September Block Count

82 new blocks this month...

38 blocks for a new quilt for my Grandpa
2 new triangle blocks
23 new Bits and Bobs
19 16-patches

Add that to the previous month's 937 blocks, and hopefully it adds up to 1019 blocks for the year!  I'm in the throes of quilting a queen size quilt, which has put a dent in my block-piecing, but as my grandpa's quilt needs to be done in time to be shipped for Christmas, I know the remaining blocks for that one will get done.

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

Stash Report

I'm holding steady at 90 yards out for the year.  My scrappy Irish chain is about 3/8 quilted, so I still have a long row to hoe before those yards get counted.

I did finish another spool of thread this week.

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Wee Orange Bits

I did well this week!  There's one more wee block not in the picture above, so my total is 23 of these blocks.

That's it for orange.

I'm stitching away at the giant Irish Chain quilt the Assistant pieced this summer.  The ironing board has been requisitioned as a support table, and I will knock out the straight line quilting and mull over what to stitch in the large alternate blocks.

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

Stash Report Week #37

Two finishes this week means I made up for last week's backing purchase!

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 9 1/2 yards

IN YTD: 14 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 104 3/4 yards

YTD Total: 90 yards OUT!

My next prospective finish is a queen size quilt that still needs a backing pieced, so I'm not anticipating a finish for a few weeks.  That one will be lovely, however, as I will use 7 yards for the back alone.  I still need to figure out yardage on the top!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Whittling Down the Projects

Whew!  This week I finished my Scraps to Treasures quilt, which means I have one less project clamoring for attention.

I also sorted out my backing purchase from last week and wrestled with frustration that, because they ran out, I don't have enough fabric for two complete lengths of the fabric.  So below is my plan for a backing for the scrappy Irish Chain I need to baste and quilt next.

 My happy 16-patches are ready to go.  I have come to the conclusion that I won't reach my desire of 300 blocks by the end of the year, so I may need to ponder a border for these darlings.  I currently need 74, and without making this quilt even more predominately blue, I don't know how to eke out enough blocks.  Oh, well.  It will work out!

 I also managed to take a few precious scraps and make this bag:

 It fits inside a plastic basket I use for accumulating things that belong upstairs from the basement.  The basket had large holes, so little things fell out.  No little things will fall out, this will be easy to wash, and it's all from stash!

The outside is mostly this lovely blue fabric (I wish I had an entire bolt, but this is the end) and a fun splash of pink.  I'm not a pink girl, but I though this would be fun.  The bottom circles were cut from two fat quarters my lovely older sister has picked up for me in her travels.  I love gifted fabric.

Be sure to check out other fabulous orange projects this weekend!

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

Stash Report #36

My purchase finally arrived, so I've broken my fabric fast for a necessary backing purchase.

IN this week: 7 1/2 yards
OUT this week: 0 yards

IN YTD: 12 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 95 1/4 yards

YTD Total: 82 1/2 yards OUT

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: This Season

JoJo had five great nights of sleep and several more good nights, but Friday was up at 3:30 am. Pair that with an unrelated long week, and this mama is tired.

I think I sewed.  I cut almost all of my hoarded teal scraps as well as 2.5" aqua scraps into squares for a backing. Yes, I cut 900 2.5" squares.  Yes, for a backing.  Yes, I've taken leave of my senses.  They'll be a backing for my long-neglected hand pieced hexagon quilt.  It's time to finish that UFO, so I sorted it out on my design wall and am organizing what I still need to piece.  I had abandoned it when it became too unwieldy to carry in my bag, but with a plan I'll piece a few smaller sections and have a good roadmap. Of course, I have some other, more urgent hand sewing to finish first.

No hexagons were pieced this week, so don't be too impressed.

Two of my six appliqué blocks for my grandpa's quilt are complete minus trimming.  I sketched out a plan for framing them and hope to have this section of the quilt done by the end of September.

My Scraps to Treasures quilt is slowly being quilted.  I had some problems with the first section and spent significant time and mental energy ripping out stitches.  Ugh.

Orange.  Say what?  Orange?  Yes, I worked in my 16-patches, but they aren't done.  Maybe next week.

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

Stash Report Week #35

28 spools used...

IN: 0 yards
OUT: 1/4 yards

IN YTD: 5 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 95 1/4 yards

YTD: 90 yards out

I finished a cute diaper clutch, but I'm quilting a quilt and getting ready to quilt another, so soon I should have a nice change.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
Katie Z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Puny Orange

A paltry handful of triangles doesn't add up to much, does it?  Maybe when brown comes around, I'll use up more of these triangles.

Lest you think I sewed all week only to yield two blocks, I'll tell you what else I did.  None of it was orange.

My scrappy Irish Chain, loosely following Bonnie Hunter's directions, is officially a top!  Due to the nature of the recipient, I've ordered a king size batting to avoid piecing and also ordered backing fabric, which I will have to piece but will be one color.  The Assistant helped all the way to the end, matching up blocks for me to pin.  We will ended up with plenty of the same fabric next to itself, but I think it's lovely.  I'm excited/nervous to quilt it next.

Also, I've begun quilting my Scraps to Treasures quilt.  Argh.  That's enough about that wad of frustration.

A finish that had been absent from all my goals wrapped up this week.  Eventually, I will make one stocking for each of the family, but this is a fun, when there's time type of sewing project.  I take this with me in the car and to therapy.  It's been relaxing, even if it's not very good.  My handwork has now shifted to scrappy appliqué for a quilt for my grandfather.  It's going to be a big quilt, so I'd better get moving!

I also constructed a small diaper clutch from my favorite scraps.  It's smaller than the last one, so it's a tight fit for the diapers, but it's helping my purse/diaper bag stay tidier.

Yellow for my sister, blue for me!

Next week, in between quilting the frustration quilt, I'll be working on my 16-patches.  I was able to cut 19.

JoJo slept through the night two days in a row, so I've gotten more sleep.  He has lots of new sounds-that-are-almost-words, which is great.  We're also doing lots of outside weeding, but the 96 degree days are kicking my itchy skin!

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

UFO Updates, August Edition

August 1: 25 projects
New: 2
Finished: 3
August 31: 24 projects

I finished my brother's quilt, the last of the coordinated fabrics, and scratched a future project off my list.  I pondered the Scrap Crystal quilt by Bonnie Hunter, but have realized the scraps I want to use won't look the way I imagine, so it's gone!

UFOs
1. Irish chain
2. Triangles
3. 16-patch
4. Bits and Bobs
5.  Scraps to Treasures
6. Tell it to the Stars
7. ABC quilts
8. Placemat
9. Hand pieced hexis
10. Grandpa's quilt

The rest of the story
11. Twinkler star in pink and green
12. Purple and grey quilt
13. Mom's yellow and grey quilt
14.  Odd fellow
15. Appliqué
16. Scrappy DWR
17. Lime, Aqua, white
18. Alzbe's Tshirt quilt
19. T &H
20. Orphan blocks
21. Puzzle quilt
22. Stockings
23. Pillow
24. Embroidered pillows

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

September Goals:

In August, I wanted to...

1.  Play catch up on scraps.  Done.

2.  Finish my brother's quilt.  Done.

3.  Mending.  Done.  Unfortunately, as soon as I finished the mending, DH ripped two pairs of pants.  Sigh.

4.  Scraps to Treasures.  Sewn.  Pressed.  Basted.

5.  I'd like to piece all the Irish chain blocks.  Done.

6.  The scraps of coordinated fabric were on my UFO list. Done.

For September, I'd like to...

1.  Use orange scraps.  Trimming and triangles are dine, so I have Bits and Bobs and 16 patches to go.

2.  Finish my Scraps to Treasures quilt.

3. Finish my Irish Chain quilt.

4.  Start a quilt for my grandpa.

5.  Make a round bag for the basket that sits at the bottom of the stairs.

6.  Make a diaper pouch for my bag.  I did this today and am happy to use my pretty scraps.

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

August Block Count

I had a productive month!

60 more Irish Chain blocks

6 more triangle blocks

43 more Bits and Bobs

16 more 16 patches

8 "blocks" for my scraps to treasures quilt

for a total of 133 new blocks, which hopefully brings my total to 937!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.