Missing in Action and stashbusting

What's the difference between this photo and the one on my last blog post. We've gone from For Auction to For Sale. We got very close but not close enough to our reserve yesterday. It's not the end of the world and we are expecting a new offer on Monday. If we don't we will probably take the house off the market.

Laurie has been having severe pain in his back and right leg for almost 2 months. turns out he has a cyst growing that is pressing on his spine. They are going to try an injection on Tuesday and if that doesn't work it will mean surgery. Probably not the best time to be moving.

So what's all this got to do with reducing the stash. I give up. The remainder of the year I'm going with the flow and if that means buying fabric and not using much so be it. I'm still going to try to put a dent in my stash but just won't be counting any more.

This and that

I have been somewhat quite during April. A couple of reasons for that.


First up is the upcoming auction. I thought I was really comfortable with all the forthcoming changes but the reality was I wasn't. When I'm stressed I spend money and when you see the stash report for the last three weeks you will see I hit the buy button quite a bit. Still a little bit more to come in but I have stopped shopping. I've decided to accept that whatever is meant to be will be the best thing for us and we will just move forward from that point. Lets just not talk about the auction in 4 weeks - OK.




Then last Wednesday  I lost my voice. Happens regularly and I am usually not sick with it. This time is different however and I still have absolutely no energy at all. Hopefully it will not stay around for its usual 4 weeks.


To the stash then


Fabric used        1 1/4 metres
Fabric bought              79  metres

Total fabric used          14 1/4 metres
Total fabric bought     188 1/4


Only goal at the moment is to stop buying fabric!


A little bit of sewing has been going on. Aren't these 1/4 " hexagons cute.

And here they are alongside what seems to be a massive 3/4" hexagon.

This post seems to reflect my general state of wellbeing.A fuzzy photo and fonts all over the place. Hopefully we will resume normal programming shortly.

Sue Spargo and using the stash

Have just enjoyed a lovely Indian Summer day sitting in the back yard stitching. I have finally started on my Sue Spargo BOM and am really enjoying working with wool. Progress will be slow but enjoyable. 

Sorry it's sideways - not sure why.


The temperature true to form has now dropped and it's time for a cardigan to stay warm. Hopefully the colder weather will mean more sewing as so far I'm not doing well.


Fabric used                   1/4 metres
Fabric bought            1/2  metre

Total fabric used          13 metres
Total fabric bought     109 1/4

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. I should be annoyed at myself but I'm not. Fabric is being used and I have loved fondling all the fabric that has come into the house so far this year. Oh and lets not talk about it being my birthday this week. The buy button has been pushed.

Stash Report

Fabric used                   1/4 metres
Fabric bought             4  metres

Total fabric used          12 3/4 metres
Total fabric bought     108 3/4 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. Working well so far!


The lack of sewing could be explained by too much time playing this.

Wanna be my neighbour?

A new laptop and using the stash.

My laptop died today so of course I needed to go and get a new one. If it wasn't the year of fiscal restraint I may have bought a Mac Book Pro but as it is I just stayed with what I know and bought another HP.

Wish those dramas could be used to explain the stash report - but alas no. Truth is I like buying fabric.

Fabric used                  1 1/4 metres
Fabric bought             9 1/2 metres

Total fabric used          12 1/2 metres
Total fabric bought     104 3/4 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. Working well so far!

Stash report and Cleo

I did say I had hit the buy button big time and lots of it came in this week. Only waiting for one more parcel to arrive.

Fabric used                   3/4 metre
Fabric bought              20 3/4 metres

Total fabric used          11 1/4 metres
Total fabric bought     95 1/4 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. Not looking good. Seems I have reversed things around and have used 10% of what I have bought. Still it''s only March so lots of room to improve.


I snapped this photo of Cleo during the week. She never lies across the steps -- no - she must always have her front feet dangling over the edge. Love our girl.

Stash report

The figures say it all, so here they are:-

Fabric used                   1/2 metre
Fabric bought              11 metres

Total fabric used          10 1/2metres
Total fabric bought     74 1/2 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy.

I'm off to smell the roses now.

Using the stash

I set myself a mini goal to use 5 metres of fabrics this week. I was going to sew all day today and would have made it easily. However we had forgotten that this one turned 14 on Friday , so instead the day was spent celebrating.

I don't mind as we had a lovely visit.

To the report then:

Fabric used                   1/2 metre
Fabric bought              8 1/4 metres

Total fabric used          10 metres
Total fabric bought     63 1/2 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. So in the red, still.  It does add up very quickly. The buy button has been used a number of times in the last week so I need to get sewing to get these totals under control.

Using the stash

No excuses for not much sewing going on this week. I've just been lazy. However I had class today with Sue Ross at Quiltsmith and I feel inspired to sew again.

To the report then:

Fabric used                   1/4 metre
Fabric bought              1 1/4 metres

Total fabric used          9 1/2 metres
Total fabric bought     55 1/4 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. So in the red, still.  I've just hit the buy button in a quite big way so a mini goal this week to use 5 metres.


Head on over to Judy's to see how others have done.

Stash Report

I had an incredibly busy week at work so not much sewing went on. Little bits of progress on a number of projects made. I seem to do a little better when I am working on multiple projects.

To the report then:

Fabric used                   1/2  metre
Fabric bought              6 1/2 metres

Total fabric used          9 1/4 metres
Total fabric bought     54 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. So in the red, still.  5 yards cam in this week that was ordered last year so although it doesn't look like I have exercised any restraint I have. I need to to a whole lot more sewing however if I am to reach my goal for the year.


Head on over to Judy's to see how others have done this week.

Stash Report

Sydney has just had its longest heatwave. 7 days in a row over 30 degrees. Last night at 11:00 pm it was still 36 degrees. I love the heat but have to admit it even got to me a little this time around. A southerly change hit about an hour ago and it's heavenly.

To the report then:

Fabric used                   3/4  metre
Fabric bought               11 1/2 metres

Total fabric used           8 3/4 metres
Total fabric bought       47 1/2 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. So in the red. 8 1/2 metres of the in this week was ordered last year and has only just arrived. I was tempted to not count it but that would be cheating.

Using the stash and this and that

No mucking about this week. Straight to the stash report and it's bad!

Fabric used                  4 1/4  metres
Fabric bought               18 metres

Total fabric used           8 metres
Total fabric bought       36 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. Not looking good is it. I have bought more fabric in January than I used in 2010. February was going to be a quiet month on the purchase front but Jenny has just emailed me that they  now have Greenfield Park in stock and I have to have some of it - don't I. Perhaps no one should answer that question.

We are having a true summer this year and I for one am loving it. Ally also loves summer. Means heaps of bugs at night for her to play with. She hasn't been  home in three nights as she is having too much fun playing. She did spend some time with me in the backyard yesterday.

The other thing I did yesterday was visit a podiatrist. The toe I crushed last year is growing back with an ingrown toenail. After lots of cutting and abrading this is what it looks like now. Apparently quite good but I will need several more appointments to get it growing correctly.

Using the stash, work and the gym

There hasn't been as much sewing as I would have liked going on here this week. It's because I have been spending too much time here

I know things are getting bad when I spend 4 hours here on a Sunday just trying to catch up. I made progress but will have to work late again tomorrow night. On the upside from lunch on Tuesday I will not work again till the following Monday. Will probably mean more catching up then but I need a break.

To the stash report then:-

Fabric used                  1 metre
Fabric bought               5 metres

Total fabric used           3 3/4 metres
Total fabric bought       18 3/4 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. 4 of the in this week was the backing for the Night before Xmas BOM so it will be a while before it is used.

I seem to be alternating at the moment between the gym and walking. I'm still moving which is the important thing. Friday night was my weekly session with Tamera and it's always exciting to be able to do three sets of an exercise at a higher weight. Mind you the last couple of repetitions in each set were not great but they were completed.

I pushed myself on the treadmill today doing a level I haven't attempted in a while. Only 30 minutes and I travelled 2.85kms. On the plus side I burnt as many calories as I have been when exercising for 35 minutes.

Queensland floods and using the stash

This week I like most of Australia have sat watching our televisions in disbelief. The devastation suffered by the people of Queensland has been heart breaking. At the moment all we can do if we are not there is donate money. Lots of bloggers are holding auctions. Follow this link for more details.

Quilts will be made and sent but not just yet. Heaps of cleaning and trying to get life back to normal before that can happen. Maybe some of my recent purchase can be used to make a bright and cheery quilt.

To the stash report then:-

Fabric used                  3/4 metres
Fabric bought               12 1/2 metres

Total fabric used           2 3/4 metres
Total fabric bought       13 3/4 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy. Oh dear - only week 3 and already in the red.


Here's a peek at Charlie one of other cats. We have had high humidity all week and this has become his new favourite spot. He's perched on a fence so he can watch the world go by but also gets the advantage of any breeze that may be about.

Using the stash and this and that

Stash report for this week.
   
Fabric used                  1 1/2 metres
Fabric bought               1 1/4 metres

Total fabric used           2 metres
Total fabric bought       1 1/4 metres

Goal for 2011 to use 10% less than I buy.

The in this week was the latest installment in the Circle Game BOM.

I'm off to a wedding this afternoon so had my hair done today. I think it has been worth enduring the length of my hair for all of these months but it may all go next week!

Exercise continues merrily along. Started back with Tamara on Friday and I still hurt.

Lobster, Playing with the Pips and Stashbusting

I love seafood and have always enjoyed a crab more than a lobster. However crabs are fiddly to eat. So on New Years Day we sat down to a lobster meal.

Nice but I'm sticking with the crab. Getting it out is half the fun and the flesh is so much sweeter.

I need to make several baby quilts this year so quickly made the first two blocks this morning. Aneela's fabric range Sherbet Pips is gorgeous and it will be fun making this quilt.

I will be stash busting again this year so here's the first report:-

Fabric Used         1/2 metre
Fabric Bought     0

Goal to purchase 10% less than I use.

Yesterday the gym was closed so exercise involved walking, lunges, sit ups and squats.

Back in the gym this morning and walked 3.17kms in 35 minutes with lots of hills thrown in. Heel started to play up towards the end but I survived.

Day 270 and Stashbusting

Woke up this morning with the same problem in the heel. I think I may have bruised it so had today off from the gym and it's closed tomorrow. So 15 minutes of squats, lunges and sit ups this morning and the same again tonight.

As it's the last day of the year my final stash report.

Fabric used this week 1 metre
Fabric used this year 39 1/2 metres.

I am gong to keep counting next year but will also record my purchases. Goal is to buy 10% less than I use. I had better get started sewing straight away as I ordered 9 1/2 yards as an end of year present to myself today.

I had hoped to have a top finished by today. Found the fabric I had purchased for the narrow border but couldn't find the final border fabric. Guess what I will be doing this weekend.

Using the stash and Cleo

Stash report for this week stays exactly the same. Work and partying were both extreme so nothing done.

Fabric used to date 38 1/2 metres.


I have big plans for the last week of the year however and really hope to get to 50 metres. It involves using most of this bundle-

Even Cleo is tired and couldn't be bothered getting out of her carrier last night.

She will however move quickly when she works out there is crab for dinner tonight!

Using the stash and the circle game

A little bit of sewing has gone on this week. With the public holidays coming up I hope to use at least another 10 metres before the end of the year and have another top finished.

To the report then:

Fabric used   3/4 metres
Fabric used to date 38 1/2 metres.


Some of the sewing I have done this week is on the BOM from Amitie called the Circle Game. It's challenging piecing and this block still has a way to go. forgive the wonkiness it hasn't been pressed yet.

Using the stash, Design Wall Monday and exercise

Stash utilisation has not changed at all this week. Oh well..

I did make another block for the Xmas quilt. My incentive to show progress each week forced me to get one done!

Exercise has continued. Some days have been hard to fit it in but so far so good.

I also bought myself a Xmas present. Lots of my friends have raved about their Kindle so I will have one in the new year as well. For the moment I will have to make do with this gorgeous cover.