Totally Decaffeinated

Finished this quilt today!

It is from the book "Coffee-Time Quilts". I am not a coffee drinker so I really should change the name. I even used the same colors as the quilt in the book. I love this quilt. It measures 100 x 107. I like the look of the stacked log blocks. I also made the small stars smaller than the pattern called for as I wanted to use up a bunch of 2.5 inch squares I already had. It was a easy quilt to put together. Almost 23 yards of fabric went into this quilt.

The background fabrics are whites, beiges and creams, not greens like the photo shows.

Stash Report - March 24, 2013

I prefer making quilts without borders, I would rather make extra blocks to make the quilt the size I want it than add borders. I have 4 quilts of my grandma's and they do not have borders probably due to the fact that fabric was hard to come by, and I love them.  I usually make my quilts bigger than the pattern calls for and then trying to figure out how to make the pieced border fit just isn't going to happen. If a border is needed it will just be a strip of fabric, nothing pieced.

Next week I should have a picture of my sister's quilt to share with you. She came in yesterday and leaves on Wednesday.

What if - 
a - you went to the quilt shop and the owner told you that you were her first customer of the day at 4:30pm (store closes at 5) 
b - you picked out 24 yards of fabric - 4 yards Christmas sale fabric and 20 yards of full price fabric
c - she refused to cut 1/3 yard cuts of the Christmas fabric (sale fabric she only will cut 1 yard pieces) knowing that you had plans to purchase 20 additional yards of fabric at full price

Would you - 
a - buy full yard cuts of the Christmas fabric knowing that most of it would end up sitting on your shelves for years
b - not buy the Christmas fabric and purchase the other 20 yards of fabric
c - not buy any of the fabric you had picked out thinking that as you were her only customer of the day that she should be grateful you were there at all and sell you the fabric in the cuts you wanted

hmmmm.......

I started this quilt in February and finished it this week.

It is 105 inches square and will be living on our guest bed. The pattern is "Color Me Crayon" from the Fat Quarter Shop. The colors make it the perfect spring/summer quilt. The pattern had great directions and was easy to make. I used Batik strips. 

Used since last stash report - 20.9 / Used YTD - 133.69

Bought since last stash report - 0 / Bought YTD - 41 (bought in 2012, arrived in 2013)

Net used YTD -  92.69

Quilts finished in 2013 - 16

Visit Judy's blog to see what other quilters are up to......

Goals for 2013

1) I am planning on staying out of quilt shops - there is not one thing I need. No patterns, no thread, no batting, no fabric, no rotary blades, no rulers, no gadgets, nothing. If I don't have it then I do not need it. There isn't any reason for me to visit a shop in town or online. I guesstimated how much fabric I have and I will never come close to using it all. The folks who get my quilts don't know if the fabric is brand new or 6 years old, they only know that someone out there in the world cares enough about them to make them a quilt. I will be unsubscribing to all emails from quilt stores, if I don't see it I won't be tempted.

Amendment to Goal #1 - I will be going to the Paducah Quilt Show in April with our new quilting cousin and I will be bringing home some fabric/patterns/etc...  That will be the only quilting shopping I plan on doing this year.

2) Make 12 QOV and 

1 

2a) 6 quilts for Boots and Booties

1-2

3) Make 12 quilts for Ronald's House

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 

4) Finish 5 quilts that I have already started

5) Make 5 quilts for Margaret's Hope Chest

1 - 2 - 3

Other finished quilts

1- 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 

Stash Report - February 10, 2012

Knowing that Bill's quilting cousin will be a house quest in April I thought it would be a good idea to begin cleaning my sewing room. My plan is just to do a bit each day/week/month so on the eve of her arrival I won't be staying up all night to clean.

Anyway, when cleaning out the closet I came across this pattern by  Kerr and Ringle (I so enjoy their patterns) from the June 2010 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting.

I saved this pattern because I bought some faux chenille at the Houston Quilt Festival and thought this would be the perfect pattern to use it on.  Instead of using 1 inch sashing strips (they would have finished at 1/2 inch,  I just sewed all the green squares together without the sashing. I sewed three layers of cinnamon faux chenille on the seam lines.  

Here is my version - I used odd bits of greens, except of the dark green.

It just came out of the dryer, so it is wrinkly and not hanging perfectly straight, couldn't find all of my clamps. I used every inch of the dark green fabric I had so I went with a brown binding that almost matches the chenille.

Here is a close up of the chenille after washing and a good brushing to help it fluff.

I think it turned out pretty good and for me this was the perfect pattern to use the chenille on. After washing it is about 97 inches square. I worked on this quilt for about 2 weeks on and off

I sent more than 6 yards of fabric in orphan blocks to Beth who is turning them into works of art. Some I had made, some were given to me in block swaps. I can't wait to see what Beth creates from this assortment of blocks. I am glad they are going to a place where they will be made into quilts, instead of sitting in a bin in my closet. I am counting these blocks as 6 yards out.

Thursday's mail brought a wonderful surprise, I was expecting the package, just didn't know when it would arrive.  Background: sometime last year I came across a blog and saw this quilt http://edutach.blogspot.com/2012/02/design-wall-february-27-2012.html  I thought it was just wonderful, showed it to Bill and he also liked it so it was only natural that at some point it  would be made. I contacted Mary and she had already made a tutorial on it so we started looking at fabric. Then I remembered from Judy's blog about Vicki's hand dyed fabrics. Vicki was great to work with. I sent her a picture of the quilt and told her I would be needing 11 different color ways each with 5 shades for my quilt and she came up with the colors and we bought fat eights from her. We also purchased the brown background fabric from Vicki. The fabric we received was perfect, the colors bold and bright, just what we were looking for.

Last November I contacted Alycia to see if she would be able to quilt it for me and she had an opening in January. So I got the quilt top finished and in the mail to her. 

I got the quilt back on Thursday.

We love it. Alycia's quilting really brought it to life. My most modern quilt so far.

I counted the yardage in last year and I get to count it out this week! (I only count fabric out when the quilt is 100% finished) 2 quilts just for me this week!

Here is the backing I used, it is flannel....I like my backs to be a bit unexpected...

Used since last post - 39.60  / Used YTD - 82.88

Bought since last post - 0 / Bought YTD - 41

Net used YTD -  41.88

Quilts finished in 2013 - 7

Visit Judy's blog to see what other quilters are up to......

Goals for 2013

1) I am planning on staying out of quilt shops - there is not one thing I need. No patterns, no thread, no batting, no fabric, no rotary blades, no rulers, no gadgets, nothing. If I don't have it then I do not need it. There isn't any reason for me to visit a shop in town or online. I guesstimated how much fabric I have and I will never come close to using it all. The folks who get my quilts don't know if the fabric is brand new or 6 years old, they only know that someone out there in the world cares enough about them to make them a quilt. I will be unsubscribing to all emails from quilt stores, if I don't see it I won't be tempted.

Amendment to Goal #1 - I will be going to the Paducah Quilt Show in April and I will be bringing home some fabric/patterns/etc...  That will be the only quilting shopping I plan on doing this year.

2) Make 12 QOV

1 - 

3) Make 12 quilts for Ronald's House

1 - 2

4) Finish 5 quilts that I have already started

5) Make 5 quilts for Margaret's Hope Chest

Other finished quilts

1- 2 - 3 - 4

Stash Report January 15, 2012

I was surprised when I pulled out a tote to finish a top that the top was already finished, just needed to be quilted and bound. Easy first finish for the year. Triple Irish Chain. The green matches my wallpaper in our bedroom perfectly. I love textured wallpaper and would have it in every room if I could.

This quilt was made from a pattern at  www.maryquilts.com/new-forest-bricks/  called Forest Bricks. The bricks were already cut out, made the top go together really quick.

This quilt is called Starry Eyed. First saw it at www.cupcakesndaisies.blogspot.com and decided it would be a perfect quilt to make it all out of all scrappy 2.5 inch sqs. Pattern can be found here www.modabakeshop.com/2011/07/starry-eyed-quilt.html I am thrilled with the results. I will probably make more of these quilts as I still have a gazillion 2.5 inch sqs. Started and finished this week. Another great simple pattern. Bill thinks it more of a girl's quilt because of the white fabric. The next one I will use something other than white and it will make a great guy quilt. I might even try one in reds and blues.

Jeanne wrote on Dec. 30th about being comfortable with her identity as a utility quilter. I feel the exact same way. I want my quilts to be loved and used.

I do plan on adding some fabric next week. I love to use white with tiny black dots as sashing and I am out of it. Also want to find some background fabric for some QOVs.


In YTD - Zip
Out YTD - 46.90 ( I only count fabric when the quilt is 100% finished)

So far so good!

Stash Report - August 21st and Best of Show Winners!

Here are my finished quilts since my last stash report.

This is a baby quilt for my great niece - Olivia.

This is a I Spy quilt for our Church's Santa's Warehouse, nice to have this one done ahead of time. I have 4 more of this quilt cut out, using different color sashing. I am trying to use up all my novelty prints. It is lap size.

This is a Alaska themed quilt. My mother and I went to Alaska in June and we bought fabrics that would remind us of our visit. There is fabric that says Welcome To Alaska, a map of the area we visited, bears, seal, whales, all kinds of birds, glaciers, small airplane, sea otters, a dog sled (I highly recommend that to anyone who goes to Alaska) every activity we did we were able to find fabric for. I used the All About Me pattern. This is 100" x 100".

This is a huge Halloween quilt. You never can have too many Halloween quilts.

Another I Spy quilt sent to a friend to enjoy with her grandkids.

Granddaughter #4 and her Best of Show Hello Kitty wall hanging at her county fair. She designed this quilt, cut it out, I did the ironing, she did most of the zigzagging around the pieces, quilted it, sewed the binding on by machine, made and sewed on the label, I sewed the sleeve on the back. There are numerous mistakes but I didn't have the heart to make her rip anything out. I am so proud of her, she is 8.5 years old. She said to me "I know why you like quilting as a hobby....because IT IS SO MUCH FUN!" Sure made me smile. She already has plans for next years quilt, a face with flowing hair - wish us luck. She won $60.00!

Couldn't get the picture to go the correct way. Another Best of Show (4th to 6th grades)  for Granddaughter #2 who is 11 years old. She designed her quilt and did everything without any help from me (I did wind the bobbins and thread the sewing and quilting machines) . She also did her own ripping out. I am so proud of her. She asked me that when I get too old to quilt if she could have my long arm! There is a better picture of her quilt in a previous post.  She won $76.00! She also made a stuffed dog with her other grandmother's help and it came in 1st place.

I also made 7 small pet beds for the animal shelter out of left over pieces of flannel with batting and scraps of fabric cut into 2-3 inches squares for the stuffing. 

Total fabric used this year - 184.96


I have decided not to post how much fabric comes into my home. I know that once we are retired I won't have as much $ to spend on fabric. I am buying background fabrics for current quilts and for quilts that won't be made for many years. I think of it as my Fabric Savings Plan or my 401K in fabric. I'll need something to keep me busy for the next 25+ years.