Re-discovering the Stash Continues

I have managed to clear 3 shelves well actually 4 because my black and whites have moved off to another cupboard.  The bottom shelf of this cupboard is filled with florals and a huge box of UFO that I will tackle last.  I have a garbage bag full of all my fabric that I don't see myself using which I will be giving to someone, probably a group that makes charity quilts.  I will have to sort the bag a bit better as it has all just been chucked in.

I have a crate filled with quilt and bag kits, which I will just leave for a bit and find a new home for.

Last night I started on my Pat Sloan shelf and rediscovered just about every range that Pat has produced starting with Old Blooms.  There is a heap of Chelsea Lane which I just love with the big daisies and the backgrounds that look like velvet, yum.  And I might add I have lots of big pieces 2 - 3m some of them, I was obviously going to make a big quilt with those.

Just looked again this morning and I have a couple of other shelves with tubs filled with more fabric (Thimbleberries and Prim stuff) so they will be next after Pat Sloan and another shelf of kits.  So I think I was probably being optimistic about getting my stash in one cupboard but at least it is getting there and I don't have any fabric piles residing on the floor.   I am tripping over all the empty tubs though lol.

My Creative Space....

This weeks creative space finds me finally binding Bee Inspired.  This afternoon hopefully I can start on the pattern writing.  But this morning I am heading to the sewing room for more stash re-organisation.  

Forgot to add

For more lovely creative spaces, check out the list on Kootoyoo!

Its Finished - well nearly

Here is the quilt all neatly folded ready to go to sewing today to sew on the binding.  I still may go back and quilt some of the applique pieces that need anchoring down but all the background is done and the binding is attached.

Then all I need to do is write the pattern... Watch this space.

Discovering the Hidden Stash

Thursday was all planned quilt for 2 hours then start working on QFD August project.  The 2 hours of quilting work out well and there has been another hour since, so only one and a bit borders of the quilt to go yeah.

But the project hasn't had any headway.  For months I have been struggling with the mess that is the sewing room, I have probably complained a bit on the blog.  Tripping over boxes of projects and added stash I wouldn't know what is there and there is heaps of it.  So in inspired by Cabbage Quilts I have set about ordering my stash.

For years the stash has sort of been stored in tubs which at the beginning looked nice and neat from the outside until the tubs got filled and they ended just being stuffed in any which way and then it all sort of spilled out onto the floor space.  So the tubs have got to go.  I have done two shelves the plan is to have a RED, BLUE and YELLOW shelf.

I have managed to get 2 of the tubs from the floor into the shelves already so apart from the fact I have a gazillion empty tubs now I feel it is coming together and I might even get my whole stash in one cupboard (fingers crossed).  I will have to try and avoid keeping ranges together which has been my downfall in the past.  Pat Sloan fabric is going to go into the main stash as well as Laurel Burch.

As I was going through the bits I discovered so much fabric that I forgot I had.  When I first started quilting I only bought small amounts so there are heaps of Fat Eights which I wouldn't even consider now but they will be great for applique or scrap quilts.

I have a few more hours of folding and ironing to go but I think I will get back to loving the sewing room and I will probably have a pile of giveaway fabrics on the floor (I have already filled one tub with those.  So stay tuned.

My Creative Space

Are you sick of seeing this quilt, well I am pretty much sick of quilting it.  I haven't really done much work on it for a few days.  Today I am going to dedicate 2 hours to it, from 9.30 it will be head down bum up for two hours.

Then I need to get moving of the next project which is my August tutorial for QFD, just hope I have enough fabric the design has changed a bit and it is going to be bigger than I first planned.

Quilting Quilting Quilting

Still wasn't feeling the best yesterday, so apart from a trip to the shops for a birthday pressie for a party Squid will go to tomorrow that was pretty much it for me and I headed to the sewing room for some quiet time with the quilt.

Two weeks ago I ended up unpicking half a border of quilting as it was looking the way it should in my head.  I was doing the bees free hand and trying to keep it all continuous and they just weren't working out.  I decided to try freezer paper templates to keep the shapes, though not uniform more or less looking like my bees... and it is working. Although I am not too bothered if my shape isn't exactly like the freezer paper template they are all looking like bees.  The freezer paper is good for a couple of goes.  I started out with six templates and they lasted about 4 times before I had to start again.  Now I have ten going so that should last me most of the borders.  I managed to complete the top left hand corner half way across and down.  Finally the end is in sight.

My machine has been a bit clunky and the tension hasn't been holding, I noticed at a bobbin change that there was some fluffy in the bobbin area.  I debated about doing a quick clean or doing the full works and jerks for a couple of seconds... I only had half and hour before I had to go and pick the kids up from Nan's... Oh just do it properly... won out.  This is what I found when I lifted the throat plate, glad I popped the lid for a looksee.

A couple of minutes to clean this out and a good oil around the bobbin case and I was good to go.  It sounds like it has just been serviced, nice and quiet again and the tension is staying where it is put.  

Yesterday was also a fantastic mail day.  Got my beret pattern from Nikki  and my order of all the Cosmo thread in their collection from Crabapple Hill Studio, 91 in all.  So although today I still feel blah there is lots to be excited about if I can raise the energy.

MIA

The blogging has been a bit light the last couple of weeks.  Can't say that much has been achieved in the craft department.  It is school holidays and I have playing tag with the hubby being the entertainment committee.  This week hasn't been helped much as we have had to stay available waiting for tradies (and waiting, and waiting) well one trady an electrician to connect up our new roller shutter, tomorrow at 7am apparently.

Decided to head to the Dr this afternoon as I have been feeling the best since being hit by a migraine on Tuesday night, the diagnosis Sinus Infection.

On the way home from work today I called in to Hetties to pick up this lovely bundle which I had put away for me last week.  I wanted to wait until I knew what I was going to do with it and I used the opportunity to have a play with EQ7 and designed a quilt to go with them.  First I downloading the fabric swatches from the internet then modifying them to use in EQ and then designing the quilt.  The colours are really me and I know that they will go with lots of fabrics in my stash so I will being definitely mixing a matching with my stash.

Day in the Hills

This is our day yesterday.  Firstly we went to Mt Lofty..... bloody freezing.... but great view even though it was very overcast.  

The creature being brave isn't a rat it is a bandicoot.   I heard rustling in the bushes and I was very surprised that it decided to come out and investigate us. I just had to try and stop the kids from making sudden moves and that sent him back to the bushes, but he kept coming out and we got heaps of photo's.  Don't know if he was hoping for some food, judging by his nose which was almost mole like I assume he eats bugs in the dirt. The crows were just as friendly. 

This is at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens.  We then headed to Waterfall Gully to see if the water was flowing and it was.  

Youth

Snappy Friends Challenge

Can you hear that........

Its silence.... It is nearly 8.30 am and the tv is not on the kids aren't squabbling and someone hasn't made a rude comment about me being on the computer at this hour.  Its school holidays its my day off and the kids are at Nan's and hubby's gone to work.  It is so nice a peaceful.  I was going to race around this morning and do some housework but that doesn't seem so appealing now.

I have my biannual glaucoma test this morning (runs in the family so I have to have the test) so I will have to get off my butt soon.  I get the feeling I am going to need glasses soon I have trouble seeing to stitch at night now if the light isn't really bright but I think I should be ok this time but probably next check up they will be needed.  I remember my mum put it off until her arms weren't long enough anymore when she was 48, but she didn't do a lot of close handwork like I do.

Better go off to check what is the next project in Christmas in July.

The wash up of this is I did need glasses for close up work, and it won't be long and I will need them for driving at night (which was a major shock).  Can you guess what coloured glasses I chose.   We were looking at all these frames and the women kept giving me black frames and I said that pink was more my style, so she picked pale pink, and then she was looking at the shape of another pair and she said "these are a nice shape but probably too pink."  I turned to her and said "There is no such thing." And they were perfect Hot Pink Specks.