Happy Tuesday! I'm finally back in this space today to share my July report. I didn't mean to take a break, but things do seem to slow down a bit in the summer. I know I've been moving at a slower pace! I've been sewing a lot, but need to buckle down and take photographs of all my makes and just get back into the swing of things.
July was pretty hot for us, so there were quite a few days that I couldn't work in my sewing room because of the heat. Some days I worked on the computer and for a few days I brought my machine to the kitchen to sew near the A/C unit. I still managed to get a lot done, which felt good.
I picked up my Drachenfels shawl again. I'm now into the second section which has stripes, and I really love it. I know that it will be much more enjoyable from here on out. I'm really pleased with the colors I chose.
Brushstrokes fabric by Holly DeGroot for Cloud 9 Fabrics.
As I've mentioned, to keep myself accountable I'm tracking my yardage for both yarn and fabric. Here is how I did in July:
July Fabric
Used up: 34.75 yards
Brought in: 22.5 yards
Net: -12.25 yards
Year to date: -33.875 yards
July Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: +1087 yards
Looking at my goals, I did okay this month. I didn't end up working on my double wedding ring wedges. My goal was 15 per month which would have them finished in October. I've been making 16 per month, so I decided to let myself skip July and means I need to make 18 per month these next three months. I completed one quilt start to finish, and completed three others. Two of the four I quilted myself, which I hadn't done in a long while! Just straight lines, but still! I also made a few quilt blocks and a scissor cozy. I worked on my Archer Popover, have plenty of details to finish up.
I have two deadlines to work towards this month, and I'm also really hoping to release my two new patterns. Those are going to be my primary focus. I'm starting to get excited about Fall, the weather makes it much more comfortable to sew!
George bunny says "Hi!". I took this video of him in his giant bag of hay, he was enjoying a feast! It's a little dark but still enjoyable!
Happy Sewing!
Haha, George bunny is so cute! And so well behaved...when my bunny gets at his hay bag, he knocks it over and makes a big mess by dragging out hay all over the floor!!
ReplyDeleteHe definitely does that with the smaller bags! With these big ones he doesn't quite know what to do! :)
DeleteOh! I can't wait to see what you are doing with Guising. I have a FQ set of that line and I'm saving it for something awesome!
ReplyDeleteI had it in my stash forever, felt good to finally use it!
DeleteCongratulations on finishing a quilt yourself! That vintage sheet quilt is to die for!
ReplyDeleteThank you, it had been a while! :)
DeleteLove the shawl...is it a beginner friendly pattern? I know some of the basics for knitting but would like to do more...any suggestions for easy to follow patterns or websites? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's not too complicated, but I wouldn't call it 100% beginner friendly! I'd recommend the Age of Brass and Steel Shawl (my first shawl!): http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief
DeleteOr, the Hitchhiker shawl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hitchhiker
Daybreak is also a favorite that I don't think is too hard for a beginner! I tackled it pretty early on in my knitting: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daybreak
Thanks Jeni, I will take a look...
DeleteThat shawl is coming along beautifully! I was checking out your ravelry page and am inspired to do a little knitting this fall. I love the hats you have made with lace patterns. I may give one a try!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Definitely, hats are so much fun to make! My favorite that I've made is the Swift hat, I wear it more than any other!
DeleteOh, George! You have made this hot, sticky day into one full of rainbows and unicorns :) And tell your mom I love her quilt projects--but especially her knitting today.
ReplyDeleteThanks! George and I are looking forward to cooler weather too!
DeleteRe your fabric tally--How do you calculate how much fabric you have used in a quilt? When using bits and pieces I don't see how this can be done. Do you just make an estimate based on the quilt size. Please do tell.
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the quilt. Two of the quilts I finished this month used up every bit of the fat quarters I used, so the math is easy. For quilts that use smaller pieces, I'll use the number squares and rectangles to calculate how many square inches of fabric it took, then divide by the number of square inches in a yard. There is some estimation/rounding, but it's pretty accurate.
DeleteThanks for the explanation. I think I will try it.
DeleteGeorge is so cute. I'd never thought about bunnies eating hay but that makes sense. I know at heart you are a math person but all that calculation for fabric usage ... wow! Lovely quilt top, though.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, I love doing that math, the tracking has been so satisfying! :)
DeleteHi Jeni,
ReplyDeleteI'm semi-new to quilting, and so am curious in your second photo of the basted quilt, why are all your safety pins left open? I have seen this before from other quilters and can't figure it out. Is this so you can easily move them to adjust if necessary? Do you close them all at one time right before you begin quilting the layers together? Thank you for your reply :)
I like to get all the safety pins in place and then go back and close them all at once! I use a tool to close them (a Kwik Klip), and I find it faster to do it this way since I'm not picking up and putting down the tool constantly! :)
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