It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve reported my statistics. I’ve been shopping — but with the exception of the above 1/2 yard cut, for backing fabrics, one which will show up as “used” next week and the other as “used” by the end of the year.

Since I last reported I used or gave to Sydney, fabric for the border and backing of Sydney’s latest quilt, fabric for 3 cell phone bags and the Deadline Project quilt.

During this time frame, I made a trip to the Goodwill Clearance Center where I picked up a few shirts, a length of fabric and a couple of FQs; bought border, sashing and backing fabric for Deadline Project, bought a backing for another deadline project and the 1/2 yard of Halloween fabric.

So, by the numbers.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 21.95 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 155.037 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report:  9.812 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 85.024 yards

Net Used for the year -70.013 yards

See how others are doing with their stashes over at Patchwork Times.

I have several quilts which need to be quilted sooner than later. Last night the plan was to dig in the stash and find backings for these two quilts.  One will be quilted on Monday, the other later in the week. The Red and Blue stars I found in the fabric I brought from Momma’s.  At the time (nearly midnight?) I thought it should work, but it’s not doing it for me.  But I had it.

I could find absolutely NOTHING for the brown quilt. I might have been able to do a pieced backing, but I wasn’t feeling it and quite frankly, didn’t want to mess with it in the time I have. (I need to get borders on another quilt & catch up on the A4AQAL) So, today at lunch I took off for one of the LQS – Creative Hands in Belton. I found the brown and white fabric on the 40% off rack. Score!  Then when I came home and had better light I realized I really do like the red and blue stars.

At one point between not wanting to piece the backing and going to the store I thought about finding a sheet for the backing. I know there are pros and cons to using a sheet, but I figured if I can use a tablecloth, I could try a sheet.  But I forgot that plan.

But after work when we were out running errands, we stopped at the Kmart going out of business. I found a hot pink sheet on sale. I thought it would be perfect with the pink and black quilt that has recently been moved up in the queue to be quilted. (Sheet on the left quilt on the right). I’m pleased with how well the color works.

While I was digging for backings, I cleared most of the flat surfaces in the sewing room (or at least got it down to something manageable) and put away all the fabric which had been laying around. Finally I pulled the fabric for Lesson 12.  I’m a bit behind since Lesson 15 was released this week.

Last night I finished my latest quilt top.  The one from this collection of fabrics.

There are several deadlines associated with it. The first one I met. Now to get it quilted so I can meet the second deadline.  But first I’ve got to figure out what to use for a backing.

J is for Jacob’s Ladder this month’s block of Dorothy Young’s alphabet block-of-the-month.  If you wish to quilt along, join the group by clicking on the “Join Now!” button.

Click to join apocketfullofmysteries.

Last week I quilted Syd’s latest quilt — this time with butterflies.  Well, they sort of look like butterflies if you squint and are looking at the quilt right side up – but look at it from the side they look more like flowers.

Check out what others have on their design wall by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

This morning I attended the Quilters Guild of Greater Kansas City‘s quit show.  The quilts were wonderful. No pictures since I didn’t take my camera.  They also had numerous vendors.

At one booth I found the Quiltsmart Cell phone Bag.  I bought a panel of the interfacing, came home and made the black and white with red lining.  It went together quickly.

Syd dug through my fabrics and came up with fabric for two. I think she plans to give them to her friends.

I promise I’ve been sewing — in fact I spent the vast majority of my vacation sitting at my sewing machine working on a test quilt using the fabrics I picked out last week. Ironically, what looked good in the picture of the fabrics is not looking so good in actuality. Perhaps when I get the borders on the quilt the green will pop a bit more.

But in the meantime, Syd got the borders on her quilt this past weekend. Rummaging through my stash, we found a lavender and this darker purple fabric. As you can see, she picked the darker purple – adventurous kid that she is. I love it. Now to find a backing and to quilt it. She wants it quilted in butterflies.

Check out what others have on their design walls by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

I managed to get through half of my paper piecing before I made this mistake.

Every once in a while I have to do a bit of paper piecing. It’s not something I enjoy, but the precision is sometimes worth the effort. I’ve done all of the easy piecing for my deadline project and now it’s time to do the paper piecing. Since I need 80 units, I’ve been working on them in groups of about 10 or so.

Temporarily glue the brown to the paper, mark the first stitching line with a couple of pins, pin the gold in place and then when I have a stack, stitch, clip apart and trim.  It was going just fine, then I ended up with a stack of left over gold pieces. Since the gold pieces are cut in mirror image and yesterday I came up short, I thought I had either misplaced the pieces or cut them wrong. I set the stack aside and started chain piecing my units.

It was when I got to clipping them apart that I realized what had happened.

I pinned the sewing line — but I failed to then go back and pin the gold fabric in place.

Sheesh!

Well at least now it will be easier to figure out exactly where the gold goes.

Nothing has changed on my design wall from last week. There’s another block out, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. So, I’m showing you Sydney’s project. I’m so proud of her.  She took a sewing machine home last weekend and finished sewing the squares into rows and most of the rows together before coming back. Before she comes back I’m supposed to square up the quilt and cut the border fabric.

She what others are up to by following the links over at Patchwork Times.