Stashbusters – August Check In

Time to check in for our Stashbuster Challenge! Once again, I had to add fabric, but that is OK. We all have to do that from time to time, and we have to keep the fabric shops in business. I did manage to get more ‘out’ than ‘in’ this time.

For fabric in, I got two yards of the Enchant fabric line for my Quilted Jacket Sew Along.

Then, I have to count in the three fat quarters from Shop Hop.

For Fabric Out, I am donating these fabrics to our area for our secret project, 6 yards out.

Then, I donated these to the Fabric Frenzy at the last guild meeting, 7 yards out.

I finished this Project Linus quilt, and it was delivered yesterday along with the red one from last month, 4 yards out. Every time I show quilts I make using this block design, someone asks for the pattern, so here it is again – Scrappy Quilt. The download has the block and setting ideas for different looks.

Sulky’s Giveaway this month is a fabulous book! Embellish Your Life With Sulky – 25 Amazing Embellishing Techniques and includes a Bonus Designer Gallery and Pattern CD!! Be sure to check out Sulky’s site for great sales on threads and stabilizers. – Sulky Threads and More!

If you need to go back to the previous Stashbuster post to find your YTD totals in the comments, click on July Stashbusters. Congratulations to Nancy who won last month’s drawing!

Several readers have asked how to figure yardage out when you are using scraps, or squares cut for a scrap saving system. I wouldn’t try to measure all those scraps, it is too much math.  I just count it out as it works out to yardage by the project.  For example, I count a yard of fabric as 1440 square inches (40 inches wide x 36 inches in length).  So if I have a finish of 60×72, that equals 4320 square inches, divide by 1440 and I get 3, so I count out 3 yards.  It is a rough estimate but good enough for this.

So, here are my totals
July Fabric IN = +2-3/4 yards
July Fabric OUT = -17 yards
July Total = -14-1/4 yards out
Year to Date = -13-1/4 yards out

Share your progress, good or not so good, with your fabric totals to be entered into this month’s drawing, and the grand prize drawing at the end of the Stashbuster year in January. How did you do this month?

33 thoughts on “Stashbusters – August Check In

  1. Sandy

    Carole,
    This year we are using your scrappy block to make veterans quilts at Tarheels. I have been passing out kits at the meetings and encouraging members to make some using their own scraps. We plan to have a get together in the fall to lay out the squares and sew them together. I just printed out your different design ideas to take to the group.
    Thank you!! Sandy

  2. Jan

    Carole, Congrats on publishing your pattern!
    July has been a much more productive month for me as I am once again getting things finished.
    July Fabric IN = none!
    July Fabric OUT = -33
    July Total = -33
    Year to Date = -163.5
    I finished 2 wee quilts, 3 crib quilts, 2 large lap quilts, a blouse and a jelly roll rug. YAY!

  3. Rheanna

    Not the right direction this month but I knew that would happen. To celebrate our 40th birthdays my husband and I took a trip to Missouri where I got to spend one of the days at Missouri Star Quilting. You can’t spend that much time surrounded by gorgeous fabric and not bring some home with you. Also my LQS had an anniversary sale so I walked out with some goodies there as well. Guess I am all stocked up for the rest of the year. 🙂
    July

    In: 35.75
    * 4.5 yards + 1.5 yds (2 charm packs) magic diamonds quilt
    * 7.25 yds Sawtooth Stars and Stripes
    * 1 yd teal x
    * 4 yds Blue fabrics
    * 2.75 yd (Jelly roll) + 1.5 yards (mom table runner)
    * 3 Yds green with red floral
    * 0.75 yds (3 fat quarters)
    * 5 yards backing
    * 3 yards on sale fabric
    * 1 yd panel + 0.5 yd border

    Out: -14 yards
    * 3 yards wall hanging
    * 2.5 yards wall hanging
    * 9 yards Celebrate quilt

    Diff for month: 21.75
    Diff for year: 47.5

  4. Angie VE

    July = zero in & zero out
    YTD = -33 yds

    I’m continuing to build my inventory of ready for Longarm… wish it were closer and that 40+hr/wk commitment gets in the way!

  5. jseccurrtwcnyrrcom

    Did better this month!

    July Fabric IN = 0 July Fabric OUT = -26.5 July Total = -26.5 out Year to Date = -149 yards out

    Went to quilt shops but just bought thread or notions. Took much discipline to resist those fabrics that I felt were calling out to me for a home!

  6. Betsy Pompi

    Congratulations. That’s a great total out this month. Just wanted to know if you watched the Hall of Fame game last night?

  7. June Neigum

    Our quilting group has a free for the taking table. This month a hubby was cleaning out his wife’s room who passed away 3 years ago. Some quilting friends brought in some of her stash. So had to help out with some of the pieces. One of our gals suggested we keep the fabric no one took and cut it up into 5″ squares and make charity quilts from it. So that is what we are doing. Its going to make some nice quilts for some deserving people.
    In for me was just 2 yds? of scraps.
    Out still plugging away on my big projects None out.

    July In 2yds
    Out none
    YTD-51 yds out

  8. Margaret Nelson

    July Fabric IN = +2 yards
    July Fabric OUT = -4 yards
    July Total = -2 yards out
    Year to Date = ÷254 yards in

  9. Love seeing your projects and your fabrics, they’re all so pretty. You must have a hard time deciding what to use and what to donate. I’m impressed with your record keeping. I wish I could that with my yarn…but it’s just too much. Keep up the good work on busting your stash and making pretty quilts!!

  10. Well, July busy. I did 9 quilts all for Quilts of Valor. #1 I finished my UFO Snowy River that was all cut, but never sewn with scrappy batiks.#2 started a new one Landlocked by Moda using 5″ spring squares. #3 My UFO “T” quilt in fall, blue, yellow, which was my 50th quilt this year!! #4 was another new one Slendor in scrappy batiks, #5 was a UFO called Worm Quilt which was multi-color turquoise, purple, green. #6 was a 4 patch slice with 5″ pastels which was a new idea. #7 was an old UFO the 2014 spring mystery-elevations done in greens. It was cut out, but never started! #8 was a UFO of QOV Stars in patriotic with sashing and pinwheel cornerstones. #9 was a UFO Snails Trail in magenta and navy. One of those quilts was the 7,000th our QOV chapter has made!! I did go to a garage sale and buy a layer cake and a charm pack. So in making 9 quilts with backs that should be another 90 yards, bringing my total used this year to 560. WHERE IS THE DENT? I did donate several garbage bags of holiday fabric to a fundraiser, but cannot calculate the yardage!

  11. Shirley Marvin

    I did better in July. Went searching for something in my stash and found a box of factory cutoff rolls – Made them into rugs = so about 18 yards out there. Sold some lining to sister so =2-1/ yards. some pot holders and a scrappy Irish chain for big brother so another 8 yards there..
    total in 0
    Total out 31
    ytd in 88
    ytd out 97

  12. Niki B

    I finished 2 quilts and 2 small purses in July. And, i bought fabric on vacation for a new quilt and some for the quilted jacket project. I started on the outer part of the jacket yesterday, making strip blocks. I may have to rethink that. It’s taking longer than I thought to make the blocks. Maybe not make blocks for the sleeves

    July in +9
    July. Out -10
    YTD. +.5

  13. Charleen

    Made but only one bag out of the house:
    3 crossbody bags (2 FQ each)
    2 bags with complicated piecing. +- 2 yards each. Fels good to make a tiny bit of headway.

  14. Kathie Weatherford

    I didn’t finish a single thing last month although I have several in progress (Laundry Basket summer mystery, quilts of valor, and a hand quilting project). I did give some fabric away which counts.
    Used year to Date: 91.25 yards
    Added this Week: 0 yards
    Added Year to Date: 44 yards
    Net Used for 2022: 47.25 yards

  15. Vicki in MN

    I used more than I bought, so I’m happy!
    July fabric out- 38 yards (1 table runners, 6 wall hangings, 3 quilts).
    July fabric in- 15.75 yards
    July total- 22.25 yards out
    YTD fabric used- 154.75

  16. poodlegirls

    I had a good month in that I didn’t add any fabrics. Although some really tempted me! I did deliver 2 quilts to Linus and also did the binding on a friend’s quilt. A total of 5 1/2 yds out the door. Hoping to get back to more sewing this month. Time will tell.
    For July. In–0; out –5 1/2

    Totals thru July
    In–16; Out–265.5

  17. Evie H

    Alas, July was another no-sewing month! So totals are the same as last month:
    YTD In = 12 yards
    YTD out = 48.45 yards

  18. Lovely fabrics for your quilted jacket. Your fabric donations and the Project Linus quilt are all very pretty as well. Here is my July Stash Busters count:

    July IN= .50 yds.
    OUT= 5.75 yds.
    YTD OUT= 9.0 yds.

  19. Some in…a little more out!
    6.0 yards in this month.
    But 9.4 yards out
    So far this year, 26.6 yards out.
    Happy to be staying in the black!

  20. Some in…a little more out!
    6.0 yards in this month.
    But 9.4 yards out
    So far this year, 26.6 yards out.
    Happy to be staying in the black!

  21. May & June were not productive. While I did get back into the sewing room for some stitching in July, we also did a road trip to Pennsylvania to have two sewing machines serviced (one had over 2 million stitches since it was last serviced!). Unfortunately, while the machines were being worked on I was “forced” to shop at two of my favorite quilt shops.

    July Fabric IN = +49 yards
    July Fabric OUT = -21.5 yards
    July Total = +27.5 yards in
    Year to Date = -0.25 yards out **(still in the negative! )

    I had really good reasons for buying some this fabric – 21 yards for a queen (for a gift) & 6.5 yards for a Quilt of Valor.

    On the “unofficial” count, I had 6 yards in & 6 yards out for making 2 store samples. Total for the year: 36 yards in & 36 yards out for shop samples.

    I see more time in the sewing room during August!

  22. Debbie Skinner

    Hi Carole, I was away for the last two days. Here are my totals for July:
    July: Output: 2yards-Hands quilt for a guild member, 1 ½ yards Table Mat as gift for retired Priest.
    Input: 7 yards for Pillowcase Laundry bag kits for detention center, 1 yard (8 fat quarters) for Hygiene bags for homeless shelter, 2 yards flannel for quilted jacket total : 10 yards
    Total for the Month: Input: 10 yards, Output 2 yards
    Year to date: Output: 65 yards Input: 70.5 (+5.5)

  23. Amanda

    July In: +16.0 yards
    July Out: -3.75 yards
    July Total: +12.25 yards
    YTD: +231.75 yards

    There’s still time to turn things around this year! 🙂

  24. Connie S Wolfe

    Congratulations on the published pattern! Way to go! I finished one Comfort Quilt for submission to hospice and one baby quilt for a family member. A few more small tops are in different stages of completion.
    July in: 0 yds.
    July out: 8.8 yds.
    Fabric total YTD: + 26.8 yds.
    Slowly working through the stash.
    Connie

  25. Laura Riley

    I have committed myself to make a couple more Quilts of Valor so purchased some fabric for those (was able to get the fabric 20% off so that helped). I also purchased some fabric at a different quilt shop fabric for a full sized quilt plus four panels. I get together in the fall with four quilting friends every year for a quilting retreat. I am going to challenge each of them to use the panel and make a quilt using it. That should be fun to see what everyone comes up with. So my fabric in was a higher number again this month. I was able to get three charity kid’s sized quilts completed and donated so made a little progress on my out total.

    July Fabric IN = +21 1/4 yards
    July Fabric OUT = -13 yards
    July Total = +8 1/4 yards in
    Year to Date = +44 3/4 yards in

  26. Alexandria

    July In: 4 yds
    July out: 0
    TYD in: 12.5
    I came across 4 yds of Christmas flannelette and couldn’t resist.

  27. Julie

    Out of town visitors so I’m running late. Fairly successful this month, incoming went right back out the door, still a bit behind for the year.
    July In = 5 yds
    July Out = 20 yds
    YTD In = 121.3
    YTD Out = 104.75

    An out of town visitor went home with 4 quilts so I expected to catch up for August – but – they came with a basket of fabric.

  28. Well, here goes Aug. I actually bought a layer cake at a garage sale, and it’s already a finished quilt top! Here we go My quilt #57 for this year was called Sea Breeze using Army themed fabric with olive and gray; #58 is Lakeview Terrace in patriotic; Twirling, Swirling Star in patriotic strips (like lone star) and red background was #59; #60 is Easy Strip Hourglass from MO Star done in all blues; #61 is Entwined done from the yellow, gray, white and black layer cake I bought; and last is #62 Autumn Star in red, blue, gold and brown. Six quilts and backs would be 60 yards used, making my year to date total 620 used!! All these quilts are for Quilts of Valor.

Comments are closed.