Guild Project:  Purchased two FQs; the rest came from stash.  I’m counting this fabric, even though it’s for future guild meetings, as I’m keeping the project for myself.

Birthday Postcards:  Purchased 1 yard of the main fabric and am using about a 1.5 yards of additional fabrics out of stash.  This will make easily 35 postcards to have on hand.  Very cute — pictures tomorrow.

Used this Week:     8.5 yards
Used year to Date:    8.5 yards
Added this Week:    4 yards
Added Year to Date:    4 yards
Net Used for 2011:   4.5 yards

Note the date and time…I’m in the black!  I have lots of existing projects to work on for January and February, with some purchases needed to complete them.  I should start the year with some good numbers.  How are you doing?  Check out other quilters’ stash reports at Judy Laquidara’s blog.

–Sue

2010 will be a different kind of quilting year for me.  I’m not going to take customer quilts any more, and I’m going to focus on finishing my many, many UFOs.  I also want to spend some time sewing quilts from my designs I’ve made using Electric Quilt.  It will be a fun and challenging year for me, and I think I’m ready! 

Design Wall Monday Report:  Quilting is definitely on the back burner this week.  Waaay back burner.  DS#3′s recently purchased duplex is in the midst of renovation, and DH and I are the paint “crew”.  Saturday was spent scraping off wall paper and washing one bedroom; Sunday was spent painting Kilz primer in the same bedroom.  So out of 14 rooms, we have one room half done!!!  Yikes!!!!!!!!!  Things will start to go a little faster, hopefully.  We can only work when the regular subcontractors aren’t there, so that limits our time during the week.  That’s good, because our bodies couldn’t survive doing this  all day, every day! 

This is what happens when small children have access to magic markers (and picture this on most of the walls in one of the units):

Kitchen of one side with new cabinets, new flooring, old icky paint (imagine nice neutral walls, a light neutral countertop, and a real light fixture) — and here is where my old dishwasher came to live:

When I do get back to quilting, I have some projects waiting for me:

• Quilt my 9-patch new antique quilt for DS#3 (Rob) for his new place (amandajean’s design)
• Finish my purple placemats
• Finish my Shine On Bayou Cane UFO (Judy L’s design)
• Finish my Freeze Frame UFO (JudyL’s design)
• And many more projects than I care to think about right now!!!

Christmas was wonderful, although we did miss DS#1 Dave who was home in Virginia.  A picture of DS#3 & DS#2 (Rob & Tony), in their matchy-matchy sweaters from (of course) their matchy-matchy mommy (they are so very tolerant):

And a photo of lovely DIL Lynn with her sampler quilt (ALMOST done — need to finish the binding Wednesday at DayStitchers — you didn’t think I would let painting get in the way of ALL my fun, did you???):

We are taking tonight off from painting so I can rest my sore muscles and so DH can cheer on the Vikings.  This afternoon we are off to do a little shopping and an early dinner out.  Sounds fabulous to me!  Tuesday night through next weekend will be pretty much painting filled, so if my blog is a little sparce in the next few days, you will know why!  Think of me with my bottle of Motrin and BioFreeze for those sore muscles!  It’s really amazing what a person can do when you know it’s short term, and when it’s for one of your offspring!

–Sue

And isn’t it yummy?  I’m going use it for a twin-sized whole-cloth quilt for a brand-new great-niece.  I’m picturing some feathers, some flowers and leaves, maybe incorporate her name.  Any other suggestions for freehand quilting? 

Vicki W. does such beautiful dye work.  Please take a minute to check out her goods on Etsy.  You can click here to be directed to her blog; there’s information on her sale that runs through TODAY, Sunday 12/6, how to get the sale prices, and how to get to her Etsy shop.

And thankfully I don’t report on my thread stash/purchases, as I took full advantage of Connecting Threads’ sale this last week.

I usually use a shade of gray, a shade of beige, black or white for thread.  Lately, however, I have wished for a specific thread color for a little top stitching or something of the like.  This assortment should keep me sewing for a good long time!  It was like opening a box of fabulous Godiva chocolates, but a lot less fattening.

Thanks for stopping by!

–Sue

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This is a two-week report, as I’ve been AWOL the last week or so.  I guess just a little too busy with a house guest, Thanksgiving, two family dinners in, a family dinner out, a couple of play days with quilting friends, shopping for some replacement appliances, and frantically trying to finish my PhD quilt (Project half Done) — WHICH IS DUE WEDNESDAY.  This Wednesday.  Yes, we started in June.  Yes, I had as much time as everyone else.  Yes, I’m one of the two who initiated this project.  No, I’m not done.  Yes, I must be done.  It’s not an option.  Sleep is an option.  I’ll post a “progress” picture on Judy L’s Monday’s Design Wall report tomorrow.  So, back to the stash report…

Purchased This Week:  My Michael Miller Fairies panels came to the door.  Honest.  They just came to the door.  I had to let them in…I mean, they’re Fairies…they would have gotten in anyway.  I now have Christmas, autumn pixie, pink, yellow, and blue Fairies (plus the coordinating panel for each with the small blocks).  5.4 magical yards in.

Fabric Used This Week:  6 yards in setting the blocks for my PhD Afternoon Tea quilt.  8.5 yards for the backing.  .75 yards for the binding.  15.25 yards out.

Judy L’s stash-busting reports have really been educational for me this year.  This is the first year I participated, and I would never have guessed I would use 200 yards in a year.  Two football fields in length, 42″ wide.  Wow.

Of course, I don’t think I would have guessed that I bought almost that much either!  What it has done for me, though, is to really make me aware of what fabric is coming in and getting used, and even more importantly, I’ve been more conscientious about using some older fabric where I can and shopping my stash first.  Overall, even though my numbers have stayed pretty close to even, my stash has been greatly improved because more old fabric is out, and I have lots of lovely new fabrics in.  Thank you, Judy!

–Sue

Fabric out:  2/3 yard into the UFO Afternoon Tea that I’m working on.  Woo-hoo, I’ll have something to report on UFO Thursday this week!

Okay, about those Michael Miller Fairies panels…do you ever discover something, and you just have to have it…in every color?  You want it ALL!!!  A week and a half ago Pam B and I were at a LQS and I found the Christmas Fairies panel and a yellow Sunshine panel.  I bought them both.  They immediately made me think of my mom.  I’ve been trying to think of how I know she would love them, but I just know. 

At home, I started cruising the web to try and find coordinating fabrics.  THERE ARE MORE FAIRIES!!!  There’s a fall one, a blue one, a rose one that is pretty scarce, another pink one…AND…there is a coordinating panel that has little fairies blocks.  I got the coordinating panel for Christmas yesterday.  I plan to lay it out something like this.  I just need to decide on some sashing:

They will make up as a small throw size, perfect for an accent on a sofa.  As a bonus, I will have four of the small squares left over, perfect for making placemats.  And here is the Sunshine block (I have the small-blocks panel coming):

And I have ordered the blue panels, the pink panels, and the fall panels.  I think the pastel ones would be perfect for a baby quilt, and you couldn’t get one much quicker to put together!  So, look for more fairies on next week’s stash report!  For this week, check Judy Laquidara’s blog for other quilters’ stash reports.

–Sue

Monday’s Design Wall report:  Same quilt as last week (JudyL’s Frames quilt), patiently waiting for attention.  I am putting my Aunt Bert’s quilt on the longarm today, so finally some action in the sewing room!  Woo-hoo!!!  And those Fairies panels I bought?  They are going into a small decorative throw for my mom.  They are just adorable, and would make a super-easy, super-fun baby quilt with some bordering, as long as the baby’s a girl! 

Weather Report:  I know, you didn’t ask, but I just want to tell you all how fabulous it is in Minnesota today, November 9th.  58 degrees and sunny.  It’s more like May.

Places-to-Visit-on-the-Web Alert:  Remember the Minnesota Blog Hop earlier this year?  There’s a new one that started today with 12 quilt artists from across the country, each taking a turn sharing a project with us, the lucky readers.  Today Gudrun of GE Designs is featured.  Be sure to check out her cute quilt-as-you-go tutorial for the holidays, and leave her a comment (be sure to read and fulfill the requirements in your comment) to be entered in a drawing.  I’ll be listing each day’s featured artist on my blog, so feel free to stop by for the link.  Good luck!

Family News:  DS#3′s big old van had a close encounter of the deer kind this weekend in Wisconsin, and he’s now a full-time pedestrian.  No injuries to the people involved.  Don’t ask about the venison deer…

– Sue

In keeping with the season, I wanted to post a couple of pictures from our favorite place, Port Aransas, TX.

It almost seems normal to me now, but when we first visited Texas and Jim’s sister Grace drove right onto the beach, it seemed so WRONG.  I guess we’re used to it now…the street come to an end, and you’re driving on the beach!

The sand is hard enough to easily drive on.  You can see that along this stretch of beach, the roadway area is divided from the people-beach area by posts. 

In some areas, people can get a permit to camp overnight on the beach.  It turns out, though, that the Austin couple in this camper did some sand sculptures yesterday.

Each sculpture was about five feet tall, and each side was flanked by a “pumpkin patch”.

And the most amazing thing?  Halloween night, nobody touched them!

Every April Port Aransas has SandFest, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.  We sometimes see the work of sand artists practicing their craft on the beach.  Pretty amazing.

Sue

Uh-oh.  I was all set to type that I was too busy to do any shopping this week, and then I remembered . . . while I was at the local quilt shop for my applique class . . . they had these Moda U appliqued basket block kits . . . and I bought . . . five.  (I already own the first five that are in my stash; there are 15 total.)  Well, I guess I’ll estimate about a fat quarter’s worth of fabric per kit for a 12″ block.  1.25 yards bought. 

–Sue

IN:  I purchased 4 yards in assorted reds/blacks/whites for a quilt to be named later.  I always wanted a black/white/one-color quilt, and I guess the one color is going to be red!  I was imagining it as black/white/bright yellow, but black/white/red it is. 

I also bought 1/2 yard of a light peachy fabric for my *new* applique project.  (I can hear you now — NEW???  AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON UFOs???)  Well, yes, but I’m taking a class, and the *new* project will be on my design wall tomorrow.  Back to the 1/2 yard — it is a little too dark, I need a cream, so I have to count it as stash, but it’s a nice piece and will be just right for something else.  Actually, it will possibly become the backing and binding for the *new* project further down the road.  4.5 yards in.

OUT:  5 yards out combined of purple and backing fabric for my painted placemat project.  I love how the first test placemat came out.  Photo tomorrow.  Also going into the *new* project is a Gypsy Rose layer cake, which comes out to 3.5 yards.  8.5 yards out.

I’m modifying my goal — instead of using 75 yards this year, I think my new goal should be just to break even.  Who knew this would be so hard?  Well, obviously not me.  My only chance of getting close to the 75 yards used is to quilt a bunch of my own quilts that have stacked up.  That could work, and I should give it a try, don’t you think?

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I’ve been in kind of a no-blogging funk.  It might be seasonal related (we had a week of rain).  It might be my sinuses and the headaches they bring.  It might be that I’ve been busier than usual.  It might just be that I’ve been in a crappy mood.  Or a combination of all of the above. 

So note to self:

Some good things on the horizon/things to be thankful for: 

1. I’m actually going to finish a sock today (a nod to SoctoberFest).
2. Looks like DS#3 found a house to bid on.  Think good thoughts for him.  It’s rough out there in the investment property market.
3. The sun is out today.
4. I’m liking my class — learning applique’; two more classes to go.
5. I have wonderful friends and neighbors.
6. DH#1 isn’t sick to death of me yet.  Or if he is, he hasn’t told me.
7. DS#1 is coming home for Thanksgiving.  I promised I wouldn’t break any bones right before his arrival, so I can take care of him this time!
8. We’re taking a short trip to Mustang Island on the Texas Gulf coast soon.  Walks on the beach.  Bird watching.  Ahhh.
9. DS#2 & DIL may be taking a short trip soon and we will have our rent-a-dog Milo for a couple of days.

Life is good.

–Sue

PS:  Go Twins / Go Vikings (I am slowly and begrudgingly becoming a Favre fan)

FABRIC IN:  My only fabric purchase at, to, or from the show was at Grubers in St. Cloud (love that shop).  I bought a jelly roll of Kaffe Fassett brights.  It’s going to be so much fun to work with.  Most fabric collections have a range of lights to darks, which is nice for some things, but I’m going to really enjoy finding a project for this collection.  I also purchased 5 yards of light gold for my Quilt For An Hour with JudyL.  6.75 yards in

FABRIC OUT:  12 yards used or set aside for the QFAH (and whatever is left over is going into the scrap bucket).  I’m making mine larger with 12 big center blocks — and I’m up to date on it!!  I’ll post a picture tomorrow on Design Wall Monday.  12 yards out.

At the show, I managed to do a little damage at the hot-fix crystal counter and the PaintStik booth.  A quilter’s version of jewelry shopping!

–Sue

PS:  Yes, Karen, I agree, next year we will have to coordinate ahead of time and meet for a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone!