I've Been Busy

I'd say it's time to take a break and tidy up a bit, wouldn't you? LOL

Stash quilt is all cut out! I'm so excited. I did it!!

Nasties

Yes, nasties. That's what I call people who make nasty, often anonymous, comments.

It has gotten out of hand. There are folks, women, who have nothing better to do than to sit at their computer making swipes at those of us who enjoy blogging and quilting, and talking about blogging and quilting. My last comment to those people - get a life. Go make a quilt. Go vacuum the carpet.

I would like to ask everyone who reads my blog to do something for a while until this all settles down.

If you get one of those kind of comments on your blog - just delete it. Delete it. Delete it. If you see one on my blog, please email me and I'll delete it. Just don't respond to it.

After a while when those people see they're not getting a rise out of us, they will go away. You see, what they want is attention. They want to stir up a heated discussion. They want to upset me or you with their comments. Just delete them. They are nobody of interest or importance to us. They're a boil on the butt of humanity.

DELETE THEM!!

Thank you.

Judy's Stash Project

I was going to just throw in the towel on Judy's Stash Project. I tore up my stash room looking for lights and darks and nothing - I mean, nothing - was going together.

So I did what I do best and went whining to Judy. I told her I tried to pull the fabrics, and what I had pulled was horrible. So I was giving it up. I don't normally pass along emails from friends, but hers were good ones!

She replied, "NO! Something's not quite right . . this is NOT hard. Would you please do something for me? Just grab a few and use them. It can be a charity quilt if you hate it. You may hate it but I promise you . . you will do something in this process that will make using the stash easier. Lights and darks -- that's it. Pick them before Saturday!"

So, okay, I said I'd try again Friday night, but nothing was working because of all the blasted florals in my stash; I didn't have many tone on tones.

Now she got REALLY tough with me!! She was NOT letting me off the hook!! LOL

"Mine are tone on tones because that's almost all I have. You can use florals, you can use checks . . just don't use only one floral. If you're going to use florals, throw in a bunch. Lay them out on the floor . . walk away and look. Do they look dark or light . . that's all you need to worry about -- dark or light!

"You can do it. You may not like it but it's time to . . you know what . . or get off the pot! Either use the stash or stop adding to it. You have to decide . . did I buy this fabric to collect or did I buy it to use on a rainy day. USE THE STASH!!!"

ROFLOL. Judy is one determined woman!! She's is not giving me a pass on this one!! When Judy was here in Jan. 2008 she saw the stash and she knows what's there. She totally turned a deaf ear to my whining!

Judy, I love you, kiddo! But you drive a hard bargain!

Before I went to bed last night, I pulled dark florals and lights. After reading back through her post about it, I needed more of both so I pulled more this morning. As I was flipping off the light in the stash room a few minutes ago, inspiration struck! I'm heading back up there now to pull another set of these lights and darks! I think I'll like the second set better, but they would both work for this project!

So, Judy, you win this round!!! I guess I'll be cutting fabrics when I get back from my haircut this morning! Sheesh ....

UPDATE: Stash pull - Plan B!!!! Still need to tweek it some, but I'm going with these!

Well, the "Ayes" Have It!

You voted and, unlike our politicians, I listen!! So I'll be making the basket quilt. I think I'm going to just stick with the size block as designed. Whether I make all 291 is yet to be seen!! Thank you all for weighing in. See? Your votes DO count!! :) :)



Making use of scraps - that's a good thing! I had some scraps segregated by color, so I dug into the blues and found these pieces. I need a range of blues. I'll be ready to start sewing more blocks before the weekend! Yea!

I don't like standing at the cutting table slicing these strips up into 2.250 pieces, but it needs to be done. So you know where I'll be for the next two nights!

Basket

Ever since I saw this quilt in a picture that Kimberly at The Fat Quarter Shop posted on her blog from Fall Market, it has been at the forefront of my thoughts. The quilt is in the book titled "When the Cold Wind Blows" by Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs. I didn't tell anyone what I was thinking about because -- well, I just didn't.

This weekend while Jane and I were at Calico Horse, I showed her the quilt in the book. (And in process of taking that book down to show her, I knocked every single book off their display. I hope no one from that shop reads my blog. I truly don't want them to know I was the one who did that!!!!!)

Anyway, Jane did not discourage me from doing this quilt. In fact, she was sort of supportive of the idea. However, I didn't look at her when we were talking to see if she was rolling her eyes at me. :)

So last night while watching TV, I decided to try one. I made the templates a couple of months ago. This block is 5.5" unfinished.

This little blasted thing took me two hours to needleturn. There are 291 baskets in the quilt. If I did one a week, that would take me almost 5.5 years to complete just the basket part of it.

I absolutely love this quilt. Probably more than any quilt I've ever seen in the 7.5 years I've been quilting. But I'm a realist.

I already have a Jane Stickle quilt in the works. I have a Dear Hanna in the works, although I'm making this with a friend and my job is to do just the appliqued blocks. I have about 110 blocks made out of 190 something needed for the Dutch Treat quilt. Those are only the ones I can think of right off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are others.

When I was pulling the blue and white shirtings for the James River Blues quilt this weekend, I went ahead and separated out all the black and white shirtings. I have plenty of those, probably more than enough to do this quilt. The baskets are made from fall colors - gold, orange, green, brown, black. Plenty of that fabric around here, too.

I truly appreciate the readers who visit my blog. I value your comments and opinions. I'll do whatever you say. So I'm asking .....

Yes? No?

Simply Sophisticated Month 5 Winner

Sorry. I was busy sewing away and totally lost track of time!

This month's winner is NAT FROM FRANCE! How exciting!!

You can visit Nat's blog here to check out her blocks!

Congratulations, Nat! Your $25 gift certificate from The Fat Quarter Shop will be emailed to you in just a bit!! We can't wait to see what you buy with your gift certificate!!

Nat, please email me at krz4kwlts@yahoo.com. My French is a "bit" rusty and I couldn't figure out how to notify you of your winning on your blog. (My apologies to my mom and dad who paid a lot of money for me to major in French! LOL)

Again and again, a huge THANK YOU to Kimberly and Kevin at The Fat Quarter Shop for the monthly gift certificate drawing! Please go to visit their site and stop by Jolly Jabber blog to say thank you for making this BOM so much fun!

If you haven't signed up for the Simply Sophisticated BOM, you'll be real sorry you didn't when you see our beautiful quilts! It's not too late! Simply click on the Simply Sophisticated link on my sidebar or click here to get in on the fun!

Quiltathon Day 2 Progress - Updated

My progress so far. It took me two hours to dig through the Civil War Fabrics and find all the shirtings scattered about the stash room. They're now residing in a couple of plastic tubs. I've started cutting these fabrics.

Some of these fabrics have been in my stash for a long time. Some of those shirtings are a Judie Rothermel Indigo Collection. I must have gotten those in 2002. I only started quilting in late 2001, and I remember these being the first shirtings I bought. I pulled one piece of dark blue from the Pennsylvania Plain & Fancy line by Anita Shackelford. It has 2002 on the selvedge.

I'm glad worked down all the way to the bottom of the two huge wire baskets of Civil War fabrics. I found my Jane Stickle blocks that I had put in there so I wouldn't lose them! LOL. And I also found a billion Civil War 3" nine-patch blocks from a swap a few years back. I have a plan forming for those. Time to get them into a quilt!

I've had more fun this weekend! I could really fall in love with my stash! I really could! :) :) :)



Update: Well, after cutting most of the day, I decided to stop and make a block. This is going to be another quilt that will take me some weeks to finish, but I'll stick with it, probably working on it between other projects. I have it about half cut. Instead of using half yard pieces as the pattern called for, I've dug in my Civil War stash and pulled out a lot of small pieces of blue, a lot of fat eighths. So I'll have many more than 12 blue pieces. I'm going to enjoy working on this one.

Update - Stash Report Week 8!

Here are four of the Calico Horse patterns I picked up yesterday. All of these were hanging in their shop in Redlands. Cute quilts and all good for stash busting! (Is "stash busting" one word or two? LOL)

The Flag Day Farm order I placed last week from The Fat Quarter Shop arrived - gulp, 22.125 yards. I'm so in love with patriotic fabrics that when I see a good line I scarf it up. There's a really nice stash of these colors now. Believe it or not, I was down to almost no patriotics about a year ago. Not any more! I'm set to go!

I'm counting as busted the 8.125 yards for the Bears in the Barnhouse Quilt-Along that Judy is hosting for us. I keep saying this over and over, but she is such an inspiration to me and I know to a lot of other bloggers and quilters all over the world! Thank you, Judy! So these fabrics are committed, tubbed up, and ready for Step 3! They're out of my stash, so they're busted!!

Cutting like crazy is going on here today. I'm cutting shirtings and blues for the James River Blues pattern by Bonnie Blue Quilts. I thought I would be able to start sewing on it today but probably not. I cut a little and then sat down to sew the first block. I glanced at the pattern, and that's when I realized that each block on this quilt is scrappy. I was thinking in my pea-sized brain that each block only had two fabrics. The scrappy quilt that was hanging at Road to California was gorgeous and I fell in love with it, but I could also do two-fabric blocks. I'm going to ask for opinions on this - but I already know what you're going to say.

I'm so excited about sewing now. More than I have been in the last year or two. Busting is surely to follow!

UPDATE: I totally forgot to mail out the box of fabrics sitting on the back seat of the QuiltMobile, but they'll be mailed in the morning. I went to great efforts to pull these fabrics and box them. They're headed to someone who will use them in charity quilts. That's another 36.75 yards out of the stash. I'm counting it this week. Yes, I am!!

Almost even again. I'll be there next week!

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 92.50 yards
Purchased: 97.75 yards
Net YTD: <5.25> yards

Bear Toes are Done!!

Simply Sophisticated drawing will be this afternoon around 3:00 Pacific time. Please post about your completed blocks HERE, or email me a picture to be included in the drawing. Good luck!

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Well, it's 1:00 a.m. and I'm done with my bear toes! I didn't start them until late yesterday, so not bad considering! I'm going to bed!!! Tomorrow is another sewing day on another project. Just need to decide which one!

February Quiltathon

I'm getting a late start today. I pinned the fabrics before Jane picked me up this morning for our adventure.

We had a great time today. We went to Redlands to a wonderful gift shop. Man, I could have shored up the national economy all by myself in that place, but I didn't buy a thing!

Then we went to the Calico Horse. That is the cutest shop. I wish it were closer to me! I picked up a half dozen patterns, most of them are their in-house patterns. Cute, cute. I'll be busting stash doing them, too! Had a chat with the owner who is the sweetest lady. I love their patriotic theme, and their wonderful array of Civil War fabrics. I was VERY good considering they had all the things I like most!

Weird when I got home. I came in and could hear this loud hissing/running type sound. I immediately checked a few things downstairs and could find nothing. I figured it was coming from outside, but when I went out on the patio the sound got softer.

Then it occurred to me that the toilet might be overflowing up in my master bedroom. Boy, I flew up the stairs. The toilet was fine, but the blow dryer laying on the vanity was on. Now, I know I turned it off this morning, and even went back upstairs to change shoes before Jane got here. That thing was NOT on. Well, it was on now, and I couldn't turn it off. The switch was already in the off position. I unplugged that thing and threw it in the garbage. What an odd thing to happen! I'm glad it wasn't a long work day, or else the house might have burned down. It was really hot.

I'm heading over <<<< to the Bernina to start stitching away! My goal is to make all of Judy's HSTs for the Bears quilt this weekend! I'll easily meet that goal!

Judy's Bear Quilt

I've changed out these fabrics so many times. I think the only one in the original fabric pull is the striped fabric. The green and black Dimples aren't working.

This is hard! But I'm heading back up to the stash room to have another go at it! I'd wager I am the worst stash-puller-outer in the whole world!

Totally Useless Stash!

Simply Sophisticated BOM makers, please post your finished blocks HERE or email me to be entered into the drawing for the gift certificate generously donated by The Fat Quarter Shop!

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I'm futzing with the fabrics for Judy's QuiltAlong. I have switched out a couple of fabrics, and I'm ready to commit to these except for one color.

I have NO yellow in my stash! I found two pieces, both just teeny cuts. How did that happen? I LOVE yellow. My stripes have yellow in them, so I need yellow.

There are a couple of yellow with tone-on-tone flowers in the Pandolph closet, but they're all wrong for this quilt. They're the yellows in Judy's Star BOM.

This is bad, folks!

Seriously, for all the fabric I own, my stash is sometimes totally useless!

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UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE



I got out of the shower, and this yellow thing was really bugging me. I went back in the stash room, and guess what was sitting right there? A tub of yellow fabrics.

My apologizes to my stash.........

The Last BOM This Weekend!

Judy's Star BOM #12. One more block to go and then the setting/borders. I totally loved making this BOM. Thank you, Judy!

Now back to the regularly scheduled program........

Stash Report Week 7

Well, what can I say. I had some automatic shipments hit this week, and I poked some buttons for things that haven't arrived yet so I AM NOT reporting them until they're sitting on my doorstep! I knew I would fall off the wagon big time when Flag Day Farm landed at The Fat Quarter Shop. Those purchases will arrive next week - and the week after!

A total of 27.5 yards purchased this week, including a Patisserie tower that I had preordered. I also got the cutest pattern by Jan Patek called Cottage Garden, and, of course, had to get a Charming Jelly Cake for that pattern. Isn't that an adorable pattern?

I think I'm pretty safe until Glace is released in June. Hopefully I'll have turned my numbers around by then.

I actually did pretty good this week on the busting front. The Heritage top fits my bed fine, so the backing and binding were busted. I also cut up fabric for a string quilt, and some charms and a layer cake found their way to a friend's house. All total busted 20.125 yards!!

Laundry is going, and I'm drinking a cup of tea (because I forgot to get coffee filters), and after I wipe down the kitchen countertops, I'm heading back into the sewing room. I have about 15 more minutes to work on a BOM and I don't know what else is on the agenda today. Maybe getting some bindings sewn on or prepping some applique.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 47.625 yards
Purchased: 75.625 yards
Net YTD: <28.00> yards

BOM Weekend - Again!

Simply Sophisticated BOM makers, please post your finished blocks HERE or email me to be entered into the drawing for the gift certificate generously donated by The Fat Quarter Shop!

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It seems like I just had a BOM weekend! Yep, once a month it happens! LOL. I'm having so much fun with these, but I've been late a few times getting them done!! Just wish I could catch up on the appliqued BOMs!

I'll be posting the BOM blocks here as I get them done today.

First up is Judy's Star BOM. This is Block 11. Almost done with them. I can't wait to put these gorgeous things together into a quilt! A whole bunch of folks did this one, and I love looking at everyone's blocks!



Block 9 of the 2008 Designer BOM from The Fat Quarter Shop. I say this every month, but I love love love this Peace on Earth fabric!!!



Sweet Treasures Block #6. Halfway done on this BOM! I almost didn't sign up for this one because I had so many BOMs going, but, boy, am I glad I did! These fabrics are scrumptious and are my favorite colors!



Month 2 of 3's Company by Thimbleberries. I was sitting on the fence about which colorway I wanted, and was given a gentle nudge to the light one. That was a good nudge! I really like these fabrics!!

Simply Sophisticated Month 5

How's everyone coming along on their Simply Sophisticated BOM blocks from The Fat Quarter Shop this month? I'm determined to keep up with this one, and I hope you all are, too!

The drawing for this month's $25 gift certificate from The Fat Quarter Shop will be Sunday, February 22nd at around 3:00 or so Pacific time. Remember that you must post a picture of your completed blocks on your blog and comment here to let us know where to go to admire them, or if you're blogless you can just email me a picture of your blocks. Either way, those who brag about their blocks will be entered into the drawing! Please leave your comment or send me an email no later than about an hour before the drawing. I want to make sure everyone's name is in the hat!

If you're behind, just skip ahead to the February blocks! If you still haven't signed on to the BOM, you can do so by clicking on the link above or the one in my sidebar. When you see our completed quilts, you're going to be real sorry you didn't hop onboard for this BOM. The blocks are gorgeous!

Be sure to visit The Fat Quarter Shop to see all the new and exciting fabrics and patterns. They've been busy loading up a ton of new things on the site, and I'm afraid I've been poking a few buttons this week! (sigh)

Thank you, again, Kimberly, Kevin and Miss Emma for donating the gift certificates and for making this BOM so much fun!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Stripes

Judy is going to be having Quilt Along #1. If you haven't signed up for it, you need to! This is going to be so much fun!

Stripes, she says! No problem, I say! I mosey on up to the stash room, and immediately head over to the Freddie fabrics, the ones I've collected to make a Freddie Moran quilt. I know there are stripes there. I found them, and they're gorgeous, but I only have a half yard of each of them. Nope, that won't work.

So then I start digging through the patriotics. Surely I have a great striped patriotic fabric. Nope!

I'm in "fall back" mode and I open the Robyn Pandolph closet. Nary a stripe in there. Christmas fabrics? Plenty of them, but no stripes!

Yikes!

I'm bummed. Totally bummed. I mean, what good is this humongous stash if there are no good stripes in it! I emailed Judy to tell her my predicament, but that I was NOT going fabric shopping! I mean the whole purpose of this exercise is to pull from stash, right?

Woe is me! I'm sitting here feeling all sorry for myself, just shaking my head and sighing in that way in which all Southern women excel .... when I glanced over to the Halloween fabrics. Eureka!!! Right on top all neatly packaged by the Fat Quarter Shop are stripes!!!

Oh, joy, what a happy gal I am! I have stripes. I have tubs of Halloween go-withs! I have a plan!



Whew!!! Stash busting is HARD WORK!

Almost Done!

I just threw it down at the foot of my bed to get a quick picture. I need to square it and then I'm going to add a 4" border out of that bird sashing fabric. At least I think I am. I'm going to put it on my bed tomorrow and see how it drapes.

This quilt was so labor intensive, a lot more so than it looks. I'm ready for a really easy project now!!

But at least I met my weekend goal!

Stash Report Week 6

I'm still plugging away on the Heritage top. I know I pledged to have it done this weekend, but yesterday, frankly, after getting a haircut and running a lot of errands, I decided to take a nap. I was useless after that. I did get three rows sewn on at Ginger's sew-in on Friday night, and I'm working on it now, but I don't expect to get it done with borders by tonight. I'm at the halfway point on the assembly. I'm real ready to work on something else, but I'm going to plow my way through on this one. My days of accumulating UFOs are over!!!!! I'll have a bust to report next week.

I didn't poke any buttons this week either, so no purchases. No automatic shipments either. I do have two patterns in my cart at The Fat Quarter Shop, but I haven't finished the transaction yet because I'm still looking at patterns. Kimberly has so many wonderful ones in stock now. I'm thinking stashbusting here!

As I looked around my sewing area this morning, there are a ton cute, easy projects that I pulled out. I might polish off two or three of those before I start another "hard" one. Also, I've been thinking about applique this week. I haven't done any hand stitching in ever so long. Maybe a week devoted just to prepping is in order.

So that's it. Nothing ventured; nothing gained. I guess it could be worse.

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 27.50 yards
Purchased: 48.125 yards
Net YTD: <20.625> yards busted

A Meme

Jeanne at Spiral had an intesting Meme on her blog today. She said "J" was a difficult letter. Yikes, I'm a "V," but I decided to take the challenge. Give it a try!

1. What is your name: Vicky
2. A four letter word: very
3. A boy's name: Victor
4. A girl's name: Virginia
5. An occupation: veterinarian
6. A color: vermillion
7. Something you wear: velvet
8. A food: vichyssoise
9. Something found in the bathroom: vitamins
10. A place: vestibule
11. A reason for being late: (traffic) voting
12. Something you shout: Voila!
13. A movie title: Vertigo
14. Something you drink: vegetable juice
15. A musical group: The Ventures
16. An animal: viper
17. A book title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
18. A country: Vietnam
19. A city: Vancouver
20. Something you value or believe: valor

Heritage Progress

I did this much of the Heritage top Sunday night and haven't touched it since. I have a sew-in Friday night at Ginger's and I plan to start working on it again then, and I should have it all put together by Sunday night. I'm ready to bust those borders and backing! Working on just this one top the whole month of January sure did dry up the busting!

Today was a long day. I stood at the little copier in my office for most of the day. My feet hurt! LOL. Tomorrow night is a management dinner to celebrate the 35th anniversary of our company. That should be fun!

It's been really boring in my life lately. It's just that time of year, but, sheesh, a little excitement here and there would be nice! I've been so motivated to sew, and there are tons of projects that are calling my name. I'm going to try to get all my errands run each night after work so I can spent two full days sewing this weekend.

That's it for me. Nothing to blog about. Usually I can find humor somewhere in the day, but even that's been lacking this week.

Stash Report Week 5

I haven't busted anything because the Heritage quilt is still in the works. I'm determined not to move on to something else until this one is done. I'll get a bust on borders and backing if I ever get to that point! I'm ready to start putting the rows together. It shouldn't take long, but I probably won't get that part finished up until next weekend. It's "that time of year" at work, and I'm way too pooped to sew at night during the week.

I've also been too pooped to poke buttons lately. I told Kimberly yesterday that I haven't even been to the Fat Quarter Shop to look around this week! Gasp!! If I'm not careful, they're going to remove me from their friends list! LOL

But thanks to preorders and automatic shipments, a package did arrive this week! Hooray! Love those packages on my doorstep! The first block of the Autumn House BOM by Bunny Hill Designs came! I'm so wanting to sit down and prep the block, but I'm going to stick with my plan to get Heritage finished up first. I know that if I start something else, then Heritage will become another UFO! I preordered the backing for the new BOM, so 3.5 yards in. The Fat Quarter Shop has sold out of this BOM, but here's a link to the Autumn House pattern at Bunny Hill Designs. I love Anne's patterns!

Today I must run a couple of errands and do laundry. Hopefully I'll find some time to sew on sashings, too!

Yes, I'm still in the negative, but I'm not too worried about that now. I know I'll be out of the negative with a Heritage finish, and borders/backing for Prairie Paisley Patchwork Party that's up next.

The two books purchased this week, plus this BOM shipment and backing, $101.77 in my savings account!

Year-to-Date Totals:

Busted: 27.50 yards
Purchased: 48.125 yards
Net YTD: <20.625> yards busted