Oh my word. The last week threw me for a HUGE loop. In reality, I pretty much lost a week of life but my life got so much bigger.
On Saturday the 10th I was working on my Makers Market quilt. I was chasing an April 15th deadline.
I had talked to our kids and said I needed to work on the quilt today, limited interruptions would be appreciated. I NEVER do that but I wanted to make the deadline and things were really busy the whole week in a way I got nothing done. I just needed some time and happily, they all honored my request.
When I got to the machine, everything…seriously, everything was going wrong. I was so frustrated. It started with my picking the wrong thread color. AHH!! I have used this seafoam green thread on lots of quilts in the past. It has been a great color to use when there is no obvious color to use. I had stitched about a half of a bobbin’s worth of thread then I really questioned it. I thought I was overreacting so kept stitching only to find out that, AHHH!!, I hated it.
This quilt is going to be published in American Patchwork and Quilting. I wanted something I would be happy with. This, I was not happy with. So…I spent the next two hours ripping out what it took me 15 minutes to stitch. AH!!
I was so frustrated.
Then, I have been having a little trouble with thread breakage on the last quilt. It suddenly got worse and worse. I was ready to cry.
I played with the top and bottom tension. WORSE.
I was about ready to call my friend Carla who also has the same machine. I decided first to got read online and see if I could troubleshoot it myself. UGH. I hate doing this. I feel so inadequate when I try to fix something.
I read through some things and did everything I could sanding edges looking for burrs. No luck. I started playing with the tension and slowly it got a little better. STILL VERY FRUSTRATING!!
I kept at it and had about half of the quilt finished. I called it quits thinking I’d finish it the next day.
I was…up early. I started working on the quilt right away.
I was this far and quit…
I had been to a vintage junk sale on Saturday morning (I’ll tell you about that in an upcoming post) and they had pressure gauges on it. My brother Jim collects them for making his lamps.
Remember his motorcycle lamp? The gold circular part at the front is a pressure gauge.
I thought to go back to the sale and take pictures. I would send them to my brother and then he could let me know if I wanted any.
These are the gauges he needs to find to make his lamps.
Anyway…I was at the sale and had just checked out when Kelli called me to tell me her water broke.
Any thought about anything else left me right then. I didn’t care about the quilt or the sale or anything else.
I did message Jody at American Patchwork and Quilting. I told her we would not make the deadline of April 15th. She said not to worry about the quilt. This is what I mean when I say American Patchwork and Quilting is so wonderful to work with.
So a week later it was Saturday again. I hadn’t touched a sewing machine. I haven’t cross-stitched. I’ve done nothing except jump deep into the mom/grandma mode.
Does the picture look familiar?
I’m in the exact same spot.
Happily I got a little time and finished it. I woke on Saturday morning. There was one in the house except me and Rosie. I told her we had to make finishing this and getting in Monday’s mail priority #1 and that’s what we did.
I am so happy to not have a single deadline project loaming. I can sew what I want…well not exactly. I have two little boys who need a “Grandma Jo” quilt. It’s amazing how quickly a priority list can change!!
For now, I’m cutting back on submissions to quilt magazines or patterns. I need a break and Kelli is going to need me some at least for a month or two.
I have a TON of things I need to do around here too. Some of my stuff has gotten behind with so many quilts for publication. I’ve done one a month for the year so far. Oh my.
I’d love to show you the finished Makers Market quilt…well how about a little peek?
I think you all are going to love it! I actually want to make another in 30’s prints. I have a list of other stuff I need to get back to first…including those UFOs of mine. I sure fell off that bandwagon. I also want to make a quilt from this book, Scrap School. I really do want to sew a quilt and have you all sew along with me. I’m leaning towards making the quilt from Country Threads first. I did review the book if you missed that. You can find that HERE.
You can also check out the book HERE on Amazon. Grab a copy. I think I’ll start sewing a quilt from the book in June. As I said you all are welcome to join me in sewing.
Oh..and I’d love to participate in Lori Holt’s Red Sampler Quilt Along. Have you seen that? I typically hate samplers and putzing making a block at a time but hey, it’s been years since I did that. Maybe I should do it. Are any of you planning on doing it? You can read about it more HERE.
What’s a girl to do? There are so many quilts to make, samplers to stitch and grandbabies to love on!!
I literally felt the pain of frustration reading this blog! You went through an avalanche of problems. A new grandchild is a blessing but I would find myself thinking about projects to sew for him or her! Blessings to you and your family – Matriarchs must march on! LOLOLOL
How frustrating! It seems like that always happens – at a deadline and all goes wrong. So glad it is finished now and you can help Kelli and enjoy Eli and Emmett!
On the very first picture of your makers quilt {while on frame) shows a strip of something covering the quilts edges. Ive quilted my own quilts for years and have never seen this before!?! is this to leave room for binding? a basting asisist? i am curious.
I think that is the edge of the batting sticking out.
Just love on those babies and Kelli and let the rest of the world past you by. You know what they say, scrubbing and cleaning can wait till tomorrow…….because babies don’t keep.
So glad you got the quilt off to AP&Q – and glad to hear they are understanding about life’s happenings! The important things right now are Kelli and those baby boys… we’ll patiently wait for updates while you tend to all the things you need to do!
Our machines just know! When we have to get something finished!! Those babies are so adorable! Two little blessings to love and adore! And loved, I know they already are! All of the blog readers are loving them!
Umm, you might want to allow a few Months of time to help Kelli with her twin boys. Having visited a mom with quadruplets for a year, once a week, I can see the need for allowing a mom of twins a day for appts. etc. And just to talk.
Kelli will have my help for a lifetime. My help doesn’t have an end date. I help my adult kids and grands all the time. I just know she needs an initial burst of help now as she didn’t have things ready at home for the boys when she had them. That is the couple of weeks I was referring to.
Sometimes, Jo, it really is best to just walk away and finish the last bit another day. I’ve tried powering through late at night and that generally just causes more frustration! Hoping Kelli and the boys are doing well. Congrats on being in a place where you only have to sew what you want to! I’ll be looking forward to seeing the upcoming twin quilts for the new babies.
I feel your pain on long arm problems. I recently got about half of a quilt quilted before realizing the tension was bad. I always take peaks at the back as I go along so I don’t have any surprises, but alas, I had to unstitch all of the quilting!!! Then figure out what was wrong with the tension. Fortunately, it wasn’t a big thing, but now I am constantly checking things when I start out each time. Glad you got it all done.
What scattered week. I am curious. Can you point out what helped fix the tension problem?
I bought the book. Can’t wait to see which one you pick! I hope it’s one I want to do also. Congratulations on the babies and the quilt finish!
What a whirlwind you have had, but how wonderful to know the twins are here and doing well. I cant wait to see the new quilt published, just another one to add to my pile of “want to make”.
Just step back…….and slow breathe for a minute. The world looks brighter after doing this little exercise. It gives me the strength to carry on with the task at hand. Give the babies all the grandma hugs you can muster. Love you Jo.