Hello and happy Thursday! I’m super excited today to share the first post in my new weekly series: Sew Your Stash 2019. I mentioned a little bit about this in a recent blog post and got several comments and emails showing that many of you are looking forward to this series as well! I was going to wait until next week to introduce the series, but I thought it would be fine to begin today along with sharing the January Minis & More information.

2018 Instagram Top Nine
First, though, I’d like to share my 2018 Instagram Top Nine posts based on “likes.” Looking up the top nine is kind of a fun way to finish up the year on Instagram–and it’s always fun to see what the favorites were. I’ll link to a post for each of the pictures in case you’d like to see more on these photos. (Photos in each row are listed left to right).
Top Row
Middle Row
- Flowers for Emma Quilt
- Waterfront Quilt
- Fresh Perspective Quilt in American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine
Bottom Row
- Red, white and blue quilts and decor
- Scrappy Patchwork Pillow Tutorial
- Christmas Table Topper made with Christmas Figs fabric + this pattern
Sew Your Stash 2019
A few years ago I did a few posts on this topic and have wanted to revisit it for some time now. I feel like it will be very helpful if I share just three things each week in a post to help all of us get a little more organized and use our stash fabrics to create lots of fun projects! I’m giving you three tasks to complete this week, and then we’ll dive right in next week. I’ll also set up a landing page so that all of the posts can be easily accessed throughout the year! I hope you’ll join in! I think it will be really fun to work on this throughout 2019 and beyond.
Step One: Clear Off your Designated Work Spaces
This step might be different for everyone. Simply clear off the spaces you routinely use for working on projects. For me this means making sure I don’t have anything stacked on my ironing board, on my sewing table, or on the cutting table/work station in my sewing room. Once these areas are clear I can accomplish a lot more. I generally try to clear everything off at least once a week so things don’t accumulate.
Step Two: Make a List of Works in Progress
I’ve shared before that I LOVE using the Work in Progress (UFO) program set up by American Patchwork & Quilting. I’ve already printed off and filled in my list of current works in progress for 2019. I used to have 20+ WIP’s in any given year, but since I started using this method to stay on track I sometimes have trouble coming up with 12 projects to list! The folks at AP&Q chose #3 for us to work on in January, so I got it out right away and got my inner and outer border fabrics cut. You can download the UFO project list page shown above here.
Step Three: Make a List of Projects You’d Like to Start
This is a really fun part of the process! Because sewing our stash doesn’t mean we are just going to be finishing up current Works in Progress. It also means we get to have fun using fabrics we have and love for new projects! I’ll have my list ready to share with you next week.
That’s it for this week! I’ll be posting the Sew Your Stash posts at the end of each week (normally Thursdays or Fridays) so you have the ideas ready to use for each weekend. I hope you’ll sew along!
December Minis & More
Since December was such a busy month, Michele and I asked for entries of gift ideas you might have made or received this Christmas. We got several ideas and photos from two readers. I’ll be sharing Brenda’s photos (she blogs at The Quilting Nook), and Michele will share Hildy’s (so make sure you visit Michele’s blog to see those).
Our January Minis & More Challenge
And since January is often busy with recovering from the holidays and getting organized for the new year, we thought something simple might be in order this month. Michele had the great idea of asking you all for sewing tips with a photo! We would love it if you would email us your favorite sewing/quilting tip along with a photo for next month’s parade. Just send your idea/photo by January 31st for our posts February 1st.
Brenda also sent in a photo of her new quilt pieced with Swell Christmas fabrics. She’ll have a pattern available later this month for this one.
Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you’ll enjoy the Sew Your Stash 2019 series and also email with a favorite quilting tip or two for next month’s Minis & More parade. Happy quilting!
Sue H says
It’s a hate/love relationship here for the Quilt Your Stash start-up. My cutting table is an absolute mess after the holidays. I hate cleaning it up but boy! Is it nice to start off the year with a cleared area. Thanks and I’m looking forward to following along!
Hildy says
Cute little mini and beautiful quilt from Brenda! And I already have an idea for the sewing tip but perhaps I’ll make a little mini too.
Have a wonderful new year:-)
Brenda Hotinger says
Thanks, Hildy! I think I’ll make a mini, too. I already have fabric picked out.
Brenda Hotinger says
This must be the year for sewing your stash. As the new special projects chair for my guild, that’s my idea for our first project. I’ve also been clearing off my workspace this past week. I needed places to put things and even cleaned out my drawers that have had the same things in them for years. There were projects that I thought I might get back to, but I was honest with myself and they will now go to the guild and hopefully someone else will finish and enjoy them. Thanks for all your great ideas.
Gwyn says
OMG, all on my own, I cleared my workspace and made a monthly UFO list for the next 6 months. I don’t do facebook and I DO have very specific goals in mind for my UFOs. I have to finish a round robin project, make binding and bind two quilts I like to finish the binding by hand in the winter when I can have the nice warm quilt on my lap. 🙂 After that, I’ll move on to some piecing projects and get them to the long arm quilter. Finally in summer, some applique. These are goals left over from 2018 which I hope to accomplish by July!! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!
Diane Nagle says
Ok, this is embarrassing, but over the years I was making quilts for fabric companies that I designed myself that went into shows, magazines and catalogs. Some I got back, but not many. For 10 years, I bought kits or projects that I wanted to make, but the work quilts had to take priority so my personal loves never got done, even though I tried very hard. Well now my work load has diminished greatly because I have mostly retired, and being so burned out, I took a year off from quilting. Recently I just finished 2 large quilts that I love, but the embarrassing part is my list of UFO’s and New projects. I have 34 UFOs and 37 new projects, not counting smaller ones like runners and fun stuff. Is anyone as bad as me??? LOL. I love quilting with a passion, and I now just want to get everything made before I’m too old to care or accomplish it. So the best I can hope for is a big dent in my list this year–(without killing myself, that is!). My room is ready and I’m ready to go. I may do them in the order I want though, to make sure my favorites get made. Thanks for the series to help me along! I will share my latest as soon as I get the borders on!!! Yay!!
Dottie says
Diane Nagle..loved your post. I am retired too and my goal is to use up A LOT of my stash that I really Love, first, then make a dent in the rest. My incentive is to do as much as I can before I kick the bucket and my kids see my stash and say “What was she thinking?”
Sandi says
I can so identify with your comment. I say a litttle please let me live long enough and have the energy to accomplish some of my roundtoits
Janet says
I understand your dilemma!
Snoozle Sue says
Hi Sherri , not sure why but I can’t open the link to the UFO list to download it just comes up with the 404 . Is it just me ? Is there any other way to access it ?
I desperately need to join in this challenge before I forget what great ideas I have started !
sherri McConnell says
I just checked the link and it worked okay…you have to scroll down on the APQ page to get to the download. Their first link goes to a Facebook Group for WIP’s
Lynne says
I don’t know where you live, Sue but here in France I have not been able to access APQ/All People Quilt for many,many months. I see a 404 error each time. I subscribe to their newsletter but none of the links work. I can see their facebook page but again the links don’t work. I have seen other people from outside the States ask on the facebook page why they cannot gain entry but they have not received a reply. I too tried Sherri’s link but with the same result. I can only assume that they have decided to exclude “foreign” readers for some reason. They have certainly had plenty of time to put it right so it must be deliberate. Not very friendly …
Marsha says
I love all your posts! Thank you for creating such great fabrics and quilts, and writing these posts!
Linda Roane says
Can someone clarify if “mini” refers to a quilt pattern or tip
I am interested in doing a mini style project
T Holzer says
You have such beautiful quilts, Sherri! I love to see your finishes. Last year was my first year of using this sheet and writing down the projects that I wanted to work on and it really helps me keep on track. Now I must go clean off my sewing table!!! lol
Frances Miller says
Love your ideas of clearing off my work space. I’m in that process right now and loving the clean work area. Now I can focus on the new year. Thanks.
Happy New Year of sewing.
Frances
Pam Eckert says
I just love love the xmas swell fabric…cant wait to see the new pattern
Dottie says
Diane Nagle..loved your post. I am retired too and my goal is to use up A LOT of my stash that I really Love, first, then make a dent in the rest. My incentive is to do as much as I can before I kick the bucket and my kids see my stash and say “What was she thinking?”
Stephanie Woodward says
I cleaned up my work space by making a quilt. Yes, it is scrappy but, at least ti me, beautiful. maybe this doesn’t count,but I think it should. it is small enough to be used with a wheel chair or as a small baby quilt.
Dawn says
They ALL count ❤️
Saartje says
Step 1 was super easy, since I work on the dining room table! Sometimes I’ll work on something for a whole day, but clear my working area for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I do have some project bins that I should sort.
For step 2, I try and keep my lists on my blog updated. It’s fun to scroll through them every now and then. Before I kept these lists, I would start rummaging through my project bins looking for something to work on, but now I look at my list to choose what to do next. It saves me a lot of time, since I don’t have to clean up the mess every time I take out 10 projects before deciding what to work on.
For step 3, I have a little list in a notebook I carry with me, and a million pins on Pinterest, of course!