I had great plans to finish Eye Fooler for today’s design wall, but I didn’t quite get there.
See what other’s are working on over at Patchwork Times.
Stash Report
Yes, the numbers are up again and I’m still not counting anything out. But next week I’ll be able to count all of the fabric for the graduation quilt, including the backing (and binding?) as I’m quilting it on Thursday afternoon. Nothing like a date with the long arm to finish up a quilt. The following week I’ll use a good bit of the orange fabric I purchase last week as the backing of Orca Bay as I have another date with the longarm.
Fabric Added Since Last Report 8 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 174.11 yards
Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 20.497 yards
INCREASE in Stash to Date: 153.613 yards
See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.
Fun Find
I stopped by the quilt shop to pick up some “in your face orange” and black bobbins for the two quilts I’m quilting this month and they had a basket of pins by the cash register. This one spoke to me.
April’s Progress / May’s Goals
I hoped to have a picture of the finished graduation quilt top for today’ post, but I went backing shopping and came home with BRIGHT ORANGE fabric which will not go on the graduation quilt. It’s getting a dusty black. So, between now and next Thursday, I need to finish the top, pin it and the backing to the zippers, figure out how I’m going to quilt it and decide on a thread color.
Orca Bay is not quilted either. But I know what thread color I’m going to use (purple on the top, orange on the bottom) and have the backing fabric. I just need to decide how I’m going to quilt it, make the backing, and pin it to the zippers by the Wednesday after I quilt the graduation quilt.
The third thing I wanted to do in April was make 30 stars for my Star-A-Day quilt. That didn’t happen either. In fact, no stars were made in April.
What did I accomplish? 35 blocks towards the graduation quilt; 2 blocks toward my postage stamp quilt; cut 1-1/2″ charms for the PSQ swap; planted a container vegetable garden (cucumbers & spinach or carrots popped through the dirt today to go with the lettuce from earlier in the week); cleared out a bit of “junk” via Craigslist and Ebay (who knew the price of a vintage ashtray would be more than a few bucks?) ; and worked part of 3 weekends.
- 350 Block Report: 37
- UFO Busting Report
- # of Projects in Process April 1st: 63
- # of Projects Completed: 0
- # of new Projects started: 0
- # of Projects in Process April 30th: 63
So, what’s up for May?
- Finish the graduation quilt by the 16th
- Finish Orca Bay
- Trace and cut stars for the Star-Every-Other-Day Quilt (I’m not even certain I can pull that off – we’ll have to see)
- Regroup on Sew Scrappy – I want to know where I am and what’s left to be done when I go to Retreat in June.
- Cut squares from my recycled shirts and associated solids for 3 different Disappearing 9-patches in preparation for the Retreat.
In between all of this, I’m attending my niece senior presentation, working one weekend, going to her graduation, babysitting my garden and of course continuing to work full time (I’m taking 2 afternoons off to rent time on the longarm). I probably need to fit in laundry and cooking as well.
I promise to find a picture of something for my next blog post. Thanks for reading this far.
A Decision Has Been Reached
No, this is not the backing for the graduation quilt – it’s the backing for Orca Bay. My friend wanted orange. I think this counts. I’ll also use it as the binding. By using this on Orca Bay, I can then use the black which I didn’t use on the Auction Quilt and was going to use on Orca Bay as the backing for the graduation quilt.
Of course if I don’t get it in gear I won’t need the backing. Ten more full blocks and 32 half blocks plus a border to go.
Garden Wednesday
It’s Wednesday, so it must be time to check in on my garden. From this distance, not much has changed since last week. I do have another entry for my ‘lessons learned’.
Overflow holes. – I deliberately put them to the back of the patio, but when I’m watering the buckets I can’t see if I have enough water without walking around to the back. I’m not sure if that means the lesson is to face the holes to the patio side of the garden or wear shoes. That gravel is hard on bare feet. For now I’m wearing shoes.
The second take away is the positioning of the overflow hole on the bucket in relationship to the handle. That bucket on the far right has the hole right under the handle and it makes it a bit hard to see when I’ve got enough water in the bucket. After the season is over I may take the handles off.
The tomatoes are growing.
Red Beefsteak
Super Sweet 100 Hybrid Cherry
Cherokee Purple Heirloom
The cherry tomato has a single blossom.
Additionally my lettuce has started to grow — click twice on the picture if you really want to see it.
Right now I’m not doing much to the garden. Making sure the reservoirs are filled with water in the morning and afternoon and cleaning the ‘helicopter’ seeds out as they blow in to garden. The last thing I need is a tree growing in my vegetables!
What’s On My Design Wall
It’s still the graduation quilt Eye Fooler. I’ve cut into the border fabric and have a few blocks made. I need to finish cutting the black fabric for the rest of the triangle in a square units so I can finish the partial blocks on the wall. Then it will be time for the rest of the alternate blocks, a pieced border to finish out the pattern and finally a narrowish (3 -4″) outer border in gold.
My goal — to finish the piecing by the end of the month.
Check out what others are working on over at Patchwork Times.
Stash Report
I haven’t done a stash report in a while simply because the numbers haven’t changed. I knew the numbers would change this week, I simply had no idea by how much.
The border fabric for the graduation quilt was finally purchased, but I haven’t finished the top yet. This was anticipated. What was completely unexpected was the generous gift of my friend’s scraps. Over 35 pounds! For one of my future quilts I need a length of red fabric and I found it in the boxes. So, that quilt will move up on my list.
Fabric Added Since Last Report 147.2 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 166.11 yards
Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 20.497 yards
INCREASE in Stash to Date: 145.613 yards
See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.
Scrap Bonanza
Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a friend “I have some fabric scraps that I won’t use. Wondered if you are interested in them?”
Naturally the answer was “Yes”.
She said she stick them in a box and bring them to the quilt retreat this weekend.
I didn’t get to go to the retreat because I was working this weekend but I did stop by the quilt shop long enough to purchase the border fabric for the graduation quilt. While I was there my friend put 2 BOXES of fabric in my car.
I have two things to say.
WOW!
Thank you!
I can’t wait to really dig in and play with these fabrics.
She Sews!
Yes, I did. I’m working an software activation tomorrow evening and Saturday morning — which means a lot of waiting around until it’s time for me to do my thing. Guess where I’ll be during the waiting?
