April -- the month of doing what I want

April Challenges this month didn't line up with my goal lists so I decided it was the month to work on things at random and make progress as best that I could on other goals. APQ put up the challenge number of 11 this month --- I only have 10 goals on my list so I took this month to focus on getting things ready for retreat and doing some serious over packing. 

The scrap challenge this month was multi colored scraps -- I don't have my scraps sorted into a bundle of odd balls so I just choose to work on brown since that is the least amount of scraps and i knew it would be a busy one later on so whipped up my scrap bin before mid month. 

I knew that I also wanted to get the bee blocks knocked out early this month (-1 yard) so that I wouldn't rush them after the retreat so I made, Greek Cross blocks for the triple block bee --- so fun, 

Fizzy Blocks for the Bee Hive 

and an assortment of HST for the stash bee -- she's making a larger project with them and requested that we not stitch them together. 

I was most excited this month because of the upcoming retreat and did a bunch of prep work for projects to work on then and gift items that were for my secret sister and other friends that were going to be there. My biggest project this month was the 65 zippy pouches that I made as gifts for everyone (-35 yards).

I also completed the binding on the Abstract Elephant and gifted him to Mallory. (-10 yards) 

My secret sister also received an Hour basket and a small pillow to decorate her sewing room and some fabrics I knew she'd love. 

(-5 yards)

 While at retreat I did but a little fabric that i will be using in upcoming tunics and for quilt backings. You can see more of the retreat projects and progress here.

The end of the month was spent recuperating and completing my rounds on the traveling quilts that I am a part of (-1 yard)

And making a special puppy block for a dear friend that just lost her sweet girl Jenny 

While April only had a few finishes there was a great deal of progress made on 3 quilts at retreat and bunch of gifted items. My Scrap booking supplies are nearly all gone (except the limited pieces that I am keeping for other things) and my stash is lighter by 50 yards. This puts the yearly total to -84 yards this year -- maybe May will push me over 100 used. 

100 days in

At the beginning of the new year I linked up with Jen for the 100 days challenge. 

The point of this is to link up 3 goals that we have for ourselves that are short term or things that we need to put more focus on for the next little while. 

When I did my initial goals I said I wanted to ... 

1. keep up with the ongoing challenges (bee blocks, monthly UFO goals, APQ Challenge, swaps, ect)
2. have 5 completions in 100 days 
3. Re-home my scrapbook supplies  

So, how did things turn out? 

I'm elated to report that all three of these goals have been accomplished. 

I've been doing well with all my goals and working on several projects that have been around for a while to move these toward completion later this year. I've finished several things already and have some more that are close -- which will be tackled at the upcoming quilt retreat. 

 The biggest of these is the last one and the thing i am most excited about. I am going to be traveling through Asheville in another few days and on my way to quilt retreat, and I have found a new home for the stamping and scrapbook supplies and i know that they will be utilized. I am also glad for the space that this will free up in my sewing room because the boxes have been a constant reminder for the last several years of needing to purge -- not only the items but the drama that is now associated with that hobby for me. 

I love doing this challenge each year and it's always surprising to see what can be accomplished in 100 days. 

STASH BASH 2017

I have been beyond excited for stash bash this year and super eager to really get a lot accomplished in these few days of awesomeness with my friends, it's usually a 3 day retreat but this year we had the option to add on Wednesday and turn it into a 4 day retreat (YAY!!!!!!!!). I hooked up with my friend Erin for travel the day before and an overnight stop in Nashville. 

The location is spectacular as usual and I always love seeing all my friends again. This year it rained several of the days but that didn't dampen our spirits much. 

Per usual I took way to much stuff with the fear of running out of projects to work on (LOL right) but with the headaches from the rain I had plenty to work on. 

Of my list of 12+ projects I managed to complete 4 quilt tops and most of the blocks for a 5th.

My Triple Bee Quilt top is assembled 

Lucky 21 is assembled 

Swiss Cross is assembled 

Extra Geese Project is assembled -- not sure yet if this will become a larger project with this as a focal point or if it will be a mini / runner, My Friend Kim wants to turn it into a lampshade. 

and Plus side is now a pile of blocks (completed once I got home and was able to find the fabric pieces that i forgot -- ready for assembly)

My other projects will sit in waiting for me to fully recover and keep me busy for a few more months at least. Of the projects that went untouched, all but 1 of them were unstarted so this emphasizes the value of prep work for me in getting things done while sewing away from home. 

Stash bash is really all about the awesome people that we meet and that enrich our lives. This year I was able to deliver 2 special quilts and a surprise for the ladies. 

One was for Chris our host and founder of the retreat. She loves Kate Spain as much as I do and when I discovered after retreat last year that i had almost enough jewel box blocks left to make a throw, I knew it needed to be hers.  (she said it's the first quilt anyone has ever given her) 

My other delivery was the amazing elephant quilt that I made for Mallory as a part of a quilt swap (That quilt will be getting it's own post soon) -- she in return gave me the tula rainbow quilt. 

Because all these ladies are so special to me I made a zipper bag for each of the attendees -- that's 65 zippies. 

-- my friend Teri made several of these troll hair and they were awesome.

Stash Bash is always awesome and exhausting but well worth it and I hope that this tradition continues for many years to come.