WIP Wednesday - State of the Stash
I’m working on a Seekrit Project this week, so rather than posting a picture of a lot of blurred out or black bars across it, I thought I post a picture of my stash.
I do have two drawers next to this shelving units that contains batiks (FQs or so) and novelties (50% holiday fabric and 50% random novelty), and a bin of FQs, but this is the bulk of my quilting fabric.
I’m still favoring the cool colors more than the warm, and I could probably use some grays and blacks as well. The chicken-and-egg question is do I not use more black and gray because I don’t have it, or do I not have black and gray because I don’t use it?
For comparison, here is my stash two years ago:
So yes, my stash overall is smaller, but that is on purpose. I started tracking Sunday Stash reports in early 2012, and my net used yardage from 2012 through last weekend is over 600 yards . That’s a whole lot more yardage out than in! My stash is manageable and doesn’t feel overwhelming. I still have enough fabric on hand to make projects without shopping, but I also have room to add fabrics if I want.
I’ve also spent more time working with my scrap stash, which isn’t shown in either picture, and those are used in a lot of charity projects and mystery quilt and general last-minute gifts for people. In general, I’m happy with where I’m at with my stash, although I wish I had more money to spend on fabric!
WIP Wednesday: Quilting Sand Is For the Birds
Well, I’m sort of stuck with Beachwalk quilting. I’ve “finished” quilting 4 out of 9 blocks, but reserve the right to go back and quilt in some areas if it looks uneven when the center is done. I’d love to take a break and piece something, but I have the superstition that if I move my machine back into piecing mode from quilting- with- monofilament- mode (change the bobbin case, adjust stitch length, change the needle, etc.), catastrophe will happen. So I suppose I’ll power through, and maybe set up my Featherweight if I really need to piece something?
Here’s what I need to be piecing to stay on top of the Star Surround quilt along. I think I’ll get a chance to mark my HSTs today, but at least I have all my pairs set up.
In pairing my fabrics I was a little leery of some of my fabric choices but ultimately decided to go with my gut and keep my fabrics in there. Also, if I changed my mind that meant I had to do more cutting and NUH-UH. Not doing it. So I go with the feeling that “well, it’s only a Christmas quilt, so if it’s truly hideous we only have to look at it for a month!” I suppose I could also give it a real kick-ass back if we want to turn it over instead. 🙂
And side note, if you follow my Stash Reports, you know I’ve been steadily using up my stash. Lest you think I’ll run out of fabric, let me show you this.
It used to be that all three shelves were full and I couldn’t fit those green boxes on there. I’m excited to have it at this level because it means that those green project boxes are off the corner of my cutting table, and onto the shelves so I have more room to spread out on the cutting table. This picture does not include my novelty drawer, holiday fabric, or batiks. Each of those live in a plastic drawer unit next to this shelf. On the whole, I’m glad I’ve reduced my hunter greens down to half a stack, but feel like I need a little more aqua and “regular” browns (which I’ll need for my parents’ quilt next year anyway), and some more yellows and regular reds. However, I don’t know if I don’t use those colors because I don’t have them, or if I don’t have those colors because I don’t use them. It’s a real chicken and egg question!
Sunday Stash - Expo-nential
A bit of intake this week with the Sewing & Quilt Expo in town; I picked up some yellows and oranges to balance out the coolness in my stash. I also needed some bright reds for the Miss Jingle quilt so I stopped by Tiny Stitches on Saturday for a little stash building as well (hi Melinda!). That should be it for a while since I’ve got what I need to finish the Scrappy Swoon, the Labryinth, and some other projects.
Side note: I’m not counting the fashion fabric I got for 2 jackets since it’s not quilting related.
- Used this Week: 9 yards
- 4 yd for Greener Pastures
- 3.5 yd for Click Strips
- 1.5 yd for machine cover
- Used year to Date: 81.25 yards
- Added this Week: 7.5 yards
- 4 yd of yellows and oranges
- 2.5 yd of reds
- 1 yd of lavender for a commision diaper bag
- Net Used for 2013: 22.75 yards
- YTD Used for Charity: 54 yards (66% of total used)
See more stash reports at Patchwork Times!
Sunday Stash - In Deep
Oh dear. The Super Bolt Sale at Tiny Stitches did me in this week. I am in the hole, but I’m okay with that, because there’s nothing like RED NUMBERS to get you motivated to stitch. Here’s a picture of my haul - 3 pieces of wide backing, 3 different pinks, a fun turquiosey blue print, a popcorn print, a MASSIVE length of white on white animals from the Brown Bear line with Eric Carle shapes, and EVEN MORE lime green with a white vein stripe. I also got a pre-cut of Honey, Honey by Kate Spain - don’t know what it’s called, but it’s 20 5″ WOF from the line, rolled up like a jelly roll.
Technically this is a two week report since I forgot last week, and only used a 1/4 yard for Bloomer’s owl last week, but that doesn’t really make the numbers better.
- Used this Week: 7 yards
- 0.25 yd for Bloomer’s owl
- 2.25 yd for 3 nap mats
- 1.25 yd for machine mats gifts for Facebook Pay it Forward
- 0.75 for giveaway zip pouches
- 2.75 for Rainbow 16 Baby Quilt (for Project Linus)
- Used year to Date: 34.75 yards
- Added this Week: 31.75 yards
- 1.75 of Sew Stitchy for a sewing machine cover (charm pack and yardage)
- 30 yards from the Super Bolt sale
- Net Used for 2012: 7.25 yards
- YTD Used for Charity: 19 yards (55% of total used)
See more stash reports at Patchwork Times!
State of the Stash
Since we are in the middle of finishing my new cutting table, I thought it made sense to do a State of the Stash/Sewing Room. It also dovetails nicely into the Moda Bake Shop “Show Off Your Stash” linky. So, after taking in 20 yards, giving away 34 yards, and using up another 17 yards from that last yardage intake, where do I stand?
This is the bulk of my stash - my tonals or fabrics that have a primary color that are half yard or more in size. This is a hutch top that sits on top of some filing cabinets since my sewing room is also my home office. See what I mean about having a lot of greens, but not so much pinks?
Moving slightly to the right is a plastic drawer unit that contains “specialty” fabric. My batiks, both yardage and FQs are in the top. I’ve got a drawer of novelty fabric - some kid friendly prints in cuts not quite big enough to turn into pillowcases. Then there is the “holiday” drawer, which is mostly Christmas but also some Halloween. On the top there is the leftover fabric from our guild’s Habitat fabric challenge from Free Spirit - we haven’t quite figured out what to do with the leftovers, so it keeps shuffling around my sewing room.
And then another step to the right we have fat quarters, charm packs, and my 4-patches from leaders and enders.
The fat quarters used to fit inside that wood shelf at the top, but they grew and grew and now they have to live in that basket.
That basket which used to hold my batting scraps, which now live inside a small trunk that used to hold the kids’ Thomas the Tank Engine wooden track, which we just sold at a consignment sale.
Prepare yourself to turn around. It’s not pretty.
This is my current cutting table - the kind you get from Jo-Ann’s where the sides fold down. The cutting table itself is fine, but the way the legs are mean that storage underneath is a disaster.
We’re in the middle of building a new cutting table for me using some pre-made kitchen cabinets and some other specialty bits we’re constructing, but I wanted to show a “before” picture so you can appreciate the “after” picture when it’s done.
Also, those princess mats are foam mats meant for a game of Hopscotch I picked up at the consignment sale for $2. They really help alleviate leg fatigue if you’re standing a long time, and $2 for barely used ones is much better than paying for regular foam mats, and gives my daughter something fun to play with if she’s hanging out with me while I sew.