August Block Count

The big kids returning to school this month paired with an inability to work outside (heat, pregnancy, no one likes a barfing woman) made for a productive month.

I finished all the blocks for my mom's quilt (145), finished the last blocks for Memaw's quilt (2), added 9 Bits and Bobs, and finished my appliqué blocks (4) for a total of 159 new blocks this month. When added to the 403 from previous months, I've now reached 562 blocks for the year!

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

Stash Report Week #35

Alas, no changes.  I'm comfortable with 8 1/2 out for the year, and keep reminding myself that I don't NEED any fabric right now.  What I really need to save my pennies for are backing fabrics.  I grow more and more disgusted with my inability to piece nice backings, so I am quite determined to buy more wide ones for next year's quilts!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: an Unexpected Flimsy

This week (this very long, sleepless week), I finished off the final blocks for my mom's yellow and grey quilt.  I started on the first quadrant, but it's still a thready mess on my sewing table.

Eight Bits and Bobs visited the sewing machine this month.  The box is filling up, but I still have plenty to do!

Surprisingly, it's my appliqué blocks that saw the most visible progress this week.  They're all attached and even met with the borders!  I didn't think I'd do much with this one, but it was a little less complicated than laying out my mom's quilt, so sew I did!  It will take a bit of rootling around next week to piece a backing, but my plan is to baste it, so the backing must be found.

My computer is dying of old age, so DH ordered a new one.  I suppose nothing will look the same anymore, but I'll be grateful to not have a frozen screen every five minutes.  I've only had one new computer in my life, when I went to college, and since then I've used other people's hand me downs, so it's a little exciting to anticipate organizing things to my liking.

Be sure to check out the purple and grey projects this weekend!

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

Stash Report Week #34

I realized I've not accounted for the lovely fabric I received from Vicki Welsh a few weeks ago, so there's one yard in.  Fortunately, I finished my Starburst quilt and a stocking, so I'm counting 10 yards out for the week!

I've used 17 spools of thread this year.

IN this week: 1 yard
OUT this week: 10 yards

IN YTD: 64 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 72 3/4 yards
YTD Total: 8 1/2 yards out!

I'm back where I need to be moving out stash.

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: This and That

Oh, mending.  Why is it when I finally tackle the pile, it suddenly expands?  I found or was given multiple more pieces of clothing to mend once I began the work.  I like orderly work, such as sewing straight lines together, and mending is never orderly.  There are buttons missing, torn cords, ripped pockets, seams destroyed.  I finished it all now, and hopefully can ignore it for a few more months.

It took me four days, but I finally stitched down the binding on my Starburst quilt.  I washed it, and unfortunately, one red fabric bled a little onto the backing.  It's not too noticeable, and if I have the chance, I'll wash it again with oxyclean and see if I can wash that bit out.  The quilt finished comfortably at 66" square.  All the red and blue fabrics are now gone from my stash except for a few bits in my scraps, so this was a successful stash busting experience.

I had planned to ignore my appliqué blocks this week, but Friday afternoon I started sewing columns together.  The general consensus last week was to skip the sashing, and I like the result so far.  I found two gradient hand dyes (from my favorite fabric source) that will be used for a narrow border, followed by the grey batik.  I'll have to find something for a binding, but at least it will take me another few weeks before I need to worry about it.

Because my appliqué blocks are no longer my travel work, I pulled out the Christmas boot stockings. I think I have five done now, which leaves DH, JoJo, and the new baby.  I finished the Assistant's boot this week!  There are a lot of French knots, which I've never done before.  The next one will be easier, with a bit of appliqué and simple embroidery.  It will be blue, black, and grey.

Finally, my main grey project really leaped ahead this week.  I finished 54 of the 16-patch blocks, leaving only 19 to go.  I should easily finish those next week, as the strips sets are stitched and sub-cut.  I'm not sure how to layout this queen-sized quilt.  I may have to divide it in four and layout a bit at a time.

Friday afternoon and evening, we received 6+ inches of rain (maybe as many as 9) from 4:30 to whenever the rain stopped.  Our roads were so flooded DH couldn't get home with the big kids after going out to a movie.  Our driveway is totally washed out, so I see roadwork ahead for DH today!

Be sure to check out all the lovely purple (or grey or…) projects this weekend!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report

I'm up to 15 spools of thread used for the year, but the fabric totals remain unchanged.  I have completed everything on my Starburst quilt except the binding, so, barring catastrophe, I will have an uptick in the used column next week.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Masses of Gray

I'm writing my post Friday night with a sleeping almost-4-year-old on my lap.  I wonder how old he'll be when he finally wants to go to sleep on his own?  I'm okay with a few more years of snuggles from JoJo.  He's working hard on learning to speak, and it's a party around here when he says a spontaneous sentence.

Anyway...  I'm quilting away on my Starburst Quilt (the pattern for which can be found here).  The sashing is done.  Have you ever found a brand of thread that, as you get to the bottom 20% of the thread on the spool, breaks all the time.  Oh, Connecting Threads and their threads.  I have a love-hate relationship with it.  Needless to say, I'm relieved to have the sashing done and will be using the rest of the thread for piecing and not quilting.  Also, my machine is dying and I need to order a replacement.  Go big or go inexpensive?  I don't have time to go "test driving" with the wee ones, don't want anything computerized, and live daily with the risk that my machine will be ruined by an enterprising and always helpful JoJo.  

Thursday, I put the final stitches in the last applique block.  The original pattern is by Lizzy B Cre8tive.  Do I sash the blocks?  If so, with what color?  I've used all hand dyes for the blocks and don't have enough of any one to do a consistent sashing.  I'd prefer not to order fabric.  I do have this interesting grey batik that goes well with the three background batiks.  It would currently make a comfortable wall hanging or baby quilt, so sashing is not necessary for size.  I'm in no hurry, so we can puzzle this one a few weeks.

Finally, my yellow and grey four-patch quilt is moving along nicely.  All the big four-patches are done, and the strip sets for half the smaller blocks are sewn up.  On Saturday I'll be cutting, pinning, and cutting more to get these blocks well underway.

Be sure to check out all the other scrappy projects this weekend!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Grey Skies

Purple is, unfortunately, nowhere on my radar this month.  I completed my purple and grey quilt earlier this year, and that was it for purple.  I do, someday, have a longing for a purple and blue quilt (think cold, wintry colors), but a pattern has thus far eluded me.

Instead, I plugged away at my red, white, and blue quilt for Memaw.  It's a flimsy!  Unfortunately, it wasn't until I began sewing my sashing to the blocks that I realized my star points would be lost in the background fabric of the blocks.  Duh!  I should have used the pinky red, but it was too late, as there was no more sashing fabric to be had.  Maybe I'll do something with a darker thread to make them stand out, but that's for another week.  The backing fabric is cut and ready to piece, so basting is  on my list for next week.

Additionally, I started a new quilt that's been on my list since at least the beginning of 2015.  Originally, I envisioned a giant chevron quilt in yellow and grey for my mom.  Then the reality of sewing such a quilt (with no design wall large enough) niggled at me to reconsider the pattern.  Instead, I'm sewing a variation of Mary's Easy Double 4-Patch.  I've been cutting yellow and grey solids and stitching strip sets.  My hope is to finish the giant four patches for certain, and make significant progress on the 16-patches this month.  I bought extra-wide backing earlier this year, so everything is ready to go.  My one disappointment is that I won't have enough of some of my yellows to continue them evenly throughout the quilt.  That's what happens when you work from stash and scraps, right?  I am sure the fabrics will work out in the end.

I only have two appliqué blocks left, which feels shocking!  They've been my carry along project to therapy for the last seven months, so it will feel strange not to work on them anymore.  Instead, I'll be back to my Christmas stockings, as I still need to make one for DH, the Assistant (partially finished), JoJo, and PK.  Last night, when I was inspired to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics with the kids, I pulled out the Assistant's stocking and made good progress on the embroidery.  The kids have asked to watch the taekwando competitions, so I may have plenty of hand work time this month!

Be sure to check out purple (and grey) with a touch of mossy green projects this month!

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

August UFO Update

My UFO choices are getting positively slim!  I finished two quilts in July, Twinkler Star and Sea Breeze.  With only 13 left, I'm happy to be dreaming up new projects to start next year.  I've already picked four quilts to use my scraps and hand dyes for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This month, I hope to finish the quilt for Memaw and the project for Uncle Ron.  If my energy levels and the kids' school schedules allow, I'm looking forward to the applique blocks wrapping up and maybe forming a top this month.

In the meantime, carry on, UFO busters!

"Something Done"
1. Tell It to the Stars (quilting)
2. Stockings (4 of 7)
3. Applique
4. Bits and bobs
5. Odd Fellow
6. Memaw

7. ABC applique

8. Mom's gray and yellow
9. Uncle Ron
10. 

Not Started Yet/On Hold
11. pillow
12. Orphan blocks
13. Scrappy DWR
14. Embroidered pillows

July 1: 15 UFOs

Started: 0

Finished/abandoned: 2

July 31: 13 UFOs

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

August Goals

In July, I wanted to...

1.  Focus on pink scraps: trim, applique, Bits and Bobs, and finish the Twinkler Star quilt.  Hurrah!  I finished my Twinkler Star quilt, made a few Bits and Bobs, and finished 7 applique blocks.

2.  Work on a baby strips quilt with Spunky.  She lost interest, but I finished it!

3.  Start on a quilt for Memaw, DH's grandmother.  14 of the 16 blocks are done!

In August, I hope to...

1. Work on grey scraps: trim, last 4 applique, Bits and Bobs, and start on my mom's yellow and grey quilt.

2. Finish the quilt for Memaw.

3. Work on something for my uncle.  I'm not sure what shape it will take!

4.  Ugh.  The mending is piling up,

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

July Block Count

July is over, so it's time to tally what I stitched!  This month saw 23 strips for a baby quilt, 14 Star Burst blocks, 6 more Bits and Bobs, and 7 applique blocks, for a total of 50 new blocks.

Add that to my previous 353, and I have made 403 blocks so far this year!  Wow!

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