Ok, the "virtual quilting weekend" is helping me with my flying squares project. I was looking at those white-on-whites and have decided to save them for the purple quilt I have coming up and will be using off-whites instead. For whatever reasons I have less issues mixing those up. I already know for the purple quilt that each block will use one white fabric, even though the whites do touch you mostly will notice the purple so I'm good on that one.

I did layout the basics in EQ, have decided on no sashing. If I do change my mind I'll have some orphan blocks but that's not so bad. Haven't figured out what (if anything) to do as a border. In my mind this is what I think of as a "wash quilt" and it might be edge to edge or just a basic piece of fabric. That compulsive part of my mind however is thinking about having the random 9-patches all around the outer edge, I'm sure however that will require more 2.5" strips than I have and I'm trying to use them up, not make more of them!

My dog had some vet bills that will keep me from buying fabric for the next couple of weeks, even from the thrift store. So I should have two months down with no new purchases.

Good for you, Iceblossom and for others who have a wonderful record since we started this year.

The VQW is helping me also. I'm busy cutting stash into crib sheets. My little sewing machine is humming along nicely and will continue tomorrow. Monday, I'm planning to make a few baby quilt tops. On Tuesday, I hope to see some dents in the stash!

Went to the quilt store today for some very specific fat quarters for my boom blocks and didn’t buy more fabric even though I was tempted . Whew! That was close.

Halfway into February & some of you are doing a great job of staying on the wagon! I’ve stepped off twice-January 2 I bought backing for a quilt (now completed) & a week ago I bought 2 FQ bundles, neither of which is for stash. I finished sewing the top Surprise Pinwheels today & it looks pretty good. I know I’ll have to buy a backing for it, but will be used immediately. The top is completely from stash, as was 95% of the quilt I finished in January. So my stash is smaller!

I keep using up smaller pieces out of my stash, but the total stash doesn't seem to be shrinking. I'm with Conchalea, I have to buy a back for this and that and when I get it back from LA-er, I've got the edges that goes back into the stash.

Note to those helping me look for my lost binding. I found it, 3rd drawer I took apart....there it was and for once there is enough.

Marcia

I went to my LQS yesyerday with two specific things in mind: befroom curtain fabric and solid black for a Boom block. I had absolutely zero solid black in my stash and I bought a half yard of Kona. And 1/3 yard of sample curtain fabric , which ended up being just too bright. Besides , gotta help keep my shop in business, right? I happily put my $7.82 to help them keep the lights on this month😜

Looks like everyone is doing great. I'm holding firm and haven't purchased fabric since my fall in mid January. And I'm using up about 18 yards from stash. I joined two quilt alongs for 3 quilts and have used some for backings on three quilts I am fixing to put on the mid-arm. Pics to come.

The Surprise Pinwheels top used almost 3 yards of fabric-all from my stash. I had an extra block which I surrounded with pieces cut from the corners of the stars in the blocks. The back for that came from stash, too. I’m going to use it as a wall hanging. I’m pleased with the single block as well as the top. Pictures will come soon.

Came to a realization last night about my Flying Squares project. Yesterday I did cut all my background off-whites for the outer edges of the blocks. I did indeed use up some little bits. I've been toying with the idea of piecing the border 3 rows deep of the 2.5" (cut) squares but didn't want to have to cut more strips. I pulled out my excess bags of Y2K trading squares to use. And then the thought came to me, that I since I never did anything with my Y2K squares I received but put them in a bag, I should have enough to do this project. Although I've been math challenged lately it looks like I will indeed have plenty with a few left over, I believe I have just under 1k squares. I mostly just participated in swaps with my friends and didn't get them all. But after almost 20 years, those little bits are finally going to be used.

So the "Flying Squares" project has now been officially renamed "Not Quite Y2K" and I am rather enthused about it now.

I'll still have left over 2.5 strips and the partial units I already sewed. But I think I will be ready to offer those and the remaining squares to some of you who like that sort of thing since I have determined that mostly I don't want to keep pieces smaller than 6.5".

PS: For those of you not swapping fabrics 20 years ago, the goal of a Y2K quilt was to have 2000 different pieces of fabric. Usual size for swaps was 2.5" squares, typically 20-25 per package all unique. That fit well in a snack sized baggie and then into a business sized envelope. Some swaps wanted signature blocks. People did all sorts of amazing things -- me, I hoarded :)

IceB...LOL on the hoarding! I think this quilt should be "Flying past Y2K"