2017 Wrap UP & 2018 Goals

I don't know about you, but this year has flown by so quickly for me.  It amazes me that it is almost 2018 tomorrow!  In looking back at what I accomplished on my goals for the year, I find that it was not as stellar as wished, but I did manage to finish up some of my long list of UFOs.  Here is my Excel spread sheet of my UFOs from last year minus the 6 that I did finish.  Now there are only 70 to go. This list started out with 160 projects  over 10 years ago when I started keeping track of them. There has been progress, but I hope to step it up in 2018.

A recap of sewing goals for 2017.

     Use 200 yards of fabric from stash --- used 155.18 yards

     Finish 1 UFO per month --- finished  quilting 7 

     Not buy any fabric --- bought 1/2 yd. and was gifted 3 fat quarters

     Make 5 QOV - made 8 (3 quilted, 5 tops to be hand quilted by our QOV 

I also made 20 bowl cozies for gifts, a few kennel quilts for animals of the fires in California,  pillowcases for charity and QOV, 3 baby quilts not on the UFO list and several group quilts with friends for QOV.  In addition to quilting, I finished several pairs of knitted socks .

I'm happy with the results for the year, but hope to use more from my stash and lower my UFO list by 12 or more.

Here's a few pictures in review of some of the quilts. 

60" x 80"

75" x 99"

71" x 85"

Back

60" x 78"

Melon Party - Flannel backing

72" x 92"

67" x 78" QOV hand quilted

Back of log cabin

Sapphire Stars - top

 Lucky Stars - top

Final Stash Report - 2017

Fabric Added  YTD- 1.25 yds

Fabric Used  YTD  - 155.18 yds

Net Used from Stash - 153.93 yds

My goals for 2018 include

-- Using 200 yards of stash fabric

-- Donating 5-10 quilt tops for QOV

-- Finishing 12 UFOs from my list - Picking one each month

-- Knitting some hats and mittens from my stash yarn in addition to socks.

-- Trying to blog more often

-- Cleaning out more clutter from closets and drawers

-- Enjoying quilting with friends at least once a month

-- Trying one new recipe each month

Thank you all for sticking with me through 2017 and being there when I needed encouragement and advice.  Although I don't mention it often, I really do love reading your comments when I post and hope to get more involved in blogging activities again.   Happy New Year to all.  I'm going to welcome in the new year with some knitting and hand mending. Take care and stay healthy. 

Linking up to quilt, paint, create for stash reports, Patchwork Times for UFOs,  QuiltingJetGirl, planning party and Slow Stitching Sunday.

Nearing end of Stash usage for 2017

Well, it's almost the end of the year and that means the end of stash reduction for 2017 is getting very close.  I've been busy trying to get those numbers closer to my goal, but may fall a bit short this year.

December has found me trying keep up with Christmas luncheons, parties with all my quilting groups (4 of those), shopping for gifts, replacing a bathroom toilet, having roof inspected for hail damage, putting up inside and outside decorations, cooking and baking for hosting a Christmas party/luncheon.  Of course there was some major house cleaning going on at the same time.  Whew!  I'm ready for the calm between  Christmas and New Year's Day.  How about you? :)

However, I did find some time to get in a little sewing this month.  First the Cave Quilters finished the snake quilt and doing the happy dance. 

I made 15 bowl cozies for friends and family for stocking stuffers.
                      
(forgot to take pictures of the rest before giving away),

a couple of pillowcases and a few kennel quilts for a humane society in California helping with the fires. These are the small sizes they requested and I used some scraps and leftover blocks.

and a QOV top 

Also lots of blocks for another QOV top to be finished in 2018. I did use some of my stash, but there is still one more week left to reach my goal of 200 yards.  I still can't see any difference in my shelves yet.

Fabric Added this week - 0
Fabric Added YTD - 1.25 yds. (none was bought, but I was gifted or won fat qtrs at various times.)

Fabric Used since last report - 11+ yds
Fabric Used in 2017 - 150.68 yds

How are you doing using your stash?  We still have a week to go, you know, so keep on sewing.

We are getting a beautiful soft snowfall today and it looks like a picture postcard out my sewing room window. This year will be a white Christmas for sure
. 
Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

Linking up with Quilt,Paint,Create.

A UFO Finish and Stash Busting Countdown

Celtic Solstice is all finished!  I'm happy to say I found a fabric for the last border in my stash that worked, even though I was leaning toward green or blue. The backing is pieced, it's quilted and it's even bound.  Now it only needs the label and a hanging sleeve and it will be ready to be entered into a local quilt show next year.  Yay!!

Celtic Solstice - Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2013

Here is the backing pieced from some leftovers fabrics that were used on the front.  I still need to hand stitch the hanging sleeve down at the top.

I also worked on piecing the backing for my Sapphire Stars quilt (Kevin the Quilter's mystery) that  I hope to get done this month and reach my goals I set for stash busting this year. 

Fabric Report

Fabric Added  - 0

Fabric Used since last report -  4.25 yds

Fabric Added YTD - 0

Fabric Used YTD - 139.68 yds

Linking up with QuiltPaintCreate and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

A Finish and Stash Report

The last week of October found me at a retreat in Illinois at Kinderhook Lodge.  It was so much fun and I even made progress on some of my UFO's.  Celtic Solstice only needs one more border.  I had to wait until I got home to decide on a color for the last border.  It will all depend on what's available in the stash.

Celtic Solstice - Bonnie Hunter 2013 Mystery quilt

I also worked on some very old orphan blocks maybe for a baby quilt, but it needs more borders too.

Since Halloween fell during retreat, we had unexpected treats waiting for us on Tuesday morning.  Two of the ladies planned this little surprise.  A mug rug from Ree and all kinds of "spooky" items in the black pail from Jeanne.  The black pot had a skeleton bone = stiletto, a mini ghost seam ripper, ghostly candies on a necklace and other candy treats to enjoy.  Jeanne even dressed up as the Grim Seam Ripper. 

One night we played Halloween Bingo, which I've never heard of before. I was a lucky winner of one of the games and my prize was Beelzebub's Witch's Brew (Mary Ellen's Best Press). Have you ever seen this before?   Too cute.  I have never seen Best Press packaged for special occasions, but leave it to Jeanne to find it if it's out there!!

Another clever idea from our resident Party Planner was this  Witch's Hand.  Do you see a pattern here??

They said they were "giving me a hand" for organizing this retreat.  I sure hope that was the real reason and not because they think I'm a witch.!! This was popcorn in a plastic glove with candy corn for fingernails.  And of course a witch would be sporting a spider ring. 

Now do you understand why I didn't get a whole lot done.!lol   But we had Fun, Fun Fun.  We played Left, Right, Center for Fat Qtrs, after dinner a couple nights and Jeanne was the winner of all the batiks for both nights.  She should have enough Fall colored fat quarters to make a nice size quilt.  We will be expecting to see that quilt by next year's retreat.! 

To bring my Stash numbers up-to-date:
Fabric Added this week - 0
Fabric Used - 16.50 yds -(Celtic Solstice top & pieced  a back for it). Hope to quilt it by next week.
Fabric Used Year to date - 135.43 yds.


Linking up with QuiltPaintCreate.

Melon Party and Stash Report.

I've been keeping track of my stash on a spreadsheet for years, and continued even though Judy stopped her Sunday Stash reporting.  Having something to show does give me a needed incentive to keep using my stash.

I finished this quilt during the summer and it has a flannel backing.  Why there was a bolt of this flannel in my stash is anyone's guess.  It must have been a steal on price or I was planning to make lots of baby quilts. It is so cuddly on baby quilts.

"Melon Party"

Here's what I recorded since I last posted.  The backing and scrappy binding for Melon Party, bindings for 4 Honor Flight quilts, a few of pillowcases and some borders here and there on WIPs.

Week Ending Oct. 15, 2017
Fabric Added - 1/2 yd
Fabric Used -  11.5 yds
YTD Added -  1.25 yds
YTD Used -    89.18 yds.

I am linking up with quiltpaintcreate, Needle and Thread Thursday and Oh Scrap..

Stash Report - April 30, 2017

There wasn't much sewing accomplished this week at my house. I did finish quilting my Rail Fence QOV and made the binding and a pillowcase to go with it.  This is not much, but considering I went to the AQS show in Paducah, it was some what of a miracle that no fabric came home with me to increase the stash.  I did bring home other goodies to play with though.

Stash Report - April 30, 2017

No Fabric Added this week 

YTD Added - 0.25

Fabric Used this week   = 1.625 yards  

YTD used in 2017  =  77.675

Linking up with Patchwork Times.

Design Wall and Fabric Stash Report

Since I'm late with reporting the Stash Report, I'm going to include it here along with what's on the Design Wall. First, here's what is on my design wall. We have been given a challenge at our Scraps Club from Kevin, to make a quilt using a rail fence block in any way we want and a choice of two sizes. I decided to make a red, white, and blue large quilt with a simple setting and will donate the finished quilt to Quilts of Valor, Eastern MO. Here's what I've gotten done so far and they are all scraps from my scrappy patriotic bins.

I was busy in the sewing room this week and I made one of those bowl shaped potholders for a gift, pieced two blocks for our block exchange group, and more rail fence blocks in gray and maroon for a donation quilt to a church as a thank you.  I got a big boost from gifting a big pile of juvenile fabrics to a blogger friend to help her add more variety to her stash for making charity baby quilts and gave a yard to another friend for making a binding on her last quilt. So my numbers look pretty good this week.

Stash Report - 3-19-17

Fabric Added this week - none

YTD Added - 0.25

Fabric Used this week -  11.25 yards  

YTD Used in 2017  - 59.93 yards  

I had received one of these bowl potholder from a friend, and I use all the time. The bowl sits snuggly down in it and you can pick it up with the two opposite corners.

Potholder for handling hot bowls

Double Pinwheels for block exchange

Rail Fence blocks for group donation quilt

I am linking up with Patchwork Times Stash Report and DSM.

Stash Report and a Finish

This week found me in my sewing room at least 4 or 5 hours every day.  I was able to finish up the quilting on this chevron quilt. It is big at 94" x 112".  I did a simple echo of the design with matching thread colors.  This proved to be a bit slow  because I had to change and rethread after every three passes, but I didn't want an overall and I couldn't decide what color thread would not distract from the design.  I'm happy with it and the recipient, a young teenager hopefully will like it.
 

I also did a fair amount of busting the stash.  I made 5 pillowcases and 5 bindings to go with the already complete QOV tops.  This helped to lighten the weight on the shelves but I really can't see any difference in the height of the stacks. But it does give my numbers a big boost ! lol

I also added a border to Ann's pieced top.  Here it is with a border.

Stash Report - 3-5-17

Fabric Added this week - none

YTD Added - 0.25

Fabric Used this week -  14.5 yards  - more borders, bindings and pillowcases

YTD Used in 2017  - 49.37 yards

Linking up to Judy's. Stash Report.

Stash Report - 2/26/17

Still working away at finishing up more of the QOV tops from the Block Drive that needed borders, bindings and pillowcases to go with them before being quilted.  I cut and attached borders, made bindings and pillowcases for Nos.# 14 & 15. When possible, I tried to match the fabrics used for bindings or part of the pillowcases with the border if there was enough fabric left. I find that using only what is available from stash has made it a bit more challenging. Since the blocks are so scrappy, I wanted to have some consistency, if possible to pull it all together.  I hope the recipients won't be too critical of the color combinations.  Everyone that has worked on these has done so voluntarily and from their hearts.

2nd top pieced by Kim & Kevin

Pillowcase edge matches border

                               

Pillowcase edge, binding and border match
This top was pieced by Lou C.

I also added borders to two Honor Flight quilts, made a couple of blocks for our Scrap Club project and blocks for my block exchange group.  Pictures on those later.  When I needed a break from sewing, I cut pieces for more "scrappy snake blocks" for our next meeting of the Cave Quilters.  It's a good feeling to get things accomplished and all from my stash.

Hope you all had a good week playing in your fabrics, I sure did.  It helped me see that I need some more organizing of my stash, that's for sure.! lol

Stash Report -2/26/17

Fabric Added this week - none

YTD Added - 0.25

Fabric Used this week -  5.75 yards  - borders, bindings and pillowcases

YTD Used in 2017  - 34.87 yards

Linking up to Judy's. Stash Report.

Fabric Stash Report

This week  more progress was made on adding borders to the QOV tops I showed HERE and making bindings and pillowcases for each of them.  Finished 2 borders, 3 bindings and 2 pillowcases so far.  

Pillowcases to match QOV quilts

Bindings for QOV quilts

I also took time to quilt an old UFO that's been hanging around for too long. The binding is made and attached and this week I'll be working on hand stitching it down to the back.   Here are my numbers for this week. 

Stash Report -2/19/17

Fabric Used this week -  5.375 yards 

YTD Used in 2017  -29.125 yards

Fabric Added this week - none

YTD Added - 0.25

You can see more stash busting results over at Judy's  Patchwork Times.

Stash Report and Finished QOV Tops

This week has been productive for using my stash exclusively. I finished putting all the rest of the borders on the tops for QOV that have been pieced by friends and me.  There is one pillowcase made and bindings made for 4 Honor Flight quilts.  All in all, it's been a real Red, White and Blue week!

Here are more of the pieced tops from the QOV block drive and the Honor Flight quilts waiting for their bindings to be stitched down to the back.

Pieced by Brenda K - blue polka dot border

Pieced by Brenda K - blue border

 

Pieced by Sheron M - diagonal/blue border

Pieced by Coleen S - HST/red border

Pieced by Sheron M - gold center/red border

This brings our totals of Finished Tops from the QOV Block Drive up to 11 so far. We still have more to go with a sewing day planned for Monday, February 13 at Troy, Missouri.  We are getting close to using all the blocks that were made and sent in for the drive.  Thank you again for your help in getting these quilts put together and on to the veterans who will appreciate your efforts too.

Here are the 4 Honor Flight quilts that will be given to the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight group which will be added to others and will be  presented to the next group of veterans that leave Lambert International Airport in March for their flight to Washington, DC.  There are usually between 25-30 on each flight and they take 3 or 4 groups each year from St. Louis.  These little lap quilts go fast since they requested the size to be 36 to 40 inches square.

Honor Flight Quilts 

My stash numbers reflect the fabrics used for borders, bindings, pillowcases and a repair to my DH's favorite quilt.  I did cut lots of strips and started on a project for Scrap Club, but have not counted any of that fabric yet.

Stash Report 

Fabric Added this week - none

Fabric Used since last report -  4.5 yards 

YTD Added - 1 fat quarter

YTD Used - 23.75 yards

Check out what others sewed and finished this week over at Judy's HERE.