Last Sunday in 2018 Stitches

Hi Everyone.
I missed posting last week. I did stitch everyday which is why I didn't post. I was EXHAUSTED! I think I slept most of the next 2 days. Its a blur now. I sewed until 5 minutes before my family came over for Christmas. I still owe 2 gifts. I did run out and get them gifts on Monday but its not the same. I just knew I was not going to get theirs done. I really did get a very early start on gifts this year but life interfered so many times that I am surprised at what I did accomplish.

I left the hardest gift making for last. As a matter of fact, the very last stitch on my daughters handbag killed my Janome. It hit a very big seam on the gusset. It should have been 6 layers but with the strap being off a bit, the needle hit 12 layers. Bent the needle and blew the fuse. I thought I bent the shaft but after researching it seems to only be the fuse. I took it to sewing machine spa. Hopefully the timing is not off. I had to pull out my class Janome and finished that last seam after cutting out as much layers as I could manage and still have the integrity of the bag.



The other handbag was done just before the one above. It gave me fits. Next time I decide to use a fabric with a strip shoot me. It is a very minor strip but lining it up to put in the zipper closure took me 2 hours and ripping it out 3x.

I was adding ribbon to a dress I made for my granddaughter just before the family got here. I thought I had other ribbon but I made do. I wanted to make her a fancy dress but that will have to wait for another day. 

It is to big but she loved it, that's all the matter. She did a lot of spinning in it! 

As for 2019, I decided that I will still track my daily sewing but not report the fabric in and out. I also decided that selecting a monthly goal was making me NOT want to do it until the last day of that month. Why? I have no idea. It felt like a punishment or something silly like that. 

I have retreat coming up in February. Hopefully I will get a few UFO tops to quilted status. I can dream!!!! LOL!!!

  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 52        7 of 6 days

2018 Total         291 of 363 days

Percentage of days sewn 76%  

Link to Stash Report Quilt paint create December 30, 2018

Link to Stitching report Life in Pieces December 30, 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! See you in 2019!

Aileen in FL

It's my birthday! Stitch and stash 12-15-18

Happy week before Christmas. This is a hectic time for all of us. Yesterday was my birthday. I sewed, and sewed, and sewed until my hands could not sew anymore. The kids came over about suppertime to celebrate Grandmas old age. Ha Ha! I was given handmade gifts. What could be better. I love them all.

We had homemade cake. It was the best cake I ever had. Carri used boxed cake but put brownies in it. Oh my goodness, it was just unbelievably delicious!

My sewing room is quite the mess right now but here is a picture of my gifts.

 Carri painted this sunflower. It brought back memories of visiting my aunt in Queens, NY when I was about 6. I felt like I stepped into OZ! She had one lone sunflower! I had never seen such a large flower before.  She lived next to a nunnery. I had to climb the wall and peak over to see what it looked like. There was a very pretty garden. I lived in the Bronx. No trees or gardens. It was magical.

Amber made the "When life gives you Scraps make a quilt".

The background is my actual scrap fabrics. So Cool.

Raina made all the hearts! They all came out so lovely. Great job Raina!

My mom loved her fabric napkins. Not sure about the pot holders

I was able to get 90% of Carris handbag done, then my hands gave out and so did my brain. Stabbed myself with the seam ripper, bit my tongue, slammed my toe. DONE!

Today I finished 2 pouches for my grandson to give his teachers. They go the extra mile with him. He is on the spectrum and they talk him into a calm state quite often.


Going forward I will report the Fifteen minutes to stitch but not the fabric usage. Following my fabric usage didn't stop me from buying more or less fabric. It didn't make me use my stash. So I am retiring that idea to simplify my blog.

  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 50        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         277 of 349 days

Percentage of days sewn 79%  

Link to Stash Report Quilt paint create December 16, 2018

Link to Stitching report Life in Pieces December 16, 2018

Happy Sewing! Happy Holidays!!!

Aileen in FL

The race is on Stitch and Stash 12/11/18

It is really Tuesday 12/12/18. I have been sewing and sewing. I realized on Saturday that I had to make the things that needed to mailed next.

With all the snow everywhere, things may get there late.
I cut out multiple things for my daughter in Seattle and finally ironed my mothers napkins. I also made her 2 thumb/finger potholders. Very cute.

Today I finished those things, boxed them and my daughter came and took them off to the post office for me.  Thank you Amber! Now I am so confused as to what I have left to sew. I decided that I would wrap gifts tonight and make a spreadsheet. You forget what you have done when you start Holiday sewing in August. Also, I seem to have misplace a few things when I hid them quickly after getting a surprise visit for the grands!

Stash Report   Week 49 2018

Fabric used this week: 10 yard   

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards   

Fabric Added Year to Date: 97 yards 

Net used for 2018: 89 yards
      GOAL for Year - 62 yards !!  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 49        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         270 of 342 days

Percentage of days sewn 79%  

Link to Stash Report Quilt paint create December 11, 2018

Link to Stitching report Life in Pieces December 11, 2018

Happy Sewing! 

Aileen in FL

December already. Stitch and Stash 12-2-18

Oh my. I am way behind in sewing. I have been sick this whole week. I think the neighbors can hear me coughing up a storm. It is a pretty bad cough. Often have to run to the loo so as not to have an accident!  Not fun. There are 6 of us sick. 4 grandkids, my daughter and me. I feel bad for my daughter, her husband was away all weekend, so she couldn't get a minute to herself.

Well I did try to sew a bit. I made a few pouches, a finger potholder, and cut out a handbag. I had to be very careful, as the sneezing fits could have cost me a finger or two!

I did manage to finish a hat and scarf to donate to kids in a local school.

I have NOT started Bonnie Hunters "Good Fortune" mystery. I have too much to catch up with right now.

Stash Report   Week 48 2018

Fabric used this week: 4 yard   

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards   

Fabric Added Year to Date: 97 yards 

Net used for 2018: 79 yards
      GOAL for Year - 62 yards !!  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 48        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         263 of 335 days

Percentage of days sewn 78%  

Link to Stash Report Quilt paint create December 2 2018

Link to Stitching report Life in Pieces December 2, 2018

Happy Sewing! 

Aileen in FL

Organize & Sew Stitch & Stash 11-25-18

Happy Thanksgiving and crazy shopping week. As a former retail manager, you would have to beat me with a 2x4 and drag me kicking and screaming into a mall, strip mall, even a grocery store this week. Not going to happen! I did not go "shopping" this week. I have made a few purchases on the web in the past few weeks. Mostly I have been sewing and organizing my sewing room.

I dedicated yesterday to sewing room clean up and pattern cutting. I cleaned up tubs that I had used to set aside sewing that I didn't have time to finish. There were a lot of..."so that's where I put that" moments! I found things I started in June before I left for Seattle, crumb blocks, piece tops for art quilts, regular and serger thread I purchased but couldn't find, purchased patterns, old patterns from charity sewing, left over binding, several hand drafted patterns for clothing and blocks. Six hours later about 90% of the sewing was organized, fabric put away in the stash, in scrap binds, and in the to do tub on the sewing machine counter. Now I will be able to sew more productively.

This week will be pouches and handbags. The hangbag prep takes forever!    So today will be dedicated to fusing interfacing to fabric for these bags.

I did finish the charity quilt that had been sitting on a tub for 3 weeks. It was one of the quilt tops that someone else did. We had bundled up kits so all you had to do is sandwich them and get cracking. We found that some like to do the piecing, other prefer the quilting, and yet others prefer to bind and hand stitch the binding down. The kits were set up so that longarmers could take the big ones and domestic sewing machine sewers could take the smaller quilts to finish. We had a November 15 deadline to complete and turn them in. The Charity Sew Group had a 350 quilt goal. Last count we were at 325. I will get the total in a couple days when the labels are attached to the quilts. It ain't done till the labels on!

I am on the fence about starting Bonnie Hunters Mystery "Good Fortune". I may do it as leaders and enders. In my quest to clean my sewing room, I found a tub of fabric I had set aside to do Grand Illusion. I never did this one. I was glad that I didn't because it was not my taste. However I think I may use those colors to do this mystery. I will take a look at what is in the tub and see if I need to change any of  the color choices.

Stash Report   Week 47 2018

Fabric used this week: 0 yard   

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards   

Fabric Added Year to Date: 97 yards 

Net used for 2018: 75 yards
      GOAL for Year - 62 yards !!  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 47        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         254 of 328 days

Percentage of days sewn 77%  

Link to Stash Report Quilt paint create November 25, 2018

Link to Stitching report Life in Pieces November 25, 2018

Happy Sewing! 

Aileen in FL

Just passing through Stitch & Stash 11-18-18

Well I did manage to finish my SIL's quilt. I forgot to take a picture of it finished. It was weighing me down. I wanted it out of my house so I could work on Christmas gifts. Robin came on Friday to take me to lunch and pick up the quilt. We had a fun time and she loved the quilt. 

Only thing missing is the label. I am working on that. Trying to find out what is the best jet ink fabric product that I can use to make that label. Anyone of you that has a favorite, please let me know.

Raina slept over. We watch a little TV and read 4 books. She fell asleep during the last book. In the middle of the night I just happen to look at her just as she was rolling off the bed. Thunk! OMG I couldn't catch her! She was alright. In the morning she did not remember falling out of bed. The funny thing was, the rest of the night she kept an arm on me. I woke up with a bruise on my arm...old people and blood thinner...what can I say.

She is a very bouncy girl. Singing all the time. We sewed a little bit but she got bored. Instead she took my smallest sharpest thread scissors and cut out faces from novelty fabric. She was in heaven!

This week I will be working on bags and zipper pouches!
Fun stuff at last!!! Maybe a couple of Christmas stockings!

Stash Report   Week 46 2018

Fabric used this week: 1 yard   

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards   

Fabric Added Year to Date: 97 yards 

Net used for 2018: 75 yards
      GOAL for Year - 62 yards !!  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 46        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         247 of 321 days

Percentage of days sewn 77%  

Link to Stash Report Quilt paint create November 18, 2018

Link to Stitching report Life in Pieces November 18, 2018

Happy Sewing! 

Aileen in FL

Holy Moly Stash and Stitch 11-11-18

I have been quilting and quilting my sister in laws quilt. So far I have quilted for 12+ hours on it. The fabrics that were used in this quilt are from the 1980's. More then half of them are poly blend and the rest calico, shirting, and unknown. There is 35 years of dust in this quilt. I have a sore throat, my glands are swollen and have a headache since I started quilting it 5 days ago. Even my nose runs when I work on it. May be coincidence but I doubt it. This quilt was in a house fire. It was not touched by the fire but I am thinking maybe some of the chemicals firemen use to put out fires may be present. It was stored in a office supply box for years. Though I don't see anything on the box or on the quilt, I feel worse when I work on it.

It was necessary to do some repairs to a few spots in the sashing where the fabric was shredding away from the seam. The border had to be cut down 1 1/2 inches because in several places the batting was missing or backing fabric was torn. Also the poly batting looked grey, dirty, and dingy.  I am up to the binding. I am going to finish it today. I made 480 inches of binding. More than enough to go around the quilt.


Other than the quilt, I worked on a zip pouch with clear plastic front. It is not finished. I ran out of time. I didn't want to re-thread my machine to do the last 4 seams. I will save that as a reward for finishing SIL's quilt.

Stash Report   Week 45 2018

Fabric used this week: 1 yard   

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards   

Fabric Added Year to Date: 97 yards 

Net used for 2018: 74 yards
      GOAL for Year - 62 yards !!  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 45        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         240 of 314 days

Percentage of days sewn 77%  

Link to Stash Report Quilt paint create November 11, 2018

Link to Stitching report Life in Pieces November 11, 2018

Happy Sewing! 

Aileen in FL

Overwhelmed Stash and stitch 11-4-18

This week is a blur! Ha Ha.
First 2 days was dedicated to our guild newsletter. Some ladies sent their articles very late. Not amused! LOL!

I went to the gym 5 times this week, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Total was little over 7 hours. In between Monday and Saturday I sewed, attended Halloween parade at elementary school, took the boys to Tiny Tots at the recreation center for an hour, to wear them out. I also babysat so my daughter could go to the gym twice in the afternoon instead of at night. Also spend one day with AAA having a car towed to be fixed. Then towed back because the dealer could not fix it. UGH! Wasted of several hours and much stress.

Friday was my big sew day. I started working on my sister in laws quilt that was started 35 years ago with her mom. Her mother passed away 25 years ago. She just couldn't finish it and asked if I would. I told her yes but with the stipulation that I do not hand quilt, only by machine. She accepted. I stalled as long as I dared. She wants to give it to her daughter for Christmas.  I just felt so badly that I was going to machine quilt it. After consulting with several of you, I feel okay to proceed. Done is better than not done and in a box for another 35 years. This quilt is 120" x 120" with 35 year old poly batting. It survived a house fire. Didn't even smell like smoke when they found it on the basements steps, right where it had sat, untouched for over a decade.

I have been working on the borders. SIL started sewing them in an angle. So I continued it. I have to break thread on every row. After 4 hours, I only have two sides done. I hope the middle goes faster. Everything is stitched in triangles and squares, so more thread breaks. I am hoping if I sew on it 1-2 hours a day it will get done soon. I still have all my Christmas gifts to make. Sigh...

Stash Report   Week 44 2018

Fabric used this week: 2 yard   

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards   

Fabric Added Year to Date: 97 yards 

Net used for 2018: 73 yards
      GOAL for Year - 62 yards !!  

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 44        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         233 of 307 days

Percentage of days sewn 76%  

Link to Stash Report November 4, 2018

Link to Stitching report November 4, 2018

Happy Sewing! 

Aileen in FL

Catching up. Sitcth and Stash 10-28-18

It is the last Sunday in October. How did that happen?

I had a very busy week. Many doctor appointments, gym class and taking the kids to the park. I did manage to sew. Most of my sewing was today. I finished everything that has been laying around on my work space. Elastic in 6 pairs of pajama shorts, red shorts for Raina, 8 fabric napkins that I sewed 2 months ago. Today I turned them right side out and finished the stitching. They are the shape of a half moon. You have to fold it in 4ths. You can then set the table with the flatware sticking out of the top or turn them point side up and they resemble trees.

8 Fabric Napkins. Just have to iron them!

The tan one is for the Guild Boutique (set of 6) 

6 Pajama Shorts!

Raina's shorts made from a $2.00 T-shirt from Michael's!

I put my label on the outside so it doesn't bother her and also so she knows which side it the back. Her mother says she is acting like the Princess and the Pea with all her clothing. So far what I have made her has passed inspection! LOL!!! 

Stash Report   Week 43 2018

Fabric used this week: 0 yard   

Fabric Added this week: 0 yards   

Fabric Added Year to Date: 97 yards 

Net used for 2018: 71 yards
      GOAL for Year - 60 yards !!  Reached Goal!!!!!  

New Goal for 2018 - 85 yard!

15 Minute Challenge:  

Week 43        7 of 7 days

2018 Total         226 of 300 days

Percentage of days sewn 75%  

Link to Stash Report October 28, 2018

Link to Stitching report October 28, 2018

Happy Sewing! 

Aileen in FL