The Big Sort and Quilting

Part of my big sort was purging.  Those things that I could not throw away, give away or return to their owner are things that I deemed as a keeper, a project (it needs deeper attention.  Think photos) or things that I made a commitment to do something with before returning it.  The one item I have a lot of are charity tops.  There are those that I accepted to complete and those that others accepted but asked me to finish.  I also have lots of tops intended as gifts for family and friends.

This bounty has led me back to using my longarm.  It frustrates me because I tend to have tension issues.  I do silly things like trying different types and weights of threads.  I recently tried a bigger needle in anticipation of quilting through some heavy stabilizer.  I even lost my mind and over adjusted my upper tension after knowing my tension was near perfect.  I got halfway through quilting a quilt to find I had thread nests all across the back.  I realize that I need to not change so many factors with each quilt and just find what works and stick with it.  The other thing is to resist the urge to try a new design on every quilt.  Just get it done!  I went to a quilt show recently and guess what quilt design they used.  Wavy lines!

Here are some charity quilts I’ve done recently.

I Never Would Have Guessed!

Almost two years since I posted.  I was trying to find some balance between sewing and reading or writing about sewing.  Then I got hooked on purging.  I really dug in and touched almost everything in every room.  Exhausting and exhilarating at the same time!  That’s how it turned into a big break.

We went on a big vacation to Alaska.  We flew into Anchorage via Seattle.  We rented a car and proceeded to drive 2000 miles.  We had a list of things we were interested in doing and then flew by the seat of our pants.  We’d choose a destination and on several occasions drive up to the lodging and decided if we wanted to stay there or drive on.  We managed well on finding decent places.  Unfortunately on the way back I started up with a cough and felt blah for over three weeks.  Ray decided to join the party and is still working through it.  A lot of my coworkers reported being away for long vacations and also got sick.  Are we just burning the candle at both ends?

I’ve continued sewing in some way on a regular basis.  I joined the Running Doe Topalong.  It’s a six month program.  They offer 1 digital pattern a month x 6 for $10.  You finish the top in the month it is announced and you get entered into a prize drawing.  If you finish all 6 there is a grand prize.  There is a Facebook group and I’ve really enjoyed seeing all the inspiration.  There are a few I’d like to make again in an inspiring color way.

I’ll come back with more posts and pictures!  Watch this space.

Life Happenings

I didn’t mean to be away from the blog for so long.  I came to say I haven’t been sewing much.  But when I scrolled photos I discovered I was a fibber.  In addition to cleaning up bags of scraps by making bindings I’ve had three new starts!  Plus, I’ve made in excess of 15 bings.  I need to get busy quilting apparently.

I was sorting through kits and saw this one.  Got bit by a bug and decided to make it.  I still have to miter the borders.  I wanted to add another yellow and miscue a green so went to my newly organized stash and found exactly what I needed!

While sorting fabric I came across panels and coordinating yardage that I was not interested in using.  One set was hunting dogs.  My brother loved his Labrador.  I also wanted to make him a 60th birthday quilt.  Here it is!  To be quilted.

 

When I got these to this point I needed a piecing project for away from home.  Out came a FQ bundle I was gifted.  I’m short a few blocks but here’s a trial layout.  About half the needed blocks.  Cathedral Beads.

Time ran out on me before vacation.  We headed for Tennessee.  Duchess and Chip.  All the sites to see.  All the new smells!

Vacation without an issue wouldn’t be vacation for us.

Homemade water sprinkler!

When backing the trike out of the toy hauler someone buried a tail pipe.  It stalled immediately.  Luckily three gentlemen came to our rescue and it’s running fine!

Will share more vacation adventures soon.

Stay quilty my friends.

Cobbler’s Children

You know the story how the cobblers children don’t have shoes?  He was so busy making shoes for his customers he didn’t have time to make shoes for his family.

I found myself tightly ensconced in the role of a cobbler’s child.  I have time to repair quilts for others but not repair my own.  The very first quilt I made was given to my mother.  When it started to wear she put it away.  I inherited that quilt back when she passed away.  I always had intentions of fixing it but never seemed to get around to the task.

This past weekend I bundled it up and took it to the church.  I picked out all the quilting and hung it up to find the spots needing repair.  When you look at the picture you can see blue painters tape in two spots.  There are 5 spots in all.  Three need the seam resewn and the other two need a strip replaced.

Now that I have it to this point it will be a lot easier to work on it.  I made all the rookie mistakes.  Sewed with a 5/8” seam, not enough quilting for the batting.  Maybe not all but I hope I’ve improved.  In the process of my ongoing stash organization I came across the matching fabric!  Serendipity.

What are you putting off doing for yourself that you readily do for others?  Time to make yourself a priority!

Happy quilting.

Swooze

Folding Frenzy

I’m still at it.  I’ve been folding in color categories until now but have slipped into categories.  This will make it easier for me to find what I want.  I have decided what my space limitations are and when those areas are full I’m going to become very generous with my friends.  It’s been easy to run across pieces and say “I don’t want to work with this anymore.”  Out they went! There are a few groupings that I’ve decided once I make a quilt or three then out it goes.  That will take longer than just giving it away but I may do some kitting to get the bulk of it out.

Above I have batiks, Christmas, winter, fall and orientals.  I have an empty shelf and believe me I will fill it.  I’m going to do some shuffling in and out of my color racks and this space will allow for expansion.

Here I have novelties with animals and novelties without.  My holiday fabrics landed here.  I have florals, patristics and solids.  Time will tell if this arrangement works.

Remember my goal is to not have a quilt house.  I’m still a few weeks away but I can see the goal is possible!

How are things going in your sewing world?

Swooze

Still Folding and Sorting

When I was folding my yardage I was also sorting out FQs and other small cuts.  I have a dresser and have been color sorting them there.  

I showed my racks of fabric but what wasn’t shown were the cabinets in my sewing room.  Here is where I will keep my categories that I want to keep separate from the general stash.  Shown here are batiks, Christmas, fall, oriental and winter.  

I’m currently folding novelties.  Three types, juvenile, rainbow and wildlife (bugs).  Next will be florals.  Once those are done I’ll be going back to the general stash and pulling out things that need to go in these categories to make room for what’s left.

I am doing a general tidy in the rooms of scraps, kits, notions and patterns.  I have been pulling things that I no longer have an interest in working with.  I’ve identified a few projects I want to make right now.  I will seriously destash once I am done folding and see what fits.  This is my reality check.  No new fabric purchases.

What’s happening in your sewing world?

Getting Organized

I have been diligently folding fabric.

Here are the reds through greens.  There is wiggle room for any foundlings.  I have large pieces for backings stacked on top.  Those a future folding endeavor.

Then there are the blues through the grays.  Stacked on top are my creams and whites intended for backgrounds.

Then we have the inevitable Dammit pile.  As on dammit I already folded that color.  Thank goodness for wiggle room.  There’s more beyond what’s shown.

I have also been making bindings as I encounter small caches of fabric that were intended for that very thing.  My goal was one a week and I’ve exceeded that.  I have mynext few sets ready to be processed.  I have liberated so many project totes that I may get rid of some of them but that will be after I finish my quest.  

My quest is to not have fabric in every part of the house.  I have three designated spots.  Stash room, sewing room and my longarm space.  It’s improving with each passing day.

What’s happening in your sewing world?