Stash Report Week #48

I finished quilting one block, put the borders on Q's 9-patch, emptied my scrap drawer, and completed some mending.

This week, I hope to quilt another block, do more mending (it appeared AFTER I completed the originally scheduled mending!), and perhaps layout the 9-patch for quilting.

I used 6 1/4 yards this week: donated and trash. I purchased 3 yards of pink for the Assistant (my first purchase since the middle of August!) and there was another purchase, but since it might become my Christmas present, I don't have to report it!

IN this week: 3 yards
IN YTD: 170 yards

OUT this week: 6 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 220 yards

Total YTD: 50 yards OUT!

I've met my goal! Now just to keep ahead of DH and his gift-giving, and I'll be set for the next month!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Thanksgiving Day

Today, I am grateful to be with my DH, children, parents, and siblings. It should be a relatively quiet day.

We attended Mass this morning; what a nice way to start a holiday! I made pumpkin bars, and that's all the cooking I had to do.

I hope you all have a relaxing, thankful Thanksgiving.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #47

Nothing in (that's the important thing!) and nothing out.

I'm hand quilting the "Unbaby" quilt, finished the top for Q's 9-patch except borders, and will start cutting for my "blooming 9-patch" sort of quilt next week. I also hope to tame the scrap drawer again. The Assistant likes to "help " with such efforts, which means I don't get it done!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

There was a mouse in my house...

This past weekend, we journeyed to the cabin again. No mice! Only wasps that were the very devil to squash. They liked to dive bomb people and land on their back. But no mice.

So we arrived home with loads of laundry, as goes for any trip with small children (and there were 5 small children on this trip). I took the laundry down to the basement Monday morning and began sorting. Then, I happened to look over into the washer, and there was a mouse!

I managed not to scream. Then I called my sister because I didn't really want to pick up a dead mouse without someone convincing me that was better than leaving it for DH. Unfortunately, the washer already stunk, so it was thoroughly washed out in a load of bleach water when I was done.

What I really want to know is: how did the mouse fall in my washer, and how did it die so quickly? I did laundry Thursday evening, so it was only in the washer a few days. At least it's gone - we've been finding traces of this lovely mouse under our kitchen sink for a few months.

So the mouse went out to the trash, and I hope I don't see any more for a LONG time! (At least not in my house.)

Now, the girls have a nasty cold/allergy attack/some kind of nastiness, so we will be doing nothing today!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #46

This week, I finished cutting some T-shirts into rags, finished binding a quilt I quilted for my mom, and make two pillow cases.

IN this week: 0 yards
IN YTD: 167 yards

OUT this week: 3 1/2 yards
OUT YTD: 213 3/4 yards

YTD Total: 46 3/4 yards OUT

I only need to use 3 1/4 more yards to reach my goal of 50 yards out for the year! I'm already thinking about next years goals. I know plenty of it will include baby quilts to be finished.

The assistant is currently sitting next to me with fabric on her head that is left from hemming DH's new suit pants. She looks great, doesn't she?
from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #45

Nothing in, nothing out...

Busy week, having a sonogram, interviewing someone to take my position at work, preparing for work most of the weekend, working outside while the weather is glorious (there are still some tomato plants to chop for the compost!), and not as much sewing as I would like.

I realized I need to make/finish 7 baby quilts and 1 toddler quilt before April. Good thing I'm started on 3 and picked patterns for several of the others. I should get some good busts in.

We found out we're having a boy. I'll have to come up with a name for him - let's call him Q for now (my DH and sister will get the joke). Q is going to get a blue and white quilt from a nine-patch swap I did on the HGTV boards with Bingo~bonnie. It was my first swap and lovely fun.

I examined my purchases from the year and discovered over half were attributable to DH, the Assistant, or special purchases for a family project (wedding gift DH and I both gave, curtains for the house, etc.), so that really brings down the total of MY purchases to less than 85 yards. Still too much for my budget, probably, but with a new baby next spring, who knows what I'll have the ability to purchase!

Now to get ready for work.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

It's a boy!

In case you were wondering, like DH, I am pregnant with a boy. He was pretty excited...

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #44

Nothing in, nothing out!

I did finish the top for my older sister's baby/wall hanging quilt. Well, maybe not finished. Do you think it needs more borders, or is it okay where it's at? It's approx. 48" square. I don't have much of the white left, but could do a narrow border to separate the blue from whatever comes next, but I don't know! There are two blues and one gold left, but the other gold (with blue in it) is mostly gone.

Judy asked if we'd be trying to bust a lot for the rest of the year or if we'd go ahead and buy everything we want since we've blown it...

I was thinking about how much fabric I've bought this year (167 yards). Last year I bought/received 211 yards by years' end, but I think I'm more determined this year to stay in the busting category. Last year I busted 183 yards, and this year I'm already at 210 yards busted, so that's good too... Still, 167 yards of fabric, even if I didn't pay full quilt-shop price, is way more than I could possibly have purchased on my "allowance." That means there were plenty of buys from the budget, and that wasn't supposed to happen - I'm always giving DH a hard time when he wants to buy an expensive tool, and obviously I've busted the budget a few times too. I know some was gifts and one was a major trip to a closing quilt shop, but 167 yards, even at $4-5 a yard is $668-835, way more than I had in allowance. This is going to take some thinking about... I want to get hard and fast numbers on gifts, and then we'll see how much extra money I spent. It's definitely going to keep me from buying more for a little bit! My job ends in the next month (God willing), and that means less leeway in the budget for SURE! Plus, we're thinking about buying land - NO leeway in the budget after that!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.