Sunday Stash Report, Week 8

I really have to stop working on my UFOs (not).  They are causing me to spend money and add to my stash.

I really had no idea how much more fabric a king-size quilt takes.  I was short on variety for black-on-white fabrics for my Easy Street once again, and I think everyone else in town must be too.  There was hardly anything available at my LQS, Hamels.  They are bringing more in because there are a lot of Easy Street and Lazy Sunday (Bonnie's newest mystery quilt in Quiltmaker magazine) going on, but I don't want to wait, I only have 15 Block A's left to do.  I told them they need to start a Bonnie Hunter club (or maybe I should!).

 

No finishes, but some good progress on some UFOs - I'll be doing updates on those this week, both here and on my UFO page.

 

 

Used since last report: 0 metres

Used Year to Date: 9 metres

Added this week: 8.75 metres

Added Year to Date: 35.25 metres

Net Used/Added for 2013: 26.25 metres

 

Now on to my purchases!

 

I got to IKEA this week, and check out their fabric selection.  I've browsed it before but didn't really look at it too close, but wow - I have really been missing something.

 

 

(image from IKEA website)

 

I got the backing for my daughter's Easy Street.  Because it was 150 cm wide (60"), I was able to get away with buying 6 metres - enough to piece a back 120" x 120", perfect for my king-size quilt.  The best part - only $2.99/metre for a total of $18 for the backing.

 

 

In addition to the black-on-whites, I picked up this cute little bundle of orange and yellow Fat 1/8's and a Fat Quarter of orange.

 

 

(You really have to pardon the poor colour of the pictures - it's a typically West Coast dreary winter day).

 

These are for my Vignette in Stitches quilt.  I started it 2 years ago, and I'm finally at the point of starting the applique centre.

 

 

I think you can figure out where I want to use the orange!  (Picture from designer Leanne Beasley's website, Leanne's House).  I have been subcribing to her magazine, Vignette, since it began and this was an 8-part mystery quilt.  Even though I eliminated a lot of the embroidery, it is still a slow work-in-progress.  I've never really blogged about it, so I plan a post on it later this week.

 

 

Her magazine has been a wonderful source of patterns and great tips. I've done embroidery on quilts before, but have never really been happy with the final result because the threads show through from the back, no matter how careful you are.  Leanne suggested using a very thin fusible fleece to back your block before embroidery, and the results are just beautiful. 

 

 

 

 

Recently I started using the Pilot Frixon pen to start marking my embroidery, and so far I am happy with the results.  It was a bit of a shock the first time I ironed on my fusible fleece after marking a block:

 

 

The heat of the iron makes the marks disappear!  No worries though - I pop it in the freezer for about an hour, and the marks reappear like magic.  I love this option because all I have to do is iron the piece to remove the marks later, and eventually it will wash out.

 

 

 

And one last thing, I have been bitten by the Bitty Block bug.  I have been loving the tiny (3.5") I've been seeing lately, and discovered this Flickr group, the Bitty Block Committee.  I thought I would try my hand at a Polaroid block (adapted from an original design by Little Miss Shabby) and they are so addictive, that I made 8 in less than half an hour.  If it hadn't already been midnite, I would have kept on going.  Most of the blocks shown on the Flickr group are original designs without patterns, I so wish I could draw.  I might have to recruit my daughter to make a few designs for me. 

 

 

Now I'm off to pop my block in the freezer, and settle down to watch the Oscar pre-shows while I work on another UFO, my Birdie Stitches Block 1.  Have a great night to all of you!