Month End Total

I finished the month with a better stashbusting total than I'd thought. I had about a week away in total but still managed to make:
3 skirts
14 pillowcases
12 quilts
4 PJ pants and 1 PJ top
1 pr boxer shorts
7 bags
and overall I used up 118.35 yards of fabric from my stash. So I'm ahead at the moment as I'd only pledged to use up 100 yards for the year. Then I thought I'd try for 50 yards a month so I'm very happy with my progress.
Yesterday and today are work days but I still managed to make 7 more pillowcases to donate as well as cutting more out.
I made most of them today as yesterday I was surfing the net to find accommodation in Houston while the Quilt Show is on in early Nov. I'll have to use up much more stash before I go as I can see a big fabric buying exhibition ahead of me.
Better get off to work to pay for the trip.
Hugs Jan Mac

Maybe There Was...

Here I was saying that I don't have enough time but I did manage to quilt 3 tops yesterday before I went to work and today I bound 4 quilts, made a bag and also a large bag for some of our camping equipment. Altogether I used up 32.75 yards of fabric and here's one of the quilts which was made of simple squares of fabric.
I also bound the edges of a towel to give it a longer life and made 3 hand towels from a towel which was in good condition but had a stain on it. These will be used to make health kits to be donated.
So I guess you could say that I've made progress. I have work again over the weekend but I plan to make some pillowcases and then total my stash busted for this month. Despite going away for several days I think I will have almost reached my year's total of 100 yards already. If not, there's always next month.
Hugs Jan Mac

Not Enough Time

Yes I know we all have the same number of hours in our day but at times I wish for more.
We went camping with a great group of friends for 5 days and spent most of the time laughing.
Today was a day of catch up with the washing and sorting out of camping gear to be done.
My next week is going to be busy with work but I do hope to get some time for quilting as well. If not there's always another day for that.
I enjoy our camping trips and time to chat and catch up on my reading too so we are planning another trip soon.
I hope to have some finished quilts to show you soon.
Cheers, Jan Mac

Still Sewing

Our youngest DD modelled two of the skirts I've made while she's been home on holidays. I made the red and white one yesterday in between attending to family things. I'm still planning on getting some quilts finished but other things have taken precedence this week. I did manage to bust another 2 yards of stash and I'm pleased with the overall result for this month. I do have some more scarves and hats to show in as future blog and another crocheted blanket is almost finished. I'm getting a scarf made each day at the moment and it's been a good portable project that I can work on while I'm waiting at appointments etc.
Tomorrow we're viewing a retirement unit for my Dad so I'd better get a quilt done tonight as tomorrow will be busy for most of the day.
Take care, Jan Mac

Still Not Quilting

I was going to quilt but instead I made some tote bags for Pine Ridge Reservation. These will go to foster kids so they have something to carry their belongings in. I think one of the most demeaning things to do to someone is to have them carry their belongings in plastic bags.
It's a pet peeve of mine and I can remember seeing an elderly man interviewed after Hurricane Katrina and all he wanted was a carry bag for his few belongings instead of using the plastic bag they were handing out. I had a donation of furnishing fabric so I decided to use it up in tote bags for a good cause. I also made a couple of pencil cases with a zippered top and will send them all together with some kid's friendly pillowcases for kids in foster care.
I've also been making and donating tote bags for the Timorese as they only had very friable plastic bags to carry their items to market and if they got a hole in them then they lost their rice.
We take these small things for granted so if you have the time and some fabric just make some tote bags or draw string bags for one of these worthy causes and do a little to make life a little easier for other women and their kids. I look on it as a good way to bust more stash. I used up another 5 yards on the bags.
Bye for now, Jan Mac

Not Just Quilting

I've managed to bust 38 yards of stash over the past few days. Yesterday I bound 5 quilts, and put a QAYG quilt together as well as making backings for 2 quilts. Today was very productive as I made 2 pairs of sleep pants in flannel material, as well as PJs for an 8 year old and a pair of cord pants for a toddler. They will all be donated to Pine Ridge Reservation for kids in foster care.
If you're interested check out http://www.friendsofpineridgereservation.org
Luckily all of this fabric has come from my Magic Cupboard, but I think I'm out of flannel now and when I went to buy some on sale at Spotlight at $2 a Yard, they'd already sold out. If anyone has any they want to donate, I'm happy to sew the pants and pass them on to a good cause.
Back to quilts again tomorrow.
hugs Jan Mac

Heat Wave Over.. and Now Quilting

We had temps of 112F (44.5C) plus for four days at the start of the week and apart from my paid job I didn't get much done unless it could be done in front of air conditioning. Thank goodness that's gone for now and there were no bush fires here as we were warned it was a catastrophic fire warning day. I did manage to finish one crocheted blanket and I have almost made enough squares for another one, as well as crocheting 4 more scarves for Pine Ridge, with wool from my Magic Cupboard. I finally got 4 more quilts finished from tops and I started another UFO of mine which is shown here. When Ray had surgery for cancer in June, lovely quilters from my online group sent him hearts in balck and red for his favourite football team- Essendon. I've started to put them together and will show more photos soon.
I was also told that I had been nominated as a generous crafter on the blog- Sew Mama Sew. Fifteen of us were nominated by many blog readers so thank you to all who voted. Three of us in the final fifteen had all worked together to make quilts for the bush fire appeal here in Victoria. The other two lovely quilters are Tia, (Camp Follower Bags) who was based at Alice Springs at the time of the fires and she made quilts from hundreds of star blocks donated from around the world. Tia is now back in the US. Mary (Heartstrings) was also nominated and she organized and sent me 3 hugs boxes of QAYG blocks from quilters in the US.
So I was very happy that we were all able to work together for such a good cause. I'm now getting a shipment of quilts ready for areas devastated by earthquakes. Take care. Jan Mac