Sunday, November 29, 2009

Stash Report

While working on my Flowers Forever I realized I needed more green fabric. I was able to get some great greens, a dark, medium and light. That added up to 1 1/2 yds. I also purchased 3/4 yds. of a fabric I needed to make a backing big enough. I made a Triple Irish Chain top and the pattern said it was 83" x 83" so I purchased accordingly. After the top was completed I measured the top and it was 89" x 89". I am not that bad of a piecer. When I did the math I learned that I was right and they were wrong. Don't you just hate it when patterns are wrong. Luckily the other meausrements (cutting, etc.) were OK.
So here is my stash report:
This weeks purchase: 9 3/4 yds.
YTD Purchases:90 1/4 yds.
Used this week: 0
YTD Use: 165 1/4 yds.


Notice that 1 1/2 yds. + 3/4 yds don't add up to the 9 3/4 yds total? That is another story. It is called:
Why am I so easily distracted?
The other day while reading the about.com quilters forum some one posted a link to Jackie Robinsons site. I went and was struck by this really cute  Christmas quilt called Peppermint Paws.  Oooooo. I really liked the diagonal sashing. I got so excited I even made up a prototype block. Since the block was 14" I didn't like the large patches....so I cut and pasted the gold star onto the block to see what would happen. Better.

But after thinking about it I decided that a Bear Paw does not mean Christmas to me. What about a tree? I looked all over for some inspiration and found this cool tree in my EQ program. Maybe. Still thinking about it. But I did go to the fabric store and buy 7 1/2 yds. of fabric for this project and I am still not 100% sure what I am going to do. Why am I so easily distracted?

So that is the sorry tale of my stash accumulation.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Why Is It....

that when working from your stash you run out of the fabric you need and then you don't have anything to substitute? I am trying to get Flowers Forever finished. I cut out the background fabric about two years ago. What was I thinking? Why cut out the background fabric before doing any of the applique prep? Since it is pattern specific I figured it was time to get the quilt done and off my To Do list.

I was able to get all the pretty flowers and baskets cut out and the spray starch prep finished. I put them in baggies to keep them separate.


Then when I moved onto the boring leaves I discovered that I did not have enough of the green fabrics that I had pulled from my stash.
*sigh* I guess I will have to hit the fabric store sooner than I thought.

In the olden days of quilting it seems the fabrics played nicer together. One fabric manufacturer goods would match another manufacturers goods. Today I find you almost have to stick with in one line to get it to work. Hopefully it won't be painful but one can never tell.

I am rather miffed since I was making such progress. Just another bump in the road on the way to completion.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Look What Came Today

I have been drooling over the pattern "Tropical Rainbow" by Judy Niemeyer for a very long time. I would have the item in my on line basket and just couldn't push the send button. Once I found it on sale at Blue Bamboo for 25% off. I thought about ordering it then but I chickened out. The sale went off and I found I was sad. The other night when I was ailing I was checking out all my favorite quilt patterns and found the pattern was on sale again. Yea! I have found that when I am sick I don't have a lot of economic conscience so I finally ordered it.

I really want to make this quilt out of batiks......of which I have NONE! I think this is going to call for a shopping trip or two. Hopefully after Thanksgiving is over with I will have some time to round up what is needed. (15 darks and 15 lights) This will be a new experience playing with batiks. I don't know why it has taken me so long to dip my foot in that pool. Maybe it was just finding the right pattern.