from Quilt in a Day.

Koda's Keeper

From Crazy 9 Patch the yardage at the top right for the remaining portions of the outer border.  I had thought to get a solid but this small dot is a very good match.  I will need to add an inner border to set it apart from some of the beiges.  I was nudged to buying a brown, but I knew my stash would have something   that I could use. 

My last quilty news to share is #1 UFO for March.  Marti from 52 Quilts pulled this months project today.  Mine is already cut and ready to sew.  I'll be eager to get this one going.  Check out my 2013 UFO list on the side bar for more information on Khambray.

Khambray

Come back and visit soon to see my progress on all these projects.  Happy Sewing!