grann of 6

I love having the artbins to put my kitted projects in. It seems to make the project go faster when everything is ready to sew. It also forces me to read through the pattern a few times, so I understand it better when I start it. But I think the best thing is that they look so neat stacked at the ready. I used to use plastic bags but they would slip and slide around on the shelves, even had one go missing, finally found it between the wall and the cabinet it had been sitting on. And it is such a sense of satisfaction when one is emptied, and waiting for the next project.

I can't believe it is November already, where did the year go?

Iceblossom

Well, got on the border to the scrap metal. Picture shows it and the binding, for a sparkly fabric the binding is very soft and nice. I have a piece of fabric in the stash I want to use for the back and I think I know where it is in the stash... I don't think it is a metallic but it is a dark night sky with little stars and might have a bit of metallic. While I was looking for that one, I found a back I pieced for a different quilt and then decided that the back was too nice for the top. Happens that does have a bit of metallic to it but is more in the brown colors than the blue/black I want. Still -- I'm going to check that out and put a measurement tag on it.

I also got the Seahawk Pink top quilted yesterday. No big personal stories about that one, but it is the first time I used Superior's So Fine thread and the first time I used the serpentine stitch for the quilting. I got a bit eager and should have adjusted the curve so it was more curvy and less sharp, but it worked great. I used the built-in walking foot option on my machine.

Hubby is sleeping in so no picture of that yet, but I don't have the binding on yet either. Last night while we were watching tv I started pinning together the goose units of the next project. I realized fairly early that I was going to use up my pins and maybe I wanted to keep those to put on the binding first. Guess I've got to go in and sew them and free the pins that way.

grann of 6

Very nice, Iceblossom. I like the binding fabric, has a nice calming effect to it.

juliasb

Like you I am shopping from my stash and the scrap bins. I am working on a baby quilt that the majority is from my stash. A great way to use some of my 1930 repos'. I did have to get a piece of flannel since the mom has something specific in mind and I did not have that. I patted myself on the back when I walked out of JAF with only the one piece of fabric and only as much as I needed. This is one hard thing for me to do. In fact I don't believe I have ever walked in there and only bought one thing. This moratorium has saved me a whole lot of $$ this year and kept me focused on using my very large stash.

juliasb

Very nice quilt. Good use of colors.

grann of 6

Since the moratorium I wouldn't say I have necessarily money, but I have saved sewing money. If I go to my local WM it is about halfway to the fabric stores, which always made it easy for me to just "run out to grab some fabric". Well, I haven't been to WM in about 2 months. And I have been using Amazon Prime to buy my staples. So much so that yesterday I was able to buy a new set of storage canisters for the kitchen from the points I have accrued, so no cash spent. So I consider them a "product of the moratorium". I have a decorative tin that has held tea bags since I bought it at A&P in 1976 for the centennial celebration. It is really tacky looking, and I decided I would make better use of space with square containers instead of round. So the moratorium has spread to other parts of my life too. Every time I went to WM I would catch myself buying something I didn't necessarily , so there is a savings there.

oksewglad

"product of the moratorium"..what a great way to look at it!

juliasb...sounds like you are a moratorium convert.

I've been a FabMort member for long enough that buying fabric consciously has become second nature. But I plan on sticking to the thread for 2020 to help document how much fabric stash I've used. And I like to hear/see how you all put your stash fabric to creative uses.

Iceblossom

Well, I was happily sewing along and "Bernie" has decided to get cranky so I'm taking a break. When I go back I'll start from turn-on, and then try changing the needle even though this one is only a couple of days old, I did the quilting down the Seahawk pink quilt with it. I'm putting on the binding now, first edge went nicely, I do the continuous miter thing so cut it off, and pinned the next side. Then I did some of my flying geese units for the still un-named "next" project and I started having issue after issue with the thread sensor (this model is sort of known for this, some people have to take off the front panel so they can correct/verify the threading path, but mine seems to be a sensor issue.

It's a good thing I'm only making 24 of these geese blocks (4 units per block) because I am not impressed with my workmanship so far! I'm mostly making it work but it looks awful on the back. I'm telling myself this is fun and I'm using stash but I don't seem to be fully convinced

I found the night sky fabric I was looking for using on the back of the Scrap Metal project. It was gorgeous and worked wonderfully with the binding but no metallic in it. The back I had pieced for the quilt that I decided was unworthy of it was quite a bit narrower, but it is like I cut it to fit the Scrap Metal top -- almost exactly 4" larger all around. I am again reminding myself that the name of this project is "Scrap" Metal and the goal is to use up fabric and let things happen so I'm going to use the other back even though it isn't quite so perfect in color/pattern it is in theme... again, that's part of the point and it's my quilt so I understand the point! I'll get a picture in a day or two, hubby home and watching tv in the bedroom. It's a lovely Asian floral with light gold embellishments, not enough to feel sticky on the skin. It does have a bit of blue and purple, but it's more of a rusty maroon/dark cinnamon background with lots of white flowers. Maybe this quilt did need something lighter on the background, anyway -- it's stash, it's scrap and it's getting used!

Iceblossom

Here's the back I will be using for Scrap Metal, it looks like I made it for this project (the overlap shown is folded quarters). At the top is the fabric I wanted to use. It's awesome but it's really yardage and not scrap!

Bernie the sewing machine is having issues, will have to take it to the shop. I have taken it down this morning and put up my cheap portable Brother so I can get going again, a full day down dealing with it in small increments. I got the Seahawk Pink top quilted with no problems. I did some piecing on the "next" project with no problems. I put on one side of the binding on the Seahawk Pink quilt with no problems. And now I have problems. I can only stitch for about 1-2" and then it stops, gives me a warning screen, I have to push a button and then I can go another two inches or so. The seam is lovely, tension is fine and it is not looping. It's not a pattern count thing. This model is known for having problems, so far it's been fussy but this is new

Need to finish getting that binding on so I can take it to group tomorrow. Also going to have my flu shot tomorrow. Oh, we had a talk with the kids and (long story) they have a friend who is a nanny but her current kids are now school aged and she will take care of the grandbundle, and I will be the first alternate in case of illness (either of baby or nanny). That's fine, full time baby care was going to be hard enough on me as it was, much less with a one hour commute each way.

retiredteacher09

Another charity quilt top finished. It measures 70” x 80” and will be finished by my church group.

The pattern is a free one from GE Designs called Diana Quilt. The majority of the fabric came from 10” squares that I had left over from my DMIL’s stash.