November Block Count

I made 40 blocks for a mystery quilt and 12 blocks to use up the last of my orphan bits.  This brings my 2017 total to 1125.  Wow!

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

Mayhem and Bedlam

Since Tuesday, we’ve been a house of four adults and nine children (11, 9, 7, 7, almost 5, 4, 3, almost 2, and almost 1).  Needless to say, it’s been jolly good fun, a mess of hard work, and a glorious experience.  Thanksgiving was lovely, and our weather was unseasonably warm after being unseasonably cold.  Then the stomach bug returned, or a fresh strain hit, and not only our household but my entire family that had gathered in the area was sick.

Sewing time was negligible.  I did stitch a bit Friday, finishing a row of Garden Party as well as the blocks needed for my last(!) orphan block project.  It won’t be done in time to send home with my sister, but since I spent time cooking and caring for the recipient, no one minds.

Like many of you, I spend some time most days pondering my plans for next year.  I seem to have my plans already sketched out, so now I’m examining my “someday” project list.  Deciding what's possible for the next year is delicious fun, so while waiting for everyone to recuperate or get sick a second time, I'm going to lose myself in some dreaming.

I hope your Thanksgiving was splendid, and that you and yours are well.  As we enjoy the end of brown scraps, I also plan to check out all the other new and old projects this weekend.

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

Stash Report Week #46

Early in the week, I was a woman to be reckoned with.  Then came the stomach bug, and six of the eight of us are recovering since Friday.  I finished an apron, the mini 9s, and name letters.  I was surprised how much closer I moved, even with two quilty prizes arriving this week.  I have two new charm backs and four lovely teal fat quarters to pet over the coming days.

IN this week: 2 yards
OUT this week: 8 yards

IN YTD: 170 1/2 yards
OUT YTD:154 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 16 yards IN

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

Mud or Mocha

In reality, I’m not a coffee drinker (ever), so I’d choose mud over mocha.  The only brown scrappy work I managed this week was sorting the last of the brown strip sets for nine-patches.  If I’m fortunate, I’ll sew them up before my sister and family arrive for the holidays.  Given our current run of luck, I’m not expecting much!

I worked hard finishing things this week.  First, mini 9s survived the wash with no bleeding, so it’s rolled up and ready to go.  I love all it’s crinkly goodness.  My 2.5” bin has been thinning out as I’ve been using it for binding for all these quilts.  I realized it’s silly to cut into stash for a one-color binding on a scrappy quilt, so the scrappy strips are coming out to play.

My Garden Party blocks touches neither sewing machine nor pins this week, so there was no progress there.  Instead, I tackled scrappy letters for a cousin and used some of my orphan blocks to create a scrappy pocket for an apron.

Once I had my three finishes, I tackled my blocks for the Magnolia Mystery.  Pressing the seams open takes time and is not my normal method, but I’ve done it so far.  I need this blocks done and put away by Tuesday afternoon, so I’ve kept at them.

Finally, I have a plan for the remaining orphan blocks.  Once I have the units on my wall complete, I have a plan for alternating blocks.  I even chose a fat quarter for the backing and some 2.5” strips for the binding, as I have a doll quilt in my mind for my youngest niece.

Next up, preparing for family to come for Thanksgiving and children recovering from a stomach bug (ack!).  Be sure to check out finishes, flimsies, and dark blocks this weekend.

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

Stash Report Week #45

I whipped out a weighted blanket this week (only because once begun, it is a nightmare to put away), so I have a little fabric usage.  It is too much to hope that I’ll end up out of the hole by the end of the year, but I’ve certainly narrowed the gap by more than I thought I could!  I’ll keep plugging away, and we’ll see where the next seven weeks take me.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 2 yards

IN YTD: 168 1/2 yards
OUT YTD: 146 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 22 yards IN

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

Relief

After two days of soaking, rinsing, and soaking, Barn Dance has emerged from the waters refreshed and relatively extra-dye free.  Whew!  I can see a little staining on the two previously tan blocks, but since the staining on the yellows came out, and my family was clamoring for me to free up the bathtub, I’m claiming victory.

It's a pared down rendition of Barn Dance by Denise Russart, made with hand dyes by Vicki Welsh.  And, fear not, the blue background that bled like a stuck pig was NOT by Vicki, but a batik from Hancocks of Paducah.  Not a single one of her fabrics bled, and they are so lovely to sew with.  I used Vicki's tutorial to work on the bleeding, and as I said above, it was great!

My mini nines are quilted but not yet bound, so I’ll save their reveal for next week.  Loops are a nice change from meandering while still being different.

After replacing our fridge and learning that our truck was totaled, of course that meant a chip in our van windshield exploded into an enormous crack with the arrival of fluctuating temperatures. (Cue hysterical laughter.) SafeLite Auto was, yet again, fabulous, and my new windshield is so clean!  I really like having an emergency fund when we have months like this.

My scrappy sewing has been in teal and lime green this week as I’ve been stitching letters for a cousin’s new baby.  Since I was in the mood for starting projects, I also started and finished a weighted blanket and cut the pieces for another apron.

My darks didn't get a chance to play this week, but they are so patiently waiting next to the machine.  Check out other dark projects or almost-finished lovelies this weekend.  Today is about in-laws, but hopefully I'll sneak in some sewing later.  Enjoy your weekend!

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

November UFO List

October 1: 11
Started: 1
Finished: 2
October 31: 10

Project List:
1. Rose appliqué
2. Mini 9s
3. Garden Party
4. Placemats
5. Orphan blocks
6. Pillow
7. Scrappy DWR
8.  ABC appliqué
9. Meadow Mist Mystery

10. 9 patches and stars

I finished my hourglass and Barn Dance quilts.  Meanwhile, I started one new scrappy project, which I’m calling 9 patches and stars.  Ten is a happy number of ongoing and UFO projects, but I know November will explode with new, albeit short term, projects.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

November Goals

In October, I wanted to...
1.  Tackle those scraps: trim, finish the Garden Party blocks, get mini 9s and Barn Dance to the flimsy stage, finish the hourglass  and orphan block quilts, and make a body pillow cover from other leftovers.  Yes!

2.  Make oodles of progress on the Rose appliqué.  Yes!

3.  Complete the next step in the Magnolia Mystery.  Yes!

4.  Mending.  It has piled up, and needs to be gone before company comes for Thanksgiving.  Yes, except for one piece that may be irreparable.

In November, I’d like to...
1.  Continue to manage the scraps: trim, finish mini 9s, get Garden Party to a flimsy, and see what to do with the orphan blocks.  I also started a new project that requires nine patches, so I’m making those from 1.5”scraps.

2. Finish all purple stitching on the Rose appliqué.

3.  Complete the next step in the Magnolia Mystery.  Maybe I should blog about my fabric choices too!

4.  Make a weighted blanket.

5.  Sew some name letters for a cousin.

6.  Make an apron for a Christmas gift.

7.  Cut T-shirts for a customer’s Tshirt quilt.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z 

Stash Report Weeks #43-44

I finished my Barn Dance quilt this week, and nothing last week, so I’ve used another 6 1/2 yards.  I’m getting closer to a 0 balance for the year, which is good, since this week in the room revamp and carpet cleaning, I lost my fabric storage.  It’s all on a metal cart in a closet, which is not ideal, but it works for now.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 6 1/2 yards

IN YTD: 168 1/2 yards
OUT YTD: 144 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 24 yards IN

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

Falling to Pieces

I dug out the brown 1.5” and made decent progress on nine-patches this week.

(In between the epic playroom/sewing room evacuation for carpet cleaning, the vehicle demise-by-self-destruction, and the dead fridge, that is... Ooh, and there was Halloween in the midst of it all.)

Barn Dance is, tragically, in a holding pattern.  The blue batik ran in areas I did not see before I dried it, so it’s awaiting a long, hot soak.  I’m still hunting for the Dawn dish soap recommended by Vicki Welsh.  My shopping has been taken up by larger items!

My to-do list for the week included quilting my mini 9s, but I didn’t have it in me, so it’s patiently waiting its turn under the needle.  I did choose the thread color last night, and I have almost all the bobbins empty again.

Neither did I touch my orphan bits, the poor, neglected things.  Eventually...

Instead, I dithered along starting some name letters for a cousin’s new baby, sorting fabric for another weighted blanket, trimming scraps, and picking out more fabric for an apron that needs to be completed by Thanksgiving in order to be shipped to family.  Then, because I couldn’t help myself, I laid out the blocks for my downsized Garden Party (pattern by Bonnie Hunter) and sewed a few rows together.

In all the chaos of the week, I completely forgot to write my month-end blog posts, so I need to get cracking.  Enjoy your weekend.  May it be full of fabric, family, and free of chaos.  Check out the finishes or the browns!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

October Block Count

4 Garden Party blocks and 97 four-patches brings my total blocks to 1073 for the year.  That number makes me feel tired!