Stash Report - Week 40 and Much More

My stash has changed very little since last reported.  Really nothing bought and a little used for my block exchange and gifted a little to a friend for binding.
Fabric Added  - 0 yards
Fabric Added YTD - 84.95 yds
Fabric Used last week - .875 yds 
Fabric Used YTD - 86.11 yds
Fabric Busted for 2013 - 1.16 

More interesting is my stash enhancement from a couple of weeks ago. Remember those 11 yards I mentioned adding to my stash, here's some of what I got.  Keep in mind, most of these were on sale. I'm trying to rationalize my purchases - lol - but fabric doesn't have an expiration date and when the fads or color trends change over the years, scrap quilts really come into their own and sing with the variety of "old and new" fabrics. Since I'm a big scrap quilt fan, I want to be prepared for the future. So, take a peek at some eye candy.

Macaron Bali Pops by Hoffman

Winter themed batiks

These have winter mittens, snowmen, holly leaves and snow flakes.

Stonehenge panel by Northcott
I added a few FQ and yardage in case it becomes a tablerunner in a future life.

La Scala by Robert Kaufman

This Kaufman panel has the cutest selvages.  I'm not sure what I will do with the panel, but I couldn't pass up those unique selvages and it was on sale to boot!

more Fall batiks

Harvest by Timeless Treasures

Ambrosia by Jinny Beyer

 "Autumn Harvest" by Jason Yenter

These beautiful fall fat quarters and yardage are from In The Beginning fabrics.  I'm planning a tablerunner from "Simply Modern Christmas" by Cindy Lammon.  This is her newly released book and her 4th from AQS.  The tablerunner is called Simply Simple and it looks real easy and quick.  Cindy is a friend and neighbor and does beautiful work and her patterns are very well written and easy to follow. The Fall tablerunner is my NewFO for the month.

I'm linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for my stash report and Barb for New FO.
Take a look and see what others have been doing this week.

Get It Done & UFO Challenge

Where did April go so fast.  It seems like just a short time ago I was planning my Get It Done goals for the month.  What did I get done during the month, you ask?  Take a look-see, if you haven't been keeping up with my progress.
April Goals
1. Assemble Easy Street into a flimsy - Nope.  Still waiting patiently on the design wall.. 
2. Make 10 string blocks - yes - here
3. Quilt 1 QOV - yes - quilted 2 in April. picture here and here  
4. Quilt one of my UFOs -  yes - Winter Friendship Stars quilted and bound- picture
5. Make 4 pillowcases - yes
6. Finish prep on applique block - nada.  Can't get my mojo moving on this one.

I've changed a few priorities for next month and tried to be more realistic about some of my older goals.  With the warmer weather and the outside calling, it will be tougher to get sewing done. 


May Goals
1. Cut, piece & quilt a wedding quilt - This will also be a NewFO for May.
2. Make 10 more string blocks - only need 20 more then I can start designing a quilt layout.
3. Quilt another QOV or two
4. Finish knitting scarf
5. Make some progress on putting rows together on Easy Street.  You notice I am breaking this down into smaller steps to see if it helps at all.

I'm linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times and Carrie at A Passion for Applique..   Spend some time and check them out.

New FO Project

Even though I have way too many UFO's to my name, I decided to play along with Barb for her New 2013 FO project challenge.  After all, who doesn't like to start new projects.  You can check out her rules over on my side bar.

So for January, my new project is a Disappearing 9-Patch.  I've been wanting to try one of these for a long time, AND I also want to use up some stash for Judy's challenge, so I thought I'd combine the two ideas.   I found I had lots of this retro plaid/checked tulip fabric in my stash and thought how can I get rid of lots of it FAST.  My first thought was as a backing on a quilt.  But since I didn't have anything that needed red plaid/checked tulips what else would work.  That's how I came up with a NEW project -- make a quilt with blocks in these colors AND use it as the backing too. But into which position to put this "interesting" fabric was the next question.  It's too big of a print to look right in any decent sized block, so cutting it up was the answer.

I tried in in the 4 side positions (to use up more of the fabric faster).  Didn't much like that look, then I tried it as the center square.

I made up a square of each, cut them apart and arranged different settings to see what looked good.

Finally I decided to place it in the middle position and use coordinating colors around it.  Since the colors are red, green, white and dark navy blue, I stuck with fabrics in these colors.  I'm also asking my piecing group to make me blocks using the same focus fabric (which I provided to them).  This will give me a lot of variety in the reds and greens.  I think this last setting may be my choice, but I may change my mind after I get the other blocks to play with.  I'm anxious to see what the blocks look like with scrappy reds and greens and whites.  The only consant will be the center block of tulip fabric that I gave them to start with.  Stay tuned for further development of this January project.

To see what others have started for their new FO Projects, go here.