The weekend was busy.  The girls were all home and we went garage saling and shopping on Saturday…(More on that in another post) but Sunday the girls were out of here early and back to scramble on with their day before their busy week start.  As much as I loved seeing them, that was okay.  I have a busy week starting on Monday too and felt the need to get some things in place  before it started.
I’m not nervous about the treatment anymore so that’s good. Â Now it’s close enough that I’m in prepping mode and completely off worry mode. Â I wanted to get my laundry caught up, the sheets changed from the weekend, the refrigerator cleaned out and all that sort of stuff.
Another thing I wanted to do was finish my string blocks that I’ve been working on in an on and off pace. Â I have two trips back and forth to Lacrosse this week so taking papers off on my way is on my to do list..but of course I can’t take papers off if the blocks aren’t finished up!
Yet another reason I want them finished up….I’m tired of looking at this!
It seems no matter what I do when I string piece this always happens. Â I start out nice, clean and organized and then it’s like a bomb exploded.
I sometime wonder if that’s why some people don’t like string piecing. Â If I was sewing at my dining room table like I know many do, I’d hate to have the mess out for everyone to see. Â I’ve been there and done that. Â In fact, that’s one of the many reasons I love having the sewing room upstairs and out of sight. Â For a long time I wondered if I’d like that but being the kids are grown and there’s an upstairs bathroom, I love it.
When Kayla was home she said, “With the bathroom on the upper floor right next to the sewing room, there’s no need to even go downstairs when you wake up in the morning. Â You can just wake up and start sewing”. Â I laughed and said I do it ALL THE TIME-actually every day! Â She suggested I should get a mini frig up there and then I’d really be set. Â I’m not going that far or I’d likely never come down….but it is an idea!?!
I’m off. Â I have lots more things to tackle on my to-do list today….including a couple charity quilts.
I have recently completed 160 6.5″ scrappy string blocks for a quilt for my hubby. I pieced them diagonally on phone book paper. I’ve never tried this before and have been wondering when to remove the paper foundation, when the flimsy is completed or before sewing the blocks into rows? Thanks for the advice.
I take them off after I trim them. Try both and see what works for you. That’s the best answer I think…
I love the look of string piecing, but do not enjoy the process due to the mess that I make. Although, I’ve got a pretty big mess going on right now with a pile of Alletore fabrics sitting on the end of my desk waiting for the last cuts to be made….
I would love to have a little coffee/tea station in my sewing room, but having to go up and down the stairs a few times does help with the blood flow!
I have that cream strip with blue flowers with light and dark blue petals! I have my scraps sorted by color into ziploc bags(not many scraps), and I tend to just lay my fabric strips on the diagonal foundation fabric, cut and stitch away, working on 4 at a time, clothesline style. Then I go over and press them and trim them, saving some trimmings for more blocks and throwing away the too small bits. This helps me get up from my chair frequently so I am not “glued” in one position. Much better for my hip joints.
I really enjoy string piecing too, but always end up in a big mess. Luckily, I’m not very neat about my scrap storage, so just stuff them back into their basket drawer and move on.
I’ve tried string piecing a few times, and while I adore the results I can’t abide the mess it makes. If I could have an area dedicated to just sewing strings, and keep working on my other projects I’d probably be fine, but the mess seems to get in the way of everything else I’m working on and I hate it. I can only stand it for so long and then everything gets packed up and put away. And yet I keep saving every little bit and thinking “One day I’ll conquer this”. I need a string piecing closet where I can just shut the door on the mess and pretend it’s not there…
I used to think my mother was crazy to string piece. But after making Bonnie K. Hunter’s Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll, I LOVE it. I have decided not to fret about sewing messes-I am just embracing them as part of my creative process. When it gets too bad, I tidy up a bit and carry on.
I love sewing with strings, but I know exactly what you mean about the mess! Your neutral string blocks look awesome.
I was wondering why you don’t use fabric instead of paper? Although I do paper piece and don’t mind tearing off the paper, for me it’s so much easier to use muslin or other fabric instead. I also like that it makes the quilt a little heavier.
I’ve seen sewing rooms online which have small sinks and kitchenettes. Even having coffee in my sewing room (with the bathroom nearby), I’d have little incentive to go downstairs, and if there were a mini-fridge and a microwave? Hah.
I love the low-volume string block on the left. So soothing to look at.
Love those strings of yours. I must get back into making mine or I’ll never have a ‘Roll roll Cotton Boll’, etc! Sometimes mindless sewing is just the thing (but it can make a mess). I finally got a ‘studio’ (24′ X 24′ building with a fridge and microwave in the back yard–heaven!) and have no idea how I managed without it–of course it pretty much stays a mess!