New Blocks and a Challenge!

I started a new quilt! I figure I've completed so many projects lately I'm due. My husband, the Civil War buff, agreed that he needed me to make him a quilt with Civil War reproductions for the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of this historic conflict.
I didn't have a square of CW fabric in my extensive stash so you know what that meant. . . . I got to buy fabric!!! I found a beautiful fat quarter tower celebrating the CW anniversary by Julie Rothermel for Marcus Fabrics in Nancy Rink's booth at the Road to California quilt show and fell in love. Of course, it didn't help my "Stashbuster" numbers. . .This represents half the number of 9 1/2" blocks I need for the quilt. I plan several borders, probably a pieced one and maybe an applique one. It's

going to be a magnum opus!

I also can now show the Challenge quilt I finished for my quilt guild. The theme is "Bloomin' Fun" and we had to use the border fabric and the green you see in the middle. I saw this idea in a recent issue of Quilters Newsletter. I spent hours cutting and fusing each of those 1/4" to 1/2" 'mosaic' pieces to the background. Trouble is, they started suddenly coming off!!! I tried gluing a few back but that didn't work and I didn't want to machine sew them because it would have ruined the 'tile' effect. So I was forced to put a piece of fine, black tulle over the top and machine stitch around each piece! Tedious and time-consuming and I think the effect damages the idea but, it is what it is. It measures 20" x 30".

Drop by Judy's site and see what everyone else is up to, quilting-wise!

Week 8 Stash

I was a little better this week than last. I didn't buy 23 yards of fabric for one thing! LOL

I also started a new quilt. My husband is a huge Civil War buff and since this year is the 150th anniversary of the beginning of this historical event I thought I'd ask him if he wanted me to make him a quilt to honor it. (This is the guy who implied about 8 years ago that we had too many quilts in the house--HAHAHAHA, too many quilts!! Not possible. . . )

Anyway, he surprised me by saying 'yes' he did want a Civil War quilt--for our California King-Sized Bed! So, I've planned out a 110" x 110" quilt using 'Birds In The Air blocks', inspired by a quilt I saw in Nancy Rink's booth at the Road to California Quilt Show. (I bought all the fabric in the form of a fat quarter tower from her too!)

So I used 5 yards of it for the blocks pictured here:

Fabric purchased this week: 0

Fabric purchased year to date: 50 yards

Fabric used this week: 4.25 yards

Fabric used year to date: 42 yards

Net used: -8 yards

See what all the other Happy Quilters are doing on Judy's wonderful blog!

DWMonday--Finished UFO #10!

I've been a quilter for ONLY 16 years. I started making clothes for myself when I was about 12. I stopped when I was about 25 partly because it was easier to find great clothing for less money and, well, I started having money then! I acquired a dress form many years ago with the idea of getting back into making garments---then, I got the quilting bug and became the Rabid Quilter.

I finally found a fabric store that gives lessons in garment making and I've signed up for several classes: pattern making, draping, working with knits, etc. I found this wonderful knit a while back, perfect for a skirt, adapted a commercial pattern (adding pockets and changing the width of the bias panels) and actually finished a garment I will wear often! I've already worn it twice in fact and it's so comfortable and stretchy. You can't see it but it's a nubby red and black--really a great fabric.

Don't worry though, I still have about 7 quilting projects in progress as we speak as you can see from the other posts I've made on Judy Laquidara's wonderful site. Hope you're all having a great sewing week!

I've fallen off the wagon . . .

There are times when, good intentions aside, we're tripped up and try as we might cannot resist an offer too good to be true. Some examples: your best friend makes you a yummy chocolate cake on your birthday (and you're on a strict diet). You've committed to cleaning the house, top to bottom then your husband takes the day off and, sun shining and skies blue, suggests you go off for some fun.

Here's what happened to me on Tuesday: I was hired to lecture at a quilt guild where one of the members had just passed away. She left her stash to the guild and they were selling it. . . for $3.00 per yard! What's more, each piece was neatly rolled and secured with masking tape with the yardage amount written on the tape. Most were 3-8 yard pieces and were by Kaffe Facett, Moda, Hoffman, etc. NICE fabric. And get this: there were 24 HUGE tubs full! About 25 rolls in each tub, segregated into colors so neat and tidy! I tried not to look but I was there for 3 hours and needed 5 yards for the back of the top I finished last week-- and finally, I just had to look.

$3.00 a yard people!!

So, I'm now in the red. . . . :-( But you know what? I have some WONderful new fabric and the quilt guild made $72 just from little ole me!

My totals:

Fabric purchased this week: 23 (!!)

Total fabric purchased this year: 50

Fabric used this week: 5

Total fabric used this year: 37.75

Net used: -12.25

Week 7 Stash Report

I led a double life this week: I was a good girl and a bad girl. I bought the backing for my husband's Civil War quilt (a California King!) but also started a new quilt totally from my stash (or rather, the stashes of my Spring Chicks group).

Let me explain. . . I needed 8 yards for the back of a huge quilt and really needed an appropriate Civil War-type fabric which I don't have in my stash. 8 yards! Found just what my DH wanted and found it online on sale!

I also got together with my 9-person quilting group and exchanged 2 1/2" strips to make quilts for the Sutter Hospital Breast Cancer Auction, held every 3 years. We'll be turning in 9 quilts before the cut-off date, September 1st. See the quilt I'm working on for it HERE.

My totals:

Fabric purchased this week: 8

Total fabric purchased this year: 27

Fabric used this week: 5.5

Total fabric used this year: 32.75

Net used: 5.75

I'm not proud of these totals but I plan to do better. . .yeah, next week. . . LOL!!

Fun new quilt!

I saw this great pattern at Road to California and came right home to make it! Last week, my "Spring Chicks" group met and exchanged 2 1/2" strips. With these strips, the challenge is to make any quilt we want and have them finished by August 2nd. And it's for a very good cause: see, every 3 years, Sutter Hospital in Sacramento holds a quilt auction with all proceeds going to their Breast Cancer Center.In past years, the auction has garnered hundreds of quilts from generous quilters, quilt groups and guilds and has netted over $300,000 from them! This year, all quilts are due on September 1st and all 9 of us Spring Chicks are donating our finished strip quilts to the auction. I hope this quilt strikes someone's fancy and they donate a nice, large sum to the auction and take home this colorful, twin bed-sized quilt that we all had a part in, wrap it around them and feel the LOVE!!

I know I have until August 2nd but I have time NOW so, here's the top! YAY!

What's on my design wall?

I had a pretty prolific week! I finished the Mended Hearts quilt that my friend asked me to finish for her niece the day before she died. It took so long because I just didn't want to give it up! I felt her beside me every time I worked on it and knew when it was done, that I probably wouldn't feel that loving intensity again. But here it is and I know her niece is going to treasure it. I put a nice label on the back documenting the sad but loving story of Lee's desire to complete it for her.

I also worked on my quilt guild's challenge and it's almost done but can't post a photo of that one until the 'reveal' at the end of the month. Don't want to give away my design :-)

I'm also working on a BOM by Anne Sutton at Bunny Hill Designs and have kept up very nicely so far. It's only my 2nd applique quilt, a fall theme (my favorite time of year) and I'm loving it! Really need to get myself another applique project to work on in the evenings when I sit and watch TV with my husband.

So, what's on YOUR design wall this week? Take a look at Judy Laquadara's wonderful blog and see! (Don't you just LOVE to see everyone's post??!!)