Fessing Up: Confessions of a Fabriholic

If you remember, back in January I took up the gauntlet thrown down by Making Rebecca Lynne and started Fabric Fasting. For six months. We are three months in and I have some confessions to make.

Confession #1 - I bought  a piece of cream flannel, This was a backing needed for the Piper Stars Baby Quilt. One of my original rules, it's OK to buy fabric to be able to finish UFOs or custom orders. This was a custom order.  NO SIN

Confession #2 - I bought five yards of shot cotton for a Library Project quilt. Supplies for The Library Project were in my permission rules so this was OK too. And even though when it came in the mail and the color was not what I expected, I put it right in to use as a backing for another Library Project Quilt - Summer Tracks. NO SIN

Just ran out to snap back pic in freezing rain. This weather is getting old.

Confession #3 - I bought 5 yards of Kona for a custom order (Lush Charm Pack Cherry), which is ok, BUT then I got a little out of control. While putting the Kona in the cart at my favorite on-line Shop Mad About Patchwork I thought about what a good time I had making my Summer Tracks Quilt and wanting to make more from that book - City Quilts. Sometimes Pam carries kits for this particular book and low and behold she had one. So I bought it. And then, the old "well I'm paying for shipping anyway" thing kicked in and I also bought a FQ bundle of sun print by Alison Glass. These were purely "I want" purchases so BIG TIME SIN

This is a picture for the kit, not my finished quilt

Confession #4 - And last but not certainly least, I bought 20 - yes 20 FQs from Ella's Cottage last weekend. Just because. Well because (she says in a super quick high voice) it was a special MMQG Sew In Day and Leigh Anne was all the way here from PEI... no excuses.  EPIC SIN

Sooo, not doing so great at the Fabric Fasting. But I think it could be a lot worse. And frankly, looking back over the last few months, these are the things I have made from my stash...

I made two of these

AND I have five more projects on the go made from stash fabrics: Triangles QAL, two Giant Star Quilts, Volume Quilt for TLP and Lush Charm Pack Cherry.

I hereby grant myself a pass on my fabric purchasing sins because I really am working hard to use my stash, AND life is short people. I will do better in the next three months:)

Are you fasting? How is it going? No judgement here :)
Adrienne

TLP March Winner!

I am having so much fun following all of your projects on the Library Project link up Parties. I don't know about you, but this QAL is really keeping me on track with projects that I have been wanting to do for so long.

The winner of this month's prize - a $25 Gift Card from Fabric Spot is...

Carole at Fresh Off The Frame

I will be in touch Carole :)

Even though we all did not win, you may want to drop in to Fabric Spot for a little shopping... Proudly Canadian, the shop has a great selection of all of the hottest fabric lines including Charley Harper which I am obsessed with. And their selection of solids is awesome! There is also some Architextures in the sale section...I know where I am going.

Thanks to everyone for your participation in this QAL. I hope you have lot's of time to sew this weekend!
Adrienne

WiP Wednesday: The one with volume

It would seem to me that once again I have a few too many WiPs on the go. But, well, they are all making me happy so I am just rolling with it.

First up, is work on my Volume Quilt. This quilt is a goal for The Library Project and also a goal to use my scraps. So far so good. I have all of the red done and am starting on the pink....

Then there is the Giant Star. I made this top a few months back (I actually have two in the closet ready for quilting). Kona Ash and Nordica, this top is yummy. With my quilting issues lately I have been putting off quilting it. But I had a brainwave the other day and am going to run with it. I am going to take the top apart! What!? I am going to basically make it into four mini quilts, Quilt as I go on the quarters and then put it back together. Much more manageable!

And then, I swore to myself I would not do this, but I am weak and have a soft spot for Traingles. I am going to join Paula, The Sassy Quilter, for her Triangle Quilt Along. I really do have a soft spot for triangles, and after the debacle that was Bliangles, I would like to make triangles that actually have some points :)

First step in the QAL is to pick your fabric. I wanted a little inspiration so hit my Pinterest Color Board and found this - nice and springy given that we are being hit with a good old fashioned Nor'easter right now.

So, I started pulling the fabric bins and found this

Perfect right! This bundle is Denyse Schmidt Chicopee and I have been saving it for...well I don't know what! Seems like it will be perfect for Triangles.

So that's me for today. Lot's going on in the studio and outside the storm is raging. Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced, The Needle and Thread Network, Needle & Thread Thursday and with Paula for The Triangle QAL.

How many WiPs do you have going on. Tell me everything!
Adrienne

Sunday Stash: Fluffer Nutter

I have never Sunday Stashed before, and really since I am on a Fabric Fast I should not be doing it now...but...well, yesterday was an exception...

I met up with Leigh Anne from Ella's Cottage yesterday at the MMQG Sew In. Leigh Anne brought some FQ Bundle Door Prizes, so that was the first addiction to my stash.

I picked this adorable bundle of 2wenty thr3e for Moda. The reason I picked this bundle, the cameras!

From left to Right: Flashbulbs in Parchment, Mustard and Pavement; Fox Trot in Clementine, Petal and Pavement; Cameras in Pavement and Parchment

And then, she also had this bin of lovelies that we could paw through. At $2 a FQ, I could not resist. I came away with these from the Happy Go Lucky Line...

From left to right: Penny in Red, Aqua and Lime; Jump in Lime, White Aqua and White Multicolor

AND, these from PB&J by Basic Grey. They have a color called Fluffer Nutter. How can you not want this?

Grunge in Fluffer Nutter, Picnic, Mustard and Jelly

Bag of Chips in Picnic, Fluffer Nutter and Jelly Bag

Hip Fab in Picnic and Jelly

Daisy  Mae in Fluffer Nutter; Basket and Creamy

So, pretty good huh!? It was a fun day, and I am now petting all of this.
Linking up today over at Work In Progress Girl for Sunday Stash

The Library Project QAL: March Report

It's time! Time to chat about our progress on our Library Projects. This month has been a good one for me. I actually finished the first project on my library list, the Summer Tracks Quilt, otherwise known as The Slasher.

This was from the Book City Quilts and I am completly taken with it, as I knew I would be. I already have fabric ready to go for another quilt out of the pages. I wonder when I will get to that one!

 I quilted this baby with variegated thread, which I love.

I am  still struggling with quilting on my machine, I am praying for the sewing machine gods to miraculously drop a Juki at my door. Lets all pray for that why don't we :)

All in all though, I love this quilt. It is prominent on the quilt rack in the living room, and I am going to have a hard time parting with it. My hubby even likes this one!

On other fronts, I have started my next project. I had a scrap busting couple of days that I talked about here, and this weekend at the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild Sew In I am going to start piecing Volume.

I am nervous about his quilt. Can't put my finger on why, but I am. Hopefully all will reveal itself once I get started.
Now it's your turn...how is your Library Project going? Tell me all about it in the Linky Party below. The Linky will stay open until April 4th when I will draw a random winner for this month's prize.

A $25 Gift Certificate from Mad About Patchwork! 

Cannot wait to see what you have going on!

The finish of my Summer Tracks Quilt was also my March goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes, so I am going to link this post up there as well! AND it's Friday and I have a finish here so Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts for TGIFF! AND with My Go-Go Life at SEWjo Saturday  (so may fun linky parties out there:)

Happy Friday! I hope you get lots of quality quilty time in this weekend.
Adrienne

An InLinkz Link-up

Union Jack Action

On the Blog circuit there has been talk of Quilty Bucket Lists. I haven't been exactly following the hop, organized by The Tilted Quilt, but it got me thinking. What have I been wanting to make? That one thing I always think about, but never quite get to. So I pulled a few fabrics and finally made something Union Jack.

I am sure I am late to this party, but I have to tell you that I have loved this "flag" since being a kid. I think it was always the bold colors, straight lines, graphic goodness that had me smitten.

I needed  a pick me up. A pick me up in the quilting area. I am struggling so much with quilting actual quilts. Puckers, tension, general madness, I have been unhappy. You put so much time and love into piecing a top, that when the quilting does not work right it makes the whole project suck. So I needed a boost of quilty confidence. This pillow did the trick.

Simple straight lines, some echoing, and not a pucker in the bunch! I think small projects is where it is at when it comes to quilting on my machine. Definitely need to plan for QAYG with the next quilt. Far less stress.

Well...God Save The Queen! Here's to Quilty Bucket Lists!
Adrienne 

Bust Yo Scraps!

For the last two days I have been bustin' my scraps. By busting I mean, actually going through them and cutting them into workable shapes and sizes. I started with this, bags of scraps separated by color.

That corner of basket, that was full too, they never made it to color separating party. Lori from Bee In My Bonnet  posted some great info about how she dealt with scraps and I followed her example.

Basically I went through all of my scraps, ironed and cut them into sizes like 2 1/2", 3 1/2" and 4 1/2" squares, and then lots of various sized strips from 3 to 1 1/2". Anything less than 1 1/2" went into the bin. Now that they are cut, I am already thinking of ways to use them up! Before it was all just so daunting. I think on a go forward all scraps will be cut to size and stored. I am going to try to keep on top of them (try anyway).

Here is my first bag done - reds - all nice and tidy. Once I got near the end I started thinking about what I was going to do with all of these tidy piles. These were full ziploc bags stuffed into a dresser drawer. So a quick trip to my local dollar store (called the Buck and Near, with a pirate logo no less), and I came home with baskets!

 So now everyone is in a nice, neat place. I love this! My anal heart sings at all of this order.

and here they are back in their dresser drawer. They stack in the right some good!

Umm, so this was only my print scraps. I am still left with a small pile of solids to tackle, but I think I will jump on those another day (or maybe another month..or two...)

Now I did have an ulterior motive for all of this bustin'. It's name is Volume...my next project for The Library Project

All of this bustin' has me ready to start sewing! Here are my starter color bundles... I will add as I need to...

I have to admit, I am feeling very accomplished with all of this organizing. How do you deal with your scraps?
Happy Weekend!
Adrienne