Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Stash Report

July 25, 2010 8:06 am ⋅

It’s been a busy week, not that I could tell you what I’ve done all week. But it was very little quilting after about Monday or Tuesday. Early this week I finished cutting the gold accent pieces for Star Struck. Nothing inbound quilting related except for the quilting hoop and book. Oh, yes, I picked up the current issue of Country Woman last night at Jo-Ann’s. There is an article about Jennifer Chiaverini and I think a quilt pattern in it. We were in Jo-Ann’s to pick up a piece of upholstery fabric to cover the seat of a small loveseat. That’s what I’ll be doing today.

So here’s the tally:

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 132.011 yards

Fabric Used this Week: .7 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 56.606 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 75.405 yards

Check out how others are doing over with their Stash Busting efforts over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Star Struck, Stash Busting Report

New Hand Quilting Hoop

July 23, 2010 11:00 am ⋅

Wednesday around noon I placed an order for a 14″ lap frame and Jean Brown’s book 1,2,3…Quilt Finished from Jeans Impressions. It was delivered with my mail this morning around 9:30!

Now to find time to learn to use the frame and the Aunt Becky quilting Tool. Hum..I wonder where it and my deep recessed thimble are?

Posted in: hand quilting

My First Sewing Machine

July 22, 2010 5:15 pm ⋅

This is my first sewing machine.  Not the first one I used — that was my mother’s Kenmore that she got shortly before I was born.  This is the first sewing machine I purchased.

It was the first big purchase my husband and I made after we got married.  I remember it costing nearly $300.  My mother was horrified at the cost.

The first thing I made on it was this dress:

Why do I still have this dress?  It hasn’t fit in more years than I can count.

Over the years I made clothes for my husband and myself.  Baby clothes for my sister’s kids. A few early quilts.  This is the machine I started piecing my Double Wedding Ring on.

This machine did anything I asked it to do – until 2002.  That’s when I discovered heirloom sewing.  I couldn’t get the machine to make a perfect straight stitch on the lightweight silks I was using.  So, I went out and bought my Husqvarna Quilt Designer.  My mom just thought $300 for the Kenmore was outrageous.

Since I didn’t need two machines, I gave mine to my sister.  It was still a good machine if you weren’t working on delicate fabrics and with 3 boys and a tomboy girl, it wasn’t likely.  The only thing I know she made on it was a jeans quilt for our mom.

When she moved this spring she was going to toss it out since it “didn’t work”.  My husband brought it home – sans accessories and it’s been sitting in our garage.  We decided to Freecyle it and I brought in to see how bad it was.  After a bit of dusting out the bobbin case area and re-threading the machine I have to say it works as well as it did when I gave it to my sister.  The dark thread is from the Kenmore — the light and red stitching is from my QD.

Who knew I’d get misty eyed over giving away my sewing machine to a stranger.  But I really don’t need another spare machine.  I have the Singer Genie 354 that my husband bought me at a garage sale a couple of years ago.

P.S. Would you believe that the gal who got my sewing machine knew me from Knitting Camp? I’m sorry I didn’t remember her, but she knew me and remembered that I went to camp pulling a U-haul trailer (there were 4 of us and we needed more room for our machines, projects and clothes). What a small world.

Posted in: Uncategorized

QA Wednesday

July 21, 2010 5:29 pm ⋅

We lost our internet connection last night, so I didn’t get to prepare today’s post. No chance during lunch either, as phone kept ringing.

Last week a couple of simple goals

  • Continue working on the sewing room. I think this project is going to last all month.
  • Find batting for the baby boy quilt. – the backing and binding are with the top.

I’m happy to report that not only did I find the batting for the baby boy quilt I finished it Friday night.

Working in the sewing room, not so much. So, it’s on my list again for this week. My husband is taking our niece and three of her friends to the Justin Bieber concert next week. Since none of them live in town, some of them are spending the night before the concert here and all of them are spending the night after the concert. So this week will be devoted to finding the guest room and if I’m lucky I’ll get to sneak a few minutes of sewing in.

Follow the links over on Bari’s page to see if anyone else has plans to get any sewing in this week.

Posted in: goals

What’s On My Design Wall

July 19, 2010 12:15 pm ⋅

Yes, Star Struck is still on my design wall. But I have done more piecing on it.

When I get these pieces sew together I’ll have completed 40 blocks. I’m aiming for 80, so I still have a way to go.

check out other design walls following the links over at PatchworkTimes.

Posted in: designwall, Star Struck

Stash Report

July 18, 2010 9:51 am ⋅

This week I used more fabric than I expected. The binding on the pink baby quilt was expected, but it’s the backing and binding on the Tossed 9-patch and the 96 – 2 1/2″ squares for Star Struck which surprised me. I had no idea I was going to be able to find time to quilt another baby quilt or make progress on my Star Struck quilt.

Saturday I stopped by my LQS, Heritage Fine Fabrics, to report in on my UFQ (UnFinished Quilt) progress. I have 5 things on my list and I’ve now finished all but one — quilt and bind my DWR. I best get back to it sooner than later if I’m going to get it done by my deadline (my personal goal is 11/29, but I have until 12/18 for the UFQ program). Since I took two items in — my completed Dancing Flowers and all three of my Carolina Christmas tops (they only had to make it to the top stage), I was able to pick 2 FQs. While I was there I dug through the button bin and picked up some basting spray and a needle threader.

So here’s the tally:

Fabric Added this Week: .5 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 132.011 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 2.267 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 55.906 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 76.105 yards

Check out how others are doing over with their Stash Busting efforts over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

Another Baby Quilt – Finished!

July 17, 2010 8:44 am ⋅

This is my Bright Tossed 9-Patch.   It was a UFO from 2008.  This quilt is “related” to at least 3 other quilts.  The bright fabric was also used in my “No Blue Geese in my Tropical Garden” and some were used in a pair of quilts I made for my niece’s twins.

The binding and blue squares where from another quilt — although at the moment I can’t remember now which one.

I love this backing. Isn’t it fun?

I started off the year needing to finish at least 3 baby quilts and I wanted to use one from my stash of baby quilt tops. This was the 3rd quilt, so I can cross that goal off my list.

Posted in: baby quilt, Bright Tossed 9-Patch, goals

QA Wednesday

July 14, 2010 11:51 am ⋅

There were only two things on my list last week.

I’d show a picture of the room as it is this week, but it’s hard to see the changes. You’ll just have to believe me when I’ve said I’ve made progress.  What can I say – I got distracted – but it was a good distraction.

I’ve finally finished the baby quilt!  A baby girl quilt has been on my list since at least May.  I promise I was cleaning my sewing room, when I got the urge to get this top quilted.  I think it might have been receiving an invitation to a baby shower where I need a “boy” quilt.  I couldn’t very well skip ahead to that quilt when this quilt is going to a baby who is now 2 1/2 months old.  It also helped that I was able to pull a piece of batting out of my batting box that was the correct size 🙂

Here’s a closeup of the quilting.  Nothing fancy – diagonal lines through the green, resulting in a X on the white squares and a curvy 1/4″-ish on the petals.  I used a light pink thread.

The backing is the pretty green floral I bought at the end of May on a shop hop. The binding and label is a pink Marble I had in my stash.

So what’s up for this coming week?

  • Continue working on the sewing room.  I think this project is going to last all month.
  • Find batting for the baby boy quilt. – the backing and binding are with the top.

See what others are planning by following the links over at Bari’s.

Posted in: goals, Lucy

What’s On My Design Wall

July 11, 2010 11:16 pm ⋅

Technically, those same 16 Star Struck blocks from last week, plus the KVQG BOM Block 1 are on my design wall. However, it’s this baby quilt that I’m really working on. I finished up the quilting Sunday before I had to work, then before I went to bed I started working on the binding. I need to get a label together before I finish stitching the binding down so I can catch it the corner.

For more inspiration, check out the links at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: designwall

Stash Report

July 10, 2010 11:34 pm ⋅

Given everything on my plate this past week, not bringing fabric in would be easy, but using fabric — that would be a challenge. Turns out I managed to use 1 1/2 yards! Of course it means I started a new quilt — but it’s a BOM so it won’t be a UFO until next July.  On the other hand, I’ve finally started quilting the baby quilt for the April baby.  Ran out of bobbin thread, so decided to stop and figure my stash report.

So, here’s this week’s report.

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 131.511 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 1.5 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 53.639 yards

Net Stash for 2010: 77.872 yards

Check out how others are doing by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report