String Challenge: Tip Toeing Through the Tulips

Everyone always asks “How do you get so much done?”.  I thought I’d show you how my sewing week goes so you could see.  I’m only concentrating on Tulip Fields this week.  Typically I do a little bit of this and that, but the urge is strong now to get this one done.  I want to have all of the quilts from Bonnie Hunter’s String Fling book done before her release of the new book and I’m going to have to hustle to make that happen.

I was working on my Tulip Fields quilt….

Monday:
In the morning I sewed for 40 minutes or so.  I started sewing the string triangles to the half square triangle piece.  I got a few done…not many.  I spent part of the time tidying up.

Monday after supper Hubby had a meeting so wasn’t home.  They weren’t done in the field yet but it was raining.

I finished what I started in the morning.  I wanted to quit several times but didn’t…I could see other projects in the room that looked more fun but I reminded myself that I want to get this DONE!

After those were done, I looked at the clock.  Hmmm.  About 15 minutes before bed time.  I started sewing blocks together.

I got this many done….

I got enough done to know I LOVE THE BLOCKS!!

I was up early on TUESDAY and sewed a bit.  I likely had 45 minutes.  I started sewing more blocks together.

My timing was perfect.  I ran out of pieces to sew and time to sew just at the right time.  I ended up having this many blocks done.
Then Tuesday over naptime I ironed ALL of the units I had sewn the night before.

This step is now complete so next up is block building…My favorite part.

Tuesday night was election night so I didn’t expect to get to sew much.  Family tradition is to vote and then go out to eat.

I got in about 40 minutes.  All of that time was spent putting units together.

I was up early on Wednesday morning.  Some of those units got sewn into blocks.

Wednesday at nap time I ironed the blocks and did a count.  I had 25 done previously…then added 17 more so as of Wednesday afternoon I had 42 finished.
I’m stopping for a second here to say…OH MY I LOVE THESE BLOCKS!!!

Wednesday afternoons/evenings are my shopping days so again…I didn’t expect to get much sewing time in.

When I got done with the day’s work it was almost 9:30pm.  I was really tempted to go straight to bed but I thought even if I only sewed for 20 minutes I could get a couple blocks done.

I like to be in bed at 10pm so 20 minutes…that’s it.  Well it was 30 minutes.  I got more pieces ready for assembly and I got 7 blocks sewn together.

In the morning I was up early…a few more blocks got sewn together.
Nap time came….I ironed what I had done the day before and LOOK!!  My numbers are increasing.  I added 27 so not I’m up to 69.  YAHOO!!

I thought it was a long shot that I’ve have the blocks done by Monday morning’s report but now I’m beginning to think I can do it.  The extra push was worth it.

At this point I am starting to contemplate borders.  I don’t know if I want to do the outer borders as strings like the original pattern shows.

When I look at my blocks, the busy border seems like a lot.  I’ll keep thinking about that as I go.  I might try to sneak into my stash and see if I have a border fabric.  Hmmm.

It’s Thursday evening now…Hubby is still in the field combining.  The hope is that it will be the last evening.  I’m taking advantage of it and sewing as much as I can.  Dare I hope that I can make the last of the 31 blocks??

YES!!  I did even better than that!  I got the remaining blocks sewn AND I got two rows of ten sewn together.  AH…I’m getting a hint of what it might look like.

Speaking of hint.  In the middle of my sewing one of the kids called so while I talked I dug through my fabrics and pulled a few things that might work on the quilt for borders.  More on that another time….

Friday morning I was up early.   I sewed together another row of blocks. Then I started in on making some sashing strips.  I want to sew a couple rows together so I get an even better of an idea of what this might look like.
My excitement is building!!

Friday night I was back at it.  I’ve decided I want this done by Black Friday.  I have lots of stuff in between now and then but it’s the hope.  I think it’s possible if my doctor appointments and life doesn’t get in the way.  We have a wedding the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend and the quilt for that isn’t quilted so…I might be pressing my luck.

I’ve pressed my luck before and lived to tell.  Looks like I’ll be doing it again.

I have a mess everywhere as I’m assembling.  Just look at all that gorgeous color.

Isn’t it hard to believe it’s made of a lot of unwanted scrap!!

By the time I went to bed…11pm-ish…I was this far.

I slept good…but a short amount of time.  I used to lament over not getting seven hours of sleep.  Not anymore.  My body will take a catch up some other night…and I’ll let it.  I was up sewing by 5am on Saturday.  I sewing for two hours…then off to start my busy weekend.

Aren’t you loving it!!!??
I didn’t get any sewing time in Saturday night….or Sunday morning.  I’m writing this just as I take off for another busy day…I’m hoping I might be able to attach a row or two tonight depending on how life goes.  I’m WAY ahead of where I had hoped to be.  I thought it was a lot to hope that I might have the blocks finished….I got WAY more done.  YAHOO.

I am thrilled to be so far along.

As I’m excited about this…I realized I dropped the ball on the Double Wedding Ring quilt. UGH. I’m thinking we’ll check in sometime early December-ish. I can only squeeze in so much quilting time and right now, all my momentum is here on this quilt!! Next on my to-do list is figure out my borders.

P.S.  For curious minds:
This is a little more than I typically sew in a week.  I had a few nights in there that Hubby was gone so I could sew a couple hours.   Most night and mornings I sew for at least 30 minutes…unless I cross stitch.