I’ve had another busy week in the sewing room.
Remember all of that sewing and cleaning of the sewing room I did last week? Remember I was trying to get projects OUT?? Well, what did I do? I started another project. I told myself it was only going to be a leader and ender…it would be my project to work on if there was nothing else that needed to get done. Well…here it is.
It started out so innocently. Kelli asked me if I wanted this box of 1 1/2″ strips when I was at her house cleaning. I said yes. Bonnie Hunter just came out with a quilt called Bitcoin that uses them.
I was so excited. Well, being I finished the Iowa Hawkeyes quilt top, I thought I needed a new leader ender type project so this tote was sitting there so I thought I might as well sew a couple of strips.
Do you know what quilt I am talking about…this quilt. (Photo from Quiltville)
You can find the pattern HERE. I just love it. I bought the pattern immediately when I saw it. This is my kind of quilt…grab a bucket and sew. They are truly my favorite kinds of quilts to make.
I’m doing mine in reproduction prints as that was what was in Kelli’s box of fabric strips.
That lead to this…
There are LOTS of strips sets sewn together.
In my defense, I wanted to have something in the sewing room I could work on when my kids call. My kids call me a lot. I can honestly say, I get about 6 calls a day from my kids. I love it and want to talk but I also need something to do while I’m talking or I’d never get anything done.
Once the strip sets are sewn together it’s mindless work. They get ironed and trimmed.
Want to hear something funny. I got a nice pile of strip sets sewn and had decided to stop. I thought I had enough sewn to work on should one of the kids call. Guess what, as the last bit went through the needle, Kalissa called. I almost laughed right out loud. It was perfect timing.
I took a couple of sewn sets to the ironing board and started ironing. (YES I know I need a new cover. I plan to make one. Connie made me one but it’s too small for this ironing board…soon I’ll get to it I hope)
From there I went to trim the strips I had ironed. I HIGHLY suggest using these Wonder Clips. I have some name brands and I have some of the generic from Amazon. I’ve had no trouble with the generic. You can find them HERE.
After I cut the sets, then I clipped them together.
It is important to keep the sets together. These clips work perfectly for that.
Right now I am trying really hard to keep this project on the back burner…but it’s so hard (that was completely said in a whiney voice).
I have other things on the front burner though…
Here are the two blocks I did for the Red Sampler Quilt along with Lori Holt. If you read last week’s blog post about what I was working on you know that I already sewed one of this week’s blocks a week early. That’s why there are only two blocks.
I also cut out another Iowa Hawkeyes tumbler quilt. There is another benefit coming up and I think an Iowa Hawkeye quilt might do well for that benefit too. I had leftovers from the first quilt so Kelli brought me more fabric.
It’s all got cut up over naptime during the week and then Sunday I put the pedal to the metal and sewed the entire thing together from start to finish. YAHOO!! I really want these out so I don’t have to worry about the deadlines for them anymore. I’m hoping to the the top ironed tomorrow and put on the quilting frame. Dare I hope I can get the two of the tops entirely finsihed this week. It’s the plan to try to.
I need to find backing fabric yet too. Hopefully I have something that is here that will work. I regularly give my backing fabric away so we’ll see if there is some.
I let the pieces just fall where they may with no mind to what fabrics are touching. I like the look.
I started working on the baby quilts for Eli and Emmett too. I got some pinwheel blocks cut out. I started sewing them too. I’m working on this gradually and hoping once the Iowa Hawkeye quilts are out of here I can push the baby quilts to the front.
That’s what I was up to last week. I’m hoping with some time off this week I’ll get a few quilts ran through the longarm. Hopefully that means more finished quilts to come. Fingers crossed!!
See you back here next week for a progress report.
I love seeing how your quilts come together; looking forward to following the progress of the Eli and Emmett quilts :-)
It is always so hard not to start another project for us quilters!! I sometimes think I should be more like my sister who does one project at a time, has no extra fabric, but just isn’t fun to me! I like how you finish your quilts so quickly and will be anxious to see Emmett’s and Eli’s quilts when they have progressed further.
You’ve been SEW busy, Jo! Looking forward to the next progress report.
I love Bitcoin! I bought the pattern when it came out and started immediately. SO. MUCH. FUN. I also did NOT need another project started, but – oh well. I bet I have 8 ‘current’ project going, it works for me because if I get bored with one I just go work on a different one! It is fun to watch your projects come together and reminds me that progress is progress, work on any project moves that quilt closer to the finished product!
You have been amazingly productive on getting sewing projects done. I’ve been on a streak of getting big pieces of scraps into simple quilts and out of my scrap bags. I will give away 3 of them to my nieces. It doesn’t seem to diminish the scraps at all. I can’t wait to see the boys’ baby quilts. I love quilts made from shirts.
You’re one busy lady!. I got a California king size quilt done last weekend. Did it all on my regular sewing machine. Quilting and all. Of course I did it in sections and then sewed the quiltedcsectiond together. Like Georgia Bonesteal did. ( loved watching her work. I got it done and given to the folks that needed it. It was mostly fun. So enjoyvseeing what you’re doing.
Oh my word! What an amazing amount of sewing and cutting and ironing you did! All super. Looking forward to seeing those Iowa quilts finished, I bet they’ll be a winner at the benefit.
Oh my word! What an amazing amount of sewing, cutting and ironing you did this week. I’m looking forward to seeing those lovely Iowa quilts finished. I be they’ll do well at the benefit.