Stash Goals 2010

Goal #1. Use 50 more yards than I buy (and simply rein in the buying a little, too!). I have a baby due in April and hope to get back to quilting quickly, but I will have three children 4 and under and don't know yet when/if the Assistant will be attending pre-school. I originally typed in 25 yards, but I wrote in my journal 50, so why not try? Along with this, I would like to finish a project before I go out and buy more fabric. That will slow me down a little (as will hauling 3 kids through a quilt shop - do you think they will shudder when they see me coming?).

Goal #2. Donate a charity quilt. I don't often have a quilt on hand to give away, but it seems every time I finish a quilt and say, "I don't know what I'm doing with it," God provides a need. I'm sure in the coming year we will find plenty of needs.

Goal #3. Use up a box of yuckies. I picked another box of fabrics I bought and don't love or just am sick of seeing. Those will go towards things such as: door draft stoppers, charity quilts, test samples, and other things that need fabric but don't necessarily have to be matchy-matchy. There is a yard of fabric in the box that DH picked out and I can't for the life of me figure out what to do with it. I want to use it or lose it this year!

Goal #4. Learn and execute a new quilting skill. I am leaning towards paper-piecing but don't know if I will be that brave.

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

On the 6th Day of Christmas

my true love gave to me "six" axes broken, five crazy kids, forty acres, three haircuts by Assistant, two new-old cars, and a baby boy named Q. Elm does not split nicely, so DH has broken several axes this year. After renting a log-splitter, we are well supplied with wood to use in our fireplace for toasty evenings. Someday we will have a wood stove, and then DH will already be a pro at splitting wood. I bought him a great new ax for his Christmas present, and it even splits elm!

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

On the 5th Day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me five crazy kids, forty acres, three haircuts by Assistant, two new-old cars, and a baby boy named Q. We have visited DH's family cabin several times, most recently with 5 children aged 4 and under. It was quite a wild time, and DH had some fabulous orange camo chaps for chopping wood. Did you even know they made orange camouflage chaps?

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

On the 4th Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me four(ty) acres, three haircuts by Assistant, two old-new cars, and a baby boy named Q. Sorry, folks, for missing a day. Withe some friends, we are purchasing 40 acres to build houses and have some serious gardens... and pastures, and orchards, and woodlots. It's quite exciting.

Yesterday, the 3 haircuts by the Assistant, discussed how she has her own pair of scissors and has used them (and Mommy's) for some less than lovely haircuts. Can we say mullet, anyone?

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

Stash Report Week #52

I finished the patriotic quilt! Woohoo! Now to find a camera... Maybe one of my goals for 2010 should be to keep a camera hidden from the girls...

DH gave me some lovely blue star fabric along with the book "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day."

I threw away some fabric that neither I nor anybody else was every going to use.

IN this week: 3 1/4 yards
IN YTD: 179 1/2 yards

OUT this week: 14 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 257 yards

YTD Total: 77 1/2 yards OUT!!!

I'm really surprised that I've done this well, as last year I believe I ended 28 yards in the hole. If I bust this much fabric next year, there are going to be some empty boxes in the closet. In fact, a few years of this and I won't have a stash. Maybe I shouldn't try to bust 50 yards next year...

I am glad to be home from Christmas with the in-laws. It was the most difficult trip we've ever had, I think, and very hard on DH. I just tried to laugh and smile when I was supposed to. (But please don't tell my in-laws I said that. Do you hear that, BiL?) The girls really enjoyed seeing all the grandparents, and my BiL is getting married in six weeks to a lovely, lovely girl, and we made it to Christmas Eve Mass, so the important things were there.

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

On the Second Day of Christmas

my true love gave to me two old-new cars and a baby boy named "Q." We sold our one truck for an OLD truck and a minivan (not quite as old, but old). Can't fit three car seats and mommy in the back of DH's truck, and how else am I supposed to keep all of them quiet? The Assistant named them, continuing a tradition that began when DH named my old Saturn (long gone) Freda, and in return for such a hideous name, I named his truck Garglesplat. Nice, huh?

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

On the First Day of Christmas

my true love gave to me a baby boy named "Q." That just doesn't sound right, but as I post none of the other kids names on here, I won't be posting the expected one. Over the next two weeks, I'll be reposting bits of our Christmas letter to family and friends. Today, we were announcing the long-anticipated (by my DH, anyway) first boy. I was excited about the girls too, but I think it must be a man-thing to be so hung up on having your first boy. Ah, well.

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

2009 Stash Goals in Review

While I have time (the girls are still asleep with DH, which never happens!), I thought I would review my goals for the year from Judy's Stash Buster Pledge. I wanted to:

Goal #1. Use 50 yards more than I bought. Check. Right now, I've more than meet my goal, and I doubt I will receive 15 yards of fabric over the next week.

Goal # 2. Use up a box of "yuckies" that were mostly smaller than 1/2 yard and none that I loved. I was able to do that with the above scrap quilt, as well as other small projects. There are a few lingering, but have been cut for an ongoing strip twist, so I think I can count this as completed.

Goal #3. Buy it only if I love it, and stop buying 1/4 and 1/2 yard pieces. I didn't do so well here. I did buy significantly more yardage this year, but still found myself buying lots of smaller pieces, many for the Assistant and others just because I wanted to buy a variety of fabric, and didn't have much money to spend. I was, however, more conscious of this fact and am still working on reducing my purchase of small pieces.

Goal #4. Make one charity quilt. I finished one of Judy's quilts and gave it to a former student having a baby. I also finished a scrap quilt and gave it to my sister for a friend who was giving her baby up for adoption. So, I met and surpassed this goal too. That's good - if I can't give to others in need, what's the point?

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

Stash Report Week #51

What a week! Our neighbors' house burned Monday and I think that made the week twice as long. Thank God they all made it out safely!

This week, I finished Q's quilt as well as a few Christmas presents. You can see some hats, a scarf, and a door draft stopper on top of Q's quilt. I made another two door draft stoppers, two fleece scarves, and worked on ripping out all the meandering I had done on the patriotic quilt. I just don't do meandering on my machine, apparently, but I didn't decide it was TOO bad until I had done TOO much. I will stick to straight-line machine quilting for a while longer.

The turquoise quilt is now a top awaiting pinning. Woohoo! It will be handquilted as it is for my DYoungerSister, and I want it to be lovely. First, though, I need to finish the Unbaby Quilt for my older DSister.

The pink fleece pictures above as hats has to be accounted for as I failed to count it in when it arrived after Thanksgiving (it was my ONLINE Black Friday shopping). Therefore...

IN this week: 2 yards
IN YTD: 176 1/4 yards

OUT this week: 10 yards
OUT YTD: 243 3/4 yards

YTD Total: 66 1/2 yards OUT!

I have surpassed my goal by 16 1/2 yards. This will be a quiet week as we leave for Christmas holiday traveling on Tuesday and I don't want to take quilting with me. I'll take some crocheting instead, and maybe some knitting. I am not a great knitter but would like to improve!

Next week, I'll work on the Unbaby Quilt, maybe pin the turquoise top, and hopefully rip the last of the quilting from the RWB quilt. Other than that, it's time to get Christmas letters out and pack!

Check out all the other stash reports at Judy's place.

Have a blessed Christmas even if you don't celebrate Christian holidays - have a blessed day!

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

Just checking... Who's paying attention?

So last week or so, my older sister introduced my parents to my blog. Now everyone knows, I think. It's a good thing I only say nice things about my family anyhow!

Now, who in my family is reading? Some of them don't know yet that our land hunt was successful... we will be closing on 40 acres in the next month or so! We will be splitting the land with a family of friends, so really only 20 will be ours. I am looking forward to moving (but it will be a while). The Assistant will like the big pumpkin patch and things like that. Just no 50+ pounds of cucumbers (I hope) this year!

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

the House is On Fire...

Not mine, thank God.

I woke this morning to a smoke-smelling bedroom. First I thought maybe one of our vaporizers bit the dust, but not bones. Then we looked outside and realized a house was on fire... our back neighbors, to be exact. DH ran over to make sure everyone made it out, then found them at our next door neighbor's in their PJs. He promptly made a phone call and found a few sets of clothes for the girls, then volunteered me to make breakfast.

Breakfast for 11 is a long process when you're used to cooking for 3 or 4. Lunch was easier because I have been freezing meals for when the baby is born... there are 3 less meals in the freezer, but I didn't have to run to the store to make them a meal. Tonight it will be chicken soup - I already have broth and cooked chicken in the freezer, and I like to make BIG batches of soup already. Thank God (sincerely) that I had already frozen some meals. Their roof is caved in, and I don't know what will happen next for them, but at least I can feed them!

Too bad I don't have any extra quilts to give too.

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

Stash Report Week #50

I finally found a camera cord! Here are a few lovely pictures (long overdue, I know!). I should have taken before pictures of our kitchen, for soon it will be lovely and blue and not hideous! I will be sure to take after pictures, but only when it's DONE. I wouldn't want you to see the "oops" on the ceiling...

I finished the Screamer's doll quilt. You can see her quilt in blue and the Assistant's in pink. The small nine patch and the lovely red in the center of the log cabin were a gifty from a week or two ago. The Assistant's pink dress is done, just in time for the 3rd Sunday in Advent (where rose is the color worn!). The ABC's are finito. I took a picture of a few turned backwards so you can see the back of them too. (I just discovered someone else has made these and written a tutorial, but I made it up all by my lonesome. I use the same letter templates for my "ABC" baby quilts where each letter is made with fabric starting with that letter - Y is for Yoda, Q is for quilt...) I made a scarf last night, so I had a total of 3 3/4 yards out.

I bought some lovely blue snowflake and fleece for 2 1/2 yards in. The Assistant promptly claimed the blue snowflake and chopped it up. Grr. I was able to rescue about a yard of it, and I made a scarf from the fleece before she began chopping that. Good thing that when she's done, I'll count it as out!

So...

IN this week: 2 1/2 yards
IN YTD: 174 1/4 yards

OUT this week: 3 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 232 3/4 yards

YTD Total: 58 1/2 yards OUT!!!

Be sure to check out everyone else's stash reports (see who bought the most this week and who's showing the most restraint) by visiting Judy's blog.

This week, I hope to finish Q's quilt, work on the quilting of the Patriotic scraps, finish another block of the Unbaby Quilt, make the turquoise quilt into a top, and make a door draft stopper for DH! That sounds like plenty, don't you think?

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

Stash Report Week #49

Do you know that we have 3 cameras in this house and I can't find a single one to take a picture? I happen to know the Assistant kidnaps the cameras and hides them from me when she gets a chance!

This week has been a sewing frenzy as I only had to work (briefly) on Monday and Thursday. The girls and I have spent most of the day upstairs sewing until nap time, when we adjourn to the fireplace for some warmth.

I received a lovely gift (sorry, no pic thanks to the Assistant!) of 1/4 yard fabric for some selvedges I sent out a while ago. I also used it this week!

I also purchased 1 1/2 yards shopping (1 yard for me, 1/2 yard for the Assistant). I've used 6" of her fabric so far.

DH needed a "blanket" for the fridge - weird, I know, but I like to humor him when I can. That was 6 yards out.

I am teaching a friend to sew, and we finished her apron this week, so 2 1/2 yards out. (Lori, did you notice the A word there? How are yours coming?!)

For the Assistant for a Christmas present, I made her a doll quilt. I was able to finish it without her seeing the top - hurrah! That was an Advent miracle for sure. 1/2 yard out.

IN this week: 1 3/4 yards
IN YTD: 171 3/4 yards

OUT this week: 9 yards
OUT YTD: 229 yards

YTD Total: 57 1/4 yards OUT

This week we had seven projects to work on: some denim ABCs, Q's quilt, the Unbaby Quilt, the Patriotic quilt, "blooming nine-patch," a dress for the Assistant (a reward for a potty victory), a doll quilt for the Assistant and a doll quilt for the Screamer. The ABCs are cut out and 6 are sewn. Q's quilt is being machine quilted with straight lines. I've almost finished another block on the U.Q. The Patriotic quilt is a top with a backing pieced and reading to be ironed. The BNP is growing. The dress has sleeves but not skirt. The Assistant's doll quilt is done and the Screamer's is ready for binding. I don't like working on so many projects at once, but it seemed like every time I blinked, there was another one on the list. My hope for next week is to narrow down the remaining 6 to 5 (4 would be lovely!). I will be busting some serious stash, as I haven't bought anything new for the above projects!

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

Good News!

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Monday was my last official day of work! I still will help the new gal transition in, but won't be required to put in any set hours - just as needed...

Mending is done for another week. Ah, mending...

I managed to sneak in a doll quilt for the Assistant, even as she was trying to figure out what I was doing. Now if I can just sew down the binding without her seeing it. She saw the other doll quilts that are for Christmas, but as least she's only seen the backing of this one...

The wallpaper in the kitchen is all peeled. Now to sand, prime, and paint!

We had unexpected guests last night, and my house was actually clean...

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