Stash Report 7/8/12

Got serious about destashing and attacked a box that has been so long in my way.  I put it in my way, so I'd do something with it.  Didn't work - has been in that spot almost a year, but finally I got to it, and I made 6 test string blocks from it.  You can read about it here  and here .  Oh, I did make a couple of charity quilts from this box when I first got it, but although they turned out 36" square, they used a miniscule amount of strings.  I swear they multiply at night!  As I rummaged I did find 1.35 yards to make a Christmas quilt - Woohoo, but the rest is going to be donated to another group that makes charity quilts, so there goes 6 yards of fabric in one copy paper box.  Here are my numbers:

Used/Donated last week:  7.35 yards
Used/Donated YTD:       94.19 yards
Added/Bought last week: 2.0 yards  batiks from a friend (not gift but purchase with batting)
Added/Bought YTD: 35.5 yards
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Net Decrease YTD: 58.69 yards  Woohoo!  I'm ahead of my goal by almost seven yards.
 
How are you doing on your destashing?  Join Judy at Patchworktimes to let us know.

Outer Space?

I promised some readers I'd post firworks photos from our yearly city mountain show all in our backyard.  When I looked at the photos I got the feeling I was looking at objects in the sky seen by telescope.  Look at those gases coming from the supernova

Another exploding star

And just so you know these were taken by a terrestial - one with flash so you could see the jacaranda.

One of the big ones and another coming up!  That's a palm tree in the foreground.

I was going to take a pic of the Grand Finale - but I was so caught up in enjoying it, it was over before I remembered.



Favorite Flower Friday

Today I'm taking you on an aerial view, sorta, kinda.  LOL - here are some white flowers I have to view from our second story as the Pachypodium lameri is about 16-18 ft tall. That's one our neighbor's houses in the background.  We have 5 neighbors that share the property lines of our house. One north, three east, and one south. This one is east.  The neighbor on the south has the best view of these.  As you can see we have a bit of a planting out of some regular trees, gums, pines, and a few succulents - even a bay tree.

Here's a closeup of the Pachy flowers:

And here's a shot looking up at the canopy this plant (and other's) makes.  If you look closely you can see the white flowers.  A different kind of forest, huh?

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday and Tootsie's Flaunt your Flowers.  Lots of goodies to see there.

Applique Thursday

Hello, I'm almost late in posting this but have been working on that first Anna's Block

Added the dreaded circles and stitched down pink flower, main flower, basket and a few greens. Phew!

What I did with this block was cut out freezer paper templates that I placed the dull side of the freezer paper on the wrong side of the fabric and ironed the seam allowance onto the shiny side. Once stitched in place you cut out the background and remove the paper. I did that for the big pieces, but for the small ones (the stems) I took out the freezer paper and lightly glued down the seam allowance. Then I pressed the pieces in place to then applique down or pin.


So far I'm not liking this method as much as I like back basting for placement. Look at that basket -  it looks kind of wonky.  Maybe some of the illusion will go away when I square the block to the 7 1/2" square - hope, hope, hope.
 
There is a winner for the 5" batick charm!  Win one by leaving comment or link or both (for two chances). Last week's winner was Rosa - all the way in Spain.  Congrats, Rosa!

--Would love to see your eye candy!