January RSC Update

Last Wednesday on Midweek Makers, I showed a start of the odd triangular scraps getting sewn into usable rectangles. Today, I've got some further progress to show on this project.

Though I'm busy making more blocks, it turns out I have a year's worth of scrap blocks leftover from 2019, just hanging out, waiting. With these unfinished 8.5" and 4" blocks, I've come up with a potential layout idea, shown above. 

The number of blocks I have is not quite enough for the size quilt I want. This year, I'd like to avoid a border and just have scrappy blocks from edge to edge. Which means I need those blocks I'm busy stitching.

After pulling out that red scrap bag, I've set to work. Using the technique I show in my Making Blocks from Crumbs video, within an hour or so, I had two more 8.5" blocks, a 4" block, a bunch of block starts, and still a TON of scraps!

These bits and pieces just don't disappear - I've probably got half a quilt sitting right there! I think I'll keep sewing until those scraps get reduced to (hopefully) a handfull. Who knows - maybe I'll even come up with another block idea to get them used up.

Anyway, the layout idea is still rough and I'm not sure exactly how many blocks to make in each color. What's for certain is a narrow strip of black, placed horizontally between the 4" blocks, will make an unfinished 4" x 8.5" unit. I may sandwich these units in between 8.5" blocks of the same color, or possibly between complementary colors. 

Ultimately, I want a lap/twin size quilt, or maybe even larger depending on how this idea goes. Sure, I could plan it out in EQ, but since this is based on impromtu scrap blocks, I'd like to keep the design that way too. And if I end up with more blocks than necessary, then I've got a head start for next year!

Happy Quilting!

Yardage In/Out 2021

Do you keep track of how much yardage you purchase and use for the year? 

Seems I always ran into a quilt blogger or two who did keep track, and think keeping a list is a great way to see just how much I purchase and use. Given that I'm prone to buying a lot of seasonal yardage, I'm hoping for at least a balance at the end of the year!

Of course my list is composed of approximates on the OUT side, usually in whole, half, or quarter amounts to make it easier. I'm certainly not going to measure every piece of fabric I put into a quilt! My purchases though, are usually made in even yardage amounts or sometimes half yards, though there's the odd number because I'll take the end of bolt. Remember, this is not exact science here - I'm just wanting a rough idea.

So how did I do for 2021? Well, there's two ways of looking at my list.

My yardage OUT was approximately 73 yards, from a mix of runners, wall hangings, and some larger quilts. The year before was 88 yards, as both years were extremely productive. Seems I'm pretty consistent.

Now my yardage IN. On the whole, I took in a whopping 202 yards - YIKES! That is certainly not good, and I wonder where it all disappeared to in my stash. With that kind of number, I should be exercising better control right?

But if I look at what I purchased, it turns out 122 yards were purchased for kits, the ever popular Fireworks and Winter Feed. Deducting 122 from 202 leaves just 80 yards purchased for stash building, a much more tolerable number.

With 73 yards out and 80 yards in, I'm actually in pretty good shape! Unfortunately, I can't compare it to the 2020 numbers, as I'm sure I bought kit yardage but did not designate it as such. Certainly learned my lesson to mark kit  yardage for the years to come, so that doesn't count against my efforts!

Since jumping on the yardage in/out bandwagon two years ago, I've learned a lot about stash management. Keeping the yardage IN side was helped this year due to working on the relative's house - I had very little time to shop and purchased nothing since the end of September. Hmm, wonder how long I can keep that streak going???

With that in mind, I plan on keeping the list again this year, though mine is off to a meager start. How about you? Ready to keep track? There's still time to start your yardage in/yardage out list!

Happy Quilting

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My Favorite Patterns

Midweek Makers 314

Welcome to Midweek Makers! Who has some sharing?

 

It's January, which means a new color for RSC2022- this month it's red!

I've done a bit of stitching, making blocks in my scrap style by making rectangles out of triangles. With a bit more time, and a few more scraps, these will be turned into blocks.

A couple other quilters also got into the red groove, to participate in RSC2022. From Karen's Quilting, two pretty red Arkansas Traveler blocks using an Accuquilt die to easily cut the shapes.

Bell Creek Quilts also did a dive into her red scraps to make a few blocks for RSC2022,

as did Canadian Needle Nana. She's got tons of red items to show on her post, including some gorgeous cardinals visiting her yard.

Now it's your turn - what is your share this week?

• please link directly to your post
• please link a quilt related item
• visit with the others and leave some quilt love

Have fun!

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Click here to enter