finally, a [stash] report [#50] worth reading . . .

One of the last things Todd and I did on our day out this past week (the one that started as an innocuous trip to Tractor Supply) was stop by my favorite LQS in Fayetteville, where she was having an inventory reduction sale.  What, what?! How can I let that go? I did a little shopping in the form of . . .

Metallic prints.

Things that caught my eye prints and blenders.

Batiks.

And in honor of the new, dotty black boots I'd *just* purchased, the pièce de résistance:

LOL!  I mean really, how could I pass that up?!

Combine all that with the Christmas fabric I got on sale at Hobby Lobby even earlier in the week, and it makes for quite the enhancement, as my darling friend Teresa, of A Quilt and a Prayer, has taught me to believe.

Used/donated this week: 0.0 yards

Used/donated year-to-date: 49.5 yards

Purchased/added this week: 11.0 yards

Purchased/added year-to-date: 183.75 yards

Net used/donated for 2012: -134.25 yards

Be sure to head over to Patchwork Times and check out the rest of the stash reports for this week, and then be sure to head back over here later on this afternoon for a posting of the big giveaway winner!!

:)

mad dash to add stash (report #41) . . .

Hi.  My name's Denise and I'm a fabric-a-holic.       Hi, Denise! 

Used/donated this week: 0 yards

Used/donated year-to-date: 36.75 yards

Purchased/added this week: 4 yards

Purchased/added year-to-date: 154.75 yards

Net used/donated for 2012: -123 yards

I'm not even going to try and defend myself.  Except to say that it was all for (the most part) intended projects.  Check out what the other fabric-a-holics quilters have to say about their own stashes over at Patchwork Times!

As I'd mentioned, Julia and I made a quick stop in at the Annapolis quilt shop on Friday.  They had a darling little acorn print I'd not seen before and I picked up some Kona Snow, too.  For stitchery.

Yes, the acorn print does have a gold glint to it.  Yes, glitter and metallic call to me.

But I digress ... the whole point of me going back (under the guise of sharing the shop with my sister) was to pick up some of this . . . 

Isn't it darling?!?!?!?  I fell in love with this batik the first time I was in the shop, and let me talk myself out of getting it.  I should have known better.  It kept whispering to me to come back for it.  This is *so* cute that I imagine I'll include a fat quarter of it in my giveaway (which is still open and can be found HERE).

Julia and I did a little window shopping yesterday that ended up with her purchasing a wreath kit to take back to the rehab center.  We organized a little occupational craft therapy for my mom's Saturday afternoon!

Isn't it fun?  She did a great job with it.  We asked if she wanted to leave it in her room, but she wants it hanging on her front door, so it is . . .

It was a fun "girls" afternoon and a nice distraction, to boot!

While Julia and I were wandering, I saw this darling snow fellow wreath in A.C. Moore (we don't have one of those in the Huntsville area, to my deep sadness).

He's a delight!  I definitely see me making one of these.  So easy!  Just a simple wreath form, covered--and filled--with the deco mesh.  His features were all simple felt.  I might try and fashion a top hat for him.  I also found some fabric crayons.  Another blogger had mentioned using them with tremendous success and I wanted to give them a try.

Perhaps that's why I bought the Kona Snow.  LOL!

Today, after church, my sisters and I are headed out for brunch at a favorite restaurant of the locals.  I'll look forward to sharing more on that!

Make today a happy one!

:)

finish, win, win, tantrum . . .

No, that's not some bizarre take-off of "duck, duck, goose" . . . but an apt description of the next eight photos I'm going to share!

Finish:

I finally got the required stitcheries done for my Color Theory lesson.  Yay!

I still have one more to do, but it's one I chose to do for me, not for the lesson.  You can see, though, that I really did need a fourth one.  I'm going to call this Theoretically.  Haha!!

Win:

And what a happy win!  I blog hopped during the Back to School blog hop.  There was some fantastic blogs represented and some marvelous prizes ... not the least of which were this beautiful Kaffe Fasset book from A Quilt and A Prayer and my darling friend Teresa!  

Oh gosh, you should see some of the beautiful quilts/fabrics/patterns in these pages.  

And Teresa also included instructions for a darling tea pot block that she found and knowing my affinity for tea, thought of me.  What a thoughtful friend!

Win:

Another happy win!  I won this darling cat panel from Sarah Did It! and her Feline Friday giveaway!

I love these sweet cats -- I was telling Sarah how much they remind me of a set of cat nesting dolls I brought back for my mom from Moscow, several years ago.  I'll have to get my mom to send me a pic of them!

Also included in said package from Sarah were these delicious batik fat quarters, from her recent trip to the Adirondacks! 

This will kill my no-stash-added streak of the last couple of weeks, but I'm not complaining!  I love shopping vicariously through Sarah -- she's got terrific taste!  These are just scrumptious!

Tantrum:

This picture of my sweet little Ellie just makes me howl with laughter every time I see it.  Mind you, she's not hurt ... she's mad.  Really mad.  You want to know why?  Because Jocelyn had given her two little tastes of real whipped cream ... and wouldn't give her a third.  Rut roh!!  I love her and think she's precious anyway ... but you can bet this Neesey won't be withholding that whipped cream from her darling grandbaby!

Bonus:  If you get a minute today, please head over to my friend Paula's Initially PMS! blog ... she's a relative newcomer to the blogging world, but a kindred spirit and a fellow quilter ... and she's sharing a fabulous tour of her quilting/sewing room, as well as teasers for what promises to be a mega-giveaway!!  And don't worry -- the PMS is her initials ... not a commentary on her disposition!!  She's a darling!

I'm working on round two of Grandmother's Choice ... yay!!

:)

de-sign fence-line . . .

Got some productive sewing done this weekend ... yay!  I finished piecing the mini-rail fence I started Thursday night (hence my clever post title and rhyme).

I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  At first I was afraid that solid brown border was too much, but I had some binding inspiration and I think the brown was just what this piece needed to make the binding really pop!

The binding is SO fun and *totally* an accident.  Because trust me, that is NOT something I'd just decide to do.  No way!  Instead, it is a case of making lemonade, when life hands you lemons (or, more specifically, when you rotary cut a lemon).  I'll probably quilt it this week.

I also have all the blocks stitched up and trimmed to size for the two little leftover wedding quilt toppers I was doing . . .

I may or may not put those together this week.

I also wanted to share this little FQ beauty.  Because it *is* beautiful.  A batik with hints of purple, glitteries and snowflakes . . .

Can it get any better I ask you?!?  I bought two FQs of this at the shop in Annapolis.  I'd have gotten a whole yard (or two, or three) of this it had been on the bolt.  Alas, it wasn't.  And alas again, none of the FQs they had of it had the selvage!  Boo!

I've seen a lot of Carpenter Star blocks lately ... enough to know that I'd like to do one (or two) as toppers or doll quilts.  And I'd also *really* like to try my hand at the whole "coloring cloth with crayons" technique, too.  That fascinates me ... like the colorque did/does!  Only with the crayon method you don't have to go the textile medium route.  You just color and iron.  Hmmmmm.  We'll see what I manage to get into as the week goes by!

Linking up today with Judy Laquidara's Patchwork Times.  Go check it out!  I *urge* you!

Oh ... and Happy Monday! 

:)