I've been slacking on the blog front again, work has been busy and I've been exhausted when I get home. I even went to the doctor's to make sure there's no underlying reason, but other than my iron levels being on the low side of normal (which is typical for me) everything is okay. I've even managed to lose 15 pounds over the last year, and bring my blood sugar levels down. Diabetes is a concern, and there is a family history of both types, and Type II is very prevalent once we hit 50. I walked away with the usual instructions: exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week, cut back on the carbs, get more protein (that's a struggle for me, because I'm not a big fan of meat). I'm sure I'll start feeling better now that Spring and more daylight is on the way.
Despite not reporting in last week, I did good not adding too much to the stash this last two weeks, even after a visit to Jo-Ann fabrics in Bellingham, WA, just across the border and about 45 minutes from my home (not including the wait at the border - which was almost an hour this time). I had remarkable restraint and I only bought 1 yard of a beautiful teal batik, and 1/2 yard of PUL for a special project. On the way home, I stopped by my LSS, Hamels and picked up a Charm Pack of Little Apples by Aneela Hooley. I also got this when I was at Jo-Ann's!
I've been coveting this book and any of Bonnie Hunter's, so when I saw this on sale for just $12, I had to pick it up. I have another special project planned that involves Christmas fabric and an old T-shirt. Total fabric added this two-week period, once it was converted, was only 2 metres.
Fabric used this two-week period was mostly in the last couple of days. I finally finished quilting a flimsy that has been sitting around for about five years (well, only as a flimsy since July, but a UFO before that).
My incentive was this cute little girl who came to spend the night, along with her cousin. She's not quite crawling and the wood floors make it a challenge.
My girls and their husbands were getting together to celebrate my youngset daughter's 27th birthday, so I got the kidlets overnight - such a hardship ;o). I can't believe my baby is getting close to 30, after all I'm only 39 - right?
I needed something to put in the bottom of the playpen for Zoey, so I managed to get this quilted and trimmed up just in time. It was made with a panel called Wash Tub Club and features little overall-ed SunBonnet Sue's doing her weekly chores (like Monday is for washing, etc...)
I took this picture while I still had some daylight and before I was finished quilting it. I'm starting to get more comfortable with machine quilting, and moved out of my in-the-ditch comfort zone, and tried circles! They were so easy and I love the effect on the back.
I don't want this quilt to be densely quilted, and I forgot to keep the wrapper for the batting, so I hope it will stand up. The largest unquilted section is the four-inch square where each of the blocks are. I wish I knew what the batting was because it gives a really nice quilted effect, nicer than Warm and Natural.
Since I never counted that fabric out before, both the top and the muslin backing amounted to 5.5 metres.
Since I made something for Zoey, I had to make something for Alex. My daughter brought back a cloth-book panel back from New Zealand when they went there for Christmas, and although he's past the cloth-book stage, it was a very cute book about animals in NZ. I made it up last night and surprised him with it this morning. Another 0.6 metres out the door!
But that isn't all I got done this week!
I pulled out my Farmer's Wife blocks again, and redid Block 6. I didn't like the contrast of my first one (the blue one), and I'm much happier with the second. The only thing is I seem to have forgotten how to foundation-piece and it's a little shy on some of the seams, but I'm not redoing it again!
I didn't stop there - I found this
cute pattern by Monica Solorio-Snow - The Happy Zombie.
I pulled out that Charm Pack of Little Apples I just bought, and some Bella Solid Gray and put together these cute blocks.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this. 4 charm blocks make 2 - 6" blocks, so I'll get 20 blocks out of one charm pack, assuming I use the ones with a white background (not sure if I'll do that). This one may become a table topper, a doll quilt or maybe I'll just have to pick up another charm pack or two!
And last but not least, the special project I bought the PUL for (this might be TMI for some people). One of daughter's is allergic to every sanitary product she has tried. Only recently, I became aware that some people have been making their own (why didn't I think of that!) so thanks to the internet and google, I found lots of patterns and instructions, but ended up making my own design. The only holdup I have now is finding the right snaps to use. A friend gave me some plastic ones usually used for cloth diapering, but I don't have the right snap pliers, so I'm not sure if my usual technique of hammering the crap out of it will work. I've made two sizes for her to try, and then we'll try some more and see if they work better for her than the store-bought type.
Need to work on my topstitching skills! But overall, they turned out good. I'll put the snaps on the wings and she can snap them around her panties. She loves the bright coloured one (sized bigger for night), I lean to the more discreet, but since she'll be the one wearing them, I'm going through my stash for fun, funky flannels. The night one has 9 layers of flannel, the day one has five, but neither of them seem too bulky. So, probably 1/2 metre of fabric, mostly scraps used!
Huge numbers this week - if only they could all be like this!
Used this Week: 6.6 metres
Used year to Date: 40.1 metres
Added this Week: 2 metres
Added Year to Date: 16.65 metres
Net Used for 2012: 23.45 metres
