Stitching and Stashing--Week 45, 2020

It was another very productive week for quilting, with time spent on several different projects. However, my stash totals are going up instead of down because I also received a couple of fabric orders. 

The additions to the stash are both large pieces, and strangely enough, they are both grey. The piece on the right is a gridded flannel by Kaffe Fassett, and it is going to become my new design wall fabric. The grid lines should help keep my blocks straight and evenly spaced when I put them up on the wall. I bought 6 yards of that and 5 yards of the grey print on the left. That one is planned to be used for Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek mystery starting the day after Thanksgiving.

My usage total for the week came to 3.5 yards. That included 3/4 yard for Step 4 of Alycia's mystery, 1.5 yards for the remaining blocks for the Alaska QAL, and 1.25 yards for some more face masks.

Alycia's mystery, Step 4--strips are folded in half for the photo

10 more face masks, mostly batiks

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                             3.50 yards

Used year to date:                      180.00 yards

Added last week:                            11.0 yards

Added year to date:                        64.0 yards

Net used year to date             116.00 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 Tuesday To-Do List has really helped keep me on track this week, and I have checked off almost everything from that list!

15 Minute Challenge:  

11/1 - 11/7                7 of 7 days

2020 Total          303 of 312 days

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

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 24, 2020

It has been a big week for changes to the stash report around here, with several yards used and many more added. There was also a big change in my life in general because I RETIRED! After 40 busy years of making theater costumes, it is time to begin a new chapter. Retiring during a pandemic means that some plans, especially travel, will have to wait awhile, but I'm looking forward to getting to choose how I spend my days. Of course that means more time for quilting!

Back to the Stash Report--the fabric used included 1.5 yards for Scrap Snap blocks in four more colors. There are three blocks of each color in the photo, but I made 10 of each. Up next is to make some black/grey blocks for the setting.

I also used 2.375 yards for a small quilt top, but I'm not ready to share that one yet. Here's a little sneak peek.

And last of all, I made 29 more face masks for work. There are 20 masks in the bright print on the left and 4 of the stripe, 5 of the other print. These used a total of 3 yards of fabric.

Now it's time to add up all the additions to my stash. The only previous addition this year was a jelly roll that I won in a giveaway. Some of the new fabrics are basics or needed for a specific project, others were just fun prints that I really liked.

The basics--solid black, solid grey, a yellow print (yes, there is a print, it just doesn't show up very well) and a blue print that isn't really as dark as it looks in the photo.

Two light greys for backgrounds, and the teal print is for the border of a nearly-completed quilt top.

The fun stuff--two fat quarter bundles from BluPrint. Many of the patterns remind me of Kaffe prints. No idea yet what I will do with these, but I look forward to figuring that out.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                            6.875 yards

Used year to date:                      103.50 yards

Added last week:                            27.0 yards

Added year to date:                       29.75 yards

Net used year to date                73.75 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. I got in my 15 minutes every day, which let to a productive week, including finishing one quilt top and at least 40 blocks. 

One of my first goals for the weeks ahead is a major overhaul of my sewing room because it is a disaster area! That may mean less stitching time in the short term, but should make things more efficient in the long run.

15 Minute Challenge:  

6/7 - 6/13                7 of 7 days

2020 Total         156 of 165 days

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

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 19, 2020

I missed posting a Stash Report last week, probably because there just wasn't anything to report. Today it's time to get caught up again. It's also time to say 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Ed and I decided we needed more face masks so that we wouldn't have to wash the few we have so often. We don't want to go out more than necessary, even though things in Georgia are being reopened. (Too soon in my opinion!) We would much rather stay home and be safe than go get a haircut or go out to eat, and when we do go out, we will be wearing masks. I made 7 more pleated face masks for us, plus one shaped mask that still needs to be finished. Altogether these used 1 yard of fabric.

My fun project for the week was this Dresden Ties pillow as a Mother's Day gift for my amazing mother. For years I've had a bag of ties that belonged to my father, and I finally got around to  making something with them. All of the wedges were from Dad's ties, although the center circle was not. I made a similar pillow for my sister-in-law Jane at Christmas using ties that belonged to her father (see it HERE.) The back is a batik that should blend in well with Mom's sofa. Making this pillow used 1.25 yards of fabric.

Dresden Ties 14" pillow

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                           2.25 yards

Used year to date:                     93.75 yards

Added last week:                           0.0 yards

Added year to date:                     2.75 yards

Net used year to date              91.0 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. I'm still making hospital gowns during the days, which makes it hard to get motivated to return to the sewing machine in the evening, but I've managed to get in at least 15 minutes every day over the past two weeks. I'm spending more time on my hand stitching projects these days.

15 Minute Challenge:  

4/26 - 5/9                14 of 14 days

2020 Total             124 of 130 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 Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 15, 2020

It was another big week for stash usage, but it's hard to get excited about some of it. I used 15.5 yards of my quilting fabrics to make over 120 face masks this week. The masks in this photo all went to Emory Healthcare, plus there were some others made for family and neighbors. Making these has been a great way to work through many yards of stash fabric, but I wish they weren't needed at all.

On the quilting front, I used 5 yards for my Elvira quilt top (more info in THIS POST), plus 5.5 yards for the back. That puts my total used for the week at 26 yards, and there was no new fabric added. That is a very big week for me!

Elvira quilt top, 63.5" x 80.5"

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                           26.0 yards

Used year to date:                      70.25yards

Added last week:                            0.0 yards

Added year to date:                      2.75 yards

Net used year to date                67.5 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. After spending most of the day at the sewing machine making masks, it's been hard some evenings to go back in and sew some more on quilt projects. I did manage to get at least 15 minutes on 6 of the 7 days last week.

15 Minute Challenge:  

4/5 - 4/11                   6 of 7 days

2020 Total              98 of 102 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch challenge at Life in Pieces. Many thanks to Donna and to Kate for continuing to host these link-ups!

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 14, 2020

There has been plenty of quilting happening here, in between daily mask-making for work. None of the quilt projects are at the point where I can count the yardage used, but I can report 1/2 yard used for the face masks I made for us to wear when we go out.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                             .50 yards

Used year to date:                      44.25 yards

Added last week:                            0.0 yards

Added year to date:                      2.75 yards

Net used year to date               41.5 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. Quilting is definitely a great distraction and stress reliever in these uncertain times, and I've continued getting in at least 15 minutes every single day. It has been difficult to stay focused on my projects, but there is great comfort to be found in cutting and stitching fabric.

15 Minute Challenge:  

3/29 - 4/4                   7 of 7 days

2020 Total               92 of 95 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch challenge at Life in Pieces. Many thanks to Donna and to Kate for continuing to host these link-ups!

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 13, 2020

The emphasis has been on destashing this week, and I have higher numbers to report than any previous stash report. The secret is to give it away! I'm counting that as "used" since the fabric is now out of my stash. I offered three "orphans" for adoption, and they were all shipped out yesterday, plus a fabric gift to a blogging friend. The total given away was 30.5 yards!

There was also some actual fabric usage this week. I used 1/4 yard to make the Scrappy Bear Paw block that I shared in yesterday's post, and I also used 3 yards to make 24 face masks for a local healthcare group.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                          33.75 yards

Used year to date:                      43.75 yards

Added last week:                          2.75 yards

Added year to date:                      2.75 yards

Net used year to date               41.0 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. I continue to spend most of each day in my sewing room. Whether I am making face masks or working on quilts, I love the joy and the distraction of the creative process.

15 Minute Challenge:  

3/22 - 3/28                 7 of 7 days

2020 Total               85 of 88 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch challenge at Life in Pieces. Many thanks to Donna and to Kate for continuing to host these link-ups!

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Scrappy Rainbow Saturday--Week 13, 2020

It seemed like I would have endless amounts of time for quilting this week, but the majority of my time in the sewing room was spent making face masks. Since the theater where I work is closed down, management wanted to find some kind of work we could do at home. I was so glad when they arranged for us to make these masks--a great way to take advantage of our skills and do something really helpful. 

This lovely rainbow collection, perfect for today's Rainbow Scrap Challenge post, all came from my fabric stash. I finished 24 of these and have about 20 more cut out.

This is the first dozen made with the fabric supplied from work. I found out that it is possible to cut pieces for 96 masks from a 10-yard bolt of fabric, and I have finished 84 of them.

I did find some time to work on one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. This is my teal and turquoise Scrappy Bear Paw block, made from 2.5" squares for a block that finishes at 14".

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. I hope you are all staying well and getting lots of quilting done!

Julie in GA