Author: quiltinggail

My Update

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Thank you to all who commented on Sarah’s quilt.  She wrote, “super excited about everyones reaction! I will send pictures of my other quilts and hopefully new ones that i will make.”  You can see here quilt HERE.

Design Wall

This is Quilt #14 made from my Grandma’s fabrics.  I need to add a few borders and quilt it.  It’s an “Uneven 9 Patch.”  I know that I was getting really low on Grandma’s fabrics, but when I did my clean-up, I found this piece of yardage that I had been given years and years ago.  I know that it’s a true vintage fabric, not from just when I received it, but because it is only 35″ wide!

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A Feline Finish

This quilt showcases “cats”.  I started it earlier this year.  It will soon be on it’s way to an aunt that LOVES cats and needs some quilty love.

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Stash Report

Fabric Used this Week:      9 yards  
Fabric Used year to Date:  81.30 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    0  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   45.5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    37.8 yards  

UFO tally

I started the year with 47 UFO’s.

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          0
Apr:          0
May:          2
June:          4
July:          0

39 UFO’s left to complete

Linking to:

Happy Quilting
Gail

 

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Sarah’s finish

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I have been away in Alberta at a wonderful wedding and have not finished any quilts in the past few weeks.  (And yes, the bride & groom loved their quilt! See the quilt HERE)
However, my sister sent me this picture of a quilt made by a 16 year old friend, Sarah.  I am totally impressed with the colour choices that she used for the sashing and border!

Here’s what Sarah has to say:
Yes I made this quilt last year in the quilting 4-H project. The inspiration I had for this quilt was when our family would go down to the Kitchner area to visit relatives, I would always see tons of Mennonites and they have always fasinated me. I brought the quilt this year to the 4-H Regional Fair in Thorhild and won first place which I was really happy about. I also brought it to the Westlock quilters guild show last year. 
I would love for you to put it on your blog! I hope that it will motivate people of my generation to take up the hobby of quilting, a skill that has been slowly dying in the past few decades.
So Sarah – here’s your first quilt on my blog. I’m looking forward to featuring more of your quilts!  To my readers: Let me know when you show this quilt to other people of Sarah’s generation and I will pass it on to her.
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Link-ups

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

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Cleaning: the good, the bad and the ugly

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Cleaning

What starting my cleaning frenzy?  My daughter gave me a book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying” by Marie Kondo.  I could hardly walk in my sewing room, so I felt some-what inspired – to do SOMETHING.  Not totally though, because obviously the author is not a quilter and does not know the value of a fabric stash!

The Ugly

The ugly fabric – mostly poor quality quilting cottons, polyester fabric – it went.  A few flimsy scrappy tops that definitely did not give me joy & the thought of finishing them gave me dreaded horror thoughts.  Some garment fabric, some old patterns and 2 boxes of polyester stuffing and batting have disappeared from my sewing area and my house!

Bad

In sorting through all of my sewing stuff, I found more STUFF.  Actually UFO’s!.  I found 9, yes NINE, more that were not on my list … they have been added to my current list.  GROAN!!!  For most of them, I have no idea when they were started.

The Good

One of the first things that the author (Tidying) suggests is that for each category – you gather everything, yes everything, into one spot.  So, I gathered all my fabric together.  The next thing you do is ask yourself “does this item give me pleasure?”  Well, for most of my quilting fabric, the answer was a firm “YES!”   I took 4 bags and 2 boxes to the guild meeting.  I came home with 2 boxes (the odd fabric stuffed into one box).  YES!!! YES!!!  I’m so happy that most of it found new homes!

I was also able to organize my latest purchases (of the past 5 or so years) into appropriate containers.  Theoretically, I should be able to find what I’m looking for very quickly!  Please note: I did say “theoretically”! unknown-jpg

Design Wall

No progress on this:IMG_0882

Have started quilting this:

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Stash Report

No fabrics bought this week.  I did get rid of some quilting fabric (panels and a few other odd items), but I did not measure them and as I don’t have a total of all the fabric I possess, I’m not going to worry about the numbers.  Besides, I got rid of it – I didn’t use it!

Fabric Used this Week:      4.8 yards  
Fabric Used year to Date:  72.30 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    5  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   45.5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    26.8 yards   Still doing a happy dance!

UFO Tally

I thought I started out the year with 38 UFO’s.  But with the discovery of 9 more, I actually started out with 47!!!  Oh me, oh my!  

I have given away 3 UFO’s … lowering my final number left to complete!  But my end tally is more UFO’s than I started the year with!  Oh well – perhaps it’ll be more inspiration to complete them!

2017 Completed
Jan: 2
Feb: 0
Mar: 0
Apr: 0
May: 2
June: 1 + 3

39  UFOs left to complete

Linking to:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Friday’s finish is my sewing room

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Friday’s finish

I’ve been working on sorting through all of my fabric.  I don’t have a ‘before’ picture, but I do have ‘middle’ picture.  It went from this: IMG_0883

to this:

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You can even see some of the floor!  I actually amazed myself that I was able to organize things as well as I did!   It did take a lot of time and I haven’t done a stitch of sewing.

And yes, there is other fabric stored in the closet and containers in this room.

I will write more about my clean-up next week.

Link-ups

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Design Wall & Stash Report June 18 ’17

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Design Wall

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This is another quilt that I’m started, using Grandma’s fabrics.  I found this single lone piece and there is enough to make this quilt without using any other of my Grandma’s fabrics.  The fabric is 35″ wide – a true sign that it’s OLD!

I am also using “Mist” from Free Spirit.  I actually started my 3rd bolt of it and I LOVE the fabric. It handles well, and goes with almost everything!

IMG_0883The other project that I’m working on is sorting through all my fabric.  The corner of my sewing room looks like this:

I didn’t take a “before” picture, but trust me, it was hard to walk into the room and my ironing board was stacked with STUFF up to the window ledge.  Yes, that made it very hard to iron anything!

I do have a bag of fabric that I will take to the guild tomorrow night.  Whatever is left will go to the local thrift shop,

 

Stash Report

Sarah & MitchellAnother UFO is completed!  YEAH!!!   I only consider fabric used when the quilt is done, done, done … finishing a UFO makes me very happy!

Fabric Used this Week:      12 yards  
Fabric Used year to Date:  84.3 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    0  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   45.5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    38.8 yards   

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UFO tally

I started the year with 38 UFO’s.

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          0
Apr:          0
May:          2
June:          1                       33 UFOs left to complete

Linking to:

Happy Quilting
Gail

PS.  I am able to download FREE images from animatedimages.org and they have requested that I mention where I got the image from.

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A finish for Friday!

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This is a UFO from 2012.  It’s the third time I’ve made this pattern by Debbie Caffery (Good Night Sweetheart).  The first 2 times were for 2 wedding gifts for a niece and nephew that got married 1 week apart in 2009.  Although this was a UFO that has been languishing – I thought it would be appropriate to finish it for another wedding gift.  It’s a sister to the nephew that got married in 2009.  Figured they might as well have the same pattern!

If you’ve been following my blog – this is the quilt that had a misbehaving block in it … all fixed now!)

Sarah & Mitchell

Link-ups

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Design Wall and Stash Report

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We were away on an Alaskan cruise.  We had wonderful weather.  Rain was forecasted for most of the cruise … but it only rained when we were not outside!  unknown-jpg

I did not take a sewing machine with me on the cruise!  I did not take any hand quilting or sewing.  So there is nothing new for my design wall.

Six of the quilts made with Grandma’s fabrics are on their way to Ontario. (See Grandma’s Fabrics).  The only ones I have left are #1 (for me) and #4 (for my sister).  Two of my cousins came on the cruise with us and they are kindly taking the quilts home and will ensure that they are distributed at Christmas.   We draw names at Christmas and I have it all arranged to have various cousin’s names until 2026.  However, since the quilts are done, I figure they might as well enjoy them.  There’s no sense in me storing them for the next several years.

Stash Report:

I did purchase some fabric in Alaska … 5 yards in total … I’ll show a picture of it when it’s unpacked!   I’m really starting to think that I need to start a stash report for my husband:  2 of the fabrics were his choice of what I “must have.”  unknown-jpg

Before the cruise, I did make 7 gift bags out of Christmas fabric.  That used 4.8 yards of fabric.  It was a quick finish since it took about 1 ½ hours to dig out the fabric, and ribbon, set up the serger, serge the bags and then iron them.

Fabric Used this Week:      4.8 yards  
Fabric Used year to Date:  72.30 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    5  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   45.5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    26.8 yards   Still doing a happy dance!
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UFO Tally

I started the year with 38 UFO’s. No quilts finished in June – yet!

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          0
Apr:          0
May:          2                         34  UFOs left to complete!

Linking to:

Happy Quilting
Gail

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Do you see what I see?

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Look at that middle star!  I have absolutely NO idea how that happened!  It’s the correct colours, but in the wrong position.

I have some frogging to do!!  And since I’ve already done some anchor quilting – it’ll be a hand stitching job … groan ….

Later:  Once I had the block out, I measured the pieces.  They were all weird numbers, like 2 3/16th square.  What??  I would have remembered something THAT strange!  This is one problem with UFOs: You forget what you did!  So, I pulled out the pattern and then it all made sense.  I needed to make a 1/4 square triangle.  IMG_0863When I had originally made it, I had put the stitch and flip dark brown triangles on the wrong corners.  So, the misbehaving block has been removed and the  1/4 square triangle is made, tucked into place and slip stitched in. Now, I just need to quilt it!IMG_0860

Link-ups

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Monday’s Design Wall

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My Ribbon quilt is now a flimsy.  It’s a pretty simple pattern and you can use fat quarters.   The pattern is free and available here.  Be warned: Friends of mine ordered the kit and are totally disappointed with the fabrics (quality and colour).  This quilt is from a collection of fabrics (mostly fat quarters) that I bought eons ago.  I had a plan for it – but it was not to be.  As soon as I saw this pattern, I knew this was THE pattern for the fabrics …  There is enough of the remaining fat quarters and additional fabric that I might even be able to make another quilt with the fabric.  img_0828.jpg

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Stash Report May 28 ’17

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Shakespeare in the Park is DONE, DONE, DONE!  Yeah.   This quilt used approximately 23 yards.  I made it bigger than the pattern (Judy Martin’s) and pieced the back.  I know I already showed a picture of it, but here it is again!  Can you tell that I’m glad it’s totally finished?

 

Stash Report:

No fabric purchased this week!  I didn’t even go through a door of a quilt or fabric store.  It’s almost amazing how you can avoid purchasing fabric by not going near any that is for sale!  unknown-jpg

Fabric Used this Week:      23  yards  
Fabric Used year to Date:  67.50 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    0  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   40. 5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    26.6 yards   I’m doing a happy dance!

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UFO Tally

I started the year with 38 UFO’s. Finishing Shakespeare in the Park is one HUGE UFO done!

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          0
Apr:          0
May:          2                         34  UFOs left to complete!

Linking to:

This week, I’m linking to a new (to me) blog.  The previous blog that had the stash report link is no longer doing it.  Another quilter has agreed to have a linky for the stash report.   I found it interesting to read that some count their stash use when they cut or sew the fabric.  I guess I had never thought of that! However, since my goal is to decrease my UFOs and my stash – I’m only counting my stash use when the quilt is finished.  Completely finished.

Happy Quilting
Gail

A Friday Finish – YEAH!!!

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Shakespeare in the Park

I am very excited to be finished my “Shakespeare in the Park“!  It’s a pattern by Judy Martin in her book “The Creative Pattern Book.”  This pattern was frustrating.  I found the directions often did not make sense to me.  And, of course, I made it bigger, so then I had to figure out how many extra blocks to make. Adding the extra border was easy to do! In the end, I’m glad I persevered.  I did a scrappy binding. My husband was not too sure about it, but when it was finished, he said that it was the perfect binding!  🙂  I love this quilt – now that it is finished!

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Pink Snail’s Trail

A flimsy is completed.  Ready for sandwiching and quilting. A few posts ago, I showed 2 lay-outs for a snail’s trail (or monkey wrench) quilt.  Most everyone commented that I should do this layout and I’m glad I did!  I think it will be fun to quilt this one!

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Now that I’ve posted the picture, I realize that I still need to add a border.

Link-ups

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Design Wall Monday – May 22 ’17

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I’ve been away for most of the past week and have not done any quilting. For the first time in a LONG time, I did not take a machine with me – so absolutely NO quilting got done.

However, I did promise that I’d show you the challenge quilt that I did for our quilt show.  The challenge was “Beach Babies” and it had to be a baby quilt size.  Below is a picture of the quilt I made.  It was a lot of fun – which really surprised me because I generally dislike appliqué.  In fact, I usually call it “crap-lique”.  The fish and star-fish are trapunto’d with 2 layers of warm & natural.  Beach baby Challenge

Stash Report:

The blog that I generally link my stash report to is no longer hosting a Linky Party for stash reports.  sad face  However, I still want to be accountable for my stash & UFO’s – so I’m going to start including them in my Monday posts.  I have not purchased any fabric since my last report – nor have I finished any quilts (I’m close with one of them!)

Fabric Used this Week:      0  yards  (nothing finished!)
Fabric Used year to Date:  44.50 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    0  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   40. 5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    3.6 yards   

UFO tally

I started the year with 38 UFO’s. There is no change from last 2 weeks.

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          0
Apr:          0
May:          1                         35  UFOs left to complete!

Linking to:

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Design Wall – May 15 ’17

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Design Wall

This week I’m still quilting my Shakespeare in the Park.  I have the border done.   Just need to finish some large swirls and do the binding and it’ll be called ‘done’!  Also, I’m working on these snail-trail blocks for a donation quilt.  Just need to finish the blocks and decide on which layout (middle or right?) to use.

Linking to:

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Stash Report on Mother’s Day 2017

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Happy-Mother-s-Day_1462654882

Last week, at our quilt show … I didn’t even LOOK at any of the fabric that the vender’s had.  (Well, I might have glanced at some of it … but that’s all I did is glance!)  Then on the Sunday, my son came to the show and he MADE me buy 4 yards of fabric for the backing of a quilt HE wants me to make …  Now, I can’t show you the fabric, because that would give away what kind of quilt he wants me to make …. yes, I have the pattern figured out and just need to get the fabrics for it and get down to actually making the quilt.

Fabric Used this Week:      0  yards  (nothing finished!)
Fabric Used year to Date:  44.50 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    4  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   40. 5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    3.6 yards   I’ve still used more than I’ve bought this year! 

UFO tally

I started the year with 38 UFO’s. There is no change from last week.

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          0
Apr:          0
May:          1                         35  UFOs left to complete!

Linking to

Happy Quilting
Gail

No finishes – but lots of pictures!

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BBQG Show Pictures

These are the quilts I put in.

Below is a slide show of some of the quilts that were at the Boundary Bay Quilt show last weekend. The first 5 quilts are from our feature quilter (Stacy Murton) … the rest are ones that caught my interest when I had time to take pictures. They are not in any specific order.  The only quilt I took close-up pictures of is the white whole-cloth.  It was hand quilted by our guild president, Matthew W.

One quilt that had me laughing out loud was the small “Dear Jane.”  The title of the quilt was “That’s enough Jane.”

I hope you enjoy the slide show.  Which quilt is YOUR favourite?

Link-ups

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Design Wall & 150 years …

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Design Wall

At the moment, only this ribbon quilt is in progress … It’s a free pattern found here.  It’s a fairly easy pattern, but make sure that you label all your fabrics as you cut them out. But be warned: Friends of mine ordered the kit and are very disappointed in the fabric quality and colour that was in the kit.

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150 years …

The guild’s show is over … This is the first time I’ve been involved in a quilt show and I am amazed at how everything just fit together and ran smoothly!  The organizers did an excellent job!  So pictures … lots of pictures! Today just one display … later … more pictures …

A few of us were involved in setting up a display “150 years of Quilting in Canada” … IMG_0691

Various guild members lent 26 heritage quilts to the display.  The quilts had stories behind them … wonderful stories.  Some of the members included pictures of the quilt makers.  (Now that was a fantastic idea!)  There were 2 hand crank machines that people were able to try.  A toy machine dating 1860 had a place of honour in the middle of the table. The feed sacks you see in the last 2 pictures were from my cousin Dennis in Ontario.  There was an old ironing board with a collection of antique irons (no picture, sorry!) As well as many other items.

There were lots and lots of interesting stories as people came by.  Many items evoked memories of “when I was a child …” or “I learned to sew on a hand crank.”  It was such fun listening to the stories.

Linking to:

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Stash Report May 7 ’17

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Stash Report

IMG_0679I finished my Love Letter’s quilt!!!  unknown-jpg   It used up 14 ¼ yards of fabric.  WooHoo!  This quilt was started in 2012 … I’m so glad it’s finished!

Plus … I needed to make hanging sleeves for the show quilts.  That used up about a yard.

Fabric Used this Week:      15.25  yards
Fabric Used year to Date:  44.50 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    0  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   36.5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    7.6 yards   I’ve used more than I’ve bought this year! unknown-jpg

UFO tally

I started the year with 38 UFO’s.

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          0
Apr:          0
May:          1                         35  UFOs left to complete!

Linking to

Happy Quilting
Gail

Boundary Bay Quilt Show

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FACE_frontThis weekend is the guild quilt show.   It’s the first time I’ve ever put any of my quilts in a show.  It’s not a juried show – there is no judging happening.  It’s just a venue for guild members to show what they have been working on.  Nice and easy. No stress. Right?  Well, for those that have been following my blog, you know that I entered one quilt that still needed all the quilting done.  It did get done … but due to a sore thumb/hand, it took quite a bit longer than I anticipated.

Here are pictures of the 3 quilts that will be in the show.  The first is Bonnie Hunter’s 2016 mystery quilt “En Provence” that was finished earlier this year.  The 2nd is Quilt 8 of the Grandma’s fabric quilts  The 3rd is “Love Letters” that was a BOM kit from the now closed Wild Rose Quilt Shop in Orting Washington.

en-provenceG'ma #8 2" on pointIMG_0679

Link-ups

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Design Wall May 1, ’17

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted a “Design Wall” post.  So here goes!

Love Letters

I’m in the process of quilting “Love Letters.”  I’m entering it in the show this coming weekend – sew …. the quilting needs to be finished.  I did some ruler work (see in the pink triangles?) and that took a LOT of time.  Quilting the swirls is going much faster!  However, if I quilt for too long, my thumb on my right hand hurts.  So, I’m trying to quilt this in 10-15 minute segments.  The border and binding are already done – so it’s just the blocks that I need to finish.  I’m hopeful that it will be finished by Wednesday!img_0674.jpg

Fractured Paint Box

This is one of my UFO’s in progress.  It’s a Judy Niemeyer pattern.  This is my 4th quilt using this pattern.  Yes, it’s a paper piecing pattern, but a dear friend taught me how to paper piece without sewing on the paper … and so I can re-use the pattern.  And I must admit – this pattern is very easy to adapt to this method of non-paper-piecing.  This pattern also uses a jelly roll – so it’s a wonderful way to use my beautiful batik jelly rolls that are languishing in my stash!  unknown-jpg

fractured.jpg

Linking to:

To see what others in the quilty world are working on wander over to these blogs:

Happy Quilting
Gail

Stash Report: April 30 ’17

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No fabric purchases this week!  And, I haven’t finished any projects this week.  But my lovely guest, Miss Claire, finished a zipper bag.  She used approximately half a yard of fabric.   What a fun way to decrease my stash!

Stash Tally 

Fabric Used this Week:      0.5 yards
Fabric Used year to Date:  29.25 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    0  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   36.5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    – 7.65 yards

UFO tally

Since not a single one of my own projects have been finished this week, there is no change to my UFO tally. I started the year with 38 UFO’s.

2017   Completed
Jan:           2
Feb:           0
Mar:          1
Apr:          0                          35 UFO’s left to complete!

Linking to

Happy Quilting
Gail