Stash Busting 2010 - Week 4

Still no pictures this week.  We're still trying to load all the software that needs to get loaded after the computer "puked" last week.  I did finish up the quilt top that I was working on and I even pieced the backing...so stash USED! :-)  I was going to quilt it on my frame, but since I haven't fully set it up yet and haven't done a quilt on it, I don't want the first one to be one that I'm giving away....so it will be quilted on my little sewing machine versus the frame.  Eventually I'll put something on the frame.

So here are my numbers:

Used this Week:   2.30 yards
Used Year to Date: 7.35 yards

Added this Week: 0.0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0.0 yards

Net Used for 2010: 7.35 yards

Stash Busting 2010 - Week 3

My stash busting post is a little late this week, but its here none the less.  Nothing bought...nothing used....so I'm still holding steading on the positive side.

Use this Week: 0 yards
Used Year to Date: 5.05 yards

Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to date: 0 yards

Net Used for 2010: 5.05 yards



So why was my post late?.....  lots of reasons unfortunately.

1.  Around the middle of last week, a little bump on my side decided to "explode" and become an infected gland.  I took antibiotics for two days, then had to go to a surgeon to have it drained.  Ouchy!  I'm on antibiotics for the next two weeks and go back to see the surgeon on the 25th to see if they need to take the gland out or if it will just fix itself.  My guess is that it will have to come out as its still oozing right now. (I know...yucky!)

2.  On Thursday, since I wasn't feeling well, I just hung out on the couch watching TV after work.  Since DH wasn't interested in vegging, he went on the computer.  Even though he wasn't downloading anything, we managed to pick up a virus on the computer....and a nasty one at that.  None of the anti-virus software knows about it yet because its so new, so we couldn't get it off.  Finally, one of the softwares "saw" it, but proceeded to delete a file that was necessary for logging into the computer.  Thankfully my brother-in-law is a GOD with computers and was able to replace the file.  We were able to retrieve all our data off the computer, but couldn't save the rest of the computer.  While it didn't trash the hardware for the computer, we had to completely re-format the machine and are slowly putting stuff back onto it now.  The camera software isn't loaded yet, so I don't have any pictures to share of the sewing that I have gotten done.

So that's why my stash report is late.  The good news is that I almost finished another quilt top.  I have one set of borders to put on and then its ready for quilting.  Oddly enough, I made the quilt using Jacob's ladder blocks and the quilt is for a baby who was just born and his name is Jacob (just found out about the name yesterday).  Somewhat ironic that I chose those blocks for the quilt.

Now I just have to get my courage up to actually finish putting leaders onto the quilting frame I bought this past fall and actually put a quilt on it.  Its sad that its been sitting there unused since late September, but what can I say...I've been busy.  Hopefully the machine will behave and I'll get the quilts quilted quickly. :-)

Stash Busting 2010 - Week 2

I'm still in the positive this week.  Nothing used this week, but more importantly....nothing bought!  :-)

I've been working steadily on the new baby quilt.  As of last Sunday evening, I had all the HSTs sewn and cut apart.  I pressed them last night and today will probably be spent trimming them down to size.  I also made all the 4-patches this week....all 96 of them!  They also got pressed last night, so I'll make sure they're all square today.  Since I counted this fabric last week when I cut them all out, there's nothing else new cut this week so my numbers stay the same.

Since I haven't posted pictures in a while, here's a picture of the last baby quilt that I made.  Its quilted at this point, but I haven't sewn the binding on yet (but the binding is already made and ready to put on).

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards

Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards

Net Used for 2010: 5.05 yards

How did everyone else do this week??

Another Day...Another Dollar....

Such is the way life seems to go forward.  While I would much rather be spending my time quilting, I am currently training for Root Cause Analysis at work.  I've done RCA's before, but now I'm being "officially" trained, which just means that everyone will come to me to try to solve their problems.  It might be a good thing and I enjoy doing RCAs...so hopefully it will be good.

We've decided to list our house again.  We got no luck over the summer, but after talking with a new real estate agent that was recommended to us, we've realized that our other agent was completely incompetent.  She marketed our house such that it wasn't marketed to its full potential (marketing to the 80% of the population that wouldn't want to buy our house makes it pretty good that you won't sell the house).  So we're feeling much more excited about our new agent and the fact that we may actually be able to sell the house.

I've also made some progress in the quilting front.  The latest baby quilt (no pics yet) is quilted and is waiting for the binding to be sewn on by machine.  I also cut the fabric for the next quilt and started sewing together the 96 HSTs needed for the quilt.  I have a total of 96 4-patches that need to be made that I'm hoping to get started on tonight.  I also finally put the velcro onto the leaders for the quilting frame that I bought this past fall (about time!).  It only took 15 minutes, but it was one of those things that I had been putting off doing and I should have just done it long ago. ;-)

Stash Busting 2010 - Week 1

A new year and the first stash report is upon us! Last year I didn't really set any goals, it was more of a year to figure out my buying habits and quilting habits. I ended up buying almost 100 yards more than I used. I still have at least 4 quilts that I bought fabric for last year and I haven't done anything but wash that fabric. This year my goal is to use at least as much fabric as I buy.

No pictures yet of the projects that I've been working on, but I do have some good numbers. I spent most of today cutting out material for a baby quilt that I will be making. The blocks in the quilt are a variation on Jacob's Ladder blocks. Its all in pastel blues with some yellow mixed in.

The "rule" I'm following this year for counting stash used is when I cut it...its considered used. Once I cut the fabric, I won't be using it for something else, and I've found that once its cut I'm actually very good about sewing it up into a quilt top and getting it quilted fairly quickly (at least for me).

So my numbers for the first week are.....

Used this Week: 5.05 yards
Used year to Date: 5.05 yards

Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards

Net Used for 2010: 5.05 yards