Design Wall Monday, August 31, 2015

Krates looks like this when I left it on Thursday.  I have all of the Blocks A, B, and two of the three C sewn together.  Blocks D and E only have one block each.  I'll be working on the remaining stitching when I return home.

Block A

Block B

Block C

Block D

Block E 

Leftover Background

I'm real excited to have a little over a yard left of this batik!  See other projects today through the links at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report, August 30, 2015

Nothing to change stats so far, but a big 'new quilt shop run' is being planned while I'm visiting my parents. My sister picked me up at the airport on Thursday. We headed for Stones Cove for an excellent dinner. Afterward the finish of the LLWS Texas / California game. So sorry for the Texas win.  The California team was from San Diego, so obviously from San Diego you must understand my disappointment.

Karen drove us down to our parents home on Friday.  We have enjoyed our time together this weekend. As always time never slows down.  The weekend finished too fast. Sewing wise I'm busy binding. Today I'm on my fourth quilt. The eagle quilt that's going to the Veterans Home in Charlotte Hall, Maryland is on my lap now. While watching the championship LLWS game Japan / Pennsylvania is on the TV. Looks like Japan will become World Champs. A deflated Pennsylvania crowd. Next in the schedule is a boating adventure around the Canoe Neck Creek while Mom heats the leftovers from Saturday's dinner.  Leftovers aren't bad when they are baby back ribs!

Happy sewing this week everyone!

Used this week:  0 yards
Used YTD:  189 yards
Purchased this week:  0 yards
Purchased YTD:  118.25
Net Fabric Used in 2015:  70.75 yards

Design Wall Monday. August 24, 2015

I have Another Brick in the Wall in full production.  The first column on the left are the four A Blocks.  Next in are the three B Blocks.  Both of these are finished blocks.  The next two columns are the yet to be sewn together strips of all three C Blocks.

These strips are three of the sizes needed for D and E Blocks.  I only have the 1 1/4" strips and 1" strips for both of these blocks to piece.  As always I'm working hard to conserve fabrics...I don't want to cut into the nice background yardage that remains unless I have to.  I'm using the leftovers of the 4 1/2", 2 1/2", and 1 1/2" strips forward.  I hope to finish the rest of the piecing and start on the strip assembly later tonight.  Right now Krates is the name that I plan to use...unless another idea comes forward...

I squeezed in time this morning to trim, prepare binding and sleeve, as well as stitch them in place on the Eagle quilt.  I will be mailing this off this morning to Maryland for finishing when I will be visiting later this week.  This one will be donated to the Veterans Home near my parents home.  Mom and I will be delivering it in early September.  Mom and Dad have birthdays and an anniversary coming that I will be there to celebrate.

See lots of other amazing project through the links today at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report, August 23, 2015

I continued my stash building through this week too.  I sure have been enjoying myself.  I needed some fill in fabrics for my newest Buggy Barn project, Prince Charming.  I have all the pieces cut out with one princely frog sewn.  I haven't been back to the project to be called Kristoff (after the Prince in Disney's Frozen) and won't probably until my return from the East Coast near the middle of September.  Here are those fabrics from Paradise Sewing in Poway.

On Saturday I went for the ride with Kerry and her daughter to select fabric for their new project, a backing, and a project coming in October...mind you I just went for the ride.  Well that turned out to be a stash enhancement for me too.  I found more fabrics that I'll need for my next Buggy Barn project, Believe.  I also found a couple of those hard to find not homespun plaids.  I use a lot of these type of fabrics in Buggy Barn projects.  While they were noticed I decided to get them.  These are fabrics purchased from Memory Lane in El Cajon and Rosie's in La Mesa.  I'm still thinking of a name for my Believe project that Flying Santas are the theme in the design.

I didn't purchase these yesterday, but I hadn't until now counted in the fabric for the monthly project, A Prairie Gathering, that I will be stitching soon until now.  This is Chapter 3, Part 8; it is a monthly installment project but is set up like a book.  Saturday I took the time to count the fabrics...wow at this point there is 10 3/4 yards.  Four months left of fabric enhancement yet to go.  I plan to count the project used once the top is complete.  At the moment Kanton Kull is what I have decided on a name.  This after a prairie called Canton located in Fulton County Illinois and cull that means a group.

Saturday had me working on cutting the teal parts of my last UFO for 2015 to finish, Komatose.  This is Bonnie Hunter's design called Lazy Sunday.  These are just the teal fabrics.  From each came one 3 1/2" square that will be in the middle of the block, 24 different teals.  Just love a scrappy quilt!

So another big dent and nothing to counter the balances.  Sewing time!!!  Enjoy your Sunday and maybe squeeze in some time to enjoy other quilters using their fabric stash through the links at Patchwork Times.

Used this week:  0 yards
Used YTD:  189 yards
Purchased this week:  21.5 yards
Purchased YTD:  118.25
Net Fabric Used in 2015:  70.75 yards

Design Wall Monday, August 17, 2015

 I have a UFO on my wall, but not one that I started.  I took this awesome project from my Mom last September to finish.  Mom was at Road to California Quilt Show January 2013.  It was a quickly scheduled trip which left few classes with openings for her to take.  Another Brick in the Wall a design by Emily Cier had some spots.  It probably wasn't a workshop that she would have signed up for, but I thought she could stretch her skills.  She got through one block and that was enough.  Mom's block is the one all sewn up on the bottom row first on the left.  There are five block designs the first row (look for the white tag marked B for row separation) are all the A blocks; the second row are all the B blocks.  I'm just getting going on the remaining two B blocks.  By the way none of the ones I've been working on are sewn into rows yet...the challenging part!  These rows are slender with the smallest one finishing just 1/2" wide and the largest just 4" wide.  All the pieces are cut which is taking a lot of the time to put it together out of the equation.  I really like the fabrics.  Mom will be very happy to see this one done.

 Photograph of Emily Cier's project.

 Trying to keep all the pieces organized is quite the challenge!

Sunday I attended another Buggy Barn workshop at Paradise Sewing with Julanne Burgstrom.  As always it was a fun day.  Nice to be in the air conditioning as it was 101' when I left at 4:30 pm.  We've been having a heat wave in San Diego these last few days.  Prince Charming is the name of the design.  The toad at the top with his crown is just one of three that will have crowns.  The other 13 will not have a crown.  They end up with the cutest expression; an embroidered smile and huge eyes of black surrounded by white.  Pearl thread will be the smile and felted wool stitched down with pearl thread in a blanket stitch will finish each toads face.  A four inch wide pieced border using leftover strips from all the fabrics will finish the quilt.

I did lots of shopping at several different quilt shops in my area and ended up with this array.  Quite a bit of colors and patterns going together.  Anxious to see how this one turns out.  More on progress when I can get back to it.  I am happy with how my first toad finished.

See more projects today through the links at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash, August 16, 2015

I have been fabric shopping this week...stash has grown by 19 yards!  My goodness did I have fun doing it.  I started off at Beverly's then to Bits and Pieces; next to Rosie's and finally to Country Loft.

Fabrics from Beverly's

Fabrics from Beverly's

Fabrics from Bits and Pieces 

Fabrics from Rosie's  and Country Loft

Fabrics from Country Loft

The blues were the last of what was needed for Krystal Kreek.  I did finish it over the weekend so at least there is a little to help reduce the stash hit.

Krystal Kreek
62" x 78"

Krystal Kreek puts me ahead another UFO month.  I only have one more to finish from the 2015 list.  I wonder if one of the completed UFOs will be called for September.  My stash numbers for this week:

Used this week:  12.5 yards
Used YTD:  189 yards
Purchased this week:  19 yards
Purchased YTD:  96.75
Net Fabric Used in 2015:  92.25 yards

Enjoy other projects through the links at Patchwork Times.

Friday, August 14, 2015

I am just about finished with another yet to be called UFO.  Krystal Kreek is at the "sew on the borders" stage.  Looking forward to taking off some stash this week!  Because I have purchased a bunch of fabric this week for three projects.  I needed a couple more blues for Krystal Kreek and more for two new projects.

I will be taking a Buggy Barn workshop on Sunday with Julanne Burgstrom to make Prince Charming.  It takes 5/8 yards pieces which is not something I have a lot of in my stash.  I have been to Beverly's, Bits and Pieces, and Rosie's to get fabrics.  I think I have a pretty good mix, but Paradise sewing where the workshop is to be held just might have something that must be part of this project.

I picked up August BOM for A Prairie Gathering from Country Loft along with two other fabrics for Believe! a project I will be working on in October at the next Buggy Barn workshop.  Oh, some fabrics were also purchased for Believe! at Rosie's.  I will need more for this project before sewing...it's coming when I can find it!

I've had a busy day today; fabric shopping, sewing, and having the car smog'd for the coming year's registration.  Guess what I liked doing best?  Enjoy your Friday.

Design Wall Monday, August 10, 2015

 I spent most of the day doing house and yard work; not what I wanted to be doing :(!  I did manage between loads of laundry and weed whacking...to run to Beveryly's.  I needed a few more blues for Krystal Kreek that you can see above.  I've got them cut into the pieces and sewn to the neutrals.  Next part of the process is with my Bloc-Loc rulers.  The piece on the bottom will be the binding.

Next Sunday I am taking a workshop with Julanne at Paradise Sewing.  Another fun Buggy Barn design will be our project.  Prince Charming.  I don't have many 5/8 yard pieces so my visit to Beverly's found a few.  A trip to Bits and Pieces is on the schedule for sometime this week where I hope to purchase the rest of what is required.  I am considering making the project half the size. 

The 29th Fur Ball for San Diego Humane Society is done.  I plan a trip on Friday to drop it off.  I hope they bring in lots of cash for the animals at the center.  Kabuki has binding, sleeve, and label in place ready for hand stitching.  I know another Dancing Nine Patch! is inevitable from my stash in the future.

Hope you have a great week doing whatever makes you happy!

Sunday Stash Report, August 9, 2015

I sewed with Kerry yesterday.  I so enjoy our sew days!  She had Kabuki done for me to take home.  I also got back to finish up the Fur Ball donation for the San Diego Humane Society.  As I've been saying we want to have it to them this week.  I will share photos of it tomorrow once the button eyes are sewn into place.  Kabuki is a design by Bonnie Hunter called Dancing Nine Patch!  It is a great use up scraps project.  The fabrics on top are for the binding and the sleeve along with the label.

This is the start of Krystal Kreek.  Another one of my 2015 UFOs yet to be called.  It too is a Bonnie Hunter design called Lady of Lake Erie.  It was published in Quiltmaker Magazine May/June 2011.  This issue also happened to be the release of Debbie Caffrey's mystery series Secret Window that I was the host for the online Quilt-Along.  That was a fun filled experience that took place over the course of six months.

I have more prepared for sewing into blocks today to work on.  Kerry let me raid her blue stash yesterday to get these seven blues.  I found myself short one 3" blue square of the one on the top right.  Hopefully Kerry will find enough on her cutting table to make one more for me.  I only need two more blues to finish the block portion of the project.  Next will be the pieced border using the same fabrics but assembled into triangles.  Look for progress tomorrow.  No changes to stash, but as you can see it's coming.

Used this week:  0 yards
Used YTD:  176.5 yards
Purchased this week:  0 yards
Purchased YTD:  77.75
Net Fabric Used in 2015:  98.75 yards

Enjoy other projects through the links at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday, August 3, 2015

Well I started right away on my UFO #7 for August...

Kristmas Keepsakes
19" x 19"

Honestly I didn't expect it to go quite so quick.  This came as a kit from a gift through 52Quilts and Aunt Marti in 2013 for participation in that years UFO Challenge.  I do like it; although I think the contrast could have been a little bit more vivid with the ribbons and bows.  It is a good project for me to complete this month.  I have some travel planned later this month and I have two big UFO projects that are yet to be called into action.  This will give me time to cut!

Komatose

Krystal Kreek

I hope this first week of August finds you doing the things you enjoy.  More wonderful projects to be found at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report, August 2, 2015

29th Annual Fur Ball Donation
San Diego Humane Society
48" x 56"

Kanine Karnivores
48" x 56"

DH dropped me off at Beverly's to get fabric for Kanine Karnivores borders, binding and back.  I know I've said it before; just love the selection of fabrics on Beverly's Blenders Wall.  There was two shades of brown in this design.  I needed four yards and had my fingers crossed there was enough of this shade...YIPPEE...

Kristmas Keepsakes

UFO #7 was selected by Marti of 52Quilts to work on this month.  It will go by fast as it is only 19" square. Kristmas Keepsakes will be my projects name.  These are the fabrics and the quilt makes up into the four gift packages you can see. Marti might remember this as it was a gift I won through her UFO Challenge.  It hasn't been started except to press the fabrics.  I'll be working on this next.

So here's the changes...

Used this week:  13 yards
Used YTD:  176.5 yards
Purchased this week:  4.5 yards
Purchased YTD:  77.75
Net Fabric Used in 2015:  98.75 yards

Enjoy other projects through the links at Patchwork Times.

Happy Birthday Steve!, August 1, 2015

Sure miss you brother.  Life was so much richer with you...

Birthdays in Heaven

Are a wondrous thing

Everyone's invited

And all the angels sing.

They sing Happy Birthday

May your day be filled with love

And lots of birthday wishes

Sent from earth to heaven above.

So we send our birthday wishes

Wrapped in lots of love

We're sending them to heaven

On the wings of snow white doves.

copyright Ingrid Aspey 3/9/09