What I busy week!! I have a few Christmas things to do or nights that some of the kids were home and I didn’t get much extra time to get things done. Things moved along…but nothing got finished.
Wait. I did finish something…this…
Last week I finished a different pincushion. This week I finished this one. I did the stitching the week before and this week, I made it into the pillow. I stuffed it with sawdust again. I love using it. I don’t love the mess but the mess is worth it!
It’s a Primitive Gatherings pattern.
I worked a bit on Holy Toledo. I had high plans of moving the project to a completed center but alas. It didn’t happen. I did get a lot more of the block finished.
I’m taking that as progress. I knew I was going to be busy this week so I got up 20 minutes earlier four of the days and worked on sewing these units together.
By Saturday morning I had plenty to do about 25 blocks, plus more for extra blocks that aren’t quite so far along.
I spent time early Saturday morning sewing the completed segment to the rest of the block.
I also worked on the quilt I need for the New Year’s Eve wedding. I don’t have much done on it at all. My longarm was broken and Craig and I had a bugger of a time trying to get it fixed so I decided why work on that quilt if the longarm wasn’t fixed anyway…right??
I do have much of it cut out so that’s a start…right? I also have some strips sewn but not too much.  I am hoping over naptime this week I can get a little more done. Kelli talked about coming one day and helping me hammer it out.
The quilt I am making is a design I put together. As I was making it I thought I could convert the pattern and make it smaller, tweaking the design a bit to make it be able to be made from one jelly roll.
That lead me down a rabbit hole and I started looking at advanced fabric lines from Moda. I liked this…
That lead me to look at more advanced lines and that lead me to designing yet another quilt and ordered fabric for it from Moda. It’s an advance release. It isn’t due out until March. I’m really liking the quilt and really liking the fabric. The quilt takes one layer cake and one charm pack…plus background yardage.
At this point, I am not sure where the pattern will be published. I haven’t submitted it anywhere. I can’t decide if I want to sell it as a pattern or see if a magazine wants it. This is something that is so hard for me to decide.
Oh my, I’m “doing too much” as Karl would say. What I just wrote about was three different quilts…but wait, there is more.
One of my childcare moms wants a “cheater quilt” for her son for Christmas. My longarm was broken so I ignored trying to get the top together. Guess what I’m going to be doing this week?? It shouldn’t be too hard but it is still going to take quite a bit of time.
I had kids here on Wednesday. They were playing at the table and I sat down with my Spider Web String blocks and before I knew it, they wanted to pull papers off the back too. So I let them…
Then I had one want to lay them out for a quilt…
Then they laid out more and more. They had so much “making stars”. She thought the red part in the middle was the stars.
They had a good time. We didn’t finish getting the papers off. I ended up finishing one evening rather than cross-stitching.
I promised a “Sew with Jo” video once I started sewing the blocks together. I shot that on Saturday…
This one is a little longer. It wasn’t my intention. I started chatting…and didn’t quit. Feedback from several viewers said they like these to be between 50-70 minutes so they can actually get out a project and sew with me so that’s what I’ve been aiming for.
I’m just thrilled that you all have liked these and have been sewing along or stitching along with me. I appreciate all of you who have been commenting on the video and liking them. It really gives me a boost to want to do more.
I did shoot a new machine quilting motif video too…I’m hoping Kalissa can edit that this week and I can share it with you.
Can you believe I shared FIVE projects with you that all are vying for attention?? I’ll be having a busy week in the sewing department…at least that is the goal. I really think cross-stitching is going to have to go on the back burner at least for the week.
I also have some quilty Christmas presents I’m finishing up. I’ll share those with you after Christmas…Good luck on your last-minute push to finish up and Christmas projects you might be trying to finish!!
what is the challenge you face in getting a repair person for your longarm ??? It seems difficult enough to obtain repairs for ones sewing machine much less a longarm. It seems it is easier to make the upfront purchase but the repairs and maintenance is lacking.
if it’s just the check spring Gammill has a great video on replacing it!.. I idid that this week too!
You sure are keeping busy! And what is exciting is you keep coming up with al these great patterns!
I do have a question for you – how do you make your half square triangles? No matter what I try, they always have this slightly rounded look – rarely straight. I try really hard to follow lines and even slow my stitching but nothing seems to work!
Love and prayers
I was having trouble with my long arm this summer skipping stitches and seemed to be getting out of time. It turned out I had done so many quilts that the hook needed replaced. That was done and now it works great.
Hi Jo, I live on the Iowa Illinois border by i80. You are welcome to come and use my longarm.
I love your blog, sharing of your life. And love your sweet beagle
Janice you are so kind. Craig and I got it fixed. I’m telling you all about it in the evening post.
Helpers for paper removal? The BEST!!! :o))
What a great hand eye coordination skill for the kids and also color coordinating! You have some beginning quilters on your hands.
It was joyous to see the little hands helping you. I bet they loved it!
Merry Christmas! I’m looking forward to sewing with you today! I enjoy your company!
Thought on that new pattern: I don’t know what a magazine pays (and I’m not asking you to share). I suggest comparing that to the income average of the PDF patterns you are selling here. You have bills to pay so go with the higher income?
Love that you are consistently advancing multiple projects each week. It takes a lot of work to get to a finish.
Happy Monday JO. Wishing you a wonderful week and a very Merry Christmas.
Those strings blocks are so cute and you have some wonderful help with the papers. I hope Craig was able to get your long arm back to working order. You certainly are busy with designing some new patterns, I look forward to seeing them when you’re ready to reveal to us.
I haves everything but my daughter’s quilt done I’m on the last block today and hopefully get the rest done for her birthday if not for Christmas. We also have two birthdays this week. Busy days it mildly. Enjoy the Grands and children it’s a bit of heaven on earth for them when they’re allowed to help. Have a very blessed Christmas
I find it is easier to get my longarmer repaired, and much faster than my domestic machine. I took my longarmer in for repair on. Thursday afternoon here in eastern Iowa and it was repaired by late Friday. I was not able to pick it up until Monday.
A repair on my Singer took a week and a half.
I’m amazed at all you accomplish. You must share your secret to how you do so much. Also, I love how you let the children help. I’m looking forward to when my granddaughter is old enough to introduce to quilting.
Merry Christmas!