Sunday, January 21, 2018

Organizing Multiple Projects, 15 Challenge, Stash Report

Welcome to my 2018 multiple project frenzy-fest!!!

Yes, you read that correctly. I am hopeless when it comes to new designs, blocks of the month (BOM), quilt slings (QAL) and especially when they don't cost anything and I can pull from my "enormous" stash.

Let me take a moment and go on record letting all of you know how much I personally appreciate your talent and especially your generosity. We are a one income family. Many of you know of my devotion to not only my immediate family, but also my extended family, and my church. We give as generously as we can, share or donate what we no longer need and live as simply and frugally as we can. Although I purchase patterns on occasion, most of my quilts and projects come from free patterns and designs that are shared by the blogs I follow. In the next few weeks, my list will be changing and updating. Unfortunately, many are no longer even being published. If you still follow my blog, know that I miss you (Madam Samm :)

On to the frenzy . . . 
I've signed up for numerous new projects. Only one required a purchase of fabric as part of the criteria to participate. I am constantly looking for ways to keep my projects organized. I need to keep supplies together. I need to download the patterns, and save them just in case I lose a page or maybe someday want to make it again.


I have found the best way to accomplish this is to put everything in a Xerox paper box. Honey Do's staff saves them for me (another no cost contribution to my habits). As I pull my supplies together they go in the box. I label the boxes with the name of the project, and if I remember a date. Once the block is finished for the month, it goes in the box and then stacked with like boxes for the next month.


When the next block is published, I pull the box, put the block together and store it again for another month.


I'm trying really hard to finish things as I go. Unfortunately, past quilts weren't done this way because I really don't like hand quilting and didn't have the money to pay someone else to do them for me and didn't have the knowledge/experience to do quilt-as-you-go. I've been doing it for about a year now, love it and see many more of my quilts being completed and used  instead of waiting in a box for their turn.


If you have a better system or at least different, I'd love to hear about it. I'm always open to suggestions.



On to the 15 minute challenge. I'm really bad at tracking my time daily. Honestly, I did hand stitching for a minimum of 15 minutes every day. I'm going to change up the challenge for myself just a little. I would like to do a minimum of 15 minutes a day doing han d sewing or stitching and another 15 minutes a day minimum sewing on the machine. After the initial 15 I'm not going to track it, that's too much like work and punching a time card. For this week, I'm 100%.

Stash Reportt

In: 3 full bolts of flannel (a Christmas gift from BF). Doesn't count since I'm not counting gift fabric.
Out: about .25 yards for the Beary challenge and Color challenge blocks
 .25 yards for backing on the Bear
.125 for Garden BOM
I did not count the sections I pre-cut for future blocks. I'll count them when I do the blocks.

That's a rough estimate out of 5/8 yard. And that's a really rough estimate :)

It's been a pretty productive month.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with kindness.

Verse of the day:


‘Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Romans 4:7 NIVUK

2 comments:

Allie-oops Designs said...

I'm in the same boat finance wise, so I too appreciate all the free patterns. I really love your method of storing your projects. A Xerox box is a very good size!!

Anonymous said...

Fabulous frenzy! I love your system. I've used shoeboxes and Kleenex boxes to sort things, and other odd boxes which come with something in them, but Xerox boxes sounds much better! Only I don't have room for them. Or a source. =P I bought 3 reams of paper at Office Max, and it comes with a mini-Xerox box, so I may use that one, but it would take FOREVER to accumulate enough - so I'll stick with shoeboxes and Sterlite small boxes for $1 at the dollar stores. I store everything in those or totes.

I was hoping to organize a little this week, but I was so far behind on other things, I don't think that will happen, I'll just be catching up on stuff. I'm so pleased to see your red bear. Mine is still in the planning stage, and it's time for February! And I think I haven't done the March Teddy bear - I remember tracing and ironing him, but I don't remember sewing him, so he's back there somewhere!