I’ve started the second Vicksburg applique block…..it will take a bit longer than the first one 
And I almost forgot my stash report for this week. Very boring…..nothing purchased, nothing used but next week I should have some numbers to report from my workshop project 
Added this week: 0 Cumulative Added: 3 1/3 yds
Used this week: 0 Cumulative Used: ~5 yds
Net Out/(In): 1 1/2 yds
I am happy to say I have new stuff on my design wall Here you see the blocks for my new project, the same green fabric for the project I can’t show and the free pieced letters for the Cards vs Sox quilt.
The blocks are for my workshop (Topsy Turvy Nine Patch) with Judy Laquidara this coming Saturday. Maybe even more important than new stuff on my design wall is that I pulled all the fabrics for this project from my stash. Below is a picture of the fabrics all cut and ready to go……and it’s not even the last minute!!! I need to recover my Big Board ironing board to take to the workshop as it is NOT presentable as it is so there’s still the possibility of last minute prep
The new BOM from Linen Closet Quilts is out and I’ve got my fabrics picked our and the block prepped.
In all my excitement over the found quilt top, I completely forgot to give my stash report! Hey, that’s my story & I’m sticking to it. I completed one of the dino quilts for my grandson’s birthday so I estimate I used about 5 yards. I was doing my usual “get it done at the last minute” thing so I completely forgot about taking a picture of the quilt prior to wrapping it up. I used a dark blue fabric for the binding and it turned out nice. Sophie was wonderful while quilting it up Here’s the in progress pics:
Fabric added this past week: a big fat zero
Cummulative fabric added: 3 1/3 yds
Fabric used this past week: ~5 yds
Cummulative fabric used: ~5 yds
Net Out/(in): 1 1/2 yards
I checked the IBOL website and see the bundle total is currently at 3,436. Wow! I sent two and was instrumental in one more It’s been interesting to see that some folks have sent things for Mr. IBOL, including a customized t-shirt. Check out the picture at the bottom of the post here.
So my design wall has my completed appliqued Eagle from Linen Closet Quilts and a little bit of that project I can’t show.
I also used my design wall to show the object of my story…..
Over a year and a half ago, I started to make a Scrappy Mountain Majasties from mens shirts and I mentioned the quilt was for someone else. I made way more blocks than I needed for one quilt and, NO, I didn’t plan it that way. In fact, I didn’t plan it at all…….just kept cutting squares from all the shirts. Anyhoo, I made two quilt tops, pieced together two backs and made binding enough for two quilts. Along the way, I had my close encounter with the rotary cutter which I blogged about here which is another totally different story related to these quilts. I finished the first quilt and that’s the last I blogged about this project.
I didn’t get back to the second quilt right away, then when I did, I couldn’t find it. I COULD NOT FIND IT ANYWHERE. I remember having it when I showed my co-workers, my friend at dinner and at my quilt guild. I couldn’t specifically remember bringing it home but it had been a month or more since then. I couldn’t find it at home. And I looked in the most likely and most unlikely spots. Trust me, I looked EVERYWHERE and asked EVERYWHERE I’d been when I last remembered having it. After several weeks of constant looking and feeling sick to my stomach, I finally told the recipient that I had lost it. I didn’t blog about that because it was AWFUL, AWFUL.
Fast forward 6 months. I’m preparing to quilt one of the Dino quilts and go to get batting for it. There is a stack of three folded pieces of batting by my longarm so I unfold the first one to see if it will work. Lo and behold, what do I find folded ever so neatly and safely inside???? YES!! The second mountain quilt top! I can’t begin to tell you the elation I felt at seeing that quilt top. It wasn’t lost, just temporarily stashed in a VERY safe and secure place…..yeah, that’s my horrible, awful, bad story with the VERY HAPPY ENDING or it will be just as soon as I get that sucker quilted, bound and off to it’s owner!!!
This weekend was busy with the acceptance of quilts for the Quintessential Quilt 2009 show held Oct 3-Oct 30 this year. That’s just to set the stage for what little I accomplished this weekend.
Yep, just one word, name actually, for the Cards vs Sox quilt. That little bit of green above is a small quilt in progress but it’s a surprise so I can’t show any more than what I have here. Those darn free pieced letters take time! Perhaps they’ll go faster after I have more experience with them. I also prep-ed an applique block from the Vicksburge BOM from Linen Closet Quilts.
Last, there’s a purple quilt in the works for DD2 and I laid out some fabrics this weekend to see if I want to use them for the Judy Laquidara workshop coming up as part of the Quintessental Quilt 2009 show.
Fun, fun, fun……
Ami Simms has a blog here and at one point she talked about the pencil sharpener she sells in her shop under notions here. It’s the three-in-one pencil sharpener and, I have to say, it truly is the best ever. I bought the soapstone and graphite markers from Morgan Systems at the Paducah quilt show. Both are a different size and both need sharpening. This sharpener is well made, does an excellent job AND keeps the shavings contained. I highly recommend it
See the soapstone and graphite shavings above? Maybe if you click to make the picture bigger you will
As Millie from the Darling Millie blog says, “Click to biggify the picture” and you can see that I made the deadline. My mom has told me “I’m a high achiever procrastinator who works best under pressure.” Since I haven’t finished too many projects lately, maybe I need some pressure…oh wait, I do, the Cards vs Sox quilt has to been done by Oct 16 and the Dino quilts have to be quilted & bound by Sept 16th. Okay, there should be some finishing going on soon!
Here I am “forgetting” to blog about my stash usage 
Not much going on this holiday weekend! However, I didn’t increase my stash even though I made a trip to Jackman’s to purchase a package of needles for my second IBOL bundle…..the only item I didn’t have multiples laying around in my sewing room. Did you get that? NO FABRIC PURCHASED!!!
Here’s my inspiration for the on point 4-patches I’m thinking about incorporating into the border of the Cards vs Sox quilt. Perhaps I’ll do both 4-patches and bars……
Stash added this week: 0
Stash used this week: 0
Cumulative stash added: 3 1/3 yds
Cumulative stash used: 0
Okay, so today is Tuesday, not Sundae or Monday, but what the heck! Here’s my IBOL Sundae that I did actually eat on Sunday
Here’s my second IBOL box ready to mail today.
And here’s what was on my design wall on Monday:
Yes, the Cards vs Sox quilt AGAIN…..this time with a 2 inch black border. I’ve decided to do free pieced lettering with the solid black background and then throw in 4 patches on point randomly around the rest of the border. I’ll see how it looks and go from there.
Amy a la Mode has a great post about color value with the best tip I’ve received in a while…..go read her post and see about using your digital camera to help with your fabric selections
I’m getting one more bundle ready to send to IBOL….found a piece of extra wide backing fabric that I will never use (don’t ask, it was acquired while I was under the power that Paducah has on me every April). Anyway, it makes a great bundle wrapper so I’ll be one of those folks sending out a bundle on Sept 8th
Speaking of Paducah, have you seen the announcement that the 2010 26th annual AQS show definitely will be held in Paducah this year? I’m glad because there is something about having the whole town turned out for the quilt show that makes this one special. We went to the Des Moines show last year and while it was nice, you couldn’t tell from the town that there was a quilt show going on. No quilts in the shop windows, no trolly tours, no quilt channel…. There’s just something about the town of Paducah that is unique. The show will be in the newly renovated Julian Carroll Convention Center, Paducah Expo Center and an “AQS Pavillion in the parking lot of the convention facilities”. If you can go in 2010, you should experience the wonderful show and town of Paducah.
