weeknight quilting

Marchenings

Yesterday, I posted about some crafty sewing progress in March. Today is a very brief look at some other March happenings. Marchenings, if you will.

BLOND! (and it is ok that I wrote “blond” instead of “blonde”, per this.)

Most of my teens and 20s I spent with blond hair. And suddenly one night I wanted it back and I found a stylist to play along. I LOVE it!! And I still am learning how to apply lipstick, obviously.

Fixed bathrooms!

We no longer have adorable, horrible, evil pedestal sinks in either of our bathrooms. We found this little darling cabinetthat fits the tight space of our upstairs bathroom. AND we got the shower fixed in the downstairs bathroom so we totally have one shower with first-world(ish) water pressure. We have painted since this picture was taken, so imagine a better color of paint.

Exercise train. CHOO CHOO! I exercised a lot more – not enough – but a lot more. And I have been feeling the benefit. There is nothing better than the sore feeling from working out. These bad boy Mary Lou Retton calves still are kickin’ and looking forward to turning 44 in a couple of weeks. Oh, and HAI! one gold toe that really accentuates the Mortonish of it all.

March ta-da done

I had a lot of aspiration for March – stuff to get done. LOTS. 12 projects – 3 per week. That may have been a TAD unrealistic.

I did make progress on some things…

I made the first row of my ombre tessellation quilt. Here is Toby really inspecting my work. His tail is a little, um, missing parts. But he isn’t self-conscious about it at all – I don’t think anyone ever told him.

I got the batting cut for 2 of my project linus quilts, along with finding space in my studio to store a GIANT roll of batting. And I am pleased as punch that I saved so much money by buying in BULK!

I got the quilting almost done for another project linus quilt.
I got the big succulent done on this embroidery. In love with it.

And I got four things on my list done done done…

My wool Easter eggs. I made 10 instead of 20. But 10 is enough.

The never-again scarf. I need to mend because one of the tassels has already fallen off. I’ll do that this week so that it still feels like a finish.

And I bound the 2 giantish quilts I needed to bind. This one feels like a HUGE win – it has been on my to-do list every week for many weeks in a row. I am just so happy to have the quilts in use. One of them – pictured below – is a queen size quilt on our bed. Love sleeping under a quilt I made every night. And I don’t at all obsess about what I would have done differently while making it. Not at all. #sane

There were 3 projects that I didn’t even touch that I had planned to finish. BUT, I did finish one thing that I didn’t even plan to start – this adorable doll house quilt for my aunt who makes the most amazing doll house / tiny stuff. Well jeal of her talent, and happy to add to her little amazing universe. Those little pillows are maybe the most happiest thing I have made all year.

And I did pretty darn good about not starting new projects – that is my biggest issue with making progress on my backlog. I started a little English paper piecing (EPP) project that will be the center of a fourth of July / summer wall hanging I am imagining I want to hang in my dining room. I can’t decide if I love or hate EPP. But I think I can stay committed to it long enough to finish this sort-of lone star.

At the end of March, my backlog went from 26 to 23. Uh, woot!!! That is progress in the right direction. I do need to catch up on my scrap blocks for sure, and I need to set my goals for April… and…

Hustle

I finished this little quilt for my new spacious cubicle. The actual cross stitch took me frickin’ forever. I was afraid to use different colors than what the pattern called for, but I didn’t use the midnight blue aida that the pattern called for. So the finished product is a bit hard to read.

I have had the completed cross stitch poorly framed for a couple years now. I have a lot more wall space now, so I decided to incorporate into a wee mini quilt. Love love love the colors. Love love love the sentiment. Still hard to read.

I hustle plenty at work. Thinking I should bring this one home where a bit more hustle might be a good thing.

Tuesday Two – Issue 2

This Purl Soho tote pattern. Love, love, love the simplicity and instructions for creating easy to easiest tote. I made the above tote by lining but not boxing.
This tutorial for creating a boxed corner in a bag. I HATE the triangle method where you match seams, sew a line and then cut to the seam allowance. So much neater results for me to cut out a square and then sew shut. I wish I could find a triangle seam length to corner size converter so when a pattern tells me how long to sew the seam, I can know what size box to cut instead. Maybe I can try to figure this out myself. Maybe.

the never-again scarf

I cannot visit pursoho.com without falling in love. This is the third scarf I have purchased materials for from purl soho because I want to own it, not because I want to make it. The other two are languishing on knitting needles.

Because this scarf was sewn, not knitted, it got finished. I made all of the tassels in one tortured Friday night – adorably complaining the whole time. While my sweet husband kept gently prodding me why I was doing something voluntarily that I hated so much. Such a good question.

My purl soho scissors with sweet little lavender tassels

All 14 of the little bastards made and trapped in plastic because cats.

Getting proficient enough with my rolled hem foot to finish the scarf was a second night of unhappiness. But I love the scarf.

I need to wear the scarf while I have these nails that match it so perfectly. Well except for the scarf is understated purl soho style and these nails are Dolly Parton over the top.

Can’t stop starting

February was not the powerhouse of getting things done that I thought it would be. I just seemed to stall out in a lot of areas of my life. But there were some finishes – 2 totes, 2 baby quilts, a pillow, a door hanger, a wall hanging.

It isn’t nothing, but I wish it were more. My backlog went from 26 to 26. I counteracted every backlog finish with a new start that wasn’t finished. I just can’t stop starting. My mind is full of things I want to do.

So, March. I want to make 31 scrap blocks and finish 12 projects:

a pretty tassel scarf

the amazing ombre tessellation quilt

3 project linus quilts

needlepoint sampler

succulent hoop

abstract circles hoop

tula pink flower hoop

bind the giant bed quilt

bind the colorado quilt

easter eggs – I won’t have them done for easter, but I would like them done for when I pack up the easter decorations.

It can be done – my strategy is one thing at a time. One thing at a time. Starting with what I am dreading most – quilt binding. grrr. but then it will be done. And I won’t feel so silly sending off another quilt to be quilted, thus increasing my binding to do list.

some finishes related to goats

Hi – I have some fun finishes to share. I have been so busy sewing sewing sewing sewing that I forget to share here. I want this to be a fairly comprehensive journal of my creative goings-on – so will be getting caught up. You might want to turn off e-mail post notifications. 🙂

One of the first things I finished in February was this “Protect your goat” tote. Made for a co-worker who loved this phrase from a podcast she listened to. And I love the sentiment and it was fun to use my Cricut maker and my tote making skills. I made the little coin purse that goes in it as well. So proud of that.

I also made a goat-themed tote for a friend for Galentine’s day. This one I upped the challenge by making the tote lined and making a more complicated little coin purse that was lined and had an outer pocket and snaps and a zipper. Whew!!

I love making totes. Want to make one for myself, but am stuck. So much harder to make something for yourself – the decisions seem overwhelming, not fun.

Charity baby quilt breather

I want to get 24 baby quilts donated to Project Linus this year – to make up for the last couple of years when I didn’t get any made or donated. I have been having a lot of fun. I have finished 2 more in February, bringing my total up to 6 for the year.

This first quilt had been lingering as a failed attempt to piece a back. And so it became a front. I am very unhappy with the goody quilting that happened when I went in two different directions. I know better.

But I am very happy with the back of this quilt. This Tula Pink camping fabric is so beyond adorable. So maybe when this quilt gets to its owner the front will be the back.

I am much happier with my next finish. This quilt was set on point using blue and yellow scrap blocks.

I love everything about this quilt – the colors, the quilting, the binding the cheerful patchwork of it all.

I need to make more improv scrap blocks. The are a lot of work but they are oh-so-pretty.

I got the quilts done that I needed to until April 1. I am going to pause and make some headway on my own selfish sewing projects.

February Plans

Lots to do in February…

Project Linus quilts… I want to make 4 baby quilts in February to keep on pace to be done with all by mid-year. I have 3 quilt tops ready to go – just need basting, quilting, binding. Two of the tops pictured below – both completely pieced from the scrap basket.

Untitled

I also want to make 48 more blocks like this one – but machine applique not hand. I am not read to make 100s of these blocks – hand applique doesn’t interest me enough right now – but I still would like to make something happen out of the blocks I have cut. That is what is so great about charity baby quilts – you can get something out of your head.

The rest of my quilting projects list is pretty small this month – two BIG quilts I need to bind.

My embroidery/stitch project list is a bit longer…

I want to finish my abstract circles and Tula Pink flowers project. I also need to make some little felt Easter eggs if I am going to change out the decor of my Valentine’s day tree. That is probably the biggest priority in addition to some secret birthday sewing. Some of my most importantest people have birthdays in February or March.

There are 11 projects I want to get done in addition to making 28 blocks from my scrap basket – aggressive, possibly unrealistic – but I will reduce my backlog from 26 to 16. That would be amazing! But I will still allow little detours. Like this bitty itty little dresden I made as a mini quilt for my studio.

First finish for February and it wasn’t on the list.

January 2018 Creative Journal

January was great – for lots of reasons. I have been feeling better than ever. My energy has been night and day from, well, the last three years. I don’t know what the difference is. I can’t stop being excited to work and craft. So weird, but so awesome.

In January 2018, I completed 14 projects!

4 charity baby quilts…

4 smaller projects… a letter-writing kit, a needle book, a Valentine’s tree, some earrings…

4 new pillows for the couch… Isn’t George the cutest??

And 2 embroidery projects…

I reduced my backlog by zilch – I completed 4 WIPs – the tropical plants embroidery and three of the baby quilts – but I started 4 new projects that I didn’t finish…

A scrap baby quilt, an embroidered flower, floral appliqué circles, and some abstract circles…