Our weather is changing starting on Monday. It's not rain, it's summer blazing away. We have 90s forecasted for the whole week. Next Sunday it is supposed to be 99°. And that doesn't include the feels-like temp. I figure my basement studio is going to be the place to stay cool all week. I should get a lot done if I actually sew instead of reading. So what will I be doing down there? Wait a minute -- what did I do this past week?
6/10/24
✅Bind my 3 yd quilt — finished.
✅Make 1 or ✔️2 more placemats — done using a new method.
✅Sew the top and bottom section of Picket Star — done; it moved to the ‘to be quilted closet’.
✅Pin baste seaside picture and start quilting — all green trees and bushes are finished.
Here are the front and back of the two placemats I made. I used a different method that I found on You Tube. If that link doesn't work it is called Quick and Easy Placemats and Napkins by Jordan Fabrics. I was happy to use this pretty spring flowers fabric. Now to figure out what to do with the small pieces still left.
I was able to get a lot more done than what was on my goal list. Pat and I finally got around to recovering my big board. I decided to pick a bright pretty fabric this time. 
Here's what I hope to do this coming week. I've got several things going on away from home this week so I'm hoping I can get through my list. Here's what's on it.
6/17/24
Make 2 more placemats
Quilt a bit more on the seaside picture
Bind string quilt
Lay out the blue blocks from FCQ EQuilters and sew into top
Finish the inner and outer border on the stars quilt
Because I had finished all of my goals for the past week, I decided it was time to quilt another top in my 'to be quilted' closet. I picked a smaller quilt to do as I wanted to get it done in one day. The perfect choice was a string quilt. It needed only 1 width of fabric. And, once I got it loaded and started it took less than 5 minutes to quilt each row.
It was a string quilt. I look at the fabrics and think about where I acquired them and how I've used them through the years. I chose a simple stipple. Hopefully the leftover backing will be enough to bind it.
Do you keep track of fabric as it comes and goes from your stash? I've done that for many years. Then last year I decided not to. No, that wasn't fun. So this year I started keeping track again. But, I forget to figure out the amounts and post them. Oops! Here are two -- April and May.
2024 | Fabric In Month | Fabric In Year | Fabric Out Month | Fabric Out Year | Total In or Out Year |
April | 16.5 | 25.25 | 16.625 | 56.125 | 30.875 |
May | 14.5 | 39.75 | 11.25 | 67.375 | 27.625 |
W/ending 6/16 — 168 days in to 2024; that means we are currently 45.63% through the year.
- 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
- 15 minute days/June = 16/16 days
- 15 minute days/2024 = 161/168 days
- Success rate = 95.8%
He was a brave bunny. His friend hopped away when I came down the deck stairs and then sat on the bottom step to get a better close up pic. Do you have bunnies in your yard? We've also seen a few squirrels and a fox but most of the critters live in the woods behind the houses across the street.
I've been mostly indoors for just the same reason--high temps and me aren't friends! Thankful for A/C! The string quilt is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteAs I write our a/c is humming along. The weather map shows HOT from the midwest to the east coast. Funny how we think we have to complicate projects like placemats -- they don't all require patchwork, as your sample shows -- let a bright, bold print do the work!
ReplyDeleteDon't get me started on bunnies...my pea plants are gone-they ate them right down to the ground, grrr. Too many bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks. You did awesome on your goals last week. Your string quilt is looking great.
ReplyDeleteI like that big ironing board - I wish I had room for something like that
ReplyDeleteDo you use freezer paper to protect the ironing surface further? It's a wonderful product and so easy to swap out when it gets dingy.
ReplyDeleteI ran across that fabric in one of the Size Reduction Therapy donated tops I took home a few months ago (too big to meet the Twin needs of the group with which I quilt). https://cbottsprojects.blogspot.com/2024/02/never-ending.html
I described it as "an eye-crossing celebration of color and dots", but from a distance it's quite nice, isn't it?
Hubby is trying gardening this year and is learning ways to coexist with all the rabbits and squirrels and jays that would be just as happy to dig up all his work as soon as his back is turned. Even with the sharing, we are awash in potatoes, acorn squash, and zucchini at the moment.
Carolyn
Your placemats are great. I think I need to start making the Meals on Wheels like yours!!
ReplyDeleteLots of bunnies in my neighborhood - fun to see, and they leave my plants alone. I don’t keep track of fabric and haven’t purchased any in quite a while. Congratulations on sewing 15 minutes nearly everyday this year! That’s impressive.
ReplyDeleteI do not see that many bunnies in my yard perhaps we have too many coyotes in the area. Yours is a cute fellow. Love your strippy quilt and your placemat is gorgeous. Have a lovely week and the best of luck on your To Do List.
ReplyDeleteYour ironing station looks awesome. Good luck on that To Do list. You're getting heat and we keep getting rain. Both are good excuses to just stay inside and sew.
ReplyDeleteThe flowered placemat is adorable. Love the fabric
ReplyDeleteI have some of that fabric you used for the ironing board cover, very colorful! Congrats on the great sewing room metrics for this year. It's not easy to keep your success rate in the 90's. Hope you've been able to stay cool as the summer temps have come along. I don't mind the heat, it's the humidity that kills me.
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