Are you keeping up with your Stashbusting efforts? I must admit, having some free days to sew has produced a lot of little things for the upcoming sales, but not a lot of fabric out.
This past month I have 1/2-yard in from the last guild meeting. I was lucky to be standing in the right place when another member was unloading her entire collection of serger thread. I nabbed four white and four ecru, the colors I use the most. The fabric was also on the freebie table and I couldn’t resist the cute print. Fabric in – 1/2 yard.
I had to buy some prints for a patriotic quilt, a new design I am working on. I did the design some time ago, but have not had any time to actually make the quilt. I plan to submit it to a magazine, and I have to work out the yardage requirements. So, 2 yards in.
I think I have the design worked out for the produce bags. I’ve made several changes in how I put it together. They are good size, about 15 inches wide and 18 inches deep, with long handles and a drawstring closure. Five completed produce bags counts as 2-1/2 yards out. The netting isn’t really fabric so I didn’t count it as fabric out. I’m thinking of pricing them at $15 each, what do you think?
I have been concentrating on making some small items for sale at the upcoming Fall Fiber Fair, and also next year at the quilt show shop. I’ll have some on the blog later too, if you want something you see. First, I have redesigned a non-slip foot control pad to be sewn entirely on the machine, instead of adding the backstop by hand as an online pattern instruction indicated. I’m doing these in sewing prints.
I finished the little hen wall hanging. The embroidery says “Sometimes you just gotta say Cluck It and walk away.” I thought that was funny.
Last month, I found the perfect fabric to finish the little mug rug to go with a soup mug I have.
It is so cute, and fits the mug design so well, I am tempted to keep it.
I have made a bunch more hot handle pads and and seat belt pads in cute prints. I’ll be making them in a wide variety of prints, hoping to find something for everyone. Each individual item doesn’t use a lot of fabric, but they do add up. I have been researching what sells best, and apparently chickens are a hot item for kitchens. I can understand that as my own kitchen is full of chickens.
Taking all the little projects together, I think it is about one yard total so far. So, here is where I stand as of this month:
May Fabric IN = +2- 1/2 yard
May Fabric OUT = –3-1/2 yards
May Net Total = -1 yard
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = Out! -21 yards
Your turn! If you need a reminder of where you were last month, click on Stashbusters May Check In and scroll to the comments to find yours.
May Fabric IN = +
May Fabric OUT = –
May Net Total =
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) =
How’d you do this past month?
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Fat Quarter Shop has new specials for June! Get 20% off the Basic of the Month, Pure Solids by Art Gallery, 30% Off the Notions of the Month by Annie, 30% off Patterns of the Month from Fig Tree paper patterns and see the Book of the Month – Summer Memories. Check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week. The Liberty Box is shipping this month, and there is still time to order a box! This limited-edition mystery box is filled with goodies to celebrate the All-American spirit. Fat Quarter Shop will donate a portion of the proceeds of each box to the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Plus, FQS is kicking off their 22nd Birthday with two live streams every week in June! Fat Quarter Shop has hundreds of items on sale all month long, with a few fun surprises for customers along the way. Please click to FQS from my blog so I get the credit. Thanks!
Shop the Milk Street Store – Cookbooks now on sale including the fantastic newest release Milk Street Backroads Italy.
From My Carolina Home 
While I am not a Stashbusters member, I had to say what cute projects you have created. I like the price for the produce bags. Pretty and practical.
Using the iron is still hard but I am slowly adding my retail therapy to my stash as I can wash and press it.
I am also slowly getting back to sewing and was able to finish up a several care quilts.
May Fabric IN = +29
May Fabric OUT = –26.75
May Net Total = +2.25
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = -52.5
Hopefully I can have more out than in but retail therapy and free tables were so tempting while I waiting to recover from thumb surgery.
Who hasn’t felt the Cluck It sentiment on occasion? I hope your new design lands on the cover of a quilt magazine! Although they changed the name, it was so nice to see your last quilt on one of my favorite magazine issues. No fabric entered the house & 5 quilts were completed. Somehow, the scrap bin expanded. What is going on when I leave the room for the day?
I am still on track to reach my personal goal for 2025 but yearn to find myself in the over achiever category. Wink, wink! I am feeling the drive to clean out what is not lovely in my eyes, and to put the beautiful to work in quilts for others. Oh, I do not intend to get to zero. That will never do! But I would like to reduce the stash to fabric I WANT to use. I am on my way.
May Fabric IN = +5 yards (all for one graduation quilt)
May Fabric OUT = –16.5 (Finished UFOs and the above mentioned graduation quilt.)
May Net Total =11.5 out
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = 39 yards out
I’m not a stashbuster member, but I love some of your projects, especially the mug rug. So cute.
Good to hear from you. Love the mug rug; I’d keep it
Love the MR. As far as clearing stash, I haven’t been able to scratch the surface on that one. I’m trying to get better organized but is a daunting task. Clearing my yarn supply is my main focus as far as crafts go. I’m primarily working on clothes, shoes, books, etc. cluttering my abode. Lots of donations once I get them gathered.
Blessings,
Beverly
Love the little projects you have been working on. Wonderful ideas when you want to gift a little something. The produce bags are great, especially with the summer Farmer’s Markets opening up. I like that the straps reach all the way around the bag. I think that is really needed for heavier loads. Spent half the month with visitors with many day trips here in Florida and little time for sewing but so much fun.
May Fabric IN = +0 yds
May Fabric OUT = – 8.5 yds
May Net Total = -8.5 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year = 50 yds
I have tried a few times to stash bust, but have failed miserably as either the Houston Quilt festival or local shop hops entice me to add significantly to my stash 🙂 My sewing mojo is on hiatus right now due to (good) life circumstances. I split my time between our Arizona and Texas homes: we are about to have a big landscaping project at our Arizona house, and we are looking at selling our central Texas hill country home so we can move a lake in north Texas. I retire at the end of June, but my days will still be busy. I love all the little projects! Chickens are a favorite of ours too, and that saying is so cute, lol.
S o good to see you! I have always loved your flowers, wild animals and pictures.
Wow you have some great projects! I love that you are using the new embroidery machine and incorporating it in your quilting life. I’ve been doing more embroidery than sewing lately. I hope you are feeling better! I can’t keep up with Stashbuster totals, but it is fun to see what others are doing. Love that bike fabric!
I really like the projects that you are working on for selling later at your guild show in the fall, its nice to start early. Why do I wait till the last minute to think of something to make? The mug rug goes well with your coffee cup and I would keep it for the winter months. I don’t do the stash busting because I downsized in a big way when we moved a 2 years ago. Moving has a way of making one choose what to take and what to unload. I’m busy mending a t-shirt quilt for a niece, her dog put some holes in it when thunder happened. Lots of garden and yard work is happening but not so much quilting.
I know friends whose kitchens are full of chicken. The produce bags are nice and $15 seems good.
I love seeing all the little things you are making. I love the non slip foot idea…need one for my friend that likes to roam. I am down a few yards and hope to see a negative number next month. I had to get some fabric for a few projects which will eat up that 12 yards surplus in no time!
Prior YTD Fabric Used = 21 yards
Prior YTD Fabric Bought = 36.5 yards
Current Month Fabric Used = 10 yards
Current Month Fabric Bought = 6.5 yards
Net Fabric = +12
I had a wonderful May! Finished my oldest UFO, got to visit our youngest son who we seen in 15 years, and sold my old quilt frame which paid for me to join a longarm class. Yay! The class may put a dent in my productivity for June, but I’m really enjoying it. Also, I am still on track for “No Buy 2025”.
May Fabric IN = + 0
May Fabric OUT = – 21.75 yds
May Net Total = -21.75 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = -73.75 yds
I love seeing how many yards of fabric are actually in a heavily pieced quilt. This one was a Bonnie Hunter pattern…Carolina Chain. It’s amazing that just the top had almost 12 yds of fabric. All those seams take up a lot of fabric!
May Fabric IN = +4.75
May Fabric OUT = –1
May Net Total =+3.75
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = +19.25
I really need to crank out a few finishes, huh?
How’d you do this past month?
May Fabric IN = + 30y (2 bolts of tone/tone in colors I use a LOT!)
May Fabric OUT = –33.53y
May Net Total = – 3.53y
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = +158
YTD + happens when you restock wide backings because you’ve already emptied 4 bolts finishing 31 quilts! 🙂 and I’m tired of buying 3y of yellow, green, brown, orange at a time and poof, it’s gone.
It has taken me a few years of retirement to take notice of preferences and habits. I decided to build an inventory of wide bolts and “neutral” (yes, I call orange a neutral 🤣🤣) as my IRA allowed 😉
Happy Friday everyone. May we all have a splendid day and month!
My goodness, you’ve been prolific! You’ve made such delightful and useful things.
That thread and fabric were good finds. The bicycle fabric is so fun.
Hi Carole,
Glad to see an email from you! I have to admit that when I started reading your last email I was rushed and only looked at the amaryllis pictures and never saw what you meant as “taking a break.” A week later I realized I hadn’t received any all week and started looking through my spam and trash , only to find nothing. Then I was afraid that somehow I had unsubscribed! But when I had time I went back and read that email and realized what was going on.
I can relate… shortly after moving full-time to The Villages, I became secretary of the Quilting Guild of The Villages (now up to 1,239 members) and served 4 years. Then for the next two years I served as president of my chapter. (There are 29 chapters within the guild that meet weekly.) I found I was not having as much time to sew those 6 years (Jan 2019-Dec 2024) as I wanted.
I have dry macular degeneration, that chapter meets in the evening, I was having trouble driving at night, so in February of this year I visited a couple of afternoon chapters and joined one of them. I was beginning to get some projects done that had been piling up, when my new chapter was suddenly in need of a program chair. Guess who volunteered? I guess I just can’t help myself…
I agree with you that feedback and sharing of ideas sparks creativity and I’m sorry I haven’t given you much of that. Enjoy your free time, though reading about all you do, there probably isn’t that much free even now. Pictures from my front yard back in late mid- April.
Mary Ellen
Hi Carole,
You have been very busy with all these projects! The mug rug is so cute, as I really like blue and snowmen! The produce bags are a great idea, should work really well at local farmer’s markets, and the price is right. 🙂
If you are selling the pot handles, I’d be interested in the 2 yellow bee ones in the photo, if they are available. Those are great for cast iron skillets and I’m sure my DIL would appreciate having one.
So good to read your email today. Hoping you are taking time for yourself, something we all need to do occasionally.
Patti Z
21 yards out is impressive!
Hello Carole, so nice to see your Stashbusters post. You have been very productive with all the smalls you made this month; they’re all so nice for your upcoming sale.
My results for the year may look like I’m not doing any quilting at all, as I have had only one small finish this year. But not so, I’m working on a few larger quilts, one I’ve been working on for 3 years – handquilting. I think I will have a finish or two in the coming months. I did acquire some fabric in May, 3 yards for a workshop with my guild, and then I won a door prize of 8 pretty fat quarters at the guild meeting.
May Fabric IN = +5 yds
May Fabric OUT = –0 yds
May Net Total =+5 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = +59 yds
May fabric IN +2 yards
May fabric OUT -10 yards
May net total -8 yards
YTD total -8 yards
I’ve been dabbling in keeping track of in and out so I’m starting my year now 🙂
Our ladies group at church had a free craft swap a few months ago so I was able to really clean out a lot of my stash. We had a good turn out and folks seemed to really enjoy it so I imagine we will hold another one in the fall.
I really like all your little projects. It’s so satisfying to start and finish something in the same day isn’t it? I think you should keep the mug rug 🙂
Thanks, Trish, it is tempting!!
$15 seems appropriate for the bags. They’re cute and useful. Well done on your stashbusting! So glad you are having more time to sew!
Carole, where can I purchase one of your non slip pads?
Hi Carole,
I think you need to keep the snowman/snowwoman for yourself because it matches your mug. My next thought is you need to gift your chicken wall hanging to yourself! So cute, so funny.
Take care,
Alexandria
I originally planned to sell the soup mug with the mug rug. I have no room to hang anything in my tiny kitchen with no walls, but maybe someday. Glad you like it, hopefully someone else will as well.
Wow, Carole, you continue to amaze me. If you can give away or sell either the Cluck It wall hanging or the mug rug, you are a strong woman/ quilter! Both will bring a little smile to whoever has them. I don’t have any experience with selling items, but wish you success with that adventure.
May Fabric In: 3 yds.;
May Fabric Out: -25.5 yds;
May Net Fabric Out: -22.5 yds.;
Year-to-Date Total: -53.55 yds.
That was a very productive month. I’m satisfied with my Y-T-D total. My goal of having at least 100 yards out this year is doable now. Thank you so much for supporting me in this.
Connie W.
Carole, your little projects are really cute; I love the variety of fabrics! I’m glad you are back for stashbusters after your break, I hope your new, more relaxed schedule gives you JOY!
My report is easy this month. ZERO! I spent all my extra time practicing for the senior recitals, in the garden, deep cleaning the kitchen and decluttering the sewing room. My serger came back June 1, and I have been sewing a bit most days now, so June will be way better!
May Fabric IN = +0
May Fabric OUT = –0
May Net Total = 0
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = -13.1 yards
This was a tough month as our guild held our quilt show. So much temptation from the vendors. I made a one-yard purchase because the fabric called me and I think it has incredible possibilities. The other 6 were purchased to make a sample quilt with fabrics designed by my daughter and to finish a charity quilt.
May Fabric IN = -7
May Fabric OUT = + 13.5
May Net Total = -6.75
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = -61.25
Trying to stay focused on 4 projects I started and so want to push past the finish line!
I like the idea of the freebie table that your guild has. You find some fabulous sewing/quilting items and the price is right! Thinking our members would enjoy it. Wondering if there are rules associated with it.
Thank you for helping keep me on track with my fabric purchases via Stashbusters! Your Stashbusters makes a difference!
Excellent job, your YTD looks great!!
Our rules for the guild freebie table are simple, bring what you have, take what you want. But if you see it, take it now, because everything left is packed up and dropped off at a local thrift store every month. Lots of people (me included) take books and magazines to read, then bring them back the next month. Most of the time there is only one or two small boxes left.
The mug rug is very cute!
I am BARELY in the black this month but I will take it. 😀
May In 20.75
May out -21
Net for May-.25
Net for year-9.75
I think $15 for your produce bags is a fair price! Great job!
Thanks so much!! We’ll see if they sell at the state fair and the Fall Fiber Fair.