Color Track

I'm having a hard time keeping track of where I am in the 15 Minutes Play color challenge.  Here's my sanity check.

1.  Mauve
2.  Ochre
3.  Avocado
4.  Peach
5.  Bright Yellow
6.  Orange
7.  Dusty Blue
8.  Rust
9.  Tomato Red
10.  Grape
11.  Bubble Gum Pink
12.  Minty Green
13.  Aqua
14.  Maroon
15.  Lime Green
16.  Kelly Green

Quiet, but BUSY!

WOW, I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I've posted to my own blog :((

I have, however, been uber busy!!  I joined a group called 15 minutes play, and have been doing most of my posting there.  I just can't stay glued to the computer and ever get anything done.  The group owner, Victoria, is posting what started at 12 color challenges (and since has increased to 16) ~ every Wednesday we receive a new color.  This is about as "scrappy" as I can get.  I am currently 2 and 1/2 blocks behind schedule *sigh*.  Putting all of these blocks into one quilt will be as difficult for me as anything else that I've ever done!!!  I do realize that ALL colors are in nature, but it isn't in MY nature to use them all in one quilt.  Having said that, I am very determined to finish this quilt, and I will.  Will.  WILL.  Use all the blocks and all the colors challenged.  I figure some of my least favorite colors will make it to the back of the quilt.  The 15 minutes play is "making fabric".  I would liken that strongly to crazy piecing.  It's GREAT fun!!  Part of the challenge is to add color pops.  At this point we have done peach, mauve, ochre, avocado, dusty blue, orange, yellow and rust.  I'm missing the dusty blue (about 1/2 way done), yellow and rust.  Seems the faster I go, the further behind I get *sigh*.

Anyway, without further ado..... here are some of my blocks!  I hope you enjoy the view and are inspired to visit her blog.  Great stuff going on there!!! 

Orange:

Peach, which my laddie would call shrrrrimp:

Mauve:                                                                             

                                                          
                                                         Ochre:                

Avocado!:

Can ya tell that I am enamoured with Avocado??  I think this is my favorite block so far, and can so easily see a totally green quilt in my future.  Of course that means I need to live to be at least 100 or maybe in 150 to complete all the quilts that are in my minds eye.  I just keep adding them to the list and rearranging priorities.  We BOTH know they won't ever all happen!

Hope you are having a great creative weekend.  Soon we will talk about my other project ... a Christmas quit and update my purchases.

Tracey

Bad Girl!

Okay, now what have I said?  I'm purging my stash!  What have I done?  LOL ... I've bought a bunch of new fabric.  Can you say .... can't resist a bargain?  One of the LQS in the area is closing the retail portion of their shop.  Sad to see, indeed.  I hate to see shops close, but am happy for them - they are easing a little bit further into retirement!  (green eyes flashing brightly here!).  Soooooooo, the long and short of it is, they have all their fabric on sale for $5.00/yard.  Please tell me what fabriholic could resist that?  NOT this one!  I added a whopping .... drum roll, please ... 30 yards to my stash.  Yes, I said THIRTY, not a simple three *groan*.  The good news is that I pretty much restrained myself to the colors I am currently collecting ~ black and white for the most part.  A random couple of yards that simply "spoke" to me snuck into my pile... and a to die for batik or two *smiles*.   Oh, and a three yard piece of William Morris which will be the border for a scrap quilt I've yet to start - but have collected.

So I guess I get the kinda, sorta bad girl star for the week ... although I get a good girl star for being thrifty.  After all, yard goods are now selling for 10+ per yard, but ... I don't really think I need to tell you that!  I spotted a batik piece in another shop which just screamed out to me ~ gathered the bolt tightly in my arms screaming .. MINE!  Looked at the bolt end price - 12.50/yard.  Quick like lightning placed it back on the shelf.  I simply can't make myself go there yet.  *sigh*.

Happy Shopping everyone!  Oh, yeah.. and trying a new tool I've spotted here ... scheduling postings.  This one should delay by a whole hour or so, but well worth the "test".

Stash Report

Since this is the year of the change for me, I've developed some new habits.  I continue to strive to organize my stash ~ I would say that I am doing moderately well in that regard.  I haven't really bought much in terms of new fabric this year (YEAH!).  Not that I can say I've been perfect, mind you, but nothing like my history.  Since my power of recollection basically stinks, I'm starting my report from April 1st ... really ... no April Fool's joke!!  

     Used this Week: 12.25 yards
  Used year to Date:  12.25 yards
 Added this Week:    0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:    0.00yards

Sold this Week:  12.00 yards

Sold Year to Date:  12.00 yards

Gifted Out this Week:  0.00 yards

Gifted Out Year to Date:   20.5

Received Gifts this Week:  0.00

Received Gifts this Year:  4.0 
Net Used for 2012:    - 40.75 yards

Since I have a whole 30 minutes before I should be ready for bed, I guess that the rest of my time will be used making a few blocks for my latest charity quilt.  I have raided my stash of Oriental fabrics for this.  Completed most of the top of one earlier this week and am speeding right along on the second top.  I adore the gold etched fabrics and have a good assortment to choose from.  Time to help them along their way.  Adding to the collection is getting increasingly difficult... it would seem that style has fallen out of favor.  Such a shame!

Blogging Lessons

Today's new chore challenge has been adding things to my blog.  I have learned how to add blog buttons to the side of my posts.  Many thanks to Karen from Sew Many Ways for her insightful and detailed tutorials on blogging.  I, personally, am SO grateful for her knowledge and sharing.  My hope is that even seasoned bloggers are able to glean some helpful hints from her.

Oh yeah, discovered the little error corrector, ah, strikethrough button.  Gotta love that little gadget too. 

I've more than reached the end of my productive time today.  Off for some well needed zzzzzzzzzzz's.

Midnight Flight

Well, it has certainly been awhile since I've been to my own blog!! LOL, I get thoroughly engrossed in reading other blogs and then feel like I really must move on to getting something productive done. Read ~ step away from the computer!! I have started yet another new project - Bonnie Hunter's Midnight Flight. This block is found in Quiltmaker's 100 blocks - Winter 2011, volume 4. You can see pictures of Bonnie's finish project on her site Quiltville's Quips & Snips. Did I read her whole post before leaping into this project - NO. Should I have? - YES! Each block contains a total of 88 pieces - yep, I said EIGHTY-EIGHT! Good grief!
  

Here are my first two blocks - I must say that I am totally in love with them. This has been the start of a rather daunting project. Searching for scraps in my controlled color combination has spurred on a cleaning/purging/sorting of all my fabric bins. I'm planning a bed size quilt which I'm thinking will be 56 blocks. That means there will be 4928 pieces in the blocks alone. Bonnie has shown hers with a pieced border. At this rate, I don't know if I'll persevere and do that also. Since it is such a slow process for me, by the time I am done, the pattern may well be in her book. She has said that it will be published, I believe, in 2014. Honestly, each block creates 16 "bonus" half-square triangles which may well become my borders. That, of course, means the border will be black/white. Not sure that will trip my trigger when the time comes.... but I am a long way from having to worry about that!
 

Yesterday brought yet another spring snow, so darling hubby drove me to town to shop. While there, we took a whirl through Wal-Mart and purchased some new plastic tote containers. I've been working on becoming more organized. The search for pink and lime green fabrics has enabled me to start sorting my stash again. I know of two brand new quilters that will be happy to have some of the fabrics in my stash. I've more than a few "what was I thinking" fabrics which I have discovered. I certainly hope they will love them. If not, I'm sure there is a group of charity quilters that will love to have them. Honestly, I just can't bring myself to do a totally scrappy quilt. It is, however, on my list and someday I will have to force myself to do one. I seriously love the look of them, but can't quite get myself to agree that anything/everything goes!!

Well, back to the projects at hand. I've made a complete and total mess of my stash area ~ oh yeah, and have ONE more block almost pieced together. Since I don't have an established scrap system, I have been finding and cutting as I go along. I will be quite happy when all the cutting has been completed and I can simply create my blocks. I shamlessly asked my quiltly friends if they had any black/white/hot pink/lime fabric scraps they might like to donate to me. My first two blocks had a fair amount of repeat fabrics in them. Not exactly my notion of "scrap quilt". The more variety, the better. I also ordered some charm packs, a strip collection and some layer cakes from Keepsake Quilting. You would think this girl has a lack of supplies, LOL. Seriously not the case, but I wanted variety, and I wanted it FAST!

Special notes to self: indulging in "green beer" (aka Bud Lite Lime), wine or Margarita's while making these blocks is not the brightest idea. While a seam ripper is a good tool to have, it isn't one of my most favorite tools. I've done almost as much ripping out and resewing as I have straight sewing... and pins, yes, another wonderful tool, but one I seldom use. I know folks who pin everything! Personally, I don't like the little buggers, but I have found them to be of more than a little value whilst constructing these blocks. Old dogs, new tricks... go figure.

Here's wishing you all a happy and productive Sunday!!

New Year's Day Resolutions

Well for starters, I guess I'm joining the rest of the world and creating posts that I can share with folks! LOL. Very new to this whole "blogging" theory and not one tiny bit sure that I'm even going to like it, or have things to write about.

I guess my other major resolution is that I am going to finish some of these UFO's that are everywhere. I must get myself more organized. It simply takes too long searching for the one thing I want at the moment. That encompasses fabrics, theads, patterns, books. It is said that being disorganized causes more stress in your life... like anyone needs that!

Welcome to my crazy little quilting corner of the world!!