It's coming along.

Wasn't able to push through any WIPs or UFOs because of reorganizing. I have all the colored fabric that was in my stash cabinets all refolded with the 6" ruler method. But I think since I have "fluffed it" with the refolding it expanded! I still have all my white and ecrus yet to do. See the stack in the plastic tote.

While doing this, it's so much easier to see all of my fabrics. Since the shelves are deep enough for a stack of fat quarters besides the stacks of folded yardages I'll be able to conveniently move a stack of fabric to check out for colors or fabric in the next stack behind it. I had thought to order 6" x 24" pexiglass to wrap my bolts of fabric on, but for 6 pieces of this I was quoted a price of $75.00, that's more than I'm willing to spend for that. So I'll just make due with what is there. We were able to fit a shelf over my pattern storage boxes that way the fabric on bolts could be stored up above.

The 2 three drawer units that were placed next to my stash cabinets were intended to store my ongoing WIPs. Drawers are so much easier that totes stacked on top of each other. DUH! That way I could conveniently put away something and grab another project and try to stay neater while creating my "art". BUT with the fabric expansion, I'll now store my white's in the lower unit and the upper one has a drawer each for:


Bags - purse stuff,
charms and layer cakes and some kits
unique textures such as ironing fabric, old nylons, tulle, denim, silk, Ultrasuede, felt, you get the idea. There's not a lot of the latter but it's amazing how quickly it filled up. This is how it looks when facing my design wall. Nice clean line, I am feeling so proud.
Notice the 58 gallon tote (55Liter) in front of the design wall. This fabric still waiting for my attention. Not sure how much of it will fit in the drawer but any excess will be stored in a tote downstairs too. I won't mention how many toes DH has already carried down there. There really is too much, how did I let this happen. Boy has this been an eye opener for me.



See the stack of artbins storing the projects. It stacks nicely behind the sewing table. I have this towards the right back side, while on the far left side are UFOs of regular sewing projects. I should make the time and just sew them up. It is so much faster than a quilt and then it will be done.


The middle section on the back underside of the sewing table hides a couple of shoe shelves with shoe size totes of projects in kits and other wips besides my plethora of storage/plastic bags.


I was able to purge and reorganize the stabilizers,papers, plastic rolls and fusibles. What it looks like now:

Lastly, this shows the view as I sit in my chair. It's the lovely thread box DH gave me for Christmas about 15 years ago. I still adore it. Though I have too many threads to be contained in here and since I've restarted my obsession with cross stitch, I'm thinking I may reorganize my threads to be able to store my "specialty" threads in this box instead of different places still through out the house. The disadvantages of living in a small house, grrrr...
One great thing about this being placed here is I can also use it to step up to reach my stabilizers if needed. I don't want the top to be all scratched up though, it's still in pristine condition so I will probably continue to use the step stool. I do like things treated correctly.
Sorry for rambling on so. Can you tell I've been inspired and am loving this orderlyness that is becoming my sewing studio.

T.T.F.N.

Jane

Stash Report #21

My stash report for this week is:

Used this week: 2.0 yards
Used Year To date: 29.75 yds

Added This week: 0 yards
Added Year To Date: 59.5 yards

YTD is a gain of 29.75 yards

Reorganization continues...

I am currently working on the JOY from Country Cottage Needleworks. Using the threads that were called for but I decided to do this 1/1 on a 19 count cloth. Sweet so far. I also recently learned that to do a 1/2 stitch while alone and looking at chart so that when you have company or can't revert to the chart, you just have to cross your stitch. SWEET! I'll be visiting with family this weekend so I'm going to try it out on them.


This next Jane Greenoff design is a UFO from last year. The pattern notes to write the words cab card on the door but I personally don't care for that. ANy ideas on what I can do instead?


As for the reorganizing saga, it continues.



But see, there is progress. This is a huge undertaking. I am hurting so bad despite taking it easy and not trying to get it done in a day or two because of my back. When doing chores like this, I wish I had my full strength and no pain like I used to live. Oh well, it is what it is. Glad I'm able to function as well as I can.

Enjoy your day,
Jane



The saga continues.....

Inunshuk and the singing quilter

Last Wednesday our guild had Cathy Miller as the guest lecturer. What a nice presentation she did and for me it was a bit unexpected. Knew she was going to sing and talk about quilts but the way she laid out her program and the frivolous to the depths of feelings were exacted. She is a good entertainer. Of course I had to take some pictures of her quilts as well.


The hexagon quilt is a 1/2" finished size she made out of silk. Each segment has a differnt maze within it.



Her quilts of the New Zealand and many other designs show casing her Mock Mola raw edge technique:




Then her color study quilt (this is not mock mola, it's based on the Bella Bella Paper piece method):


Lastly, the self portrait:


What a charming quilter, singer and song writer. This is what she actually looked like at the class. Notice her vest showing her mock mola designs.


I asked if I could take a picture of her vest and she kindly agreed. Not many woman would say yes to a rear view, but she did whole heartedly!



She also gave a class on her technique of Mock Mola, raw edge applique which I was able to attend. A very nice class and all that attended were very liberated with our bits of creativity.
This is the project another guild member was doing: I think it was Jean W, a very talented quilter.



Lastly, this is the piece I was working on. I chose to make my own highlight fabric with some of my angelina Fibers. It's my Inunshuk.



While traveling to South Dakota back in 2006, they were plenty of stone cairns made along the highways and byways of Ontario standing as witnesses to our travels. It's a human like form stating that you have traveled that way and also as a mode of welcome. It highlighted our road trip and ever since, I 've wanted to make something quilted paying tribute to them and that area.
Just for fun, I added some stitches to the "eye area" of the top rock to make it easier for many to know that it is an Inukshuk beside trying to quilt that word into the side of this little quilt. Not sure if I'll keep that eye design, but I probably will since sometimes a bit of whimsy is necessary.

Enjoy your day,
Jane

Stash Report #20 and time flies....

My stash report for this week is:

Used this week: 6.0 yards
Used Year To date: 27.75 yds

Added This week: 2.0 yards
Added Year To Date: 59.5 yards

YTD is a gain of 31.75 yards

With cleaning out all my fabric in the cupboards, you'd think I 'd realize that no more fabric needs to come in, BUT I went to the "A Quilter's Garden Quilt Show" in Malone this weekend and one of the vendors there had a beautiful batik that would be perfect for a bird of paradies wall hanging I want to do. SO of course I bought 2 yards while I saw it. Did use up a little over 2 yards on pillowcases for the Pillowcase Project and gave them to community service for Camp Takumteh (a summer camp for children with terminal onditions and cancers).
Was able to rid myself of 4 yards of fabric that I threw out. The fabric was really inferior, so I counted that as well since it's now out of my stash!

Check out Judy Laquidera's blog to see how all the other participants are doing. Many are into using yardage in the three digits already.

As for my progress on reorganization, here are a couple of photos to show where I'm at:

And what I'll be focusing on next:




I got off the phone with Mom this afternoon and she'll be staying with me next week for 4-5 days, so I best get this done so the piles around the house are contained and lassoed back in control! YIKES! I'll have to work much faster. Then to get the house cleaned.

Today I spent the day with friends of the read and bead group I belong to. What a great group of friends and talented ladies. We decided last month to all bead a similiar project. I chose the padparashka Crystals as the main color bead in the bangle bracelet with a gun metal #15 bead for the accent and a close color but not matching the red orange for the netting bead. Would you believe this represents 3 hours worth of work!

Of course that includes the ripping out and redoing too. LOL

Jane

Reorganizing

Back in September and March 2009, I showed pictures of my sewing space. Mentioning I would to get it reorganized. Long story short, did 1 cabinet and was so overwhelmed and in too much pain, so stopped short of doing anything more. I recently started making strides to reorganize my space again.


The bolts that were moved off the tops of the 3 taller cabinets, stacked on DH's chair.


The bags hanging on the pegboard behind the doors have overgrown too, will be getting rid of quite a few of these.


Stacks of blues, greens and the reds are hiding around the corner, waiting to be fondled and refolded onto the shelves.


The moved cabinets so far, waiting for the shelves to be gently filled. Doesn't it look so much better than when it did when they were crammed full before. Here and here are the blog postings of how it used to look. I think it will be so much better. I just hope I'll be able to come up with some creative storage ideas to remove some of this stuff out of my space. Yet still be close by so when it's needed, I can readily find it.

Enjoy your day.
Jane

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all Mothers enjoyed their special day. BY sleeping in late, breakfast in bed, flowers picked by someone special, however you were honored I hope you reveled in it.




I enjoyed mine. DH and I traveled to VT to see The Inn at Shelburne and enjoyed the self guided tour.


This was a beautifully carved table in the game room.


Carved legs on a set of 4 chairs also in the game room. They are dated approximately 1890's or there about.


An inlaid mahogany armoir in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Gorgeous! Would you believe the interior of the armoir also had inlaid details. Incredible.


A magnificent house that is now an Inn. Imagine the structured and strict lifestyles they endured.

I never realized that a Vanderbilt ancester made a home so close to where I live. What an extraordinary dwelling. The views were incredible inside the house, of the grounds and out buildings, as well as the mountains of NY seen across Lake Champlain. The lilacs were in bloom despite a very blustery, brisk and cold day.



Despite a threat of snow mixed in the rain, we enjoyed a nice evening out. I was able to wear my new necklace that I made from a wire wrap class I took at A Mano studio the day before. Check it out.



The set of earrings with pendant in Onyx is what I made from the silver wrap class taught by a lady who also works at the local hospital. I was surprised that I could do the pendant. But for the earrings, I had alot of trouble. With the numbness and weakness in my hands from my back injury, it was very difficult and I had to rely on the teacher for the finesse of my earrings and the bale on my pendant. But all in all, I'm rather pleased with my final results. Oh No! Perhaps it's another hobby coming on? Oh well, I won't mind as long as I don't get too many UFOs put aside.

Enjoy,
Jane

STASH REPORT #19

Used another whole fat quarter this past week! Yeah me, every little bit helps. My stash report for this week is:

So this week's report is:

Used this week: .25 yards
Used Year To date: 21.75 yds

Added This week: 8.5 yards
Added Year To Date: 57.5 yards

Check out Judy Laquidera's blog to see how all the other participants are doing. Many are into using yardage in the three number category already.

I did get some more of my scraps cut into manageable pieces, but I only count fabric when a project is completed. As for the Patch-abilities BOM, I don't count the fabric coming in or out since it's all kitted to finish as it comes.
But, I did go to a LQS - Fibre Junction and picked up some batiks to use instead of the soft blues that came with the Springtime Patch Abilities kit. Apple green and spring green are more appropriate with my way of thinking for that genre. I also got lovely deal on a solid fabric that I have plans to use in my string blocks setting for a community quilt. They were celebrating 1 full year in business. When at the shop, they were taking in many more bolts of fabric and I hear they are going to start carrying wool shortly.

Yikes, I had forgotten about purchasing those when starting this post and just remembered. I truly seem to be going in the wrong direction.

Enjoy your day,
Jane

Look what came.. and Lil Peep, tout fini!

Check out what came by the post this morning.




Investigating further, I kept finding more and more lovely goodies. Love the quilted little bag and the quilted holder that came with it too. Thank you Vicki C! She also enclosed a couple of patterns, a seam ripper token that is essentially a needle stuck into a cork for ripping out any unwanted stitches, besides several fabrics and some hexagon paper piecing kits. It feels like Christmas with so many great and practical gifts. I won the giveaway she hosted at her - my creative corner blog.



I really appreciate them. Thank you Vicki. If you get a chance, check out her blog. She always is getting so many things done. She's very creative yet down to earth. What an inspiration.
Watching Avatar was on my want to see list, so this is what I was working on last night while watching it.



What is it? you say.... Well it's to finish my lil' peep from the Silver Needle.


11 Count Aida with Chick- Medici Light yellow, Lavender Splendor silk 8 strands, Pink Fyreworks 1 strand, Artic Rays and Green Flair 1 strand each for the grass besides DMC.

The kit came with 7 ct Klostern but after several stitches, I did not care for the way the fabric was visible through the stitching, so changed it to an 11 count Aida. I am way, way early for Easter 2011. LOL!
I've had this kit in for about 3 or 4 years, since I picked up a couple of Silver Needle kits for a song on ebay. I was finally able to stitch them up in time for the holidays this past spring, but couldn't find the right fibers to complete them in a timely manner. It's no mistake saying them either, another one will be visble soon, but that's for a March Holday.
I do miss Joann's when it used to be in town. It was a haven I would return to weekly. Thank goodness for Michaels, that we at least have a bit of a selection, but I do mean a bit. This purple ribbon is the 3rd ribbon I purchased to finish this before I was satisfied with how the end result would look. Did a lot of auditioning and a couple of others could have worked, but I was not impressed so ditched each one consecutively. So it was great to finish it while watching a terrific movie.



The fabric I used to make my second flat fold also came out of my stash. I used the tutorial from Vonna of the twisted stitcher blog, but got ahead of myself a couple of times so had to undo and redo. Thanks Vonna, I am learning. I'm hoping to be able to get this done soon without studying your tutorial print out though.

Another fat quarter gone, yippee.
A finished Easter "Lil' PEEP", fantastic.
Gifts from cyber friends, Priceless.

Enjoy your day,
Jane

Twice Remembered Sampler

Kim is having a fantabulous giveaway on her Twice Remembered Blog. SHe has a beautiful knack for simply decorating and love the vignettes she displays through out the year. Check it out and good luck!

Jane

Stash Report #18

Used a whole fat quarter! Yeah me, every little bit helps. My stash report for this week is:

So this week's report is:

Used this week: .25 yards
Used Year To date: 21.50 yds

Added This week: 0 yards
Added Year To Date: 49 yards

Check out Judy's blog to see how much better all the other participants are doing.
Jane