The 15 Minute Sewing Challenge, a Top Completed

I'm not going to take the time to make a chart. For the first time in a very long time, I sewed every day this past week. That is probably the end of my current sewing streak though. I wanted to get this top off the floor so we could move furniture out of our bedroom and get floors done. Also, the tiller and I had a major disagreement about starting, and a finger joint on my left hand and a muscle in my lower right arm were wrenched. I can't even open a water bottle right now.

The Concert Memories quilt top is finished, back is stitched, and I have the batting. All I have to do now if find a place to lay it out and pin it. Then I'm going to try quilting it myself. It's not worth it to me to send it out for quilting.

I'll update my stash list next time. This is all the typing my fingers can do for now. Join me at Kate's Life in Pieces to see how others have used bits of time this week, and let us know what you've been doing too.

It's Tuesday, Time for the 15 Minute Challenge

Brownie made an unexpected trip home last Tuesday, so I pulled out the pieces for her t-shirt quilt so she could approve the layout. Then I put the shapes onto an excel grid and figured out the exact size for each block.

I had ironed interfacing onto many of the blocks before I put them away, but I left some undone so I could cut them to fit different sizes, and I needed more interfacing. Around here, the only place to buy interfacing is Walmart, and I am not a Walmart fan. I got the orginal interfacing at one Walmart but I was in another town when I bought the rest, and I got the wrong kind. It looked the same in the store, and when I started ironing it on, I noticed it was stiffer, but thought it would probably soften with use. It didn't. Even after sewing several of those blocks together, it didn't change. Turns out I got the wrong kind. So I spent one evening ripping out at least two days' work. What is it with me!??

So I had to go back to get more of the right kind of interfacing. I went back to the first Walmart for that. One good thing that came of these trips to Walmart is that I found the perfect background fabric for this quilt. I know, some of you won't use Walmart fabric, and if this were going to be an heirloom type quilt, (stop laughing), I would use quilt shop fabrics. But I can't afford to buy fabric there often. Most store bought quilts and comforters last me about five years with regular use and washings. These will last about fifteen years of daily use, so I think it's a good trade off.

Here's what is on my design wall floor today. I'd really like to finish the top by the end of the month.

Six out of seven days again. Not too bad. Still wish I had more to show for it.

I haven't done nearly as well with my stash busting. Not only did I buy the wrong interfacing, I bought two different fabrics for the Around the World Quilt I posted last week, and didn't like either one when I got them home and laid out next to the top. If white doesn't look good, I'm just going to bind it the way it is and call it a lap quilt.

I'm linking up to Kate's Life in Pieces. Hop on over to link up or see how everyone is trying to fit at least 15 minutes of sewing time into their day.

Sewing, The Challenge

I tried to get some sewing in this week, but as Hubby observed, I spent more time unsewing than sewing. I wanted to use my new Janome and thought the denim quilt would be a good test for it. Unfortunately, the first set of instructions I found had an error, so I spent several hours ripping that out. A few more trials and I found a method that seems to work. This is where I am now, three meager rows after four days' work.

Then I took a day off so I could can some tomatoes and work on my fabric inventory. While doing that, I came across this Around The World from the Couch quilt. I couldn't decide what to do about borders so put it aside.  I know it looks rectangular in the photo below, but that's just camera distortion, it's really square.

The problem with square quilts is that they just don't fit beds. So after looking at it again, I decided to add more rows to the top and bottom. A search through my scraps and I remembered why I stopped it where I did - I had used all I had of a couple of fabrics. Then, inspiration hit and I thought it would make the right size twin quilt if I took two rows off each side and added a row to both top and bottom. So more ripping. Here it is today with the side rows off and the top and bottom rows ready to sew.

Six out of seven days isn't bad, all things considered. I just wish I had more to show for it.

And now for a confession. I wanted bright fabrics for my denim quilt, and did have a few in my stash, but... I had them earmarked for other projects.

So I bought more fabric.

Just a few fat quarters of brights. But then I saw some all cotton seersucker which makes excellent backing for receiving blankets, and it just jumped in my cart and held on when I tried to put it back on the shelf. So it had to come home with me. I have a weak spot for strays, be it cats, dogs, or fabrics.

An update of my stash buster report and stash inventory:

Join me this week at Life in Pieces to see how others have used their sewing time this week.  It's funny, Kate wrote that she thinks the hot weather they have had has slowed her sewing.  We've had a stretch of the coolest days I can remember having in July.  We've had over three days of a nice, steady rain, and Tuesday our high was 74.  It's been heavenly.  I can just imagine what it's like to live in Seattle or England where it rains all the time.  I have been wondering when they mow their lawns.  My grass is long and green, but the ground is too soft to mow without leaving ruts.

15 Minute Challenge - Kind Of

I could post a chart showing I did absolutely no sewing this week. So why am I even posting? Oh, just something for your entertainment.

Last week I was in San Francisco and while sightseeing in Haight-Ashbury, I spotted this shop.

With a sign that said "Far Out Fabrics," I had to check out Mendels. I wouldn't say that their fabrics were all that far out, but considering how small the fabric area was in a store that also sold art supplies and stationery, they had a wide assortment of fabrics, including an entire row of quilting fabrics. They had some really cool zippers too.

I really wanted to go into Needlepoint Inc., but we were going somewhere else and there just wasn't time.  I'll just have to be happy browsing their website.

If you've been reading my blog, you know I came home to a mess from a leak under the kitchen sink. But I also came home to a brand new sewing machine. I ordered it before I left and was surprised to see that it arrived so fast. Now I have a travel machine that is good enough to use all the time. Whoop!

I'm linking to Kate's 15 Minute Challenge at Life in Pieces.  Hop on over to see how others are inspired to find 15 minutes to sew every day.

15 Minute Challenge

I've been trying to fit in at least 15 minutes on something sewing related. This time of year with the garden producing more tomatoes, squash, and zucchini than we have ever gotten before, 15 minutes on something else is a lofty goal.

I also decided that I need to concentrate on some finishes instead of being so scattered, and I will not start anything new unless it's a gift, and I do need to make a baby quilt soon. The quilt I've decided to finish next is Brownie's T-shirt quilt. There are other UFO's that are much closer to the finish line than this one, but I made the mistake of showing Brownie what I've done so far, and now she is anxious. So far I just have the blocks made and the general layout of front and back. 

Hmmm, looks like someone should set aside a day for straightening up. Funny how I only notice it in photos.

I am joining Kate at Life in Pieces for her 15 Minute Challenge.

Blessings,
Marti

It's Been One of Those Days and a NewFO

Let me backtrack to yesterday. I wrote my blog post and scheduled it to post at 7am because I had a doctor appointment this morning and knew I wouldn't be able to do it before I left. I needed the Geek Squad to look at my computer and see why the security program wouldn't let my printer print and then I was going to come home and update the link to Kate's blog. But it didn't work out that way. The Geek Squad wanted to keep my computer, remove the offending Kaspersky, and clear my computer before loading a new security program. That took 5 hours. Then I had to reload MS Office, reconnect to the internet router, and then load a new security program because they didn't do it after all. Another hour. Then Hubby brought home a new storm door for the back door that keeps leaking when it rains even though we've replaced it and all the weatherstripping twice. It didn't take me very long to do my part helping him with the door; it was cleaning up after burning the chicken I had left on the stove that took a long time. In fact, the house still stinks and I've had all the fans and windows open for three hours.

I've cut out soda, and had cut out sweets starting this week, but this was a night that called for chocolate.

My biggest project for April has been trying to organize my stash.  I'm still working on my sewing room, aka guest room, but having my fabrics scattered throughout the house makes every sewing project so much harder that it is really number one.  While organizing my stash, I found I have too much scrap denim.  So much that the box wouldn't shut.  So last month I made the denim apron, and a few days ago started this quilt project by making the templates and then cut about fifty circles (with regular scissors) until my hand started cramping and my thumb went numb. Oops, I think I need to pace myself. I've still got a lot of jeans to cut but it's a nice, mindless project to do while watching tv. The squares should go quickly; the hardest part will be deciding which fabrics to use.  Right now, it's a UFO, or NewFO as Barbara of Cat Patches calls them. So I'm linking this NewFO to her blog. Maybe that will encourage me to keep going on it.

This is the only project I've started in April, other than the shower curtain, which wasn't much of a project.  I looked back on my April goals, and saw that I had planned to make another apron.  That didn't get done, and I don't think it will get done in May either.  Besides the garden which is breeding weeds like mosquitoes in an old tire, I get to spend some time in St. Louis with my daughter.  I will be sewing curtains for her, so I guess that will be my sewing goal for May.

What projects did you start in April?

15 Minute Challenge, Experimenting with Shower Curtains

For years I've used a clear plastic liner as a shower curtain. Not pretty, but lets in light so we can see to shave. I hate taking a shower in the dark. However, a plastic shower curtain doesn't draw back well and is hard to clean. I put it in the washer and it does fine, but being plastic, it doesn't spin well and doesn't do well in the dryer at all.

I used to have a cloth shower curtain made by a name brand company and I liked it, except it was too short for my current shower. I did like the way it hung and how easy it was to throw into the washer with the sheets every week. But I also wanted to cover the shower rod, and most shower curtains don't do that, so I decided to try making one out of a queen sized sheet. I bought a set with 600 thread count, but it must be a cheapo brand because the hem started fraying after the first wash. They also don't feel like 600 thread count. When I make another, I'll buy some that are better quality, but these were fine for experimenting and now I know what to do next time.

This month, Kate at Life in Pieces has been talking about observation. Last week in particular I wanted to chime in and tell her how observation affects my quilting. Take, for example, my bottle of shampoo. There is a design on it that I just love, kind of a spirograph flower, and I've been contemplating a quilt with that design for several years. Or sometimes I watch shade filtering through a tree, changing the colors of the flowers and grass underneath, and think what a pretty quilt could be made from those colors. Sometimes I see a shape that could become a cartoon character or a cute character for embroidery. Design is all around us; sometimes I just have to take off my glasses to see it.

When I picked up mom's machine from the repair shop, I also shopped for some fabric to make a pinwheel type baby quilt. I ended up with these fabrics (and the quilt pattern is in the book opened beside it).

So, on to the business side of this post, or how I've spent my sewing time. I spent four of the last seven days with needle and thread and the last three days measuring fabric. I'm still trying to get my sewing stuff unpacked and organized, and then I need to find a place for everything in the guest room I'll use as a sewing room.

Next is my stash buster report, which should be named stash collector as I seem to be adding rather than subtracting from it.

One reason I have added when I should be subtracting to the stash is that it is so hard to find a fabric in it. My stash is kept in nine plastic boxes under a guest room bed, and four of the boxes are fairly difficult to reach. My stash inventory just lists general colors which doesn't help at all when it comes to finding a fabric for a project. Like the six yards bought for the baby quilt I need to make. I knew I had some fabric in my stash, but I hadn't been able to find it. But I had an aha moment this week and decided to not only measure each piece of fabric in my stash, but to photograph them and put them on a spreadsheet. That way, I can easily look through pictures of my stash, see the amount of fabric for each, and choose a quilt pattern that uses what I have. It looks like this:

I'm joining Kate at Life in Pieces for her 15 Minute Challenge. Pop over there to see how others have met the challenge this week, and don't be shy, join in and show us what you've been working on.

April in The Year of the Finished Project

In March, the only thing I completed was the apron I remade from a denim dress. I hope to do better in April.



My goal for April is to make another apron, make a cloth shower curtain for my master bath, and make curtains for Lil's bedroom. When I go there, I'll leave her my little Janome, that is if mom's Pfaff comes out of the shop sewing well. I did take it in today and the main repairman raved about that Pfaff, so I'm encouraged that it will be a good machine for me. If not, I know I won't have to ask him twice if he wants to buy it. He said he has been searching for two years for that very machine to give his mother.

I'm linking this up to Never Too Hot to Stitch. These are just goals, check back at the end of the month to see if they were accomplished.

Blessings,
Marti

15 Minute Challenge and A Dress Makeover

I was going to take mom's Pfaff to the shop last Tuesday, but I couldn't get it out of the cabinet by myself. Hubby helped me with that Tuesday night so I could take it Wednesday. The next morning I got up, got dressed, and started to head out. That's when I noticed that there was no power cord. It wasn't connected to the foot feed the way my other machines have been. I spent most of that day looking and finally gave up. It's probably packed in one of our pre-remodel boxes. So instead, I decided to do some regular sewing with the little Janome to see if it would do what Lil needs.

She wants to make some curtains and I'm sure it will be able to do that, but she also wants to learn to sew clothing, and I wasn't sure it could go over those seams. I have been wanting an apron with ties long enough to wrap around front and hang a towel over them. When I'm cooking, I swear I wash my hands every five minutes. Chef's on tv just wipe their hands on a towel, so I thought I could do that too. Except after eggs or raw meat. Ewww.



While searching for fabric, I opened my scrap denim box and found this old dress that no longer fit, and thought I could make it into an apron. Sorry, it seemed silly to iron it since I was going to be washing it after I clipped the edges.



And here's how it turned out after cutting out the back, putting a few tucked rows across the bottom, clipping them, and adding a new neck back, ties, and ruffle out of a floral fabric.



I'm a little concerned that it might be too warm, but I can hang a towel on it, and it will protect my shirt from splatters.



So here is my official chart showing how little sewing I actually got done.



Join us at Kate's Life in Pieces to see how others met the 15 minute challenge and join in too.

Also this week, I've decided to start posting my stash buster report in hopes it will keep me working on the stash.

Quilter's, Brainstorm with Me Please

Several of you have asked why I don't like the Little Glory quilt, and I confessed that one reason is because I cheaped out and used some polyester fabric in it. The medium blue (center and corner blocks) are not only polyester, but they have a thin blue stripe as well. The polyester doesn't flatten with the iron, it ravels more, and it has a different sheen than the cotton. That is probably why most quilters don't use it. I don't know where I got it, but I had three yards of it, so thought I'd use it. So that's one reason I'm not crazy about this quilt.

Then, there's the way it fits the bed. This is the way I planned it to fit the bed, but now that I've seen it on the bed, I don't like the way the blocks hang off.



Ignore the stuff on the tables, this is a room in progress.

The only thing I can think of, besides just living with it, is turning it sideways and making a king out of it. But to do that, I have to introduce even more blues because I am out of all the blue used in the blocks, and I don't really want to use any more polyester. And I really hate to keep working on a quilt that I am never going to love. Can you see any other options, especially any that keep this a twin size?

15 Minute Challenge

I only sewed one day this week, and that was only because I forced myself to finish the top of this quilt. The more I look at this quilt, the less I like it, but that's not the reason I only sewed one day. That was because of my sewing machine. It struggles going over seams and I don't want to quilt this top with it. I'll wait until I have another machine.

I want to thank everyone who gave me their opinions on my last sewing machine post. I have decided that those of you who said to repair mom's machine and give it a trial are right. If I don't like it after that, I'll give it to my daughter and buy a new machine. Like Hubby said, whether I keep it or give it to her, it still needs to be serviced.

Even with my pitiful showing, I'm linking to Kate's Life in Pieces. Join in over there to see how others have met the challenge.

This month, Kate's subject has been talking about quilting, or the ways we talk about quilting, ask others for advice, encouragement, and problem solving.  It's been really interesting, though I haven't had anything to offer.  However, that changed last night after attending our local quilt guild meeting.  I haven't been to one of these meetings in five or six years.  I was first invited by a local quilter who was the guest speaker right after I began quilting and was all but avoided by the other members.  Then, a couple of years later, I went with a new neighbor who was also a quilter, and again, we went through the entire evening without a hello from anyone.  I don't know if the group was just extremely  clickish and didn't want outsiders (common in a small town), if they were so involved with their activities that they didn't notice that we were visiting, or if they just didn't know how to talk to strangers.  In any case, neither of us ever went back.

But last night was different.  I went with the same neighbor again, and another neighbor who has begun quilting.  At the meeting, they had everyone sign in before entering the auditorium, with a  separate sheet for visitors, and they gave each visitor a colorful lei necklace.  The current president came over to greet us; she had been a college roommate of my first quilting neighbor, and she stood with us a long time telling us about the guild and introducing us to people who came up.  People in general seemed much friendlier than my previous visits, and both my original neighbor and I think we will join next month.  So there is another way to talk about quilting.

15 Minute Challenge, One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

I don't think I made any progress this week. I sewed every two rows together and was about to sew all the sets when I noticed I had put in THREE blocks backwards. They were all near the outer edge on their row, but still, it meant a lot of ripping. Today, I'm finally back to having every two rows sewn together with all the blocks turned correctly. (I put an ARGH in there but thought about the being positive thing, so took it out. But you know I'm still thinking it. *grin*)

On my design floor is the Little Glory with a few strips of yellow inner border.  The main quilt has twelve inch blocks with two inch blue blocks around it.  I cut the yellow border at four inches but I'm not sure I like the look of it.  What do you think?  Should it be less than four inches?  If so what? Two, or three?

Hop over to Life in Pieces to see how others have done with their challenge this week.

There is (1) link in this post - to Life in Pieces.

15 Minute Challenge

I really thought I'd be quilting by now, but I'm still putting the top together. I did have a couple of sick days in there, and one lazy day too.

Kate has been talking about organization lately, and I thought I'd show the sewing cabinet my mother gave me.

A couple of the drawers have pegs for spools of thread.

And a couple of drawers have sliding trays.

I'm linking to Kate's 15 Minute Challenge at Life in Pieces. See you there!