Busting my... Stash

I've about given up on the "Lucky Stars" block... first I re-sized it (Yeah, Kerstin, I did the math) and it came out wrong - the rectangles were 1/2 inch short. So I decided to do the stupid thing in all squares and HSTs... and re-cut the fabric to make up the gazillions of HSTs (at least I was using up fabric!). No luck! I wound up in the same boat as Vicki: I had a "King Kong" block! Oh, well... maybe a nice pillow?

I may try again, but I'm pretty discouraged with that block - maybe I'll just see what Miss Donna has in store tomorrow. It can't be as difficult as Lucky Stars ...even though it is a really pretty block - and in the right hands (like Julie in the Barn) downright gorgeous.

I am re-affirming my attempt to "Bust My Stash" this year... I put my name on Judy Liquidaria's "Stashbusters" page. And then I went out and bought three yards of a really pretty stripe that I liked better than the one I chose for the "Bears" Quilt Along. BOOO HISS!!!

As the kiddos say "My bad, Mrs. S" (I hate that phrase, it seems like they are saying what they know they are expected to say... but they are sort of laughing about getting caught out). I really am sorry about purchasing more fabric when I already have so much - but I can't seem to help myself. I guess that is what an addiction is, isn't it? It is funny to look upon my foible as an addiction, but I'm pretty sure if I didn't hoard fabric I'd find another outlet for my addicive personality - perhaps even more unhealthy.

OK - I PROMISE not to go into a fabric store unaccompanied by somebody who knows about my pledge, and who will STOP ME BEFORE I BUY AGAIN!

Bushfire Project

Yesterday I made a few Wonky Star blocks for Tia Curtis' "Bushfire Project". The idea is to collect quilt squares for her Alice Springs Quilt Guild to make into quilts for the people who were burned out of their homes by the gigantic Bushfires that are ravaging Australia. Several of the members of Friday Block Party have participated in the Bushfire Project.

Next thing, I'm going to figure out how to put the Bushfire link on my blog by way of helping the project get more exposure. Second item for this post is to put up my (tentative fabric selection for the Bears in the Farmhouse "Quilt Along" that Judy Liquidaria is doing.

I still need to catch up with Tamara's NorthBay BOM (one left to make) and do the missing Friday Block Party ones (five, I think!)...yikes! I'd better get moving!

Friday Block Party

I've joined another Blogging Group "The Friday Block Party". Each Friday this year Donna will choose a block that we will all make, I assume by the next Friday. We are to post photos of what we've made on the FBP blog, so all of us can see the blocks as they come together. This one was week six: Patch as Patch Can, from Quilter's Cache.

Imagine that! 52 blocks at the end of the year... that will make quite a few quilts, won't it? Especially since our Tamara has declared this "The Year of the UFO" (as in FINISH the darn things!), tee hee. Not that I have any UFOs, of course... and I have a wonderful Orange Bridge in San Francisco that I'll sell you, really cheap!

This block is Montana Valley, week 5. It is also from Quilter's Cache. I'm not really wild about the colors I've chosen (I do like the dragonfly fabric, though), but one of my goals is to use up a large part of my giant Fabric Stash!!!

I think there were five or six boxes of fabric that Kaylin and I sort of hid upstairs... not that I shouldn't have tall those boxes of fabric, it just seemed a bit excessive when we were unloading the giant Penske truck(s) to bring that much "stuff"with me. Did I think there were no quilt/fabric shops in Oregon?

Apparently "Packing Light" isn't in my vocabulary!

Other Blocks?

I don't think I showed you Leena's quilt after I completed it... it is somewhere in SoCal now. I'm better able to locate my quilt pictures now that I've put them on the laptop. Good thing to do when it is dark and cold, yes?

Almost Caught Up...

I got the third block finished yesterday afternoon before I made a run to the store. In the early 1970s I moved from Redondo Beach to the area between Sebastopol and the Coast, and made the realization that you don't want to forget an ingredient when you live in the country... unless you have nothing better to do than drive 30-40 miles and back to make a trip to the store. Messes up your whole day. Now I try to make lists and go to Roseburg or Eugene once a week.

As far as the block is concerned... I like it - very clean and simple. I think it will be a nice addition to the "Christmas Quilt" that this BOM will become, that inspired by the December Block title and the fabric / color choices I've made.

My points are getting better, I think. I've decided I don't like "Strip Piecing": too pencil-fiddly! If I wnted to draw I'd get out my pastels and go outside... well, maybe not today - it has decided to snow again.

Now it is Back to the Future, making the initial December block, and I'll be all caught up!

First Block!

Last night I finally made my first BOM block... I thought I'd better do the January block (the second one) before I did the December block... not exactly sure why, but I can be an eccentric old lady now, can't I?

OK, Ladies - I'm started. This will be fun, Kerstin, you are right!