I had a busy weekend. On Sunday I didn’t do anything in the sewing room. That rarely happens anymore. I have time on my hands nowadays. I am actually starting to really like it.
We moved into this house in January of 2015. Everything was always full speed ahead. I am feeling really spoiled and wondering if I’m not completely okay with the change that the coronavirus has brought my way.
Saturday I loaded one of Kelli’s quilts on the frame. My goal is a minimum of one flimsy quilt top to get quilt each week. I really want to do more but one is the minimum. I’ve been doing okay with that goal so far….
I’m about half done with this one. This is a Quilted Twins free pattern called Show Off (Find free pattern HERE) Kelli did hers in blue 100% cotton shirts.
The Temecula stay at home sampler is done. They had a couple options for finishing. I haven’t decided what I want to do with mine. A pillow as one option and I’ve been thinking I might do that, we’ll see.
I have the fifth row on my Unity Sew Along quilt. I’m ready for the next clue. Here’s mine….
I saw someone put dark colors in their strips between the rounds. I’m wishing I would have done that.
In the last clue we could piece the neutral border rounds, I opted to just use one color. There is little difference in my background prints so I thought for me, it would be a waste of time.
I have my pieces cut for the Quilted Twins mystery. They aren’t sewn but I will get that finished one morning this week.
I’ve told you all that I’ve been cleaning my sewing room. Here is my pile at the end of the ironing board with my mystery stuff. I have to admit, I’ve kind of getting ready to be done with them all. I keep thinking I could clean this all up and put it away. I only have about a half of an ironing board that is open and can work on.
I told myself that as I clean I have to remember to find a space for projects that in the works and that the ironing board can’t be the space for them to be. UGH.
I keep making just a little more progress each day and I’m really happy with that. I’ll tell you more about that in tonight’s blog post.
I did get all the orange shirts deboned. This is ready for me to cut out my Oregon or Bust quilt. Soon I hope.
That’s what I’ve been busy with. I’ve been cross stitching at night but I’ll save that for another post.
What’s in store for next week?? More sew along/mystery work and more cleaning…always cleaning and perhaps another flimsy quilt top or two on the frame. Oh I wish I could get myself to do two more. I’ll admit to having to fight myself a little bit to load them and get going. Once they are on the frame, it doesn’t bother me to do them. It’s getting them loaded that gets me. Hopefully I can push through….Does anyone else feel like that about their unfinished quilt top pile. Please tell me I’m not the only one!!
You are not the only one and I don’t even do my own quilting. I get stalled just getting the backing ready and getting them off to a quilter. It can also take me a long time to get borders done. I get the top done and then the quilt sits for a time. More than likely, I moved on to another project. I’m trying to do better with completely finishing things.
I’m so with you Jo…the piecing is my first love! The quilting, eh, just a means to an end! I’m back to work now, but I really hit my grandson’s huge quilt hard during Stay At Home. And I’m almost finished. I’ve decided, (as I have 5-6 quilts piled up waiting to be quilted!), that i will always have one on the frame. And even if I only have a 15 minute slot a day, it’ll only get done if I’m actively moving forward!
I can’t wait to be retired!!
I’m like you…it’s hard to get one loaded and quilt it, but I have found that if I load the next quilt to be quilted right after I finish the first one, it’s seems so much easier. There is always one on my machine…ready to go.
I spent all of last year cleaning up my quilt tops. I finished 12 quilts last year and actually only made 2 of them from start to finish. I now only have 2 left that were made a few years ago to finish. And 1 I finished this year. I think I am in pretty good shape and am excited to start something new. I am working on the Unity quilt also. Trying to finish a quilt before I start a new one. Not easy to do but I am trying.
I just have to say thank you for a wonderful blog. I try to catch it everyday. <3
You have been busy! I really like the look of Kelly’s flimsy. I hope we get to see it when you’re finished.
I sandwiched 5 small quilts yesterday and practiced my free motion quilting on one of them. I think I did okay. Now I need to quilt the rest. It does feel good to get those tops moving toward the finish line. Two of them are for my MIL who loves to hand applique and is in Assisted Living. She has finished two, block-of-the-month quilts and is working on a third. We use half of the blocks and make smaller wall hanging quilts. It will be nice to get these off my table!
I love the excitement of making a quilt: finding a pattern or maybe finding the fabrics first, then the cutting and sewing. I used to just stack up my quilt tops because I loved to piece. But I had a new long arm that didn’t work too well and it kept calling to me. Finally my repairman (not the dealer!) tore the machine apart and found the problem. Now I have a huge stack to finish quilting, I have 5 right now that need binding. I’ve been cleaning my quilting room and yesterday I finally got it in a good spot. I have enough fabric for maybe 3 women to last the rest of their lives! This virus has given me a chance to clean my house.
Love, love, LOVE Kelli’s quilt on the frame!! Your Unity quilt is coming along nicely, Jo. I’m SEW looking forward to seeing that stack of orange shirt get transformed into a quilt, too!
I have a hard time getting my quilts finished. I was on a roll in March and actually quilted and bound 3 baby quilts but have yet to sent them off. Weird I know. I even finished my half size Frolic. I’m wanting my next quilt to load be Grand Illusion but have been slowed by the idea of piecing the backing. I didn’t start Unity or the Quilted Twins mystery but have been working on En Provence and when I had to clear that off to bind Frolic I pulled out my cut triangles for Mountain Majesties and made a few units until I felt bad about not continuing on En Provence so I put those away. Easily distracted and now I have the garden to work on! :)
I too have a huge pile of tops to be quilted. I longarm quilt for customers and it seems their quilts get finished before mine. I have been trying to quilt at least two of mine every month. And I also have about 35 quilts of my mother’s that she was making for the great grandkids that I would like to finish for them.
I enjoy reading your blog, and check at least once a day to see what you are up to.
I keep stuff at the end of my ironing board too. Why dont I put it somewhere else. Because there isn’t room somewhere else. Your oregon or bust quilt is going to be yummy! Sherbert colors!
I’m with you on finishing the quilts. I have a closet full of tops waiting to be quilted. A friend of mine told me years ago that I am a topper, and she was correct! By the time I get a top finished, I am ready to move on to something new.
I am totally with you on the “loading”. Once I decide to do it though, I’m on a mission! I have made a stack of 6 kiddo tops and 1 lap in the last week! 5 are Happy Blocks set 5×6-those really don’t take much time. The 6th is a baby quilt for a young friend-LQS pattern and took me 2 days of focused sewing and the 7th was also a 2d sewing session. Yesterday I got 4 of these quilted! Hubster went outside to do some repair on our blackberry patch posts so I didn’t take away time spent with him (he didn’t need my assistance).
This morning I woke at 0535 so I got up. I managed to get #5 loaded, quilted and unloaded before hubster needed the adjacent desk to begin his work-at-home day. Yippee! Only 2 left. I’m doing a simple loops and stars on the Happy Blocks so they don’t take very long at all. I like the texture this gives to the square piecing.
As you can tell, once I get going, it’s hard to stop me until the pile is gone!
Happy 4th to you :-)
You are so good at getting down to it and getting things done! Love your motivation.
I have a trick to get your longarming done. I longarm for spending money, it helps pay for my fabric fetish and quilt retreats! So my trick is that I load a quilt at the end of the day, before I settle in to relax and get ready for bed. In this way, the next day after my morning routine, I can go directly to the machine and start working immediately. I don’t have to think about loading the quilt, cutting the batting, etc., it’s ready to go!
Oh, I Love your Unity quilt! it reminds me of ice cream somehow…I really like the white strips in between the rows! Let’s face it, every quilt we make has something about it that we wish we had done differently. But each quilt turns out unique any way. The orange shirts look like they will be fun colors to work with!
Speaking of things we do on Sundays….perhaps letting ourselves enjoy more quiet time, scripture reading, quiet music,family history work, family chats one way or another, sort of “Keeping the Sabbath day holy” will also help us remain calm in these worrisome times.
Best Wishes to you, Jo, and thank you for your blogposts!
I can hardly wait to see your Oregon or bust quilt those shirts just pop with color. The blues with it are going to make it even better.
When I run out of room I stack stuff on my ironing board I think everyone does sooner or later. It’s there and handy for what comes next.
I started to laugh when I read your comment about the ironing board ! Sooo guilty of this. I used to put the board down in between uses but big mistake to leave it up- it’s now a movable (temporary) shelf.
I I’m right along side Hedy with enough for 3 lifetimes. Also since 108 in wide fabric came along I don’t mind
backings or loading the quilts. Greatly love your blog.
Kelli’s quilt is just beautiful! I love your Temecula blocks and your Unity quilt is perfect to my eye. There is lovely movement in your quilt and the neutral sashing rounds enhance that.
You are not alone! I have twelve, oops thirteen tops finished, and twelve of them have their backings pieced. I always joke that I will not live long enough to get them all done, because I hand quilt most of them. But, the joy of making them stays.