that's my story and i'm sticking to it....

Kim had a nice little post on Friday that really stirred me. Our economy is in pretty bad shape so I felt I should do my part to help out. :c) We had to travel near a Marden's and I felt we should stop and see what they had. They had Moda and Windham reproductions for $2.99 a yard. They hardly ever have those and with the economy needing help.... I ask, what would you do???
I did, however, feel so bad for giving in that I worked very hard to bust some stash and worked on this quilt. When exactly can you count stash busted? I have all the blocks completed and vertically sashed. I have over half of the top sewn together and all the sashing cut. It's hard to know how much to count. So here is the final tally for the month counting the cut fabric as busted --
13 yards purchased
10 1/2 yards busted.
I think I'm headed in the wrong direction. :*(

it IS easy being green

I have been so excited lately reading about everyone's efforts to "be green". It is a cause very close to my heart. Oprah had a show a week or so ago that pointed out how very small personal concessions can save a great deal in reduction in landfill and using resources. Our family has always been quite "green". It was largely from frugal necessity, but saving the earth has been high in our consciousness as well. When DD was about 3 my mother got her a subscription to Ranger Rick and she became a very vocal Earth Saver. I still remember her riding in my mother's wagon in the grocery store and informing my mother, very loudly and with tears, that she couldn't buy those paper towels because then she would be hurting the Earth. We have always used cloth napkins, cloth diapers, fabric cleaning cloths, fabric wrapping bags and canvas shopping bags. As you can see from my napkin basket no energy is wasted on ironing either. ;c) We have a laundry day so drying is done in succession to avoid reheating the dryer for each load. I will very seldom use the oven for one meal, but cook multiple meals or a lot of baking per heating. Last year we replaced most of our light bulbs with CFL bulbs. I also recently started eco-cleaning with baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar. It has become game to see how small we can make our personal impact.
A number of us at our office have started working towards making our workplace more green as well. Most now have their own coffee mugs and water bottles. We have also started ordering post consumer paper products and are bringing in inexpensive silverware and extra mugs for client visitors. I think the fact that everyone is more aware and are trying to work together is a huge step in the right direction.
There still a lot of other things that we can do. I found a great website that gives suggestions for being green with everything from your pets to your wedding. There were a number of facts that I didn't realize like how bad clumping kitty litter is for your cats as well as the environment. I'm going to have to make a change there.

everybody's working for the weekend

At least everyone I know. We are getting ready for a major release at work and have all been asked to work nights and weekends to get things completed. I haven't even had time to go into my sewing room at all this week. So my only stashbusting to report is that I didn't buy anything. Woo hoo :c

flat surface disease

I had to take a picture of my sewing room so Judy wouldn't feel alone in her covering of horizontal surfaces. We call it flat surface disease. This is what it looks like now, after I went out, cleared things off and cut for a couple of hours on my niece's quilt. Here is an EQ6 exported image of the quilt I am working on.

Stashbusting report... I probably would have gotten more done without having to clear surfaces to do anything. So far I have cut about 3 yards and started piecing the units for this quilt. I didn't buy any new fabric this week. So at least I am heading in the right direction. I also got some hand quilting done on the wall hanging I am making for Jan's shop. I should have finished it before Christmas, but I had so much to do it got put on hold.

Have I mentioned how much I love my EQ6?? I have had 5 for a number of years and 6 is so much better. My friend April got it for Christmas too and we have been having a great time emailing each other the projects we have been creating back and forth.

i just don't get it

I was rear ended AGAIN tonight on my way home. I'm fine. The lady who hit me is fine, but my CRV has a hanging muffler and a smashed rear end.
I don't understand. DH has been driving longer than I have and he has never been hit. Most people I know have never been in an accident or maybe just one, but including tonight I have been hit 4 times. 3 times I was rear ended and once I was hit by a woman taking off from a stop sign without seeing me. Insurance and police have deemed them all the fault of the other drivers, but why me? I have been over them all in my head and I can't think of a single thing I could have done differently. Tonight I saw her coming and even tried to get into the breakdown lane to avoid it, but no good. I must have done something to earn bad karma. THIS is why I hate driving.

stashbusting of another sort

I think I may have mentioned that I am an equal opportunity stasher. I have a stash of yarn as well as fabric, and after last Christmas I had a Goodwill binge where I stashed 100% wool clothing and sweaters. I felted everything and they have been packed into a plastic tote in my sewing room. I had pulled out a lavender sweater that I really liked to make a pair of mittens. I hadn't gotten to it yet when DD spotted the sweater in my sewing room and asked what it was for. I told her it was going to be mittens and she said she wanted them so of course I made them for her. They are really thick and warm. I was going to double them up and line them with polar fleece, but I didn't have one that coordinated and she is leaving tomorrow. So done is better than not. One sweater used.

I also used 2 skeins of my stashed yarn. When Christmas shopping I saw a scarf I thought DD would like in a very expensive store that shall remain nameless. I thought it would be very silly to buy a scarf with tons of yarn at home. I went home, found a cable I liked and designed a scarf from it. DD was the recipient of this as well. I offered to make one for DS, but even though he said he liked it he wasn't interested. DD was really happy with it.