Monthly Archives: August 2016

Sunday Stash - Baggier

Sunday Stash,

This week I was working on smaller projects to finish up for the “Community Service Parade” at guild meeting Thursday night.  I managed to finish 5 placements, 1 pillowcase, and 2 quilts to donate since the last month, with a good bit of that done in the previous week.

Beyond the donation projects, I also made a tool organizer called “Tooly” (above). and my sample for the next class I’m teaching at Red Hen Fabrics.  Still confirming details and dates, but it’s the Tudor Bag from Sew Sweetness.  Sample is below, from a new line from Windham Fabrics “Hot Dogs & Cool Cats”!

  • Used this week: 9 yard
    • 0.5 yd for 2 pinwheel placemats
    • 0.5 for 2 Lilac Hill placemats
    • 0.75 yd for Tooly Organizer
    • 4.25 yd for Hipster Kitty
    • 3 yd for Tudor Bag sample
  • Used Year to Date: 241.25 yards
  • Added this Week: 0 yard
    • Woohoo!
  • Net Used YTD: 135.25 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 83 yards (34% of total used)

See more stash reports at Patchwork Times!

The Stitch - Episode 201 Audio Only

We kick off season 2 of The Stitch with a discussion on some of the recent closures in the quilting world, and the benefits of joining a quilt guild.

This is the audio-only version of the video on YouTube. See show notes, photos, and more on The Stitch TV Show page!

NOTE: This audio-only version of The Stitch is replacing my usual weekly HtbaS podcast; I’ll be back solo next week for the usual geeky fare!

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WIP Wednesday - Stinker

WIP Wednesdays,

Well, lots of movement this week as I prep for the Project that Ate My Life. I don’t expect it will be as all consuming as the Project of Doom, but still, there goes my early September!

I did manage to finish the top and get Hipster Kitten quilted. I can get the binding on tonight and wash it before donating tomorrow night. After that I need to work on the Cat Commission so I can mail it out along with the baby quilt I just finished.

Nina helpered with the quilting, as you can see. Quite the stinker, she is.

Also worth noting - I pieced together 9 fat quarters to make the back for this quilt, and I did not notice when I got the fabric, but that peach print in the center? Is peach scented. Nasty, fake peach scent.

It really blooms when you press it, too. Ugh. I never thought I’d have to say it, but smell your fabric before you buy, lest you end up with “press and sniff” fabric in your quilt. Imagine putting a whole bunch of fruit fabrics together in one quilt. I shudder to think of the results. Give me the scratch and sniff stickers any day (especially the grape, but never, ever the pizza).

“Quilt Number 65, Friendship Number 100” - Finished!

Finished Projects, ,

Well, finally here is the finished Kaffe Fasset quilt I made for Lynn. If you’re not familiar with my “quilt number” concept, it’s a number of a perfection scale of 1 to 100, where 100 is a perfect quilt, like you would enter into a show. Each project I work on has a target number - how well my piecing seams align, evenness of quilting stitches, quality of binding, etc.

Quilt Number: 65, Friend Number: 100Not that I wouldn’t love to give Lynn a 100 quilt, but I wanted to give her something to celebrate the one year anniversary of our show, The Stitch.

The quilt is a one-block quilt design carried out in two fabric arrangements to make the design. Sewing corner to corner is not my favorite (or most efficient method) for piecing, but it was a necessary evil in the instructions for the longer pieces.

Quilt Number: 65, Friend Number: 100The end goal was met, though, and Lynn loves the quilt, so all in all it’s a successful project!

Sunday Stash - Baggy

Sunday Stash, , ,

This week I had the pleasure of teaching another bag-making class at Red Hen Fabrics; 7 women learned how to make the Aeroplane Bag from Sew Sweetness, and 4 of them are finished and the other 3 are close to being done.  While I was there I picked up 3 yards of fabric to make a sample for the next class - the Tudor Bag. It’s a little simpler to construct (no curves), so I’m hoping we get a healthy number of signups for that in October.

My kids were spending some time with their grandparents today, so I had some free hours to work on other projects; because I was so productive earlier this week with the Twilter quilt and another donation quilt, I spent some time making…. clothes. Yeesh.  I made two tunic tops and a knit skirt for me, and a cotton skirt for my daughter.  I the remaining fabric from my daughter’s skirt up into bits for a donation quilt in addition to part of a pillowcase, too. All said clothing items are in the washing currently, so no pics yet.

I need to piece the back for this quilt and hopefully get it finished before Thursday evening so I can turn it in for the Community Service round-up at guild that night. Fingers crossed!

  • Used this week: 9.5 yard
    • 1 yd for pillowcase
    • 2.75 yd for strip donation quilt
    • 1 yd for daughter’s skirt
    • 4.75 yd for Twilter Bird in the Air quilt
  • Used Year to Date: 233 yards
  • Added this Week: 3 yard
    • 3 yd for Tudor Bag sample
  • Net Used YTD: 126.25 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 77.75 yards (33% of total used)

See more stash reports at Patchwork Times!

HtbaS - Episode 283

This week, I talk about fixing an applique faux pas after the fact, the Twilter Birds in the Air quilt, sewing for charity, and talk about a few books.

  • Zer0es by Chuck Wendig
  • Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner (note: I mistakenly said that someone died in the prologue, but I misspoke. The main character “lost” someone, so I interpreted it one way. Regardless, I finished the book and still love it!)

Today’s podcat is Morelli, who was helpering with the layout of one of the donation quilts I was working on.

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WIP Wednesday - Twilting

Community, WIP Wednesdays,

This week I’ve been in production mode to get some projects finished before I get consumed by the big project coming in early September.  As such, I finished my Twilter Birds in the Air quilt! Here it is under the needle after finishing the background quilting:

Here’s my quilt after basting before quilting; I ended up with 39 blocks back, so I made 3 more blocks for a 6 x 7 block layout.  I chose to arrange mine by color, with teal in the middle since I had the most of those colors.

I’m working on a quilt-as-you-go donation quilt next in advance of my guild’s Community Service and ice cream social meeting at the end of August.

Sunday Stash - Sewing for Good

Community, Sunday Stash,

This week I made pretty good progress on several projects, just in time to get a timeline on another project that means my sewing in the first part of September will be dedicated to a big honking thing that I won’t be able to show until the end of October. It’s all good, though, but a bit sobering to realize (note to podcast listeners: no rum involved yet - still at 1.5 bottles in the pantry).

I finished my gift quilt, which I’ll post pictures of in the next couple days, and also the baby quilt I was working on.  In between those, I whipped up three placemats to donate to Meals on Wheels through my guild. The center one is actually my class sample from the Sue Nickel’s workshop, but the contrast isn’t quite stark enough to actually see the stitching on the pale yellow.

I also finished the top and back for my Twilters Bird in the Air quilt, and will get it sandwiched tomorrow for quilting. The back for it is rather crazy - all random fat quarters, and the binding is completely scrappy and fun.

  • Used this 2 Weeks: 13.25 yard
    • 7.25 for “Quilt Number: 65” quilt
    • 4.75 for Airmail baby quilt
    • 1.25 yd for 3 placemats
  • Used Year to Date: 223.5 yards
  • Added this Week: 0 yard
    • Woohoo!
  • Net Used YTD: 119.75 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 74 yards (33% of total used)

See more stash reports at Patchwork Times!

HtbaS - Episode 282

This week, I catch you all up on everything from the past three weeks. Some feelings about social media, some sewing, some travel, some books, and some IRL experiences.

Join us tonight 7-9pm US Eastern for the Virtual Stitch-In!

Books discussed in this episode:

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WIP Wednesday - Actual Work on Actual Quilts

WIP Wednesdays, , ,

Oh hey, look at that. Progress on things I can share! Well, mostly.  I did finish a quilt this week, but can’t share it yet since it’s a gift.  Nina was on hand to help with quality control during quilting, though.

VP of Quality Control seems satisfied with consistent stitch length. #ninavore

A photo posted by TheStitchTVShow (@thestitchtvshow) on

I spent last night catching up on the My Favorite Things blocks from SewHooked.com.  I had June, July and August blocks to do, but the August block was glitter, which… no. I cannot in good conscience even imply that I even tolerate glitter, so I will certainly not commit to calling it a favorite thing.

So I made a wineglass block instead. The actual block pattern is from a different designer. Maybe I should have put a cat in there instead, but the wineglass was easier to piece.

For the record, there was no wine involved in this little incident (but there may have been rum afterwards).  That seam gauge block was not my favorite!

Next up is working on another pattern for The Stitch- it’s another oldie but a goodie!