A Delay, Therefore a Change of Plans

When we got my new sewing machine, DH & I knew that the sewing table would have to be modified to accommodate it. The opening in the table is smaller than the new machine. DH will have to cut a new opening and build a larger shelf for the machine to sit down into. This means we need a new Dream World insert, the acrylic piece that fits around the machine flush with the tabletop.

Here's the temporary set up with the machine sitting on top of the tabletop. It's sitting on the solid part of the table toward the left, not the part where the old opening is, due to its weight. I wouldn't want something to give way and the new machine to crash into the hole! The insert that came with the table is filling the opening now, but it rests on only four tiny supports.

Temporary sewing set-up until the table can be retrofitted

to accommodate the larger machine

 

See that blue tape under the machine? That's how much longer the new hole will need to be cut.

The insert was ordered and arrived in December. However, we ordered it with a lip so it would fit over the new opening, and it came without a lip. I talked to the company and they're supposed to be sending a correct one with a lip. We don't have an ETA for the new insert yet.

Meanwhile the retrofitting process is on hold because DH doesn't want to cut the new opening until we have the insert, because the exact size of the insert will determine the exact size to cut the opening. He has the new shelf made, and will install it after the opening is cut.

When I made my January goals, I had planned to quilt Antler Dance as my next project. However, it's big and heavy. I've decided to wait until the sewing table is fixed and the machine can sit down flush into it and the table can support the weight of the quilt as I quilt it.

So I guess I need a piecing project instead of a quilting project. Yesterday I started this:

Block on sashing fabric, all from stash

This is one sample block using a couple of the fabrics I showed in my stash report plus a couple more from stash. The block is just sitting on top of yardage of the stripe; I'll use the stripe for sashing. The pattern will be similar to the practice quilt I made recently, but will be a little larger, 16 blocks, and is destined for donation.

Since I can't work on quilting for awhile, I guess I'll work on getting this pieced this week and then figure out a backing for it. Hopefully the insert for the table will arrive soon, DH can finish retrofitting the table, and I'll be able to quilt.

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 1/10/16: Some In, Some Out, Some 2015 Accounting

I succumbed to the FQ dollar sale at a local shop this week, 12 FQs for 3 yards in. But I also finished the Dancing Plus flimsy, estimated (based on EQ7 & my cutting notes) at 5 yards background and 2-3/4 yards colors for 7-3/4 yards out. You can see the Dancing Plus flimsy in the post below.

IN: 3 yards
OUT: 7-3/4 yards
I'll tally up the totals for the month/YTD at the end of the month.

So what did I score at the FQ sale? Some great stash enhancers:

I picked up two of this black & tan print - I knew it would work well with other prints in my stash, particularly this number print I got in December for a donation quilt.

More greens - you know I have a thing for greens. I used greens in Broken Chevron and in a potential publication project I haven't shown on the blog. You'd think I'd be over greens by now, but I still love them. At some point I still want to make a Four Corners Cut and Shuffle Quilt using greens.

 

Periwinkle, navy, magenta: so pretty, and I have very little of these colors in my stash. It's nice to branch out for some variety.

Some basic stash builders. I have very little in patriotic colors so these will be handy for QOV blocks whenever someone is having a QOV block drive. Plus, they're versatile enough stash basics that they're not limited to just patriotic projects.

I think I did all right for my $12.94 spent!

Speaking of spending, here's the 2015 fabric recap:

• $1031.87 spent on fabric (includes tax and shipping; does not include batting or notions)
• 160-1/4 yards acquired in 2015 from all sources (includes purchases, free table, etc.)
• Average cost per yard $6.44
• Pretty good considering regular price for quilting cottons is approaching $12 per yard on average now.

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times and with Molli Sparkles.

 

Dancing Plus Flimsy

Tah-done!

I was lucky to get photos outside on the only sunny-ish day we've had in weeks, but it was windy so my flimsy flapped around a bit.
It finished at 60 x 75, a nice size for a sofa quilt. I don't have an immediate need for or recipient in mind for this one, but I do want to get it finished and off the WIP list. I'm thinking of an allover loose meander for the quilting.

Linking up with Friday Finish at Crazy Mom Quilts and Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. What are you celebrating this week?

WIPs and UFOs

One of my goals for this year is to finish WIPs  and UFOs. A specific goal on my January list is to locate all the UFOs and log them. I did, and the result is two lists, one of UFOs and one of WIPs. What's the difference?  WIPs are less than a year from their start date or are still actively in work and on my mind, or in one case, a WIVSP (work in very slow progress).

The WIP list isn't so bad. No surprises. Most of them have been blogged about in recent months. The oldest one on the list is a hand-piecing bee project; my turn comes around every 18 months and we've been working on it for several go-rounds. Here it is on my wall as I was prepping to hand out last time.

WIVSP - Hand Pieced by CSQ Piecing Group

The UFO list, on the other hand, turned out to be longer than I expected. 12 items, and I couldn't find another that I know I never finished. (I think I may have gotten rid of it because it was faded.)

I've already dispatched the first two on the UFO list. The first went into the trash can - it sat in a basket for 20 years and collected so much dust you couldn't see the colors of the fabrics any more. What a relief to have that gone! The second wasn't far enough along to be worth pursuing. I saved the cute ABC fabric and put it into my stash; I can use it for donation quilts. The few flying geese units that are finished are in a baggie to go to the free table at guild.

Most of the rest of the UFOs are worth finishing. There is one that I don't like and I will offer the blocks for sale, trade, or whatever, in a separate post another time. My goal for the year is to finish as many as possible. We'll see how many I manage to get done by the end of the year.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts.

DWM: 120 Little Blocks Dancing on my Wall

I spent a lot of time arranging blocks lately. Move them around, take a photo. Run downstairs, download the photo to the laptop, look at it in color and also in black & white. Note what needs to be changed. Run back upstairs and move blocks around some more. Repeat, repeat...

I finally decided the layout was about as balanced as it can get. No two of the same backgrounds touching each other. No two of the same plus fabric near each other. No heavy concentrations of warm, cool, light, dark areas.

So here are my Dancing Plus blocks on the wall. They're sewn into columns, so this is the final layout.

I decided on a half-drop layout, so I need to make filler blocks for the tops and bottoms of the columns where they don't line up. I'll use a variety of background fabrics so they blend in with the rest of the top. This top will finish at 60" x 75" which is a nice size for a sofa throw.

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times; check out what everyone else has on their design walls over there.

First Stash Report of 2016: It's all Her Fault

I was going to be good, really. I was going to get through at least the first stash report of the month with out any incoming fabric. Then my friend Karen and I found this on the sale table at the First Saturday BOM Meeting at our LQS yesterday:

There wasn't much on the bolt and it was 50% off if you cleared the bolt. You know I'm a sucker for colors with black. I picked up the bolt and put it back. No, I'm going to be good. No new fabric for me.

Karen had been eyeing it earlier. Then we thought to split the yardage on the bolt. We each came away with 3/4 yard. See? It's her fault. She's the enabler.

Of course, she's saying exactly the same about me. I guess should own up to my own weakness for fabric after all.

So, first stash report of the year:
  IN: 3/4 yard
  OUT: none.

But I did find some friends in my stash for the new fabric. They're taunting me to start something new.

 

Wait - I really need to exercise a little more self discipline. Maybe I'll hold off on starting something new until I get a few of the items on my list done. Do you think I can?

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times. Check out everyone else's much better stash management efforts for the new year over there.

Also linking up with Molli Sparkles. I'm not the only one who's a sucker for pretty fabric!

Starting the New Year with a Finish

What a great way to start 2016, with my last finish from 2015. I was able to get the practice quilt bound earlier this week, and when it finally stopped raining around here I was able to get an outdoor photo.

This will be a donation quilt for the next time I need one or one of my groups has a Project Linus drive. It finished at a nice size for a tween, 44" x 58". All the fabrics including the back were from stash (I counted the yardage out last week). Kate from Life in Pieces blog named it for me: Dotty with a Change of Stripes.

Linking up with Friday Finish at Crazy Mom Quilts and Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Wishing you all the best in 2016!