Here’s the April recap.
- Bound a quilt for a friend
- Started a hexie project
- Made significant progress on Jared Takes A Wife
- Knit 2 rows on the shawl
- Hemmed a prom press
- Completed the embroidery for the baby quilt and finished the top
April’s Recap
Decisions Have Been Made
Now to make the backing.
What’s On My Design Wall
I stayed up too late to finish the embroidery on the 4th last border. Now final decisions need to be made on how I’m going to finish it so I can start quilting.
See what others have on their design walls by following the links over at Patchwork Times.
Stash Report
The third border is complete and I’ve started the 4th one, but that means I still can’t count any fabric out. But there is two yards of fabric to count in.
Yesterday I stopped in at The Country Store Quilt Shop, 14426 Burr Oak Road Carthage, MO 64836. Phone: (417) 827-6626. It’s outside of town southwest of the intersection of I-44 and US 71.
When I walked in I was greeted by the shop owner who asked me if I was looking for anything particular (I wasn’t) then she asked me if I knew the pricing policy.
$7 a yard for 45-inch quilting cotton
I made the comment that at that price I could actually afford some fabric the she explained her pricing philosophy. Essentially, she is concerned that we will lose a whole generation of quilters who won’t start quilting with prices so high and those of us who do quilt are being hard pressed to buy fabric. She’s decided to take a stand against the high prices and believes she’ll make it work by volume of sales. She started her experiment a month ago, so I hope she makes it work.
So what did I buy? 7 – 1/4 yard cuts of “white” neutrals, plus a 1/4 yard cut of purple. I noticed while cutting the neutrals for my hexagon quilt most of them had a cream or beige background.
So, this week’s numbers:
Fabric added this week: 2 yards
Fabric added to date: 59.879 yards
Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used to date: 38.987 yards
Net used to date: -20.982 yards
Check out how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.
Did Someone Say New Project?
I’m nearly done with line 3 of the baby music quilt. Two more notes, two more bar lines and the staff to where the thread is on the right. Then I’ve got to trace off one more line of music.
Back on Track
After a week of NOT working on the baby quilt, I cleared off the cutting table and traced the notes onto the music staff so I could work on the third line of music. I really need to cut the 4th border and get it traced off as well so I can start it when I get this one finished. This time I’m stitching a hoop’s worth of staff and the notes instead of stitching the staff then going back and doing the notes.
Last night I also discovered that the pocket on the back of my ‘busy bag’ is large enough to hold my Kindle in its case.
What’s On My Design Wall
There’s all sorts of stuff going on in my sewing area. Eeyore is still hanging there — well Piglet is. Eeyore is still to be done. The baby quilt is still in process, but no additional work has been done since I finished the embroidery on the second border. That’s Sydney’s red, black and white rail fence on the right. The backing fabric is laying over the DWR on the left.
So why haven’t I done more? Saturday I ran to Jo-Ann’s to pick up a spool of thread to bind this quilt for a friend.
I had a 40% and a 50% coupon, so I wandered around the store looking for something to buy – not really something I normally do. I end up using coupons on the two spools of thread – the green for the binding and a gray for piecing. Additionally I picked up another skein of black embroidery thread for the baby quilt and this:
This is a the X-Large Fiskars Hexagon punch. It measures 1″ across each edge. Needless to say, there is a not a junk mail card that hasn’t been punched. While I was at it, I cut a ton of hexagons from 2 1/2″ strips and put together a busy bag.
This bag was given to me a few years ago. Previously I had sewing/quilting notions in it, but then migrated to other solutions. It’s perfect for what I need now.
Left to right: the punched cards and a small bag of paper clips; cut hexagons; basted hexagons and a few clipped to cards. The next page is has a whole stack of neutral hexagons on one side of the page and the black embroidery thread for the baby quilt on the other side of the page. That’s where I’ll put the the next two borders once I get them traced off.
I have a few hexagons stitched together — I really need to nail down the pattern before I go too much further. On the right is a panel of Winter Wonderland – a long term project that I’ve been working on.
I also have the hexagon template in that sleeve – which I will probably pull out. In the next to last pocket just shoved willy nilly is the thread for the hexagons and the red work, scissors, nail file, needles, pens and who knows what else. The last pocket has the next to last block for the Christmas BOM and thread plus those applique flowers I did a couple of months ago.
Since everything is together it will be easy to grab and go. I don’t even have to worry about getting bored working on just one project – there’s 4 in this bag.
Hop over to Patchwork Times to check out what other’s have on their design wall.
Two Lines Done
Two to go.
What’s On My Design Wall
Friday night was Stitch & Chat at the LQS. Normally I would take my DWR, but I am in desperate need of finishing the baby quilt. I wonder how many notes I can stitch this evening?
Check out what others are working on by following the links over at Patchwork Times.
Stash Report
Oh, my. Yesterday my friends and I went to a new to us quilt shop – By the Yard in Rayville, Missouri. This is their 7th anniversary and they were having an anniversary sale. I found them because I was looking for a near by shop which carries the American Made Brand fabric. It’s a great shop and was worth the drive (about an hour north of me). This is what I managed to limit myself to.
The black and bright was an impulse buy – Loralie Designs to go with her Cool Cats that I bought several years ago. The large pink and brown reproduction print on the right will be the backing for the pink and brown quilt top I made several years ago. It was on the clearance rack at a fantastic price and then if you bought 5 yards you got one free. Seven yards came home with me. I’m going to try to match the seam.
In the back is what brought me to the store. AMB fabric in Light Kahki, Aqua, Brown and Light Yellow. I’m going to use this to test a new quilt pattern. The print behind it will be my backing — it is not an AMB fabric.
There were several other pieces of fabric I would have loved to brought home, but I knew if I did, it would just sit in on my shelf for a while.
Since I knew my numbers were going to jump up, I finally finished de-boning the shirts I bought last month. Those numbers are now in my total as well.
Fabric added this week: 17.75 yards + 10.25 recycled
Fabric added to date: 57.879 yards
Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used to date: 38.987 yards
Net used to date: -18.982 yards
Nothing like having more fabric now than when I started the year.
Check out the link up over at Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with their stash.
