Stash Use Update

January is over and it is time for me to see how I managed with my own challenge of using my stash.
First the incoming stash: only one plaid shirt for 2 € from the thrift shop, a colour I needed for the Shadow Plaid quilt still on my list. Pretty good, I think.

Fabric used from stash:

1) A Christmas Wish BOM quilt completely from stash, 75 x 75 cm finished size

2) So far 8 pillowcases for the Hole in the Wall Gang's summer camps through Jackie:

3) three blocks for Abbe who is making a purple quilt for a dear friend:

4) by Sunday evening 28 string blocks which also qualify for Stephanie's No Strings Attached challenge:

5) I almost forgot the Country Calendar quilt!

Not too bad at all! February is such a short month so it will be difficult to beat January's results.

It has been snowing again, 8 inches since yesterday. I was clearing the driveway from the snow the snowplowman left there when plowing the street and the cycle path. It took me over an hour, and once I sank in the snow as deep as over my knees when I was taking the snow away from the street. I felt like a little girl when I came back in with my boots full of snow, my hair clinging to my forehead all sweatty, and my cheeks red like tomatoes. I even wanted to drink some cocoa, like when I was little. This time I had to make it myself.

Last Christmas Wish Blocks

This weekend I finished stitching Gail Pan designs'  Christmas Wish BOM blocks. Here are the last three, happy

Noel

and magic

Today I have been cutting the sashings. I have decided to allow myself a fun sewing project only after I have sewn something useful first. This means mending Mr. K's trouser pocket. After changing zippers, that is my least favourite reparation. The trousers are otherwise in good condition so I better change a black spool and bobbin in the machine and get it done.

New finishes, from stash

I have been busy sewing this week. On Wednesday, when I had my day off duties, I visited my mother in Tampere and took the train there. On the train I was working on this:

It is the Hope block of A Christmas Wish. I have also finished Peace

and Believe:

Now I'm working on the last three blocks. All the material for this project is from stash, I only needed to buy the white embroidery floss. So far I have not bought any fabric this year!

I took the pillowcase challenge Stephanie wrote about, and used Jackie's 20 minutes pattern for the pillowcases. Again, all fabric comes from the depths of my boxes and plastic bags. This is also the first charity project of the Finnish Brown Owls of this year.

  

The Finnish Brown Owls chapter has so far only one member, so I can pretty freely decide the time and place of my meetings! If you care to join me, please say so. There will be no fee, there will probably only be virtual meetings and projects shared through the internet, just like I have been doing the last two years as a faraway member of the original Melbourne Brown Owls.

The weather is still cold even for this season, -18C or 0.4F. The wind makes it feel even colder. My walk from the bus stop to mother's house was therefore a very quick one, but I needed to stop and take some pictures. The water in a little brook was running so fast that it had not frozen:

 

If you click on the picture, you may see the snow crystals and the ice forming above the water.

The big trees were all covered in snow. This was about 9.30 in the morning, the sun had just risen.

 

And finally the snow castle with the brave snowman guard. Have a lovely weekend!

 

New Projects

This year I'm starting my Christmas preparations early. I have already packed the Christmas ornaments and lights in such a way that they can easily be taken to use when the time comes. I suppose vacuuming the house doesn't count, at this time of the year, as a Christmas preparation. But I have started a stitching project I admired on many blogs last year, A Christmas Wish by Gail Pan Designs. I altered the pattern a little, translating the words into Finnish. The first block is Love:

And the second one is Merry:

Believe it or not, but I have finished a third one too (there is SO much snooker for Mr. K on Eurosport!), the original word is Joy:

This is a perfect project for TV programs you don't need to see at all, just listen and when it sounds intresting, you can look up and see what is going on. Crocheting and knitting are better for watching Grey's Anatomy or CSI or Rebus. Spooks is too exciting to do anything else but watch. America's Next Top Model is my ironing program only.

Yesterday was my first sewing class of the year, and I stitched the binding and sleeve on my Country Calendar quilt. Hand sewing the binding will be my evening project of the weekend. I also cut some pillowcases and tested the 20 Minutes Pillowcase pattern. Stephanie of Loft Creations gave here a challenge for this project for the Hole in The Wall Gang. Jackie of Canton Village Quilts is organizing a giant donation of pillowcases for all the kids who go to the Summer Camp. Follow the links to read more and see if you could make a pillowcase for them as well. It would be a nice way to use up your stash, at least I see it that way. I have not yet finished my pillowcase, but there will be pictures later!

Come by tomorrow and see what my 2nd Annniversary Giveaway is about. The winners will be drawn and announced on Sunday 17th.