It’s Stashbusters Check In Day! I hope you have had some quality sewing time over the past weekend and will be able to sew during the one coming up with holidays in both the USA and Canada. I have a few fun designs in process that are Christmas themed, and I think I’ll do a short Christmas in July event later in the month. So pull out your Christmas fabrics for a stashbusting scrappy project in a couple of weeks.
This was the free exchange table at the last guild meeting. Now, I ask you, who could resist just taking a quick look? I mean, really. We are having a charity sew later in the year to make pillowcases, so I encouraged all our Area A members to look for suitable fabrics for that project. I was feeling good when I added 3 yards of fat quarters and small pieces to the mix.
The view from the other end had books and more fabric. Oh sure, I had to look at those as well. Yes, I brought home two, plus a few magazines. Hey, they don’t count!
OK, so, here is full disclosure of what fabric I did bring home. It totaled 7 yards. But most of it will turn around and go right out again with the pillowcase project in September, along with a lot of my stash fabric. At one yard plus 2 inches per pillowcase, I intend to have lots of fabric out.
I worked some on cutting the kits for pillowcases, but I cannot count anything out until we do the sew-in in September. All of these fabrics came from the haul above. I was disappointed to find the strawberry print had been cut up on the opposite selvedge edge, so I could only get a couple of trim strips, not the full cuffs I had planned.
I pulled more fabrics, and kept cutting. I have 18 pillowcase kits cut and ready to go, and will do more before the sew day in September. I cannot count any of this out yet, though, as they are not finished. I just wanted you to see I really am working on reducing the stash, even though it doesn’t look like it yet.
But then, the people doing the fabric sale as a fundraiser had another sale in their storage facility. Well, it is for a good cause, so I thought I’d just go to see what might be left for backing fabrics. I came home with 20 more yards. But aren’t they pretty? The yellow background floral, and the purple floral below it are both 6 yards, perfect for backing. The others are about 2 yards each, and I have no excuse, other than they jumped into my cart when I wasn’t paying attention. At about $1.50 a yard, it was a steal. The fabrics are really high quality Marcus Brothers, Moda, and Robert Kaufman.
OK, so that is 27 yards ‘in’ this month. I did have two finishes though. First, the Paris Quilt, finished and sold – 6-1/2 yards out.
The Kayla Quilt is finished and ready for the September donation presentation to Safelight – another 6-1/2 yards out.
So, here is where I stand this month.
June Fabric IN = + 27 yards
June Fabric OUT = – 16 yards
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = + 11 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +22-1/4 yards “in”
Looks like I only need a few more pillowcase sets to cut and I’ll be close to breaking even.
Your turn! How’d you do this month?
June Fabric IN = +
June Fabric OUT = –
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =
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From My Carolina Home 
A charity sew date for the guild and the Comfort Quilts Misfit Fabric Challenge brought in a few yards. I am still holding onto my own personal goal of using 100 yards from my stash until making any purchases, but it is tough when I see emails and blogs with the new fabric lines. Here are the June numbers:
June Fabric In: 6.0 yards;
June Fabric Out: 19.1 yards;
June Net Total: -13.1 yards;
YTD Total: -36.7 yards;
July should be another good month for finishing. I have a Quilt of Valor pin basted and ready for quilting. It will be awarded in two weeks at the annual rally for our Redwood RV. Wishing all a good month!
Connie W.
Great job! You’ll get there!!
I moved in the right direction this month. I made a book bag as a thank you gift for one of my daughters teachers and my 4 youngest decided they need one too. I was able to finish one of them but had to set the other 3 on the back burner in order to make a quilt for one of my son’s friends from soccer. His family is moving to Alaska so the team is pitching in and I am making him a quilt with soccer balls and the teams colors. I am going to have the team sign it as well. The major help this month was donating flannel to a group of seniors that my sister in law works with. They use it to make baby blankets. It wasn’t going any good sitting around my house. Glad it has a new home.
In: 1.5 yards for Ms Baker’s bag
4 yards bags for kids
6 yards quilt for Charlie
Out:
Monthly Total: -5.25
Yearly total: 6.75
Awesome!!
I have been able to keep up my goal of finishing one of my many quilt tops each month so my stats continue to look good. And my wallet appreciates my hesitancy to buy fabric.
June Fabric in: + 6 yds
June Fabric out: – 9.5 yds
June Net Total: _ 3.5 yds
YTD Total: – 45.0 yds
Excellent!! Your YTD is wonderful, and gives you a cushion for the next sales, LOL!
Ah, feeling better about my productivity this month and year. Lots of quilt finishes and gifted and donated to Project Linus. Now, into the UFO basket for July and August!
Making pillowcases is a good way to decrease the stash. Go Carole Go!
June Fabric IN = + 5 yards
June Fabric OUT = – 28.5
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = – 23.5
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -50.75
You are doing great!
June Fabric IN = +0
June Fabric OUT = –42.13y
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -42.13
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +75
My half year successes:
16 UFO finishes
8 New finishes
203y OUT
282y IN (3 bolts of wide backing and #2 nearly empty already). And a huge shopping spree back east when I spent 3d with a quilty friend who moved there and we found $4 table twice!
Sometimes we just have to succumb to the fabric sirens, LOL!! But your yardage out this month is quite impressive!
i’d snap up the blue/green geometric in a heartbeat….that is one thing i miss about my former guild…the free table…nothing like somebody else’s fabric to spark the mojo
June Fabric IN = +1
June Fabric OUT = –16 1/2
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -15 1/2
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +5
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Apparently I didn’t keep track of my totals properly. I’ve re-figured all my numbers and now I’m on track. Worse off than I was thinking but not too bad nonetheless.
Not bad at all! Hang in there!
June in-5.5 ( gave in to Guild free table too!)😀
June out -3.5
net June +2
net YTD +25.5.
I am looking forward to Guild Charity Quilt sew day later this month. Also hoping to finish a UFO. We’ll see. I will probably do five or six pillowcases as well.
Thanks for doing this!
You bought practically and some beauties. I was swooning at the seed packet fabric. I love that one beyond words, but they’re all lovely!
At $1.50 per yeard, it would have been worth a plane ticket from Chicago to “shop!” What great fabrics! Enjoy!!!!!
Looks like you have a good start on coordinating the fabrics for your pillow case project! Looks like you had two wonderful opportunities to buy quilting paraphernalia and fabric.
My “out” is mostly donated fabrics. 17 pounds worth to a sewing recycle shop! The fabric has been set free from my stash and bound for new adventures!
June Fabric IN = + 2.5 yards
June Fabric OUT = – -56 yards
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -53.5
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -130.5
Hoping to finish a quilt or two in July and to sort out more fabric to give away.
Happy Stitching!
Jo Anne
Your year to date is awesome!!
July seemed to arrive in a NY Minute! There was a production stalemate here recently as I unquilted & requilted the same quilt 3-1/2 times, but it was finally tamed & finished in June. I also finished 3 lap quilts & several fabric gift bags. I did not plan on bringing home any fabric at our silent auction having just accepted a grocery bag full of donated fabric. I had my eyes on a collection of quilting books instead, but 1 bag of fabric forced its way into my car. Nevertheless, it looks like I managed to break even. Despite getting off to a good start, I have a feeling some backsliding will occur in July. I was given a gift certificate to a favorite LQS & I always need background fabric. Give me strength to stay within my spending limit, LOL.
Glad you finished the wayward quilt. Background fabric is needed to get the stash moving. Think about rulers too, LOL, tools are great ways to spend gift certificates.
Well, no new fabric in, but a VERY productive June. Quilt #41 for the year was a UFO Scrappy Friends pinwheels, #42 was a new pattern Scrappy Patches done in Air Force fabric. #43 was a UFO Rail Fence in rose cream. #44 was Buckeye Beauty (or Jacobs Ladder star) a previous UFO. #45 was green stars and pinwheels-no longer a UFO. #46 was Route 66 cars done in bricks for an upcoming Veteran car show. #47 Opposites Attract by Revelation Quilts done in blue and white. #48 is Brightly by Missouri Star done in scrappy patriotic (I previously did it in batiks, which I prefer). #49 is Floating Beads done in States patriotic jelly roll I bought on vacation last year in SC. and drum roll: #50 all done in the first six months! is cars done with a 4 patch (again for the Veteran car show in Aug.) So, 10 quilts and backs at 10 yards each is another 100 yards used, bringing year to date used to 500 yards. All of these go to Quilts of Valor. And, I’m off to a good start for July before my family reunion trip tomorrow to Virginia Beach!
Still astonishing how much you get done.
so, how far are you from Virginia Beach? Tomorrow I’m heading that way for a week at an air bnb.
I’m still zero in/zero out for June. Working on tops like crazy, but no quilting yet. I’ve been doing so well all year, but my next project is going to be a quilt for my bed. Still haven’t decided on a pattern..🫣 I can’t make up my mind. But, I have been adding to the stash of fabrics for it. I will also be making a bed skirt and pillow shams to match, so I went scouring the Internet today, just for that fabric, and happened across a website that was having a 4th of July sale on that particular fabric brand.😲. By the time I got the yardage needed for that, added a couple of lights, and only needed a few more dollars to get free shipping….you know where this is going!! I will be adding 16 yards to the total for next month.🤫. That just blew my fabric budget for the rest of the year. So, for June, I am still in the red…
June Fabric IN = + 0
June Fabric OUT = – 0
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = 0
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -41 1/4 yds out
LOL, been there!! So much better to buy another couple of yards rather than pay shipping. Have you considered one of my Scrap Dance patterns? See my pattern page, you might see the perfect thing for your fabrics and your bed.
Carole, you had some great buys this month; I’m sure you will eventually put it all to good use.
I had quite a bit of fabric in the “In” column this month, mostly for backings. I’m already using one in a quilt that I’m in the process of quilting. And I did have my first finish of this year, a larger wall hanging.
June Fabric IN = +24-1/4 yds
June Fabric OUT = – 6 yds
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = 18-1/4 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = 56-3/4 yds
Carole, You had a great month of acquiring some very nice fabric. Many people will be blessed by your donations. I had forgotten all about pillowcases. I have 9 kitted just waiting for me to remember them.
I was able to gift 5 UFO quilts in June. Yippee me!
June Fabric IN = + 3
June Fabric OUT = – 25
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -22
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = – 22.25 yds
Woohoo, great progress!!
An atypical month for me. I went to a quilt show and of course had to buy. Then the state quilt museum had their sale so…
Next month will be better (I hope) as I have 4 quilts ready to bind and 2 more ready to sandwich.
June Fabric IN = + 6 yds
June Fabric OUT = – 1.5 yds
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = +4.5 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -133.5 yds
I would have had to bring some of that pretty fabric home, too! Sounds like you’ve got a great plan for using it. I had a couple of good sized finishes this month, so that should help my totals for June!
June In: .5 yd.
June Out: 4.25 yds
YTD In: +13.5
YTD Out: -11.25
You are just planning ahead Carole! I will be in your shoes in August, when I think I will have 4 pillowcases to do for students, and not enough large cuts for the main body. June was pretty good for finishing projects. I did a weekend bag for a student, a pillow case, finished the snowman pillow covers, a pair of jeans and a border for my Alaska quilt. July could be just as good, if I keep on track! I’m cleaning out my fabric drawers, so that will help me take inventory.
June In: 0 yards
June Out: -7 yards
June Net Total: -7 yards
Year to Date: -11.22
June Fabric IN = +1
June Fabric OUT = –10.25
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -9.25
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -55.75
Wow, great progress!
Those pillowcases will get you back on the other side pretty quickly. Here’s how things are looking for me:
June Fabric IN = +0
June Fabric OUT = -12
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =-12
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -57.5
So, that is down a little and I do have 4 tops and a table runner to finish so I should be down again even with a little purchases to help with pillows I am making!
No quilting again this month. Working on one project which won’t be completed for a while.
June Fabric IN = + 0
June Fabric OUT = – 0
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = 0
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +4.25
That’s the way it goes sometimes.
June was a good month for me. I managed to go through and get a lot of fabric donated to Linus and 2 quilts bound. Both were decent size quilts.
I did buy backing for another quilt-saw it and fell in love with it. It was prefect for the queen size I gave to my quilter to quilt!
Donated fabric- 30; quilts finished -22.5.
Total for June
In – 3.5 yards
Out – 52.5 yards
Net- 49
YTD–In-25.5; out–78.75 NET YTD–56.75
Really happy with my June numbers!
Those are great numbers!! Fantastic job!!
Sorry I’m a little late to add my comments. July so far has been a busy month! June was a great sewing month for me! I completed yet another UFO, this one from 2017. It was a huge quilt top made as a stashbuster project from a local quilt shop. It’s been waiting for 7 years for a finish mostly because I’ve been waffling about what to do with it. I made some design additions and removed 8 blocks. The end result was a wall hanging for my sewing room and a throw quilt. I also made and finished a quilt for my granddaughter as a HS graduation gift. Add to that various other smaller projects. My scorecard for June:
June Fabric IN = +4 yardsJune Fabric OUT = –16 yardsJune Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -12 yards outYear to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -26.50 yards out
How long do you leave your recipes up and your instructions up when you mention them on your emails? Have tried to download some older ones and not able to do so. Love to follow you.
Forever, except for the mystery quilt alongs as those are converted to paid patterns.
Which one were you trying to find?
You can follow my blog by entering your email address in the box on the right sidebar where it says “Follow This Blog” then click on the black button just below. You’ll get a confirmation email that you need to respond to, then you’ll get an email with my posts as they are published.
Thanks for asking!
First month with more out than in.
July—8 yards in
July out—10 yards
July balance—2 yards more out
YTD in—60.5
YTD out—51.25
YTD balance—still about eight yards more in—darn