Stash Report and Stitching Time 9/22/2024

The past week has been a busy one, with all of my quilting time devoted to a variety of quilt guild activities. We had a board meeting on Monday, and our regular meeting was on Thursday, which was the guild's annual auction. Guild members donate quilting/sewing related items which are laid out on long tables with brown paper bags taped to the tables next to each item. We buy tickets and place them in the bags for the items we wish to win. Here are some of the items I donated.

Green ikat panel

Halloween panel

Santa panel

Stripes, checks and plaids

Heart appliques/blocks

Chilhowie blocks (Bonnie Hunter 2022 mystery)

In addition to everything shown, there were several other plaid and stripe fabrics, plus a few more Christmas panels. Donations from my stash totaled 19.875 yards. I also donated one book and some spools of thread.

I also won a few prizes, fortunately much less than I donated. One of them was this bundle of blue fabrics, which total 4.25 yards.

The prize I was most excited to win was this bin of light/low volume strips. I haven't had much time to go through them yet, but I foresee using them in all sorts of wonderful projects. I estimated the yardage at 7.5 yards by weight. I also won a book and a set of rotary rulers.

On top of all that fabric moving in and out of my stash, I have been busy finishing more placemats for the guild Christmas market. I made eight from a wonderful harvest print that seemed perfect for Thanksgiving.

I also finished another set that feature a very old Hoffman print from the late 1990's/early 2000s.

Each set of 4 placemats used 1.75 yards of fabric. When I added everything together, the totals came to 25.125 yards used/donated from the stash and 11.75 yards added. 

2024 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                25.125 yards

Used year to date:              110.5 yards

Added last week:                 11.75 yards

Added year to date:             88.75 yards

Net used in 2024:            21.75 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. The whole week felt like a race to get things together for the guild auction and to finish the placemats for the Christmas market. I hope to complete the last set of placemats today, and then I should be able to get back to some of my neglected on-going projects.

15 Minute Challenge for 2024

9/15 - 9/21               7 of 7 days

2024 Total          260 of 265 days

Success rate                 98.1 %   

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. Thanks so much to Donna and Kate for continuing to host these link-ups.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 11/5/2023

I've been feeling a little lost as far as my quilting projects lately. After the push to finish projects for the guild Christmas market, I've struggled to figure out what to work on next. The first thing I should be doing is cleaning up the sewing room, but instead I've been bouncing around between a few different projects, but accomplishing very little.

Speaking of the Christmas market, it has been happening all weekend at the Coweta County, GA fairgrounds. I helped with the set-up on Thursday, and we have a fantastic mix of different products for sale. This is just one part of the display.

I missed filing a stash report last week, so my numbers cover the past two weeks. In that time, I used 1.25 yards for the blocks made from shirting samples, shared in Monday's post. I also used 1.375 yards for the two placemats shared in yesterday's post. There was no new fabric added to the stash over the past two weeks.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last two weeks:                2.625 yards

Used year to date:                  116.75 yards

Added last two weeks:                  0.0 yards

Added year to date:                92.375 yards

Net used in 2023:               24.375 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. Despite my problems with figuring out my next quilting project, I did get at least 15 minute of quilting time every day over the last two weeks.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

10/22 - 11/4          14 of 14 days

2023 Total          296 of 308 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Christmas Market Contributions

Thursday was the monthly meeting for the Common Threads Quilt Guild, and it was also the last meeting before the guild participates in the annual Christmas market. I finished up the rest of my projects just in time.

I made four more of the Diva Wallets, to go along with the others I'd done back in August (see the first group HERE.) My favorite part of these new wallets was using the ombre fabrics on the inside of them.

My other finish for the market was this border-stripe tablerunner. The fabric was one of the prizes I won at last month's guild auction. The finished size is 18" x 46". I also have a second runner cut out from the same fabric--maybe that will get done for next year's market.

For anyone who will be around the Atlanta area on the first weekend of November, you should check out the 2023 Christmas Arts & Crafts Market at the Coweta County Fairgrounds. There will be many wonderful treasures!

Linking up with:

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 10/15/2023

Our quilt guild has a meeting next week, which will be the last chance to turn in items for the annual Christmas market. I've been working on finishing up this set of placemats made from some very old Jinny Beyer prints.

 

I repeated a couple of the same fabrics on the backs. They are quilted very simply in the ditch, and I turned the backings to the front for binding.

The placemats used 2 yards of fabric from my stash. I also used 1.5 yards for the Daytripper II purse that I shared HERE. No new fabric was added to the stash this week.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                           3.5 yards

Used year to date:                108.375 yards

Added last week:                         0.0 yards

Added year to date:                92.375 yards

Net used in 2023:                   16.0 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. My push to finish up projects for the guild market meant I definitely got more than 15 minutes every day last week.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

10/8 - 10/14              7 of 7 days

2023 Total          275 of 287 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 10/8/2023

I've been cutting and stitching every chance I get over the last week as I attempt to finish more projects for the quilt guild's upcoming Christmas market. The latest project to be finished was three more sets of Little Duffle pouches featuring nearby college teams. Making these used 3 yards from the stash.

Pattern is "A Little Duffle Do It" by Karen West

of For the Love of Fabric

There was some fabric added to the stash too. I bought a piece of wide backing fabric to use for my Blooming Onion quilt top. Since it is a wide back, I'm counting it as 5.5 yards added.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                           3.0 yards

Used year to date:                104.875 yards

Added last week:                         5.5 yards

Added year to date:                92.375 yards

Net used in 2023:                   12.5 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. We are still dealing with the late stages of our kitchen renovation, but I managed to find time every day to do some cutting and/or stitching.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

10/1 - 10/7               7 of 7 days

2023 Total          268 of 280 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 10/1/2023

Happy October! I've been loving the cooler weather and lower humidity here since we got back from our trip to New England, but it will be awhile yet before we see much for fall colors. We planted an Autumn Blaze maple tree in front of our house a few years ago, but the color change won't appear on that until late October or November.

Instead I will have to focus on all the pretty colors in my sewing room. My main projects this week were catching up on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks. I made four A Maze Zing blocks plus one scrappy placemat, all using turquoise, teal and aqua scraps. You can see them in yesterday's post HERE. I used a total of almost 2 yards on those.

My other project for the week was finishing up a set of placemats for the guild's Christmas market. The pinwheel blocks were made using the Stack & Whack technique, and the same fabric was used for the borders and the backing. 2.5 yards used.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                       4.375 yards

Used year to date:                101.875 yards

Added last week:                         0.0 yards

Added year to date:                86.875 yards

Net used in 2023:                   15.0 yards

I was excited to see that my yardage used for the year had passed 100 yards before the end of September. Each year my goals for the stash are to use at least 100 yards for the year and to use more than I add to the stash. Using over 100 yards in a year has been much easier since I retired, but using more than I add continues to be a struggle. Here's hoping I will be successful this year.

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. Quilting time has been somewhat limited as we have been dealing with some renovation work in our kitchen, but I did manage to get at least 15 minutes every day last week.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

9/24 - 9/30               7 of 7 days

2023 Total          261 of 273 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

I'm Turning Into a Bag Lady!

Most of my stitching time over the past week has been spent on more pieces for the guild's Christmas market in November. After finishing the Diva Wallets (see last week's post HERE,) I continued with the same team fabrics to make sets of zipper pouches. 

The University of Georgia pouches have a very old fabric for the lining, Pointillist Palette in red and black.

The lining for the Georgia Tech pouches is a wavy black and white check.

Here are the pieces for two sets of pouches, plus the zippers for them. Each main fabric has been fused to the lining fabric plus asmall rectangle of interfacing to stiffen the bottom of each pouch. 

I was able to make a total of 11 pouches from these fabrics, and I still have more of the Tech fabric left. They range in size from 2x2x4 for the tiniest size up to 4x4x8 for the largest. The close-up of the UGA pouches shows how the lining fabric changes color.

The pattern that I used for these is "A Little Duffle Do It" by Karen West of For the Love of Fabric. I've made many of these pouches over the years and frequently given them as gifts. I checked, and the pattern is still available at many places online.

After the pouches were finished, I switched over to making a tote bag. For this project, I used the pattern "A Bonnie Bag" by Favorite Things. My copy of this pattern shows a date of 1995 on it, so it may be a little harder to find. I've made a few changes to my version, including eliminating the flap and button closure.

This bag is another that I have made as a gift many times, although it has been several years since the last ones. This time I used a red border stripe print and a coordinating fabric for the lining/contrast. The finished size of the bag is about 14.5" wide x 6.5" deep x 14" high.

There is a zipper across the top (but I'd like to figure out a better way to set the zipper in for the next bag.)

There are two padded outside pockets, one on each side...

and six pockets in the lining.

My biggest concern about the tote bag is how it might be priced for the Christmas market. I know that the fabrics I used for this bag were purchased many years ago, probably for not more than $5-6/yard, and most of the other supplies (zipper, webbing for straps, fleece interfacing) were probably purchased on sale. However, when I calculated the cost of all the supplies to make one bag at current prices, it came to more than $35 (and that's with figuring fabric at only $10/yard.) 

I'm planning to take this bag along to our guild meeting tomorrow and talk to some of the people who have more experience with pricing for the market. I'd be glad to make more of these bags if they think the bags will sell at a reasonable price. Otherwise, I can make many more of those little pouches for the same investment of both money and time.

Linking up with:

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Diva Wallets Done!

One of my main quilting goals this month was to make a start on some projects for the quilt guild's Christmas market. The market is a major fundraiser for our group, and I don't want to be scrambling at the last minute to get my pieces made.

Up first was a set of Diva Wallets, based on the guild workshop held in May. You can see the wallet I made in that class HERE. I received three extra sets of the metal frames with the agreement that I would use them to make these wallets for the market. Apparently, items made from team fabrics are very popular, so that is what I used for two of them. 

Each wallet has six small pockets for credit cards, two full-width pockets for bills, and a zippered coin pocket. You can see in this photo of the insides that I changed around the placement and direction of the pockets in some  instances.

Each wallet finishes about 7.5" wide and 4.25" high when closed, 8.5" long open. The Diva Wallet pattern is from Sew Many Creations, and they also sell the metal frames at that site.

Here are some close-ups of each wallet.

I still have more of the team fabrics and will use them in other bags/zipper pouches. That is the next project on the list.

Linking up with:

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 7/30/2023

I have been working on a variety of quilting projects this week. When I looked back over the week, it turned out that several of my projects were placemats. The first set was inspired by a mini-charm pack (2.5" squares) given out at our recent quilt guild meeting. We were challenged to make something with the squares for one of the guild's community service projects, so I went with placemats which will be donated to Meals on Wheels. By adding a few squares from my stash plus a border fabric, I was able to make two placemats.

These placemats have been finished around the outside edges, but they are not yet quilted. Instead of adding a binding, I basted a piece of batting to the top, then placed the top and back facing one another and stitched all the way around, leaving a small opening to turn. After turning, I pressed well, then top stitched 1/8 from the finished edge. As you can see below, the backing fabric is the same as the border. I'm finding placemats to be a great way to use up some of my older fabrics.

The next set of placemats have also been finished off around the outer edges, but are not quilted yet. The tops for these were finished about a week ago, made with the A Maze Zing pattern by Candace Hassen. The placemat at bottom right shows the backing fabric that was used for all of them. This set of placemats will be one of the items for sale at the guild's Christmas market.

The last set of placemats for the week were made as part of the ABC Table Scraps Challenge, hosted by the Joyful Quilter. Our color of the month, as determined by the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, is red, and our ABC Challenge letters are A and G. As usual, I struggled to figure out a way to apply the letters, but decided that as long as I made something, it's All Good!

I dug through my box of orphan blocks and found a bag of red hourglass blocks. I figured out that these were made in 2016 when Bonnie Hunter's annual leader and ender project featured hourglass units. There were over 30 blocks in that bag, and I used 24 of them to piece two placemats.

Unlike the other placemats in this post, this set is completely finished, including quilting. My quilting is diagonal lines following the piecing of the blocks. You can see it best in the photo of the back. The same backing fabric was used on both, another very old fabric from my stash that is now mostly used up except for a couple of strips. These placemats will also go to Meals on Wheels.

Now it's time to figure out the stash used for these projects. I'm not counting the mini-charm squares in the first set of placemats since they were given to me and are going right back out again. Altogether, I used 1.75 yards for all three sets of placemats, which covers the borders and backing for the first set, the backing for the Christmas set, and the backing for the red hourglass mats (the fabric for those blocks was counted when they were made in 2016.) I also used 3/8 yard for my red Jabberwocky blocks, shared in yesterday's post.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                       2.125 yards

Used year to date:                   60.50 yards

Added last week:                         0.0 yards

Added year to date:                62.375 yards

Net added in 2023                1.875 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I'm trying to keep up with ongoing projects like the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, plus working on some of those community service projects for the guild. There was definitely more than 15 minutes spent quilting every day last week.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

7/23 - 7/29           7 of 7 days

2023 Total      200 of 210 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. I'm also linking up with the ABC Table Scraps Challenge at The Joyful Quilter.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA