Stash Busting 2009 - Week 4

Class starts tomorrow night, and I'm finally done writing the patterns -- whew, glad that's done. Maybe now I can do some sewing! Above is the block for our Block Lottery, called Nelson's Victory. It's a pretty simple one, so I hope a lot of people participate! The way is works is, I hand out the pattern, and anyone interested in participating will make the block and turn it in to me. For each block they make, their name goes in a hat. On the last day of class I'll draw a name and that person wins all of the blocks. The funny thing is that the same person usually wins! She's very lucky that way! I just have fun making the blocks and getting rid of some of my scraps at the same time.

Anyhow, now on to the Stash Busting report. Same as last week, nothing in and nothing out. But now that class is starting, I should be able to get some sewing done, so I'm looking forward to that! I want to get that stash busted!!

Fabric in this week: 0 yards
Fabric out this week: 0 yards

Fabric in this year: 6 yards
Fabric out this year: 1 yard

Stash Busting 2009 - Week 3

For Christmas I got my nephew, Jackson, a little loom like one that my sister and I had when we were kids. You can pretty much just make potholders with it, but I remember Cindy and I making tons of them, and my mom is still probably using them today. There are nylon loops that you stretch across pegs, and then weave other loops across in the opposite direction using a hook. Anyway, it looks like Jackson likes it, and I promptly received one in the mail. Yay! My own potholder! Thanks, Jackson!

And now for my stashbusting report. Nothing exciting this week. Nothing in, and nothing out. I think I was a little generous with how much I busted last week, so I'm reducing that amount in the year-to-date figures.

Fabric in this week: 0 yards
Fabric out this week: 0 yards

Fabric in this year: 6 yards
Fabric out this year: 1 yard

Winter 2009 Class Projects

The preview for my Winter 2009 quilting class was this past Monday night, and I had a pretty good turnout. I'm always very nervous before the preview, because it is the night that I have to do the most talking in front of everyone. Most of the other nights I do more one-on-one or small group talking and teaching. But I made it through and everyone seemed pretty excited about the projects that I'm presenting this time around.

Below is a wall hanging of the Carpenter's Wheel block that is all made with half-square triangles instead of diamonds. This one goes together very quickly. I've seen this technique before, where you take a traditional block that uses diamonds and alter it to use half-square triangles, so I got out my encyclopedia of quilt blocks (by Barbara Brackman) and looked for this type of block. I've also seen it done in a Lone Star quilt. It looks pretty big in relation to the other pictures, but it is really only about 42" square.


The fish quilt was designed by Mary Johnson and I just love it. Mary's so creative and I am always inspired when I visit her blog. I haven't quilted it yet, but I have a lot of ideas for quilting and embellishing. I even busted some stash with the fabric for the fish! I bought the blue background fabric because it was just perfect with little circles and dots that look like bubbles.

Last I have a quilt that my mom made that I adore. It is such a simple quilt, but really wonderful. Now this is a stash buster for sure. I am using hers as a sample for class, but I plan to make one of my own in short order. A friend of hers did some really lovely quilting on with her DSM that really enhanced it.

There is no class next week, as the building in which I teach is closed for the holiday, so the first class of the nine-week session will be held on Monday, January 26, 2009 (6:00 pm - 9:00 pm) at the Veterans Memorial Building in Redwood City, CA. If you are local and are interested, just drop in to the first class to enroll. See you there!

Stash Busting 2009 - Week 2

Bear has decided to help me out with my stash busting efforts. I wonder what he's working on...

Okay, so I really didn't think I'd fall off of the stash busting wagon so early in the year, but I didn't realize that my local fabric shop was having a 40% off sale last week until I happened to be in there on the last day for a block-of-the-month meeting. Now I ask you, how can anyone pass up 40% off at a quilt shop??? I do have to say that I was really good though. I only bought a couple of neutrals that I can use for backgrounds for the scrap/stash quilts that I am planning to make this year. Another plan of mine is to make the Block of the Month quilt that is being featured for members of The Quilt Show. It is a wonderful medallion quilt with a feathered star center. I strolled around the store looking for fabrics for that quilt, but then decided that I would try to make the entire thing from my stash. Yay me!!

I may have bought two pieces of fabric on Saturday, but I also just finished a project for class that used a bunch of pieces from my stash. I started it late last year, but since I just finished it this weekend (and I need some motivation) I'm going to count it "out" this week. So my final figures are as follows:

Fabric in this week: 6 yards
Fabric out this week: 2 yards

Fabric in this year: 6 yards
Fabric out this year: 2 yards

Stash Busting 2009 - Week 1

So in keeping with Judy's stash busting challenge, I will be posting my progress every Sunday. Today marks the end of "week 1", however, this "week" was only a few days long. Oh, I wonder if everyone else is counting the whole week! No matter, my figures wouldn't change anyway... I have lots of sewing to do, but have I yet? No. I'll try to get some in a little later tonight. However, I'll just be working on projects that are almost complete already. In other words, no fabric in, no fabric out yet. Here's my first report:

Fabric in this week: 0.00
Fabric out this week: 0.00

Fabric in this year: 0.00
Fabric out this year: 0.00

New Year, New Look

For the new year I decided a new look for the blog was in order. I like this template better than the old one. I've also figured out how to put a photo in the header area, so once I find a suitable picture, I'll try that out. Meanwhile...

Bear decided he was going to see what this sewing thing is all about... Pay no attention to my overflowing notions container behind my sewing machine. I'm lucky I got the sewing table cleared off -- organizing the notions will wait for another day.

I got several quilting/sewing books for Christmas this year. Each one was one I had been wanting, so I've been having fun looking through them this past week. I've got so many ideas and so much inspiration now!! If only I had more time to sew! Maybe that's what I'll ask Santa for next year.