Part 1 of Patchwork Pennies is done

Patchwork Pennies is all cut! I still have to mark the backs of 384 squares (I think) for half-square triangles and snowball corners--but it is all cut.

 Two more links quilted on the mystery quilt!

Those 1/2 hours add up!!

Got to hunt through boxes for prayer shawl fabric--I have seen it, just don't remember which box/storage tub....it will be found after Christmas decorations are up--as for that--lights are on the tree...Garland next....waiting for daughter to help make final decision on which garland this year.

You have choices when you have 35 years of collecting..kinda like with fabric; although I have collected fabric longer, since Grammy passed the quilt bug on long before I got married :-)

Prayer Shawls

Prayer shawls can be powerful things.  I have just learned that a prayer shawl I made for a friend was destroyed in a fire.  She was fighting cancer; the design was inspired by the 1000 Cranes of Hope project. I am hopeful that I have enough fabric to recreate it, and can find the pattern (I have moved since I made it and not everything is unpacked). If not I guess it will be a new design… and some different fabrics, but still cranes.

They do not just get sewn together. Active prayer is part of the making. That does not mean they cannot be done quickly, if needed they can be done very quickly, they can be exhausting, but extremely satisfying for the maker, at least in my experience.

So off to make some brunch, check and string the Christmas tree lights, then a hunt for the crane pattern and fabric...wish me luck!

And both the Mystery quilt and the Patchwork Pennies are making forward progress (just a bit slower due to holiday activities). A bit more than a half an hour a day, because ther is always time to quilt

Yes you really do have time to Quilt/Sew…

Time and project management are the technical/business terms for how you can. But what does that mean in non technical/business terms? YOU CAN DO IT!

I have a very set schedule. I normally get up at the same time every day (5:30am for inquiring minds); and then the structured day starts. The structure varies over time, depending on the demands on my time. If there is a large project at work, or church; significant family event, or holiday…those make changes in the “standard” schedule.

There are some mostly non-negotiable items: A cup of coffee alone in the morning, meditation/prayer time morning and night, that darn treadmill or some replacement activity…AND….no less than ½ an hour of quilting/sewing time a day.

Now I hear the humph chorus all together saying—“yeah, and what can you get done in half an hour!” A LOT!  One half hour a day is forward progress. Forward progress is a good thing—and even seam ripping counts as forward progress because errors must be cured to prevent future frustration and sometimes project catastrophes. Not fixing them as soon as you find them means more time intensive work –a-rounds or more extensive fixes (likely to require even more ripping.)

In half an hour, fabric can be ironed and cut, or blocks sewn. One block a night gets a thirty block quilt top pieced in a month. All but the most intricate blocks can normally be done in half an hour if the fabric is already cut.

I cut 40 2½” blocks while on the phone for 45 minutes on a customer service issue (me being the customer, who actually had wonderful service from Fidelity Investments-thank you Kate!)

 I hand quilt most of my quilts, so I tend to quilt while “watching” TV with my family. We share the show and I get quilting done.  Remember why I quilt? And the Mystery Quilt is now about 2/3rds quilted, and the Patchwork Pennies flannel quilt  by All Through the Night-Folk Art designs with a bit of Whimsy-Designed by Bonnie Sullivan is about that far in the cutting.

Now, there are times I schedule more than ½ hour a day to quilt. For classes, both those I give and take, and around the holidays. I try to make as many gifts by hand as I can, I want the people I gift to know they are worth my time, not just my money. And there have been times in life, when there was no money, and it has been a wonderful ability to have, to be able to create handmade gifts.

And now it is time to make dinner, followed by family TV time while quilting…

Busy...Busy...Busy...

 3 sets of curtains—the last being the kitchen finally (we moved in the beginning of May).

Back of Mystery Quilt

The mystery quilt is about 1/3 quilted….now that summer is gone the lighting does not come in as well-will have to find a different picture taking solution. But here is a bit of front and back.

The Patchwork Pennies by All Through the Night-Folk Art designs with a bit of Whimsy-Designed by Bonnie Sullivan is about 1/3 the way cut..working on 2 ½ inch squares now.

Have a few wall hangings to do, and some candle mats to do when my 8” & 6” circles for my Accuquilt Go cutter  get here…hopefully this next week.

I am also still working on a prayer shawl. I had intended to go in one direction and about mid-way through prayer directed I needed to change to a different one.

Be sure to do lots of web surfing—lots of free sweepstakes out there right now.  Some really great prizes are being offered.

I’ve never won anything (besides the free quilt patterns) from it, but I love doing the fabshophop, it’s really cool to see all the neat fabrics and tools. Different parts of the country have different stocks of materials. There are lots of neat stories and ideas too. And the recipes…well there is no lack of sharing of deliciousness.

WARNING, fail to head at your own peril: If you do not have very high will power, keep the credit/debit card away from the computer, put a post-it-up to remind yourself not to use PayPal or Google checkout—unless you have set a budget and/or are buying for a specific project…my experience at this, like many sewers/quilters = epicfail! I have found many “favorite” online stores that carry things my local stores (even my favorite Sierra Sewing Center) doesn’t and can’t…so…a girl always “needs” something….

Well—back to cutting for a bit, the fabric is sooo incredibly yummy I can’t wait to get it (Patchwrok Pennies) done