Design Wall Monday 12/31/12 and 2013 Goals

This is the last Design Wall Monday post for 2012.  I started my blog at the beginning of this year, mostly because I wanted to join in the fun of Design Wall Monday.  I love seeing all the different projects people are working on.  There is so much talent out there--you all inspire me!

There's nothing up on my design wall at the moment, but I do have a box of finished units for Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery.  There is another clue posting today, and I hope we will start joining all these units together.  Bonnie certainly has me stumped.  I haven't a clue what these will become, but I have enjoyed following along.  It is so much fun to see all the blog posts with everyone's progress.

This morning Bonnie posted the next clue which has us joining parts to make big triangles. Looks like we will have blocks set on the diagonal.  I don't have time to sew before work today, but I couldn't resist laying out my pieces to see how they look.

As the new year approaches, I have been trying to set some goals for my quilting in the coming year:

My quilting goals for 2013:
1. Make at least 4 charity/QOV quilts 
2. Finish at least 4 UFOs
3. Finish more projects than I begin
4. Stashbusting--use 100 yards, buy less than I use 

A few specific UFO possibilities:
1. Hidden 9-Patch--binding

2. Make 6 more paisley placemats to go with the ones made last May

3. Red/white/blue Scrap Club blocks--make more blocks, finish quilt top 

4. French Braid--make into Roman shade for door

5. Boston Fiesta--more blocks, get top together

I will be linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all and HAPPY QUILTING!

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 12/30/12

It's time for the final stash report of 2012.  This was my first year of tracking the amount of fabric going in and out of my stash.  It really makes me stop and think when I am considering buying more fabric.  I know that I already have enough fabric for many, many quilts, but sometimes new fabric is irresistible, especially when it is on sale!

I can finally report the yardage used for the shirt I made my husband for Christmas.  It isn't a quilt, but it still came out of my stash.  That used 3 yards.  It turned out great, he loves it, and his family couldn't believe that I made it.


Used this week: 3  yards   
Used year to date: 69.75 yards    

Added this week:   0 yards

Added year to date:  126.5 yards

Final total for 2012: 56.75 yards added   

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report Sunday 12/23/12

I was feeling okay about my stash additions and usage for the year, and I had been able to resist all the sales going on lately--until I saw the sale prices at Connecting Threads.  They had clearance fabrics as low as $2.48 a yard!  My willpower disappeared, and suddenly one morning when I should have been getting ready for work, I was placing an order for over 20 yards of fabric.  My justification is that it is all meant to become backgrounds and backing for Quilts of Valor in the new year.  Stash enhancement for a good cause!

No finishes and very little sewing got done this past week.  I have kept up with Easy Street, but haven't calculated the amount of fabric used.


Used this week:  0 yards
Used year to date: 66.75 yards

Added this week:   21.5 yards

Added year to date:  126.5 yards

Net year to date: 59.75 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

Design Wall Monday 12/17/12

There wasn't much free time for quilting this week, but I did manage to stay caught up on the Easy Street mystery.  I am only making about half the number of parts that Bonnie's instructions list, with the plan that mine will be a lap quilt.  If I end up loving the design, I have plenty of fabric to make it bigger.  I have stacks of different units all pinned together in groups of 10.  There are still some flying geese to join together to complete Part 4.

I couldn't resist playing with some design possibilities!

I will be linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday and also the Easy Street link-up to see other people's progress on the mystery.  

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 12/16/12

This week I finished up a tote bag that is going to be a Christmas gift.  That used up over 2 yards of fabric.  I must have made around 20 of these bags over the past 8-10 years, most as gifts for family & friends.

I have been keeping up on Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery, but haven't figured out how much fabric I have used yet.  Maybe next week (since I would like to subtract that fabric from this year's total.)

It's hard to believe that the year is nearly over and there are only two more stash reports to go for 2012.  This has been my first year of blogging and of keeping track of my stash.  I haven't used up as much fabric as I had hoped, but it is interesting to watch the numbers change.  It's also fun to read other people's reports--I am so impressed by the ones who use up hundreds of yards of fabric in one year.


Used this week:  2.25 yards
Used year to date: 66.75 yards

Added this week:   0 yards

Added year to date:  105 yards

Net year to date: 38.25 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

Design Wall Monday 12/10/12

It seemed like I would have tons of time to sew over the weekend, but things just didn't work out that way.  We had our scrap quilt group gathering on Saturday morning, the last meeting of the year.  I showed the red, white and blue scrappy blocks that I have been making throughout the year.  They are now hanging on the design wall while I try to decide how big to make this quilt.

My favorites  are the pineapple blocks.  I love the diagonal movement of them.  Here is a possible layout with more blocks.  The original plan was that this would be a Quilt of Valor, but I'm not sure I will be able to give it up.

My time to work on Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery quilt has been limited, but I did manage to make 16 of the Shaded 4-patch units for Part 3.  Even though I haven't finished all the units from the previous steps, I am following Bonnie's advice to move on with each new clue so that I get some of each part made.  I am loving how my colors look together!

I will be linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday and also the Easy Street link-up to see other people's progress.  

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 12/9/12

Who can resist free fabric?  Not me, that's for sure.  We had some fabric donated at work last week, most of which is not useful there.  I was excited to find these two pieces that look perfect for a future Quilt of Valor backing.  There are two yards of each.

I also got about 7 yards of this wild print.  The colors remind me of the southwest.  It has been designated as another quilt back.

I have a couple of Christmas projects in the works, but no finishes yet.  I haven't figured out how much yardage has been used up so far on the Easy Street mystery.


Used this week:  0 yards
Used year to date: 64.5 yards

Added this week:   11 yards

Added year to date:  105 yards

Net year to date: 40.5 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

Easy Street on Design Wall Monday 12/3/12

There were two main reasons I was resisting doing Bonnie Hunter's new mystery, Easy Street.  The first was lack of time.  This is not the best time of year to begin a new project (but that has rarely stopped me before!)  Besides, Bonnie promised that this year's quilt is less intense than the last couple.  I'm thinking maybe I can manage to make half of the units and end up with a lap quilt or wall hanging.

The other thing that slowed me down was trying to decide on my color palette.  Bonnie's colors are great, but I wanted to come up with my own combination.  It wasn't until I came across this piece in my stash that I decided what direction to take.  

Some of my colors are going to be the same as Bonnie's.  There is a grey print as a constant, and I am also using turquoise and purple in the same places she did.  Where she has lime green, I am going to use fuchsia, and instead of black-on-white prints for background, I am going with dark grey and black prints.  Here is most of the collection I am working from.  (I can see from the photo that there is a paisley print in the black prints that shows up much lighter than the rest.  I knew that one might be a problem!)

So far I have made about 100 four-patch blocks, and I am making good progress with my flying geese.  Can't wait to see what comes next!

I will be linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday and also the Easy Street link-up to see other people's progress.  

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 12/2/12

I have been doing a good bit of sewing this week, but have nothing to report right now.  I started Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery quilt, but that yardage isn't ready to be subtracted yet. Hopefully there will be some completed Christmas gifts soon that I can count as yardage used.  I would love to get closer to even by the end of the year.


Used this week:  0 yards
Used year to date: 64.5 yards

Added this week:   0 yards

Added year to date:  94 yards

Net year to date: 29.5 yards added

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie