My Stash--A Christmas Story

With all of his time off at Christmas and everyone else at work, hubby created little blocks out of wrapping paper.

I must admit that it feels a bit weird to be writing about my stash...it makes me feel a bit exposed and naked.  Why is that??  Am I ashamed of my fabric stash??  Honestly, my stash isn't very big and is made up of crazy different fabrics.   Up until this point I haven't paid much attention to designers or fabric lines.  Instead I purchased random things that made me happy.  I'll pair something that was just released with fabric that has been on a shelf for several years, as long as I think they belong together.

I have to say I'm a lucky girl, my husband supports my quilting addiction and shenanigans.

Even he himself over the years has started playing around with quilt design.  He loves to graph out blocks and have me enter them in EQ7 to see what his creations look like.  (I haven't talked him into actually constructing a quilt...he'll wear down eventually.)   And when it come to the subject of fabric and what goes together, he definitely has his own opinion.

A few years ago at Christmas time, he decided to go out on a limb and order me charm packs.  He likes to choose things that make me step out of my comfort zone, but I think that's a good thing.  Since the charm packs went over so well, he's carried on the tradition.

Holiday In Kashmir was a quilt born from charm packs he purchased.

So this is a post about fabric I didn't buy....

The first set of fat quarters has a funny story behind them.  One of my favorite televisions shows from my childhood was Mamas Family.  My friend John and I had a favorite episode we dubbed, Gooseberry Jam (its actual name Rashomama).  So enters two bundles of Moda's Gooseberry by Lella Boutique and a bundle of solids that match nicely.  Oh, and lets not forget my favorite...Aurifil thread.

Oddly enough, my husband has a weird love affair with batiks.  In his world, almost all quilts are made from batiks.  Based on these purchases I also wonder if he's having a love affair with Judy and Judel Niemeyer. (If he is, it's ok as long as I keep getting fabric...I can turn my head)

Some Hoffman Bali Batiks also managed to make their way into the mix.

As well as Multi Good Vibrations...and who doesn't need good vibrations?

When I was putting away this fabric, I ran into 3 small layer cakes he had purchased last year that I had completely forgot about.

Now the only question is what to use all this fabric for.  I'm 100% open to suggestions.  At this moment in time I'm clueless.  A few ideas might be bubbling in the back of my head.  Sandra (my good friend over at mmm quilts), maybe Swoon??  One thing is for sure...he will not let me forget they are there and needing loved.  

For the most part, I don't foresee my stash growing too much this year.  My allotted quilting space just won't allow it, unless I start voting people out of the house.  Hmmmm.

Today I'm linking up with Sunday Stash.

Committing To My Goals

When I wrote out my goals for 2016, goal #2 was tackling my pile of UFO's.  The goal is to finish one UFO a quarter.  So this brings about the question...at what point do you label something a UFO?  I guess it's a personal preference for each of us.  Does it start at the point of a purchased quilt kit or a pattern with fabric that goes into a plastic bin and then sits for more than six months?  Maybe UFO status only starts at the point where piecing has occurred but it has been abandoned for a new project.

For me I tend to consider something a UFO after it's been pieced and moved to the shelf.  Once I start piecing something, I usually (I said usually) see it through until it is a completed top.  So the mystery quilts or BOM's that sit around, I consider to be WIP's.  Most likely I have not got all of the instructions to finish it yet and that's not my fault, right?  However, if I have completed piecing the object and I sit it aside for more than two months, I consider it a UFO.  Chances are I have already been distracted by a small mini quilt I'm dying to finish or something else.  So, my friends, that means if you have been hanging around my blog at all the past year, chances are you have watched me create a few UFO's...oops.

This is a picture of a bookcase in my back room that holds most of my quilting stuff.  On the very top lives a stack of UFO's (by my definition).  If you look closely on the last shelf in the picture, you can see Gypsy Queen neatly folded...I have't quite given her UFO status yet, but she is dangerously close...yikes!  On the shelf above it are two smaller containers (on the right under the pillow) containing un-pieced UFO's.  A Strawberry Social quilt kit I put together (pattern from Fat Quarter Shop and fabric from LQS) and two panels that need quilted.  The panels were purchased to be gifts for my dad, but well, that didn't work out.  Lesson:  Do no put a gift off, you may not get a chance to give them.

So I decided last night to pick two of my pieced tops as possible candidates for a first quarter finish.  In a perfect world, I would finish both of them.  I do have till the end of March, right?  These are my choices.

Candidate #1 is a lap/wall hanging size version of  Labyrinth by Debbie Maddy.  I have my Aurifil thread to quilt this one and probably enough batting.  Since I just need backing fabric, it is probably the front runner.

Candidate #2 is a smallish quilt called Four Squared by Polly Monica that I found on Moda Bakeshop.  This one may take a bit more work.  I need to answer the age ol' question of to add borders or not add borders.  I used Moda's Flirt fabric line and have 2 yards of the blue left plus a yard of matching filler fabric.

To get myself headed in the correct mind set, I pulled a few books from my shelf looking for inspiration.

So the next phase to completing my goal, will be to calculate borders for Flirty Four Squared and auditioning designs for both quilts.

So back to UFO's...I would love to know what you think qualifies a project to have this title.  The line behind WIP and UFO can be incredibly thin...kind of like the line between genius and crazy.

Today I'm linking up with Can I Get A Whoop! Whoop!, Needle and Thread Thursday, Let's Bee Social and WIP Wednesday. 

QAYG or a Glass of Moscato-That is the question?

Oh, Moda Modern Building Blocks how I love thee.  I told myself when I started you, you would be a slow project that I would take my time constructing.  I wanted to savor each moment of cutting your fabrics and piecing you like a fine wine.  But right now you are driving me NUTS!!  Maybe I've had too much wine and I'm drunk?? (note:  no wine has been abused during the writing about or creating of this quilt...yet)

I finished making the final 18" block for section A the other night, so I have officially found myself at a cross roads on how to proceed:

1. Piece all these cute blocks together and start on section B
2. Do nothing and start on section B
3. Begin quilting each individual block and turn this into a quilt as you go
4. Do absolutely nothing and open a bottle of Moscato

 I've been toying with the idea of turning this into a QAYG using the binding strip method for months now.  I have even searched the internet high and low to see if this has been done but have turned up nothing.  The finished size of this quilt is around 84" X 96" and I'm not sure I want to wrestle tackle quilting this beast on my domestic machine.  I 100% could do it, but the QAYG method would allow me to give each block the attention I feel it deserves without screaming, throwing things and getting very pissed off frustrated.  

So to prolong making this decision, I decided to play around with quilting designs on the blocks.  Maybe if I could visually see where I'm going I will find it easier to make a decision.  

The idea for the quilting in the orange fabric came form Kathleen at Kathleen Quilts.  She calls them Kathleen's Magic Shapes.

At this point I decided to hang a white flag in defeat.  Although, now I have some pretty cool ideas on how I would quilt this, I'm still not sure if QAYG is the way I want to go.  I'm pretty sure I still want a glass of Moscato, though.  So for now it's back into the plastic box for these blocks.  I may go ahead and start piecing blocks for the next group or maybe catch up on some other projects that are calling my name.  But, yup, definitely having the Moscato.

Come join the party!  Today I am linking up with Creative Goodness at Quilt Shop Gal,  Can I Get A Whoop! Whoop! at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Richard and Tanya Quilts, and Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts.

Opinions Wanted

I set some time aside to work on the Modern Building Blocks quilt I started several weeks ago.  I have been in love with this quit since it was released.  Julie over at Pink Doxies (which a big shout out she just finished her flimsy) inspired me to get cracking on this project.  Between normal weekend duties and watching the musical Quilters maybe more than once (3 times) I made pretty good progress.  I still have one more 12 inch block and an 18 inch block to make and I will have section A finished and ready to piece together.

If you have ever seen this quilt or the pattern, the blocks are all sewed together with no sashing or boarders.  Just beautiful blocks build upon beautiful block.  I have longed to quilt this quilt from the  moment I laid eyes on it.  All those fun geometric shapes and the endless possibilities.  Because the quilt is 84 by 96 when completed I'm thinking it may be more than I want to tackle on my domestic machine as far as quilting.  So the question popped into my head, would this quilt make a good quilt as you go project.  I could:

1) quilt each individual block and attach all the blocks with binding strips (white maybe?)

2) piece each section then quilt it and attach the sections with binding strips (again white?)

My biggest fear is changing the look of the quilt with the binding strips.  Would it change the look too much to have small sashings in the quilt?  Plus I have not make a QAYG quilt using this method before.  

This is what the quilt looks like once it is pieced together.  What is your thoughts on turning this beauty into a quilt-as-you-go project?  Have you ever constructed a quilt using the binding strip method?  I would love to hear your thoughts.  I have plenty of time...only 40 more blocks to go!

Today I'm linking up with:

@Quilt Story

@ Funky Polkadot Giraffe

@Blossom Heart Quilts

@ Freemotion by the River

@Cooking Up Quilts