I've LOST it!!

I've heard that it happens to everyone but, it seems to happen to me LOTS. I have been wanting to make a new clothespin bag for a while already as the old one is totally wrecked has seen better days. It was a replacement I made for the original one purchased many moons ago. The old replacement has lasted at least 10 years so, I figure it's time for a new one.

The one I want to make is nicely lined and is really cute. OK, all I need to do is go to that website where I have seen that really cute clothespin bag with the tiny appliqued clothes on a line on the front of it. I have seen it many, many times, always right there in the side bar of ??her?? blog. I went to all the usual sites I visit... not there. Where the heck is it?? Not even google could help me find it. RATZ! Guess I have to figure something out for myself. Do you know where it is?  **Edited - the tutorial I was looking for is by Joanne at Thread Head HERE**


About those PhD's...  How is it possible that six months are over?? Another thing that I seem to loose is TIME. I started the PhD Challenge sponsored by Myra at Tactile Pleasures in Fabrics in January and set a goal of 6 projects to be finished in 6 months. Sounded doable to me. I managed to get two done early on but, since then, I have not had any more finishes. (Insert red face here.) Here are the pictures of my two project finishes for the challenge.












Not very much to show for six months.... One tote bag and one tablerunner.

Maybe I will do better in the next six months?

Flooding, Scraps & Stash

I live in the area of Southern Alberta where there is a lot of flooding happening right now. Its not a good situation for many people. I am fortunate enough to live on higher ground and shouldn't experience any problems. There is a news story about it HERE on CTV News Calgary for today and yesterday. Just click the play button on the video player that comes up. I'm not sure how long they keep their top stories but would think several days.

I decided to do some organizing this week of all my scraps... not that I really have all that many, but I thought they should be sorted out a la Bonnie Hunter. I have one of those four drawer plastic organizer thingies so figured that would work. When I pulled out my pathetic pile of scraps, I discovered that I wouldn't even come close to filling those drawers, even the shallower ones. Guess I need to make more quilts to create more scraps?? I will probably just use the video organizer boxes that I have been storing the unorganized scraps in. I'll divide them up into size categories and mark the boxes. Maybe one day I'll have enough to do something with...

I did find  LOTS of those 'bonus' triangles that I'd saved so, during my TV time, I'm sorting those into sizes so I can hopefully create something - perhaps a pinwheel quilt. One may be a mini as the triangles will make 1" blocks. Why on earth do I feel compelled to save these bits of fabric? Most people throw away a lot bigger pieces than these! Perhaps it was from the early lessons I learned from my parents:

 Waste Not, Want Not

 OR

Use it Up,

Wear it Out,

Make it Do or

Do Without 

Stash Report for Week 25

Yikes, almost to the half-way point of the year! Nothing used or purchased again this week. Haven't done well on the PhD (UFO) finishing front either as I've only done 2 of the 6 I had wanted to finish by the end of June. I did manage to finish one more block for my Joseph's Coat project but all of those fabrics have been counted already.

Used this week: 0 M
Used Year to Date: 18.3M
Added this week: 0 M
Added Year to Date: 17.07M
Net used for 2010: 1.23 M

Have a look at how everyone else is doing with their stash reports on Judy's blog.

Stash Report for this week

All of my quilting time this week has been spent on finishing more blocks for my Joseph's Coat quilt. All of the fabric I used has already been reported. The picture above is a few of my finished blocks laid out to show how they will (eventually) look when they're all joined together.

Due to the sudden arrival of warm weather here, I have been spending much of my time getting lawns done and flowerbeds ready for planting. It's hard to believe that two weeks ago, we had some major snow and now today it is 25C, flowers and trees are blooming! Both of my neighbors are already running their air conditioning units. I've enjoyed sitting outside in the evening this week working on my applique for my Joseph's Coat.

My projects to finish for the PhD Challenge are falling behind. In order to meet the number I committed to, I will need to do at least 2 this month and 2 in June. I'm not sure if that is possible but will hopefully I can find a bit more time now to work on those.

My Pink Lemonade quilt is still hanging on the design wall. How long does it take for a project to switch from being a WIP (Work In Progress) to a PhD (Project half Done) to a UFO (Un-Finished Object)?? Is there a guideline somewhere? I've also fallen behind by two whole blocks on the Hazels Diary Quilt-along. I guess I'd better get off of here and go work on something!


WEEK 20 Stash Report
Used this week: 0 M
Used Year to Date: 17.55 M
Added this week: 0 M
Added Year to Date: 12.07 M
Net used for 2010: 5.48 M

Check out how everyone else is doing with their stash busting efforts on Judy's blog.

Just Another Sunday

I seem to remember that line from a song but I don't remember the actual song. I think it was a female singer..  Anyone remember??

Here is my finish for this week, all quilted and bound!! It's the Framed Four Patch Table Runner and is my second finish for the PhD challenge. I just did stitch in the ditch by machine to quilt it so it went quickly. I pieced the backing to give it a bit more interest.

Week 4 STASH REPORT

Used this week: .75 M
Used Year to Date: 10.1 M
Added this week: 0 M
Added Year to Date: .9 M
Net used for 2010: 9.2 M

Be sure to go to Judy's site and check out how everyone else is doing this week with their stash busting efforts. Also, if anyone would like a copy of the spreadsheet I use (it keeps track of totals automatically), please let me know. I'd be happy to share it with you.

My Friday Night Sew-In

I started doing laundry late last night... Now, what does that have to do with the Friday Night Sew-In?? Well, this is why.

I had started sewing this purse together a while back and made a total mess of joining the back section which has 3 pockets on the inside. I got the pockets in upside-down. So, I began the night by doing some un-sewing. (It seems I am doing that a lot lately.) Then, I managed to get it put back together again, added the handles and closing tab. I figured it wouldn't take long to snip the seams as its just a small purse.... OK so, 2 hours later it was all sniped. I threw it in the washer with some jeans and started my second project.

This table runner (on left) had been laid out a while back onto the back of a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth. It had been rolled up and put away. I got it out and transferred it to my design wall. Of course, I couldn't just leave it the way it had been. I started messing around with the layout and settled on this which I like a bit more. Becasue of different lighting condition, the colors look slightly different. The color on the left are closer to the true colors. This was a charm set but I must have tossed the band telling me the line of fabric. (I still might play with this new lay-out a little since seeing here. Might need to balance out the dark browns more from one end to the other.)

Ran downstairs and put purse (and jeans) in the dryer. By then it was midnight. Where did the time go?

Hope you had as much fun as I did with your Friday Night Sew-In!!

Working on my PhD's

Myra at Tactile Pleasures is hosting a PhD Challenge! What is a PhD?? It is a Project Half Done that needs to be completed. I have LOTS of those!! In an effort to play along and get something accomplished for myself at the same time, I have decided to join in with all the others who are joining this challenge. I am going to set a certain time either daily or weekly that I will spend on PhD's.


Now, I'm not sure if this pink and yellow disaster I was working on is a PhD yet or if it is still my current project but, I have decided that the blocks are all to be unsewn and then remade paying closer attention to the contrast within each block. What a lot of work but... I am stubborn and determined. It would be easier to scrap it all and start again but... thats where my frugal nature kicks in. Worked all afternoon yesterday and managed to get 15 of the 72 blocks unsewn. It better be worth it....