Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Tag Archives: fabric


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Kona Love

Sew Thinky

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I had to link up here today because this one doesn’t require much thinking, just reacting.  The truth is that I just like COLOR, so choosing my favorite Kona Solid is tough, but I’ve narrowed to down to Ash as my favorite neutral, and Azure as my favorite “color”.  I use this in a lot of quilts.  First, the name is delicious, and, second, it looks so good with the Ash!  I almost used it to bind my current quilt, with all it’s orange, aqua, and brown, but went with a print instead.  Kona is my solid of choice, not so much because I don’t like the others, but because I started with Kona and I thought I would keep things simple.  Ha!  But I do have the color chart and I guess it is easier to keep up on just one brand.

This solid love is odd, because for the first thirty years that I quilted I used almost no solids.  Remember that in the late seventies, all quilting fabric was pretty tacky, and solid 100% cotton was almost nonexistent.  Using solids meant using cotton/polys or thin,  cheesy cottons. White seemed like the background for everything, and it was transparent, as well as boring.   Also, prints were just beginning to appear that “read” as solids, and those were cool to use.  Not that we could communicate about it much then, but I was in good company with my all-print quilts.

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The fresh look of Modern Quilts finally brought me around to solids, and I was delighted to discover the great feel and opacity they have today.  A bit of solid appears in many of my quilts now.

A great place to collect colors is the solids bargain bin at Hancock’s of Paducah.  I had a great deal of fun this fall rummaging through it and pulling out a variety of colors, 1/4 yard to 3/4 yard.  So nice to touch them and see the colors in large pieces.   I need to go back.  I wonder if they stuff grab bags of them for online buyers?  If they don’t they should.

Find more solid love at Sew Thinky Thursday at Mommy’s Nap Time.


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Sunday Stash Report: 3/2/13

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Just a little bit of fabric came in this week, but even less went out.  These things happen.

I was proud of myself for taking my ConKerr Cancer pillowcases to the nearest drop off on February 28, helping to complete my goals for February “Getting It Done” at Patchwork Times.  (I also met that day with the very nice and appreciative lady who collects Project Linus blankets, and handed off eight baby quilts, so I did complete all my goals.)  Nothing like waiting till the last day of the month, but I DID it, and that’s what counts.  However, The Mason Jar, that took the pillowcases, IS a quilt shop, so what could I do?  I think it would have been very rude to leave without buying anything…especially when they gave me 10% off for dropping off ten pillowcases…  So I wasn’t rude, but I didn’t buy very much, either.  I bought two golden brown batiks to fill out my dwindling browns, and the end of a bolt of fabric with large dots.  When I asked the women at the cutting table what color they thought it was, the answer was, “Kind of a grayish, blackish, brownish color.  Taupe?”  So I have some taupe dots for a backing.  Hmmm.

This week:  +5.75 yards,  -3.25 yards (pink quiet quilt)

YTD:  +21.75 yards, -63.5 yards

Net Stash used in 2013:  -41.75 yards

Linking up to Sunday Stash Report on Patchwork Times.


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WIP Wednesday 2/27/13

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Low volume, schmo volume!  I’m excited to be diving into rich colors again!  I’m putting together another quick donation quilt for the east coast.  Luanna posted this update yesterday on quilt distribution to Sandy victims, and I realized how many people are still without heat or their own homes.  I already sent one, but sitting here warm and dry with all this stash makes me feel that sending one more wouldn’t hurt.

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Knowing your stash really helps.  I could visualize most of the fabrics I wanted to use for this.  I have so much floral, not really sure why, so lots of things turn out very feminine.  I wanted to make this deeper, suitable for anyone, though I didn’t completely avoid florals.  I really did dive in to choose, cut, and stitch these blocks without over thinking them, and I’ve really enjoyed working with these great prints and colors.  I know the blocks merge a bit and are rather dark.  I think the quilting I want to do in turquoise thread and the light brown border will lighten it up a bit.  Yes, it’s exactly like my Quilt of Valor and Quilt for Husband, but with these colors it will really look different, and that large orange and aqua floral couldn’t be cut up any smaller, could it?  Nope.

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Are you playing with your fabric?

 

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

WIP Wed


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Sunday Stash Report 2/24/13

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Making a little bit of mess here and using a little bit of stash.  The Quiet Blue baby quilt took 3.25 yards, all from stash, and that is all I have to report.  I’m coming right along on the pink one, but I’m quilting it more intensely, so you’ll see it next week.

This week:  +0 yards,  -3.25 yards

YTD:  +16 yards, -60.25 yards

Net stash used in 2013:  -43.25 yards

 

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report 2/17/13

Pretty good numbers this week.  Not feeling terribly inspired or productive this week, but creeping along with fairly mindless string piecing and scrappy nine patches.  My pillow covers used eight yards.

This week:  +0 yds.,  -8 yds.

YTD:  +16 yds.,  -57 yds.

Net stash used in 2013:  -41 yds.  

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Not that string piecing is easy with “help” like this!

I’m coming right along on my February “Getting It ” goals, too:

February Goals

1.  Make a primary or bright baby quilt for Etsy shop.

2. Pillow covers for living room pillows.

3. Floral quilt for Etsy shop.

4.  Mail/deliver charity quilts and pillowcases

 

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 2/10/13

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Well, a bit of fabric came in this week, but I’m continuing to destash.  I used some fabric, and I’m about to get rid of some older quilts.  Feeling lighter already.

16 yards of fabric came via UPS.  It’s lots of solids, some binding stripes, and some backing.  Good stuff.

The purple and gray floral quilt used 9.5 yards, all from stash.

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I’m meeting a women in a parking lot this week to hand off seven older baby quilts for Project Linus.  I wonder how we will recognise each other?  They are perfectly fine quilts that I made as I was practicing, but they just never sold.  Now they will be loved, and I will have more room.  Win, win.

This week:  +16 yds.,  -9.5 yds

YTD:  +16 yds.,  -49 yds.

Net stash used in 2013:  -33 yds.

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report 1/27/13

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Another good week, stash-wise, with a quilt (11.5 yds.), and pillowcase (1 yd.) completed.

I did purchase fabric on Saturday which will change the count in the next week or so, but it was planned and practical. I bought several Kona blues (after realizing how little I had for the QOV), and several good lengths on sale for backings. I like a pieced backing, but not always, and not one that looks thrown together. It’s nice to fondle fabric before purchasing, but I’ve never been disapointed by anything I bought from eQuilter. Their photography and descriptions are wonderful.

This week: +0 yds., -12.5 yds.
YTD: +0 yds., -34.5 yds.
Net stash used in 2013: 34.5 yds.

How are you doing on your destashing?

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report 12/30/12 (The Last One!)

Final Stash Report of 2012!  I love my numbers!  I love that I’ve largely stopped buying and am really using from my stash.  My numbers are so positive, I considered checking out the sales and stocking up (a little!), but I decided against it.  I do love a sale, but I have plenty.  I know I’ll buy more in the new year, but hopefully that will be mainly to complete projects.  They will have sales next year, too.

This week:  +0 yards,  -10 yards (for donation pillowcases)

YTD:  +116 yards,  -240.5 yards

Net stash used in 2012:  -124.5  yards!

How are you doing?  Do you have goals for the new year?  I think I know mine, but I’ll share next week.

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report 12/09/12

Pillows red and green

This is a good week to report.  Those pillows took a long time, but they also used 5 1/2 yards of fabric. I don’t know what the next couple of weeks will bring, because there are a lot of things that should take my attention instead of sewing, but we shall see.  Happy with these numbers, anyway.

This week:  +0 yds, -5.5 yds.

YTD:  +116 yds., -224 yds.

Total stash used in 2012:  108 yds.!

 

I continue to take inspiration and encouragement from my 95 friends at Stash Pact II:  Electric Bugaloo on Flickr.

How are you doing on your deStashing?

Linking up with Stash Reports at Patchwork Times.

 

 


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Sunday Stash Report 11/25/12

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  Since we traveled most of the week, there was no sewing or fabric used.  Of course, one can shop when traveling, but I only bought two yards, so all is well.

This week:  2 yds. added, 0 yds. used

YTD:  116 yds. added 218.5 yds. used

Net used in 2012:  102.5 yds.

On to more sewing this week.  Linking up with Patchwork Times.  Take care.