December Stash Report and Goals Update

December 2024 Stash Report: 

IN this month: 2 yards (2 yards dark blue from 35th Ave.)
OUT this month: 5-1/4 yards (Red and Cream scrappy columns top - estimated 5-1/4 yards.)

IN YTD: 81 yards
OUT YTD: 98-3/8 yards

YTD Net Change: 17-3/8 yards OUT

Each year my goal for my stash is to break even or end the year with less than I brought in, so 2024 was a good year. I never count any fabric I use that comes from PCQ's stash, and I know I used a lot this year, so I sewed up more than 100 yards. 

Goals Update: 

December recap: 

1. Work on the slow scrappy project at social sewing. Yes, progress. Due to scheduled classes and holidays, I only had two social sewing days this month. 

2. Finish the red and cream scrappy top. Done.

3. Plan a turquoise version of the Black and Tan quilt to use up some of my aqua/turquoise/teal stash, and practice getting the value placement right. Progress. At least one of each block type has been made, nine different blocks. Most are working, but I need to find a replacement fabric for one of them. 

4. Layer and baste the Kaffe gradient project. No, not touched.

5. Go through all the UFOs and plan what and how to finish in 2025. Made lists of all UFOs and WIPs. Possible future blog post about this. 

6. Consider the scraps and leftover blocks and block parts from Road Trip and figure out how to make something with them. No, not touched.

7. If the long arm machine gets fixed and I get a time slot, quilt Kevin's tops. Done.

8. Clean up the sewing room; organize the stash, scraps, and UFOs. Done.

January 2025 Goals: 

1. Prep for and teach lessons 1 and 2 of the next color class. 

2. Find fabric for the last block of the teal project; make at least two blocks. 

3. Bind Kevin's quilts.

4. Piece the backing for the red scrappy quilt. Book time on the long arm and prep leaders for basting it for quilting on my domestic machine.

5. If possible, quilt the lozenges quilt on PCQ's long arm; bind it. 

6. Layer and baste the Kaffe gradient project. 

7. Play with a Postage Stamp variation. 

Not much blogging happened this month, and that may be the case going forward. No particular reason, I just haven't been inspired to take process photos, edit them, and write about what I'm working on. The first quarter of 2025 will be busy with color classes so I don't anticipate a lot of sewing and probably not much blogging. 

Cherries Jubilee Flimsy

The red and cream version of my scrap project is now a finished flimsy. I have no idea how many different fabrics are in it. A lot, for sure. The 6" blocks were addictive to make in batches of four. Each little square finished at 1-1/2 inches. Here's an indoor photo on my design wall; I'll get an outdoor photo with better lighting later. 

Two of the cream fabrics have cherries in the print. For that plus the overall red and white color scheme I'm calling this quilt Cherry Jubilee. 

The cream fabrics all came from my stash and the reds are about half from my fabrics and half from PCQ's stash. This will be a donation quilt. This top measures 64" wide by 88" long, so it can work for a twin bed. 

It'll be a while until I can quilt it; the club's long arm has been out of order for over a month already and they've determined it needs a new motherboard. The club voted to authorize the expenditure. Now they're working with Gammill to get the repair scheduled. Then there's a backlog of booked time slots that will have to be rescheduled. 

Link ups: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 12/16,  Oh Scrap! 12/16,   Alycia Quilts 12/20

Let's Try This Again

 Making the Black and Tan quilt was both enjoyable and challenging. It took a bit of care to get the values right; some seam ripper activity was definitely involved. But the final result looked good and the recipient of the quilt loved it. What more could I ask for?!!

I decided to remake the same pattern using my abundant teal stash. In order to get the values right with fewer missteps, I printed out a greyscale version of the Black and Tan quilt to use as a guide. 

I sorted my fabric pull into darks, medium and light turquoises, and whites. I'm using three constants, a white print for the border and some of the blocks, a navy print for the triangle points, and a teal print for the centers of all the nine-patch blocks. 

So far I have only a few test blocks made. We'll see how this goes....

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

November Stash Report and Goals Update

November was an odd month for quilting goals. Not much on the goals list got done; instead I spent time on an unplanned new project. Like that's never happened to any quilter ever! Chasing squirrels is much more fun than following a to-do list.  

Road Trip got its sleeve added and now it's completely finished and ready to hang. 

The Black and Tan quilt is finished and was sent off to a friend. 

The stash report is still looking good for the year, even with the purchase of some backings. The only fabric used in November was 1/2 yard for the sleeve on Road Trip. Everything for the Black and Tan quilt was previously counted. 

November Stash Report: 

IN this month: 7-1/2 yards (wide backings) 
OUT this month: 1/2 yard (Sleeve for Road Trip)

IN YTD: 79 yards
OUT YTD: 93-1/8 yards
YTD Net change: 14-1/8 yards out.

Goals Update:

The goals were very hit and miss this month. Part of the problem was beyond my control because the club's long arm machine is out of order, so my November time slot got cancelled. We don't know when it will be repaired so setting goals for December is conditional on machine availability. 

November Recap

1. Send Black & Tan quilt to friend. Done and received

2. Attach sleeve to Road Trip. Done

3. Put Round About on the wall and figure out how to proceed. Yes, figured out the first round, pieced the arcs and joined them, basted it, and sent it back to Cherie for her to applique the edge down. 

4. Quilt Kevin's tops on the long arm on 11/23. NO, the long arm machine is out of order and is unavailable. My time slot got cancelled and they don't know when the machine will be back up and running.

5. Pin baste or spray baste the Kaffe Gradient top. No, not touched.

6. Plan a complex or slow piecing project to work on at social sewing. Yes, found a scrappy project from Pinterest that uses small pieces and lots of small blocks. 

7. Finish the navy & pink LCT top. No, put it away for a future retreat.

Other: Inspired by the scrappy project (#6 above) I've been piecing blocks for a twin size red and cream version. 

December Goals:

1. Work on the slow scrappy project at social sewing.

2. Finish the red and cream scrappy top.

3. Plan a turquoise version of the Black and Tan quilt to use up some of my aqua/turquoise/teal stash, and practice getting the value placement right.

4. Layer and baste the Kaffe gradient project.

5. Go through all the UFOs and plan what and how to finish in 2025.

6. Consider the scraps and leftover blocks and block parts from Road Trip and figure out how to make something with them. 

7. If the long arm machine gets fixed and I get a time slot, quilt Kevin's tops.

8. Clean up the sewing room; organize the stash, scraps, and UFOs. 

This looks like a long list with 8 items but not intimidating so I don't think I'll have trouble addressing them, except for the long arm issue. The sewing room clean-up isn't as huge as it sounds because for the most part it's somewhat organized.