Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art


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Sunday Stash Report: 1/3/16

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Wow, first Stash Report of the year!  Look at this nice, positive, destashing number long and hard because you won’t see it again for a while!  Massive amounts of fabric have been ordered and arrive this week, wrecking havoc with the stats.

So far in 2016, I’ve used two yards to make these dozen 12.5″ donation blocks that Alycia is collecting for Quilts of Valor.  It’s a fun and easy way to use your 2.5″ strips.

This week: +0 yards, -2 yards
This year: +0 yards, -2 yards
Net destashed in 2016: 2 yards

I’m going for fifty yards out of the Stash again this year, but I’ll have to be patient as I crawl back out of the hole I’ve dug bought myself. I believe!

I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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Wrapping Up 2015

It’s that time.  I’ve had a good year of quilting, both on my own and on a number of community projects.  The year had it’s ups and downs, creatively, but you all kept inspiring me, pulled me into projects, and pushed me out of my comfort zone a few times, so this is what it looks like.

PicMonkey Collage 2015PicMonkey Collage 2015 AI’m glad I have these photos (I seem to have lost a few), to prove that I did accomplish something, because my 2015 Goals don’t really show it.

2015 Goals

This year I want to make more art quilts, including representational quilts.  I’d like to experiment with using various printing techniques for surface decoration.  I’ve been collecting some ideas and a few photos.  I might start with a winter piece.

I made one art quilt, the small lobster trap one, where I learned a new printmaking technique.   I did buy some fabric paints and markers, collect some leaves, and look at a lot of inspiration quilts.

I want to quilt the Slow Quilt, and if I’m happy with it, consider entering it in show.

 Nope.  Just didn’t get to/want to do this.

I have an idea for my own version of stack and whack that I want to try on a piece of fabric.

 Nope.  I got over this one quickly.  Think it’s been done.

And I want to continue to reduce/turn over my stash.  I’m not sure I can remove another hundred yards, though.  I’ve already taken it down a lot, and I’m planning some very small quilts.  I’m setting my goal at fifty yards, and if I do better than that, all the better.  Fifty yards in ’15.

 Yes!  I reduced the stash by 50.5 yards.  I’m at the point where I don’t have many large backing pieces, and need to buy sometimes.

 

I did better on my December Goals, in spite of traveling.

December Goals

  1. Finish the Droid Quilt Along quilt.  Yes!
  2. Make Aggie commissioned quilt.  Yes!
  3. Make string blocks for Kat’s December Block Drive.  Yes!
  4. Optional:  Assemble Hashtag quilt top.  No.  But it’s on my design wall now.

 

I’m mulling over these results, and I’ll be back in a day or two with some thoughts for 2016.  Remember, 2016 has one extra day, and I certainly plan to spend it quilting!

Hope your new year is bright and shiny, and I hope I see you at the New Year’s Sew In on Twitter and Facebook.  #NYSI

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Sunday Stash Report: 12/20/15

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Greetings, and welcome to my last Stash post of the year.  I know there’s another week, but I’ll be traveling then, so this is it.

My final sewing of the year was this set of six string blocks for Kat’s December block drive.  They conveniently used one yard.  I didn’t come up with them just to make my destashing goal; I put them on my December Goals almost a month ago.  But I did make my Goal of Destashing Fifty Yards in 2015!!

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 1 yards
This year:  + 134.75 yards,  – 185.25 yards

Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  50.50 yards!
Whoot!

At one point I thought I would go sailing by this number, but it just didn’t happen.  I’m happy being fifty yards in the black.

I hope you’ve done what you want with your Stash this year, and with your sewing, and everything else.  I’ll be lurking around through magic of WiFi, and look forward to seeing your posts.  Enjoy your holidays!  You’ve earned them!


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Sunday Stash Report: The Droids I was Looking For

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Yesterday I finished the twin-sized Droid quilt from The Stitch’s Droid Quilt Along.  It used nine and a half yards, but I did need to buy an extra half yard of the white Kona background.  This concludes my Christmas sewing, just in time.  I experimented with using my tablet for these photos, not too impressed.

I really like the vertical straight line quilting, but as always with walking foot quilting, it seemed to take forever, and that long quilt got heavy on my shoulders.

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I used two classic Star Wars prints for the backing, pieced in a giant Disappearing Four Patch.

This week:  + .5 yards,  – 9.5 yards
This year:  + 134.75 yards,  – 184.25 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  49.50 yards

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And, of course I had it officially tested.  It passed!
We’re linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 12/6/15

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In the two weeks since I reported, there’s been lots of sewing, but also some buying.  I got three and a quarter yards of burgundy and gray fabric at Patchwork Plus, Dayton, VA, while we were visiting over the Thanksgiving holiday.  I used most of that up in the 54″ x 72″ commissioned quilt I made.  It took seven and a half yards, and the coaster sets took a quarter yard.

This week:  + 3.25 yards,  – 7.75 yards
This year:  + 134.25 yards,  – 174.75 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  40.50 yards

Well, forty is getting close to my goal of destashing fifty yards this year, right?  I’ll make it.

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Hope you’re sewing, and that you have good help!  We’re linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


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November/December Goals

PicMonkey Collage11-30Wow, the year is really winding down!  I sewed a lot this month, but didn’t quite complete my goals.

November Goals

  1. Piece the top from the Hashtag blocks when they arrive.  Nope.  This just did not happen.
  2. Bind the scrappy Star Wars baby quilt.  Yes, here.
  3. Catch up on the Droid Quilt Along.  Pretty darn close.  I am ready to make the sashing, then assemble the top.
  4. Make scrappy Maple Leaf blocks for Kat’s November Block Drive.  Yes, here.

In addition to my goals, I made a 60″ x 80″ Baseball quilt, six pillowcases, and a pair of potholders.

 

December Goals

  1. Finish the Droid Quilt Along quilt.
  2. Make Aggie commissioned quilt.
  3. Make string blocks for Kat’s December Block Drive.
  4. Optional:  Assemble Hashtag quilt top.

Keeping this list short because we may be traveling for a week or so in December.

Hope you accomplished everything you wanted to this month.


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Sunday Stash Report: 11/22/15

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Three and a half yards came in this week, backing for an upcoming quilt.  I used a quarter yard for pot holders, and six yards for donation pillowcases.

This week:  + 3.5 yards,  – 6.25 yards
This year:  + 131.0 yards,  – 167.0 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  36.0 yards

Hope you got to sew this week!


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The Baseball Quilt

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Yuri and I are here to show you the finished Baseball Quilt.  This is for a sick friend who may need a little extra hug to get through till pitchers and catchers report.

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The back has a Mets theme, if you can’t see it.

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The big 8″ Drunkard’s Path blocks (I made templates from a cereal box!) went together very quickly.  Then came the quilting.  I used dark gray Bottom Line on the top and bottom for most of it.  I stitched in the ditch between all the blocks first, mostly to make sure the baseballs were anchored down.  Then I stippled all the background pieces, and outlined the baseballs.  Finally, I used one of my machine’s decorative stitches (Bernina #23) with red 30 wt. thread to make the stitching lines.  I had to stitch each line twice, once normally, then once in the mirror image.  They’re not as even as I would like, but I think they work.

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And here’s Yuri to demonstrate the resulting snugglebility of the finished quilt.

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Thanks for stopping by!


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Sunday Stash Report: 11/15/15

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Eleven and a quarter yards of fabric came in this week, but I’ve used a lot of it.

The blocks for Kat took one yard (of older scraps).

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The Baseball quilt took ten and a half yards.  Here’s a picture before I’ve buried my thread ends or washed it.  I’ll do a post on it soon.

This week:  + 11.25 yards,  – 11.5 yards
This year:  + 127.50 yards,  – 160.75 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  33.25 yards

(Corrected 11/21/15.)

Not the right direction, but more use is coming!

I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


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Lots of progress Wednesday

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I have lots of projects stacked up, but I’m working away at them and making some good progress.   In a little open spot, I made these six maple leaf  blocks for Kat’s November block drive.  They’re a little repetitive,  but I found I had a ton of triangles in the right size, so in they went.

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The next project I’m working on is a quilt for a sick friend.   Unlike most of my projects, I had to order all the fabric for it.  The backing and border fabric came first, so I pieced the backing and cut the borders.  Yesterday the rest of the fabric arrived.  I had to wash the darks four times before the Color Catchers came out clean.  Today I sewed 54 blocks drunkards path blocks.  Yes, it’s a baseball quilt. 

Hope you’re doing well in all your projects.  

I’m linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.