Iceblossom: I agree the fabric isn’t going anywhere unless we help it out of the house. I am planning on putting some yardage of Christmas fabric on a friend’s garage sale.

oksewglad: I have only made a few masks but I know they take time.

I have been ignoring my machine for a week or so. There have been a few days where I have not even turned it on. My mind is hopscotching too although I have been organizing and cleaning in my sewing area. My plan today is to put away all of the fabric on my cutting and ironing tables. Then I want to get my second machine cleaned so I can pull out the UFO that needs a few more blocks appliquéd so out comes another project. Lol!

I have finished 16 tops since mid March so fabric has been used.

Hopscotching here too. Was trying to get a UFO finished, but needed to dye/paint some fabric for the backing and was out of the fabric medium I use. So I ordered some on Saturday and it was supposed to be here yesterday. Unfortunately, I received an email from Amazon saying it was delayed (which usually means lost in transit). If it’s not here by tomorrow I can have them send a replacement or issue a refund- aargh. The dye process takes at least four days. That means that UFO will be lounging around and being moved from one work surface To another for at least two more weeks assuming I get the replacement sometime early next week https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/mad.png. So, I am working on another UFO, but it’s huge and heavy which means that Even though I have a suspension system on the Sweet Sixteen, I can only quilt for short bursts at a time before I need a break. Oh well, at least both of them used only stash, so that's a fair amount of yardage gone. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

I also need to make hanging sleeves for 4 quilts and pool noodle storage bags for 6 that are currently folded and stacked in the studio. So that will use up a bunch of the muslin that I bought this past winter?spring?.

Rob

Ice & OK, thank you for the sentiments. Today, K & I finished piecing the top for my great GD. We share the work-I trim the pieces to fit & she sews them together. After lunch we put that top away & pulled out another baby quilt, requested by my SIL for her niece's baby. She sent a picture of a very cute top, along with fabric, & K & I are working on it. This one has applique pieces, which needed pattern pieces. K is the artist & drew the pictures. We have all cut out & pinned to the top. Some larger pieces are fused to the top & we hope to finish that part tomorrow. We have a new, huge roll of batting, & backs for both baby quilts. Neither will reduce stash much, but none of the fabric will add to.stash, either. It's a win!

Another finish! All from stash including the batting. Used up about 8 yards of scraps and backing. This is a Christmas gift for a nephew. The pattern is from the QB Mystery Train series, #18.

Well done, WMUT! I started that and really like your finish...guess I need to get back to mine!

Very nice, WMUTeach!

A beauty!
Getting the batting and batting from stash too! Victory! Take a bow.

I really like that one WMUTeach.....nicely done!

Beautiful quilt, WMU -- and 8 lbs. of scraps! Whoopee!

I picked up this Edyta Sitar fabric on sale over a year ago. The plan was to get more when back in stock but in the interim I came to my senses and decided enough was enough. I brought in a couple of neutrals from stash to complete this toned down version of BH’s Easy Street.

It is only 60x60 and I have a choice.....one option is to use some of the extra fabric to make borders (pieced or plain) I have a full meter of the teal and .7m of the brown print. The other 3 are around .4m each.

Option 2 is to use some of the teal for binding and throw the rest into a pieced back along with 1m of a print I could not use in the top.

Let me know what you think.

Cattitude, What I think is .... I sure like that pattern. I assume it is in one of her books. Can you let us know which one. Beautiful quilt!

Cat- beautiful top. My vote is option 1 - make it bigger with borders.

Slight problem.....I checked BH’s site this morning and found Easy Street in her More Adventures with Leaders and Enders book. Unfortunately the image I saved and labeled as Easy Street only vaguely resembles her original design. I can only guess I saved an image from someone’s pared down version of the original which is set on point and has elaborate sashing.

I wish that I could give credit where credit is due. I deleted the image after I worked out my own colour placement on EQ8 and so I cannot do an image search. I hunted for a while this morning but could not find it again. The blocks are all fairly basic (cats cradle, flying geese, HST, 4 patch).

Lucky nephew, WMUteach-well done!

cattitude- very pretty quilt - good job tweaking the design.

Rob

Cattitude...that's one of the things I like about EQ...one can easily take a block and change it your way...good job!

Wow WMUteach and Catitude. Love those tops! Great colors both.

Sunflowers for Christmas
 

My Saturday finish for this week. I started this quilt during the lock down and my guild's first Zoom meetings. We replaced our spring retreat with Zoom off and on for three days and this is one of my accomplishments. I sat waiting for the binding since, March! Don't know the name of the pattern but it was easy and quick but most importantly, everything was in my stash top, borders and batting (pieced) was in my stash. I did have to purchase the backing.

Cattitude: Very pretty!

WMUTeach: Very pretty and a great way to use the big print flowers.

This is what I find with BH's designs. Its seems like they are aleays fussy with 1000 pieces. I really like her (her blog anyway) and respect her design ability....but the patterns are not my cuppa.
BUT there is no reason you CANT take her design and use it as inspiration for something else. So don't flog yourself . continue to make pretty things.

Another nice one WMU Teach! Great job as usual creating a lovely top from stash.

On my end, I slipped up a bit......Clicked place order on Friday. 3 purchases were needs, 2 notions plus a black batik for an ongoing project.

Now for the indulgences! I have been resisting a fabric with corgi dogs all year and finally gave in and ordered a yard. My niece is corgi crazy and I plan to make a simple tote and a couple of masks for her. I also ordered a snowman panel. I do not need anymore snowman fabric, and do not know what I am going to with it so that one is a definite fail!

To finish things off I gave in to the Daily Deal and ordered 2 cute charm packs of blenders with pins on them. I plan on making a small wall hanging for my sewing room sometime down the road.

My guilt is tempered by the fact that I have completed 17 tops this year, all from stash and when required, in/out purchases. I have several more on the go and kitted up. My goal is to complete 8-10 more before the end of the year.

My stash was not large and the cupboards are looking quite bare now. That makes me feel relieved, not sad. Having all that fabric with no plans created much anxiety and I am happy to be using it. I believe this exercise will have a permanent effect on my buying habits and that is a good thing!

So nice to see what you all are doing. I am still feeling terribly unproductive this year but I can handle that... nice thing with my donation quilting is that I don't have many deadlines or obligations other than what I force on myself.

The Frolic mystery last year was my first Bonnie Hunter project. She definitely has a style and that isn't mine... as one of the Tuesday ladies said: But you don't like lots of little triangles! I did mine last year in "real time" that is, pretty much going along with the clues. The UFO I'm working on belongs to another board member who lost her joy in the project... Since I'm having problems getting started on my own projects I offered to put it together for her and I am actually having a lot of fun with it.

There was a mistake made, 41 units instead of 41 sets of units... so it came to me 98% complete in terms of pieces. Extra fabric was provided, everything was really well done and neatly organized in bags and clips. I've gotten the missing pieces made and today will finish putting everything needed for each block in a baggie. Think I still have to cut a couple pieces for the sashing (that wasn't explained well), but I'll deal with that next time I get the project out.

I'm planning at this point to do this year's Bonnie Hunter mystery too. Even though I still don't have a home for the Frolic top (thought I did, long story, but always knew it was most likely leaving my home). Her workmanship instructions are pretty good. I'm pretty firm on pressing open, but I think I'll try it with her directions going to the side pressing. I am definitely going to use easier fabrics to work with than those hand dyes I did last year. I really did not expect to have to pay so close attention to which was the right/wrong side of the fabric but each piece could look so different cut to cut.

On Monday I return to my Round Robin, or at least hope for inspiration. I think I know what I'm going to do, been trying to talk myself out of it and might when I actually see the physical piece...

I second that vote, Cattitude. Fabulous colors!

WMUTeach, great quilt finishes. I love sunflowers and scraps are my happy place.

I gave away 11 file/ paper size boxes of mostly kids/ novelty fabric last week to a coworker who Needs to make masks for her kids for school and enjoys making clothes, toys, all kinds of crafty things. She was really excited to get it all & I was really excited to see it go away. 😎

Another example of creative use of stash. Give it away to someone who can use it! Your co-worker will be busy but blessed to not have to purchase fabric for here purposes. Three cheers for opening up your arms and passing on your abundance to another who can use the fabric.

Cat, your slip is understandable since you've completed so many tops this year! Isn't it nice to have some empty spots in your stash area?
CK, I'm glad your fabric went to someone who can appreciate it. Good going!

Ice, I saved directions for BH Good Fortune, but all those itty bitty pieces haven't appealed to me yet.

Ok, I slipped up. Or more correctly, I deliberately bought fabric yesterday. It was the first time since February and I'm ashamed to say -- it felt good!

The thrift stores were closed until a month ago. Hubby and I have been doing our Sunday Date Day minus bowling -- bowling is lumped in with things like attending football and will be a phase 4 opening (we are currently considered to be phase 2). We go to a small family restaurant for breakfast. Lorenzo/dad/usual cook is making more money for the family as a driver delivering other people's food so the kids are keeping it going weekend mornings. And then we go to a couple of thrift stores on the way home.

I got a panel I bought full price last year for $12.98, Goodwill price $1.99. Found another piece of nice Concord VIP, small bunches of flowers on a red background, it was about 4 yards and the tag had been torn off. I offered to pay $4.99 but she said, I'm going to ring the other tag twice. So it was meant to be.

But now I need to go and find a good back for this comfort quilt we are making. We were hoping to need 4 yards but we redid the math for blocks/sashing and it is pretty much exactly 72x84 as it is, so looking for some 5 yard pieces.

I've been working on some wonky stars...have 72 6" ones ready to put sashings on but have decided to put star points on them so have some more putzy work to do (aka mindless sewing!) I have just enough of a news paper print to make 3" wide sashes and first border...Now to decide if I should buy enough of the corner stone fabric and make a wider second border for a queen size quilt.. Decisions...

Here it is Aug already and I have only had to purchase 2 pieces of fabric all year. I continue to work from my stash and am thrilled with using so many of my forgotten fabrics. I have done a number of scrappy quilts too. I also worked for FQ's and 1/2yd pieces a lot so far. This has saved me so much money. When I say 2 pieces I only mean fabrics that were not included in my penny a yard sale fine. I got 141 yds of fabrics for $1.41. Most of that fabric has already been used to make mask. That fabric never made into my cupboards. I had to buy 2 pieces for a baby quilt that I had to remake. I don't know a quilter that could have passed up that deal.
Anyway I believe this year is so much better than last year.

Success! One of the unlikely pieces I had that was "big enough for a back" was chosen for the comfort quilt and is in the wash as we speak. Hopefully it will wash well, last piece was a bleeder... It's a very bold piece of fabric, but it was 6-8 yards. One of the rejected backs is a nice cream with paisley print but was decided to be too cute for this person. That is not the case with the chosen option... I bought it because it was big and I can respect a lot of personality in a fabric, but I've had it for maybe 10 years before the right project has come along.

Donation Finish
 

Finished the binding Tuesday night all from stash. Yes, I posted it earlier when it was just a flimsy. Now it is a quilt, ready for donation.

I like that, WMUteach- good job using stash!

WMUTeach, I love those tart greens with the blue and white! The productivity of this group is amazing!

WMUTeach: Another great finish! Way to go!

I'm still doing well resisting new fabric temptations. There are so many temptations...

Today I have some stash usage going on. I'm cutting a variety of "traditional calicos" for my round robin. I'm not using much in the quilt but I'm cutting down some long stored smaller pieces into my 6.5" strips with the rest being offered to my Tuesday group and after that going to my crumb quilter. It's starting to amount to actual yardage going out in WoF strips under 6.5", or what was left of the fat quarter after the latest strip was taken.

I'm realizing two things -- one is that my actual eventual goal is to be left with just one large box of 6.5" strips, and two is that I am unlikely to ever get there :p

Iceblossom: But you are making progress.

RWB Baby Donation Quilt
 

Finished this over the week-end. If you are a Pat Sloan fan, the block was from her Picnic Quilt for last week. I just had to try it and then wen through my RWB bag or scraps and my 2.5" strips and Ta-Da another couple of yards out of my stash and into the collection for donation. All from stash, top, back and batting!

WMUTeach: Awesome job! I just started following Pat earlier this year. 👍

WMUTeach- cute quilt! What's the size? Finishing tops with stash is one thing but getting the backingg and batting add that extra special victory.