Kool Kaleidoscope #2

I wanted to teach this class at the quilt shop, made my sample, had the shop order the DVD (as required by Ricky Tims) and no one... no one has taken my class.

So I was having so much fun making the first quilt, I made another.





The students are really missing out on this one :(

Quilt Retreat

Over the weekend of September 10th to the 13th, I went on a quilt retreat. It's calles S'mores and is at the Hummingbird Music Camp in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico and is run by two of my friends, Phoebe and Cindy. The teacher for the weekend was J. Michelle Watts and originally I did not plan to do the project, but being the overachiever that I am, I did bring fabric... just in case.

I did the project...

I also made a couple of quilted wallets, a fabric basket, and some paper pieced quilt squares for a calendar project.

Been AWOL

I just realized I haven't posted for over a month. I have to blame it on Facebook and those darn computer games/applications on there. I have been on the computer and not quilting, which is unusual for me. I do have new things to post and hope to do it tomorrow and thank my fellow bloggers for giving me the kick in the pants I need!

I went on a quilt retreat last weekend so I have a quilt top to show you once I put it on the computer and load it on the page.

Stay tuned :)

Stashbusting

I'm giving up on keeping track of what I buy versus what I use. Maybe I'll start that again next year. For now, I will keep on making my quilts and using what I have, but it's just too hard to stop buying fabric! Went to the quilt shop yesterday and bought about 20 yards... but I needed blacks and there were 2 other fabrics at 30% off... so... there you go!

I do have a new kaleidoscope quilt on the design wall... pictures tomorrow!

My husband just called me and there's a big fire to the south of me, about 10 miles. The smoke seems to be blowing east, but will keep an eye on it!

critters

We don't see a lot of different critters around the house. Yes, we have rabbits and squirrels. Sometimes we see a deer, hear the coyotes. A bear has been sighted once or twice in the neighborhood, even bobcats. We're at too high an altitude to see roadrunners, but sometimes we happen to catch sight of one. Where is this leading to, you say? Well, a few weeks ago, as Chuck was getting ready to leave for work, I happened to see a chipmunk on the side of the house. Chuck didn't believe me until he rounded the corner of the house and lo and behold... a chipmunk!

He hung around long enough for me to get a picture. My husband was sure I had never seen a chipmunk before, especially around our house, but I had. My parents have a cabin at Mammonth Lakes, California, and there are tons of chipmunks there!

design wall monday

This is what was on my design wall last week. It's Eleanor Burns Day & Night pattern. I'm going to teach this as a class at the quilt shop.

Stash Report Week 30

I have been busy working on new teaching projects for Busy Bee Quilts in Edgewood. I have decided after January 1st not to teach for a while, I need a break! It's interfering with my fun!

Stash Report for week 30:

Fabric bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this week: 4 2/3 yards

Fabric bought YTD: 127.33 yards
Fabric used YTD: 155.41 yards

Stash busted: I have used 28 yards more than I have bought.

Design wall Monday - I Love This Quilt!

I talked about my kaleidoscope quilt in the last post and here it is! This is Ricky Tims technique. I watched the program on The Quilt Show, fell in love with the technique and ordered the DVD. So here is the first of many beautiful kaleidoscopes...
Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Kaleidoscope sewn together

Finished top! I used my scraps in the first border so there was less waste :)

And the other project that was on my design wall this week is a tablerunner:

Stash Report Week 29

Well, I completely skipped week 28 so this report is for 2 weeks.

I fell off the wagon and bought 11 1/2 yards of fabric, but it was 30% off!

I used 1/2 yard binding charity quilts.
I used 3 1/2 yards in my kaleidoscope quilt (to be featured in the next post).
I used 1 1/3 yards in a tablerunner.

Stash Report for week 29:

Fabric bought this week: 11 1/2 yards
Fabric used this week: 5.33 yards

Fabric bought YTD: 127.33 yards
Fabric used YTD: 150.75 yards

Stash busted: I have used 23.42 yards more than I have bought.

Stash Report Week 27

Nothing in, a little out :)

Stash Report for week 27:

Fabric bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this week: 1.33 yards backing

Fabric bought YTD: 115.83 yards
Fabric used YTD: 145.41 yards

Stash busted: I have used 29.58 yards more than I have bought.

My quilt studio was and still is in complete disarray because I got the carpet cleaned. Will get back to the stash business on Tuesday :)

Design Wall Monday

It seems I can only find time to work on my New York Beauty blocks on Tuesdays, but there are 3 more than last week and tomorrow is Tuesday so maybe there will be 3 more! My plan is to make at least 16 blocks for this wallhanging.

Stash Report Week 26

The year is half over and it's been interesting keeping track of how much fabric I use. I don't really think it matters how much I buy... we need to support the economy in our own little way :)

Stash Report for week 26:

Fabric bought this week: 1 yard
Fabric used this week: 7.08 yards backing and binding mostly for the Big Star Quilt.

Fabric bought YTD: 115.83 yards
Fabric used YTD: 144.08 yards

Stash busted: I have used 28.25 yards more than I have bought.

I had set a goal of using 300 yards and I think that's a goal I will be able to achieve. Classes have picked up at the quilt shop so that means store credit for buying fabric, but buying doesn't count in the busting when I am so addicted to quilting and it keeps me out of therapy and the looney bin.

Design Wall Monday

Not much here, but this is what I am working on...a New York Beauty quilt! I've been wanting to do one of these for a very long time. I have collected a bunch of internet patterns. I'm using the Laurel Birch FQ's I was gifted and then supplemented with my stash :)

Stash Report Week 25

Didn't get to do much sewing this week. I plan on getting one of my quilts on the Voyager frame so I'll use backing. The quilt tops drawer is full so I better get cracking finishing some of these quilts! Think I'll put Judy's Big Block Stash Quilt on the frame... it's big!You can find the free pattern here, but with a different border.

Stash Report for week 25:

Fabric bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this week: 2 yards backing and binding

Fabric bought YTD: 114.83 yards
Fabric used YTD: 137 yards

Stash busted: I have used 22.17 yards more than I have bought.

Design Wall Monday

The Willowberry Basics FQ's that I posted about last week are perfect for the BOM we are working on in guild. I finally got caught up and those blocks are on my design wall this week.

Stash Report Week 24

Didn't buy any fabric but...

Was gifted 2 yards of Laurel Birch FQ's.
Won 7 yards of Willowberry Basics FQ's.

Used 3 1/3 yards of backing on Teresa's Flutterbye quilt.

Stash Report for week 24:

Fabric bought this week: 9 yards
Fabric used this week: 3 1/3 yards

Fabric bought YTD: 114.83 yards
Fabric used YTD: 135 yards

Stash busted: I have used 20.17 yards more than I have bought.

I'm a Winner!

Received an e-mail last week from Anilee's Treasure Hunt that I was a winner in a random drawing and would receive an appreciation gift from Quilter's Roost. The package arrived today and in it was a Willowberry Basics Fat Quarter Bundle... that's 28 FQ's which is 7 yards I have to add to my stash. Oh GEE! Bummer :(

Actually doing a happy dance because I love winning anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stash Report Week 23

It was a productive week :) I used 1 2/3 yards binding 5 charity quilts for the quilt shop, 1 yard on another Uncle Sam wallhanging, and 11 yards on Judy's Big Star stash busting quilt #2.

Stash Report for week 23:

Fabric bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this week: 13 2/3 yards

Fabric bought YTD: 105.83 yards
Fabric used YTD: 131 2/3 yards

Stash busted: I have used 25.83 yards more than I have bought.

What's on my design wall today

This...

Judy Laquidara's Big Star Stash Quilt. I opted for pieced border #1 and it took a bit of figuring out with Electric Quilt. I had just enough of the border fabric and that was a challenge! It's very directional and I cut one of the strips wrong and had to piece it, but you'll never see it! I had to figure out how to cut 4 borders with 2 pieced strips to each border and make sure I had enough fabric to do it! Took me most of yesterday afternoon. I'll have to find a different fabric to bind it with... nothing but scraps left :)

Stash Report Week 22

Stash Report for week 22:

Fabric bought this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this week: 3 1/4 yards for blue scrap quilt

Fabric bought YTD: 105.83 yards
Fabric used YTD: 118 yards

Stash busted: I have used 12.17 yards more than I have bought.

Next week's report will be a good one... I almost have the top finished for Judy's Stash Project #2 :)

What's on your design wall?

This is what is on mine:

Another scrappy quilt! This time in blue. I was thinking about doing it as a class for the quilt shop, but might just do it as a mystery. One week we'll make the components and if they don't finish, they can have them done by the next class, then the quilt will be revealed and they can put the blocks together... hmmm...call it a scrappy mystery :)

Here's the story behind my design wall. We designed our house, but when designing the quilt studio, I had all my storage space mapped out, but didn't even think about a design wall. I'd stick batting up on the wall, but there was never enough room for the quilt or I couldn't stand back far enough. My husband came up with this brilliant idea. We hung a cheap plastic shade over the closet door and pinned batting to it. When I need to get in the closet, it just rolls up! It was the perfect solution to my dilema :)

Stash Report Week 21

Oh, what a week. I did manage to finish my purple lap scrap quilt so that means I used some fabric, but boy, did I buy fabric for my birthday!

Stash Report for week 21:

Fabric bought this week: 61 yards
Fabric used this week: 3 1/3 yards for backing and binding

Fabric bought YTD: 105.83 yards
Fabric used YTD: 114.83 yards

Stash busted: I have used 9 yards more than I have bought.

Which means I am still in the positive, but not by much!

More Birthday Fabric

My Tuesday group came over yesterday and Teresa made me a cake! Such wonderful friends I have :)

This is it for the birthday fabric.

I spent my entire store credit and a little more on this 29 yards of fabric. I'm done... unless I NEED something for a quilt. Now that I have my birthday over with, it's back to stashbusting! I am really happy with my fabric purchases and can't wait to start a new quilt, but first... finishing up some of my UFO's and getting a bunch of my tops quilted.

Birthday :)

I turned 58 today and did some stash building. This is the fabric I bought at Busy Bee Quilts in Edgewood. I get a 20% discount for shopping on my birthday, but this fabric was 30% off so I bought 3 yards of each.

Then I went into Albuquerque and went to Quilt Works where I get a 25% discount when I shop on my birthday and had a $100 gift certificate from my son and daughter-in-love. I bought this lovely assortment of fabric which adds up to 26 yards... so much for stash busting, but, after all, it IS my birthday and it only comes once a year.

Since I worked at Busy Bee Quilts while the owners were at Quilt Market, I have a lovely store credit of $240... which I will spend at a later date. Too many other things going on today to be able to spend the time I needed to adequately shop till I dropped :) Received phone calls from Marilyn in Portland, my sister Pat in Sebastapol California, my brother Dan, my daughter Jess, my friend Barbara and my dad.