I’m about half way through the “B” blocks for the Off Track quilt.  I’d love to finish them today, but Sundays tend to get away from me.  Why is that?  These are just a few of the blocks.

To see all the other Stash Reports, visit Patchwork Times.

Fabric In:    5/8 yard

Fabric Out:    0

Net Added:  5/8 yard

The finished bra!

Lots of you will know that I joined the bra making sew along run by lovely Amy at Cloth Habit.  There were great hints and tips and I really enjoyed it. I made my bra from a few bits of silk taffeta left from this skirt.

Bras don’t use up much fabric and it seemed an ideal chance to use up some very pretty stuff.  Fitting is a bit difficult because there is not much stretch, so I made a toile.

I made alterations to the pattern and made another toile – hooray, it fitted.

All looks great doesn’t it?  Sadly, unlike the toile it doesn’t fit.  When I was sewing the cups I think I sewed two pieces the wrong way round so it’s now a funny shape.  How did I do it?  How did I not notice? Well, I did think it was much harder to put together than the toile but I kept going.  I should have checked….

Failure! Never mind, I enjoyed it and I will definitely try again.

Thank you so much Amy, I have been wanting to do this for ages and your sew along made me get started.  I really will keep trying.

First up: The afghan I’m making for my boyfriend’s parents. I didn’t mention on my giftee afghan, but I brought home about 20 pounds of yarn from work because we didn’t need it and I couldn’t bear seeing it go in the trash, so now I’m basically making blankets to get rid of it. For this one, I’m crocheting  for my first project ever! Dick’s parents have a bar in their garage, and this blanket is the same colors, so I think it will look great in there. The crocheting definitely goes quickly, so I guess I like it.

This next one is a pair of fingerless mitts for Dick. He asked for them, but I’m a little worried they won’t fit since his hands are gigantic, so they are on hold until he comes back east.

The next one is the one I like the best. It’s this gorgeous shawl knit in some of my handspun. I am very excited and am hoping it looks like decay since the colors of the yarn are more or less fall-y.

I hope you’re all having a good weekend and getting lots of knitting done. Or other things, if you don’t prefer knitting.

Block B is simpler and will go a little faster.  This is the most time consuming project on my short list, and I want to get it done and out of the way.

After putting too few items on the list in January, I probably put too many on the list this month.  Or not.  I’m keeping an open mind.

Technically, although this doesn’t fit in with February’s Love challenge in the Stash-busting Sewalong, it was still stashbusting, so I’m totally claiming it!

This is the Washi Dress, by Made by Rae, and it’s my second attempt at the pattern. I had a bit of a fiasco when I first made this dress- I printed it all out and cut it and sewed it up, and it mysteriously didn’t fit me in the slightest! It was like an epic boob-crushing, see through catastrophe! FAIL. Wanna know what I did? I accidentally forgot to print the pattern unscaled, at 100%, so every inch was about 7/8ths of an inch- a small error in terms of only one inch, but over the course of an entire pattern? PRETTY SIGNIFICANT!

So, the other day one of my lovely friends dropped round and I mentioned how I wanted to sew a dress for our housewarming (which was THE NEXT DAY) but I hadn’t decided what to make… And then it occurred to me that the dress that failed would nearly be the right size for her. Guess what? She was pretty much the perfect size for it, so I finished my seams and hemmed it and gifted her a lovely, slightly see-through white dress- Hurrah! I made some alterations when I was sewing that version up- I was still using my mums OLD Husqvarna-Viking machine, so I was too scared to try and put elastic thread through the bobbin. So I did this awesome sneaky thing where I fully lined the bodice section of the dress and sewed channels with elastic in them a la peasant dress, rather than doing some shirring. It worked a treat actually, but I have a new machine, so I thought I’d give the shirring a go this time round. I reprinted the pattern, this time at 100% like I was meant to…

It worked a treat, see below!Well, you can’t really see from this far away, but I promise, it’s real shirring like people who really know how to sew use! Much excitement here people

The only modification I made was to throw a four inch hem on the dress, since it made me feel a bit middle aged where it was hitting my knee at the intended length. I wasn’t brave enough to actually hack off the extra fabric though, alas, so the inside of my hem has some weird pleat things in it to take up the extra fabric on the inside. Overall I’m happy with the fit and the dress in general, and it’s nice to have a dress that fits pretty well straight out of the pattern envelope.

I used some peacock coloured poplin I had buried in my stash to make the dress up with, and I had the same weird problem this time as I had when I made a dirndl skirt with it last year- it gets these weird patchy stain marks on it, despite the fact that it hasn’t ever been stained with anything. Case in point- check out my right ass cheek in the photo above, or the very front of my dress in the photo below:It isn’t too noticeable in real life unless I’m hanging out in bright light and pointing the marks out to people, so I’ll keep wearing the dress, but it’s super weird! I haven’t got the faintest idea where they come from, and it’s only happened on the two pieces of clothing I’ve made from this poplin. So weird.

Anyway, if anyone cares, I also made my pretty headscarf- it’s some gorgeous Liberty of London Lawn with little birds on it. I hand stitched the entire length, both sides, with a tiny little rolled hem. I could only afford a 20cm width of the fabric, but I love it as a headscarf, and I can guarantee that there aren’t likely to be many other peeps around with galahs on their scarves

Overall, I love the pattern for the dress, it was really easy to put together, and it’s lovely and cool to wear in this hot Aussie summer (36 degrees here today, and it’s considered cool weather compared to the 40 degree days we have coming up!) so I think I’ll get a bit of wear out of it

Anyone else out there made this pattern and love it like I do?

Scarves Plain ‘N Fancy started as an idea for working through one (one!) box of stashed yarn and its not lost its charm for me yet. I am a self-described “Process” Knitter and could care less if anything is ever actually finished. With a view to potentially restock my shops though, the impetus to “git ‘er done” continues.

Did you ever have one of those weeks, that feel really busy and tiring, on the go the whole time, yet feel at the end of it that nothing much has been accomplished? Well then, you know what this week has been like. It wasn’t bad, I got all sort of fiddly little tasks done, but it was somehow unsatisfactory, full of minor irritations. For example, my stashbuster Applecore Blanket (Frankie Brown), combining the best of Noro and Donegal Yarns (54 patches of each), is now in one piece. I had 2 balls of ancient single ply tweed in dark brown, one of which I used to crochet strips together and the other earmarked for the edging. The joining up went more smoothly than I’d dared hope: on wrong side ( slip st joining the thread between 2 garter st ridges on one patch and its equivalent on the other patch, chain 1), repeat all along the strip- it’s really quick and neat.

See those wiggly seams on the wrong side? Much more fun than sewing!

But then, just as I was feeling satisfied with what has been a really all-round enjoyable knit – frustration!  - that 2nd ball of dark brown has disappeared. Now I know this apartment is in a state of creative chaos (oh alright, pretty messy), but it’s also very small, and I’ve been searching to no avail, so that I’m beginning to consider hallucinations or early- onset Alzheimers’.

I can still snuggle up and enjoy the colours without an edging, but I wanted to get just one project done and dusted! I’ve several others on the needles which need revision, or a very clear head, or lots more time, and this is the one  that was meant to be for pure straightforward enjoyment…. Aaargh, don’t mind me, I’m just cranky! I’m just going to fondle the original a bit more…

….mmmm, that’s better! The colours are even richer in real life, too. The sun actually shone for a while yesterday, so I nipped outside to take photos for you, but the sunlight had a slightly bleached effect on my woolly stained glass-style creation, so you’re not getting the full benefit. I think the Donegal and Noro yarns go so well together because the are each adventurous with colours- unexpected contrasts and combinations make them particularly lively and distinctive. You can always tell imitation Donegal tweed by the boring flecks that are added- a green yarn will have a light green and a dark green fleck, with maybe a bit of brown thrown in-ooh, how daring! My original green here has pink, purple, and turquoise, and is very pleasing to the eye without dazzling it…

By the way, I deliberately haven’t blocked or pressed this, cos I like the 3D undulations. I think they go well with the rugged outdoorsy texture. See the way some of the patches are stripey, cos they are made up of the last remnants of different balls (just like original patchwork quilts, where every scrap of precious fabric was used up)?

I like the “wrong ” side too. FYI, I wove in the ends of the knitted-together short seams as I went along, and I crocheted over the remaining yarn tails in the long crocheted seams, so that was pretty painless!

Now I’ve seen on my blog stats that quite a few people have been googling Dublin suppliers of Donegal Yarns/ Soft/Tweed/Studio Donegal/Kilcarra, so I thought I’d introduce one more source. This is Knit, The Constant Knitter and Winnie’s all have a selection, but Springwools also has cones for (very) large projects.

Springwools is to be found on the edge of an industrial estate ( Lower Ballymount Road), near Walkinstown Roundabout (handy for buses from the city centre), in a modified warehouse.

It’s a lot roomier than it looks on the outside, and there is a lot of space inside for essentially a bit of everything…

I really like this sign.

I really caught them at a bad time: to be fair, the shelves are usually a lot more orderly, but on Saturdays the ravening hordes generally descend on the place and stir it up quite a bit, as you can see. This is where I acquired the cone of fine mohair blend for my Froth cape, and some excellent quality Yeoman 4-ply (stunning colours!) for assorted hard-wearing garments for my DS.

And here there is space to stock a selection of Donegal (tweed) Yarns on the cone, which work out at good value if you’re planning a big project, or sharing with a friend.

For example, I got one of these 2kg Aran weight cones in purple for 80 Euros, which was enough for my version of the Susie Hoodie (Mandy Moore, More Big Girl Knits) and for a goodly part of my Windmill Blanket (Curve of Pursuit, Susan Ashforth), both of which I’ve already shown you.

Then there are the 1kg single-ply cones (100% merino), for 50 Euros: one of these (the silver grey) was enough for my welted coat, a shawl, and I still have some in my stash for a rainy day, so that was a good investment. This stuff is “in oil”- I think that makes it suitable for machine knitting, too, but don’t quote me- that is definitely not my area of expertise (imagine letting a machine have all the fun)! Anyway, it smells “sheepy”, which takes me straight back to childhood summer holidays in Donegal and adds an extra dimension of enjoyment to knitting for me. The smell disappears after soaking or washing, though. This yarn (washed) is also marketed in balls as Lang Yarns “Donegal”- I’ve no idea who supplies it though.

Remember my “Little’n'Large” versions of Yuko Nakamura’s slippers? Well, I have been wearing mine almost non-stop since I finished them, even to bed on cold nights, so they were in need of some TLC, even though I’d mixed a synthetic -mix yarn into the soles. I was invited to lunch in Winnie’s on Friday by GF, so I knit little synthetic-only patches during the bus journey, and sewed them on when I got home.

GF, by the way, stands either for GodFather ( he’s DS’s) or Good Friend (to both of us)- he’s the one who gave me access to the Moon rocks (lecturer at UCD). He likes to take me out to lunch and catch up on his godson’s progress, and supports my yarn diet by treating me to a zero-calorie, high-in-fibre woolly “dessert”- this time it was some more Drops Delight for my Happy Blanket (Camilla Gugenheim), which is growing slowly but surely:

I started into the other Donegal stashbuster blanket I’ve dreamed up, but it turns out I haven’t got enough of some of the colours to do  it the way I’d planned, so that has to be ripped back and started again. Like I said, it’s been one of those weeks….

Mind you, knitting in the school is starting to gather momentum, as at least some parents are quite supportive. The “boys don’t knit” attitude is stamped into some of the kids though, it’s sad that such limitations are being placed on them at such an early age by their upbringing. However, their class teacher is very keen on equal opportunities for all her students, too, so we’re soldiering on!

It’s a sure sign that it’s time to stop and take a deep breath, when I unearth an old project that I’ve never found time to block- the Orchid Thief shawlette (Ysolda Teague). This turned up when I was searching for that runaway?/imagined? ball of dark brown tweed. At the moment it’s a perfect example of how most lace looks like a dog’s dinner before it’s blocked, but it’s a pretty little pattern and the Lang sock yarn is very soft, so I’ll block it as soon as I can find/uncover enough clear floorspace.

But don’t hold your breath!

The Spotted Crow — Do not PIN this image

  Thank goodness I finished The Spotted Crow yesterday or there would be nothing to add to the Stashbusting report — but nothing I guess would be better than adding fabric.

 Got this layered and quilted yesterday and finished the binding last night.  I think he turned our very cute and will brighten up my new desk area at the office once it’s remodeled.

So  the tally is:

Used this Week: 1.5 yards
Used year to Date: 16.5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 11,9 yards
Net Used for 2013: 5.5 yards

I think today just might be spent sewing bindings on two other projects and knitting while snuggled under a quilt and watching movies.   It’s a heat wave out there — double digits — headed to 15 degrees!  Slowly but surely the thermometer is creeping upward.  At least it’s sunny so it looks nice out there.

But first I have to find some brunch and tidy the kitchen – someone left a mess in there when they made dinner (cornish hen – yum!) and later peanut butter cookies in there (also yum).

Lots of fun name suggestions have been coming in for the Owl pattern.  Go to the giveaway post regarding the Owl and leave your name suggestion for a chance to win the prize and name that pattern.   Remember if you’ve never posted a comment on my blog before it goes to a moderated status so please don’t leave the same message repeatedly – it will show up when I approve them.

No other fabric in this week.  I don’t feel any big urge to go to the Superbowl sales today.  I have plenty to do with what I have here, plus it’s cold and snowy.  Feels more like a sew in your slippers kind of day.

To see all the other stash reports, visit Patchwork Times.

Fabric In:    5/8 yard

Fabric Out:    0

Net Added:  5/8 yard

Yes, they are Tesco’s economy beans (just in case anyone at Tesco’s wants to pay me for advertising)

I’ve had the fabric forever, so it’s stash busting….

And I’ve even done french seams! Like a proper sewist!

Now if someone (anyone?) will just take my children off my hands for a few hours I may actually get to finish it.

This also counts towards my stashbusting pledge and I will be proudly linking this post up with the linky party. The focus this month was less than a yard and, as I’m a metric girl, I went for less than a metre *here’s hoping I’m not drummed out of the sewalong for fraud*. I am pretty proud that EVERYTHING came from stash and remnants of other projects, even the batting!

Here is the project:

Quilt top
First was to decide my phrase for applique, which is obviously in French:
‘La Petite Nell’ which translates to ‘little Nell’ (you knew that!)

Make your lettering – I created the letters on publisher then used the ‘flip’ function to get them as a mirror image and printed

Lay bondaweb on top of letters and begin tracing:

Remove cat:

Finish tracing all letters:

Iron letters on to the back of the fabric and cut out:

Choose your fabric. I selected a vibrant yellow, pink and peachy fabric 100cm x 110cm of quilting weight cotton (£5 pm on sale when I bought it).

Remove cat:

Place the letters in desired place on the fabric:

Peel the paper backing off and press the letters to adhere them:

Now it’s time to sew!

Zig zag stitch around the lettering. You can see the settings I used on my Janome DXL in this photo:

Basting
I learned this from the Craftsy block of the month (love Amy Gibson!).

Lay out the backing fabric face down on a hardfloor and use masking tape to hold it taught without stretching it:

My pink polkadot fabric is left over from an apron I made my cousin’s wife

lay out your batting/wadding:

note my backing is barely big enough as it’s a remnant!

lay your quilt top on top then start safety pinning through all three layers. Seing as I’ve done a bit of National stereotyping of the French in this post I thought I’d do us Brits too:

Yep – obligatory cup of tea!

Once it is pinned to death it is time to start quilting!

Quilting
I decided to use that dogwood free motion quilting technique I was raving about the other day. Yep, I dropped those feed dogs and held my breath!

Yes it took me hours, just marking out all the bloomin’ boxes was enough! But I really like the design so it was worth it!

Binding
I was delighted to find I had enough of the fabric used for the applique to bind in the same material. I used this tutorial for making a continuous method – I always use this and it works every time. I pressed the tape in to binding using my 1″ clover bias tape maker. Then I bound the quilt using my quarter inch foot as my best friend:

Finished item

I am really pleased with it! It isn’t perfect (the quilting certainly isn’t!) but it is the best I can do at this point in my sewing career:

You can see the quilting a little clearer in this photo:

I also got a cardmaking kit at the Crafting festival last weekend for just £1 so whipped a little card up to go with it (cardmaking not my thing!):

Cards are a much bigger cultural thing for us Anglo-Saxons so I always try to include them for my French friends!

Here it is folded up just before wrapping:

Isn’t sewing such a lovely hobby that you can create something from those simple fabrics which oozes so much love and caring? I just love to sew gifts for people. Have you sewn anything for someone you love? I’d love to hear from you!

Firstly, I made myself some pretty pattern weights out of some (enormous) washers from the hardware store and some scraps of ribbon and nylon jersey I had lying around….

I just wrapped the ribbon/jersey around and around and around until I had covered all of the washer, and then I hand stitched the end down (See! Sewing was involved!). Super easy  And they work a whole heap better than the pot of paint and jar of moisturiser I’ve been using instead, so that’s good haha.

Secondly (I KNOW! I busted more than those teeny tiny itty bits of scraps! Say what!?), I made myself a fabric ‘basket’ (for lack of a better word) that fits perfectly inside the shelves on my sewing table…

I used some calico I had lying around, and some old sheet (that I use to make toils normally). I love the way the colours worked- the plain neutral colour on the outside, with the pop of mint green on the inside, but I think it could have done with some lightweight cotton batting or some such to give it a bit more structure. Don’t get me wrong. I like it, and I’m definitely going to use it. And as far as time to usefulness ratios go, I’m knocking them out of the park with this one- it took about half an hour all told, including drafting the pattern piece, cutting and sewing. Satisfying? Yes. I just think if I make it again, I’ll try to give it a bit more structure somehow…

In this one, you even get to see my lovely new pattern weights! Double win!

I did not use any fabric this week.  I finished cutting strips for the charity quilt started in the class last Saturday.  Maybe I’ll have some time to start sewing them today.  One can only hope.

To see all the other stash reports, visit Patchwork Times.

The fabrics I posted yesterday after my shopping spree for the City Streets fabrics  (and a few other fat quarters) totaled 9 yards in. I did get backings for two lap quilts ready to go so that was 8 yards out.  I’m still in the black tho by three yards!

Used this Week: 8.0 yards
Used year to Date: 23.0 yards
Added this Week: 9.0 yards
Added Year to Date: 20.0 yards
Net Used for 2013: 3.0 yards

Since I finally cleaned off the sewing table last night there’s a much better chance  I just might get one or two of those quilts layered to start quilting and finish the other one that’s partially quilted.

It’s not to late to enter the name this project giveaway.  But in order to be eligible for the giveaway, you must leave your comment on the original blog post from yesterday where this image was first shown.

Much to do today so must get busy.

I know I’m late to the Macaron party.  I bought the pattern with every intention of joining in the Sew Colette 2 Sewalong with Erin, Rochelle and Sarah.  Sadly work commitments meant it wasn’t to be.  However, when I read that the January stashbusting challenge is to use bits that are less than a yard, this was the pattern I thought of.  I know it says the contrast fabric needs to be about 1 1/4 yards.  I usually find when I am making Colette patterns that I don’t use as much fabric as they say, and luckily that was the case here as I had way less.

I have had this cotton tattoo print fabric since 2011, when I started trying to sew.  I used it to make a dress for my then five year old daughter and had about three quarters of a yard left, plus some scraps. At one point I tried to make a shirt from it but there wasn’t enough  It’s kind of a cheesy print but I love the little blue and red butterflies and roses.

I cut a two at the shoulders, grading up to a six at the bust and an eight at the waist and hips in an attempt to avoid faffing around with an FBA.  I think I got away with it, although I don’t like the fact that these measurements make me sound like a pyramid.  If anything I think this dress is a little too big, but not so much that it’s unwearable.  It’s not perfect but there is loads I love.  The sleeves, the pockets, the fact that it is quite modest but not matronly… The only bit that I’m really not happy with is where the centre yoke attaches to the bodice. I did actually make a muslin of the bodice and it came out perfectly, which obviously gave me false confidence cos in the real thing I totally cocked it up.  It probably isn’t noticeable to someone who doesn’t sew, and I don’t know anyone in real life who does so I reckon I can get away with it if no-one tells on me. And I apologise for not ironing it.  Time is at a premium here. The only chance I had to take pictures was after putting the kids to bed and before the husband got home (and started taking the piss out of my attempts to be photogenic), and I had been wearing it all day.

Noticing the wrinkles, and deciding whether to get out the iron.

Do they show if I put my hands in the pockets?

How about hands in pockets and moving? No, I need something to distract from my lack of ironing.

Look! No Hands!

Long John Silver Stylee?

The Flamingo pose?

Okay, as you can see I’m still getting to grips with my camera.  Whatever.  Three more stash items busted – the tattoo print cotton, the black cotton poplin (still have a couple of metres left of this) and my Macaron pattern.  And a comfy practical dress with pockets that I can get away with wearing for work. I call that a success.

I love this dress. It was gifted to me years ago by a friend after she had travelled in Africa, and I so loved that she picked this color for me. I also have loved the fabric – a lightweight, gauzy kind; the traditional (I assume as much) print with what reads to me as a typically “Western” dress shape, which all adds up to a quirky dress I have worn and loved for years.

Why have it ended up as a friday-fix then?

First issue – it wasn’t lined in the skirt. You can probably see in the picture that the bodice is self-lined, but the skirt is a single layer. I’ve always had to wear a slip or an underskirt, and I haven’t loved either option. It was also a smidge looser in the waist than it needed, so I have now taken it in slightly.

In addition, not all construction details have held up to my use over the years. The (invisible!) zipper was just folded under at the top, and the fabric at the corners were actually starting to tear. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that exposed seams with uneven seam allowance was bothering me a little (how perfectionist are you allowed to be?!), so with the prospect of tweaking some aspects of the dress, I decided to just go ahead and disassemble, neaten, and reassemble.

As I was trying to decide between reinstalling the invisible zipper or changing it out for an exposed metal zipper, I realized two things. One was that metal is cold against bare skin, and the other was that I don’t think I have actually unzipped this dress a single time. It’s loose enough to just slip over my head, so in a move worthy of Mena of SewWeekly (who has made it almost a trademark to get away without pesky zippers), I did in fact omit the whole thing. It’s of course a little more snug now that I’ve taken in the waist a little, but I can still manage to just pull it on over my head!

As for the skirt, I lined it with some yellowish green polyester stuff I’ve had around for *ages*, so yey stashbusting too! I did the trick (I used it also on my recent wintery summer dress) of sewing the seam allowances of the outside fabric and the lining together to anchor them at strategic points, which I’ll be doing a tutorial of sorts (more like a guide. I like guides.) in my next post, so look for that!

In my sewing corner I currently have one of John’s dress shirts that I’m taking in, and a Minoru jacket underway, and I’m so happy to be knocking out and actually finishing projects again. After my surprise at how little I actually sewed in 2012, I think this year is getting off to a good start!

New curtains! Following Vix’s lovely curtains here.

I sew in a small bedroom and it needed sorting out.  After a change of paint colour I decided on new curtains too.

These are made from some of my huge patchwork fabric stash.  I’ve added nothing to the stash for at least eighteen months but it’s still shamingly huge so I’m on a mission to use most of it up in the next year or so.  This is the first big patchwork stashbusting project.

The fabrics aren’t all strictly patchwork type;  there are some dressmaking leftovers too.  I cut the fabrics into six and a half inch squares using patchwork rulers and sewed them together using a quarter inch seam allowance. There are tweny-six different fabrics and one hundred and sixty squares.  The lining is made from the good parts of an old sheet; the curtain tape was left over from previous projects.  Cost £0.

I’m not sure where I’ll find time to do more stashbusting but  I’m very happy with my first patchwork stashbust.  Thanks Vix!

My favorite part about this pattern was the little shawl collar, definitely the “Sophisticate” part of this sweater!

I added the different colored buttons for a bit of whimsy and fun.  This pattern was such a quick knit and I’m definitely going to be knitting it again.  I went up a needle size from what the pattern called for and I’m glad I did because this sweater is tiny and newborns grow so quickly.  Speaking of growing up, I’m going to really miss my two not-so-little munchkins.  Vineet has been planning a big surprise for me since it was our 15-year anniversary and it’s also my big 4-GULP-0 year!  He’s planned out this whole vacation for just the two of us for a few days and I don’t know many of the details like where we’re going to be staying etc.  I only know that we’re Vegas bound and he said that it’s going to be a blast!  We’re not into the whole gambling thing and so this is going to be interesting and exciting.  We leave tomorrow and my sweet mom has offered to watch the kids while we’re away.  I’m feeling all happy and sad inside because we haven’t been away from the kids, specifically Kiki for more than a night.  But once we get on that plane tomorrow, I’m sure I will be fine.

I’d better get back to packing but not before I add some knitterly notes on this teensy sweater.

Baby Red (Ravelry notes)
Pattern: Baby Sophisticate by Linden Down
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in “Ravelry Red”
Needles: Size US 9 / 5.5 mm

Ernie wasn’t idle either. He spent the afternoon shoveling sand and turning in peat moss and top soil in the planter boxes. I’ll be ready to plant as soon as i get some onion sets. Cool!!!

Maybe this evening I’ll sew on the Lifesaver blocks….

Susan ~ Patchkat

I went through my stash and the adopt-a-box and pulled out enough fabrics to finish the class quilt.  The pattern calls for a white background, but I sometimes find white a little harsh.  I’ll probably switch to some other neutral, like a cream or pale tan.

I didn’t buy any fabric this week, only because I couldn’t find any light blue wool for the Shabby Fabrics Mystery BOM.  I may head to Goodwill today to see if I can find some white or cream wool.  I’m probably better off doing that and painting the colors I need than running around every month looking for funky wool colors.  I had a hard time finding Heat ‘n Bond Lite too, but I did finally find it at Walmart of all places.  None of the craft or fabric stores had it.

To see all the other stash report, visit Patchwork Times.

RED at minus 1/2 yard .  I SHALL get started in the right direction next week – really I will (even tho there is the tiniest bit of fabric I need to buy for a very specific project but don’t tell Judy!)        Personally I think Judy has way too many zeros in her stash report under “added this week” and “added year to date”!       Checkout at the link above to see all the other stash reports at Judy’s site.  Hopefully everyone else is doing much better at “busting” than I am. LOL

I AM working from the stash however.  Batik swap blocks I’ve been sewing on yesterday and will continue today — batiks are all from the stash.  And the black background that I had to buy to them – well that is not lingering in the stash even tho it was one of my purchases this year but instead is getting used right away.  I’m not really too concerned about fabric coming in as long as I’m actually finding more time to sew this year than I did last year.  As long as there’s time to quilt  – it’s all good.

But, wait just a cotton pickin minute!!! I just looked across the room and there is Starshine!  I finished  that top since last weekend (don’t forget – that Starshine – a Stitchin with Justquiltin 2013 pattern – is available only for a short time – if you want it you need to go to the button for those projects and collect it before its gone)! 

That fabric can be added since the top is done (I may actually try to get it layered for quilting today too).  So I’m out of the RED — the totals actually are: 

Used this Week: 4.5 yards
Used year to Date:  15.0  yards
Added this Week: 6.0 yards
Added Year to Date: 11.0 yards
Net Used for 2013: 4.0 yards

4.0 busted is much  better than a half yard in the hole!

So today’s plan — go pull more batiks from the stash to cut for my swap blocks, just maybe clear off the sewing room table so I can layer a quilt, breakfast and more coffee, laundry, get dressed – not necessariy in that order since I’m starving and I’ve been really hungry for biscuits so I may have to go get those started.

It is currently seven, yes seven degrees outside.  I will not even be sticking my nose out the door today — okay maybe to take out the garbage and recycling as far as the dumpsters but even that may not happen.   We’ve been lucky and not had wind chills below zero so far so I guess we were due.   Brrrrr….