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It’s been a crazy busy week. I didn’t get much sewing time, but I did get another 1/2 yard out from the never ending sewing room declutter. I may be decluttering that room for the rest of my life because there is So. Much. Stuff.

My Guild had their annual fabric sale yesterday. I didn’t enter the sale area until a lot of people were finished shopping. I didn’t really want to buy fabric, but I did want to support the Guild. First I looked at panels, but there weren’t many left. Then I ...

I spent a couple days in Amish country this week but didn’t buy any fabric. We went to several quilt shops. I came close to buying in the last shop, but I have so much already that I haven’t found time to make. It didn’t feel like a good choice to buy more.

Another .75 yards out in the never ending declutter.

Quilting continues on Remember Me, although slowly. There’s been a lot going on in May and I haven’t spent much time with my sewing machine.

June will be a quieter month, or so ...

No fabric in, another half yard out through the declutter. I hope to wrap up the declutter this month.

The only finish this week was the stitching on Gardener’s Angel of Spring.

I love the result, but I didn’t enjoy stitching this as much as I thought I would. Backstitch doesn’t bother me, although I know some people hate it. I can’t seem to put my finger on what I didn’t care for.

This was my first venture into the world of variegated overdyed floss. The pattern called for Weeks Dye Works, and that’s ...

My OMG was to make a hollyhock wall hanging for the outgoing president of the Zion Woman's Club. Hollyhocks are the club flower.  I bought the pattern from Ladybug's Cabin Creations.  It was fiddly to make but the instructions were very clear.   All batiks from my stash.

I'll present it at the ZWC luncheon next week.

Stash report for April:  

Fabric in 76 yards, $110, average $1.44/yard.

Fabric out: 58-1/4 yards.

YTD in: 580-1/2 yards, $955 ...

No fabric in, but more out as part of the sewing room declutter.

My art quilt group met this week and decided to stop passing the challenge quilts through summer. With time to work on whatever I want, I pulled out Gather and Give Thanks to decide how to finish it.

When I stitched it, I saw it finishing as a pillow. Just for fun I auditioned it with a couple frames and found one I really liked. I’ll save the pillow idea for another project.

I also resumed quilting Remember Me, but that will take a while to ...

No fabric in this week.

I finished the April Challenge quilt, named Freeze Frame, for .75 yards out and more went out from the declutter progress.

The next task on the quilt list is labelling a quilt I entered in a show. I believe a label is required, although I did write the quilt info on the back in permanent marker.

Once that’s done, it’s back to quilting Remember Me.

Fabric In: .33 yards

Fabric out: 13.125 yards

Net Fabric Used: 12.795 yards

How did you do this week?

No fabric in this week and a half yard out from the declutter challenge. I’m still working through my scrap containers. I finished green and yellow/brown/orange and started on red/pink.

I’m also working on quilting the challenge piece. I haven’t come up with a name yet, but I will finish the quilting soon.

Once I finish this quilt, it’s back to quilting Remember Me.

Fabric In: .33 yards

Fabric out: 11.875 yards

Net Fabric Used: 11.545 yards

How did you do this week?

No fabric in this week. Another half yard out as part of the declutter challenge.

I’m on the last declutter category, scraps. I have some other categories I tacked on the end to cover things unique to my sewing room. I’ll work on those after scraps.

Both my quilting and embroidery projects are moving forward, but nothing looks significantly different from Friday’s post.

Fabric In: .33 yards

Fabric out: 11.375 yards

Net Fabric Used: 11.045 yards

How did you do this week?

The showers held off each afternoon so I could get good walks -- the state park, a forest preserve, and the nature trail at the end of our block.  

A beaver-chewed tree (one of many along that stretch), a beaver lodge, and horsetails.   

Easter was pleasant. Stevens was able to come to church with me!   I bought a 4-1/2 lb lamb roast. I rubbed it with a mixture of chopped garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil. It was wonderful and we ...

No fabric in this week.

Some fabric out as part of the ongoing sewing room declutter. I haven’t finished going through my fabric, and I still have to go through my scraps. I expect more will go before I’m done.

I’m working on the next challenge quilt. I wanted a background of either aqua or aqua green, but had neither in my stash. Hard to believe any color is missing, but there it is. Instead of shopping to find something, I decided to paint white fabric.

I layered turquoise paint over green airbrush ink because I didn ...

I had my first fabric in for the year, a small piece of black Moda Marble I picked up at the thrift.

I finished the candlemat for some fabric out, plus I used a fat quarter for the Spring Angel.

I also picked up a couple patterns from the free table at Guild. I’m proud to have come home with so little after the Guild meeting and stops at a few thrift stores. It could have been a lot worse.

Fabric In: .33 yards

Fabric out: 4.875 yards

Net Fabric Used: 4.545 yards

How did you do ...

No fabric in this week.

I used a little fabric making padded liners for glass jewelry boxes for a co-worker. She inherited some small china pieces from a friend and wanted to display them. I forgot to take pictures.

I worked on every project I have going this week, at least a little. I started tracing the Spring Angel, with a goal of prepping it before I finish the candle mat. I love Crab-apple Hill Designs, but the tracing takes some time. It’s been overcast and rainy here, which didn’t help.

The sewing room declutter continues. I’m ...

I had a productive week in the sewing room.

I finished Trinidad for almost three yards out.

I learned a lot making this quilt. I’ve never done a landscape quilt from a photo before. If I do it again I will do things differently and save myself some time and grief. Thanks to Laura for giving me permission to use her picture.

In the sewing room declutter, I sorted through all my UFO and orphan projects. I found a lot of fabric in the UFO bins that didn’t go with the projects. I re-stashed some and other pieces ...

No change in the numbers.

I met my January OMG but never posted it. I didn’t post the February Short list either. I’m keeping the February list small because it’s a short month and I’m going for finishes.

Project 1 (stitching): Gather & Give Thanks, pattern by Diane Arthurs of Imaginating. I have a few stitches and a little outlining left in the lower right corner.

Project 2 (Original): Trinidad. It’s basted for quilting. I was watching a Craftsy class while I basted and put in way too many pins. Guess I won’t do that ...

No change in the numbers.

The same projects are still in process. I sewed down everything on Trinidad I plan to sew. Next I need to clean up the top before I baste it.

The sewing room declutter continues. I believe I’ve found all the patterns and hope to finish sorting them this week. My recycling bin overfloweth. I expect the next few categories to take less time, but I thought that about patterns.

Fabric In: 0 yards

Fabric out: 1 yard

Net Fabric Used: 1 yard

How did you do this week?

I took advantage of the sunshine Monday and had a good long walk at Lyons Woods Forest Preserve.  It was great to get back on the trail.

Yellow:  willow.  Green:  Japanese roses.  Red:  dogwood.

# # # # # 

With a fifth Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this seems to be a bonus week, doesn't it?  January seemed to pass quickly, though.  

January OMG:  wonky log cabin, made out of neckties, for the MQG Mini Swap.  I sent it off mid-month.

No change in the numbers.

Work continues on Trinidad, sewing down all the tree bits. I won’t post another picture until I start quilting. The stitching doesn’t show, and the top looks the same.

Work also continues on the sewing room declutter. I found more magazines and sorted through those. Now I’m working on patterns. I thought I’d get through them quickly because I rarely buy them. But I am gifted patterns, have printed patterns and picked several up from the free table at Guild. Like the magazines, they were everywhere.

This is the current working ...

No change in the numbers.

The nameless tree quilt has a name now. I decided to name it Trinidad for the place where Laura took the picture. Every time I look at it I hear the old Eddy Money song play in my head, but I can live with that.

I finished adding motifs to the top and started sewing down the bits.

I hope to start quilting it in the next few weeks.

Fabric In: 0 yards

Fabric out: 1 yard

Net Fabric Used: 1 yard

How did you do this week?

No fabric in this week.

I made a pillowcase for a yard out. It will go to a local charity.

The sewing room declutter continues. I went through all my shelved magazines, although I’m certain I have some tucked away in other places. I didn’t keep an accurate count, but I think I got rid of more than 50. Scary, given how many I have left. I’m moving on but can see eliminating more next year.

Fabric In: 0 yards

Fabric out: 1 yard

Net Fabric Used: 1 yard

How did you do this week?