Cleaning up the sewing room ... again!

I have the never ending love/hate relationship with my sewing room.  Once it is cleaned up, I love my space -- and I really do know how fortunate I am to actually have an entire room devoted to my sewing!! -- but then I spend a day or two ... or an hour or two ... in there and it invariably begins to look like a tornado has blown through there.

We're getting ready to go on vacation, and one of the things I love love love is to come home to a neat, clean and orderly house.  The only way that can happen is if I leave it that way to begin with!! And after two weeks of playing in the sewing room with Jenny and Sophie, it really really needs some TLC!!

I had a playdate with my friend Bonnie today and we were laughing that I had sent Jenny home with a whole suitcase full of fabric and my sewing room doesn't look a bit different!! And I still couldn't find that piece of light pink that I wanted to use today!!  So my project tomorrow is to arm myself with a box of jumbo zipper bags to organize the pattern/fabric piles that are everywhere and maybe I'll end up with some if not all of the surfaces in my sewing room visible,

And I will rest assured that it will stay that way until I get home with a head full of NEW projects!

Summer Vacation Project

Is this the cutest wallhanging??!!  I've been saving up this block of the month from Angie's Bits and Pieces since the first of the year and when my darling niece, Jenny, saw them she flipped!

We went to work right away choosing the background fabrics that we wanted -- that took two days lol!!  Then we put our trees together, which was another three days because this is big!!

Finally we were able to start on our owls, but what decisions we had to make!  Each one of these little guys had our full attention as we put together, heads and bellies and feet and wings.  And as each one developed we found that we had to give them names!  We're only halfway done with the year, but for now say hello to Stu and Bert and Bonnie and Tweet lol!!!

SITP - Notes from Steve

Going through some files I found some notes from Steve Bennett of Judy Martin Books.  Steve has been a huge help and supporter on the Shakespeare in the Park project.  Here's some tips from him!

1. Make a sample of each type of block. Far better to work out any misconceptions or errors before everything is cut!

2.  When making the Snail Trail block, the center 4-patch should measure 3.5" before the next round.  After the second round, the block should measure 4.75" NOT 5".

3.  The listed sizes for the blocks in the quilt (12 inches and 6 inches) are finished sizes, so sitting on your design wall the two blocks should measure 6-1/2" and 12-1/2 inches.

4.  All of the patch dimensions in the book are correct. The C triangle is cut from a 3-7/8 inch square. The F triangle is cut from a 2-3/8 inch square. The geometry and the math for these patches are correct.

5. The G patch is a quarter-square triangle. Four G triangles are cut from a square that is cut 4-1/4 inches. You cut along both diagonals of the square before separating any of the patches.
 
6.   The I patch is correct, but most people are unfamiliar with whatJudy was doing. She presents such patches differently now. Judy still cuts things like the I patch just as she presents in the book.  It enables her to cut the long side of each triangle on the lengthwise grain.

For simplicity's sake, however, she would today tell you to cut quarter-square triangles from squares that measure 7.25 inches. You'll end up with 4 triangles that measure 7.25" on the long side and 5.125" on both short sides. When finished in the quilt, they'll measure 6" on the long side and 4.25" on the short sides.That might change the yardage a little, but it shouldn't make a difference in the listed yardage requirements. 

7.   The large flying geese units will be 6-1/2 x 3-1/2 with their seam allowances and 6 x 3 without. The small flying geese units will be 3-1/2 x 2 with their seam allowances and 3 x 1-1/2 without.

Let's Do IT ... SITP updated

Today I learned that the yahoo group list for SITP has been dissolved,  Quite a few folks have written me asking for the files, and I'm sorry to say that the list was not mine and therefore I do not have the posted files :(  But what I do have is a strong desire to help my quilty friends with this awesome project that I started back in August 2009.  Wow! does that make me cringe at yet another UFO sitting there for a year.

So, here's the deal ... some introductory posts are on the blog already and also the first three or four weeks of assignments.  I will work for the next two months to get all the way through the project for those who would like to continue or to start this remarkable quilt designed by Judy Martin.

Go check the archives here and let's get started!  Pass the word that Shakespeare is on the move!! hehehe ... email me with questions (mtviewquilts@cox.net) or post comments here.

Here's the link to get you started!! http://livinginstitches.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

Clean Sewing Room!

Woooohooooo!!!  I worked all afternoon on my sewing room!  Put project parts all together, found good stuff, emptied tote bags that were storing "stuff" and cleaned off the cutting table and the sewing table!!!  Now I'm ready to work!  Got everything in nice little sections on my sewing table and tomorrow will be a sewing day!  One of my group lists is having an online retreat for the weekend and I do believe I have enough things ready to sew and sew!!

My plan for tomorrow is to fix the backing for a (very very old!) UFO and get it loaded on the machine (pictures to follow when I actually get it on there!!), and put the borders on a strip quilt.  then I have bits and pieces waiting to be worked on to complete a few other projects ... AND I am going to get the cutting done for two upcoming mystery projects!

I'm loving the good weather and my increasing energy level!!

Awareness

A couple of weeks ago I was searching for some project parts and ended up having to remove two shelves of fabric from my closet, only to find that the project was neatly stored in its little container where it should have been.  Sheeeesh ... how did it get there??!!  While removing the fabric and replacing it I realized that this was a huge burden -- I couldn't find some small pieces that I needed because there were so many yards and yards of fabric sitting in the way!

Before I go further, I need to point out that the shelves in this double closet hold fabrics that I don't have room for in either the 10 cabinets or second closet!  This is HOARDING!!  I spent a week really fretting over all this fabric, asking myself what on earth I was doing!  Why was I holding on to all of this??!!!  Finally, after a few sleepless nights and days of anxiety and distress I realized what a ninny I am!! (I know, to some of you this is not a revelation!! hehehe)

I have been holding on to some of this stuff for years just waiting for the "right" project or the "perfect" special occasion .... HELLO!!  It occurred to me (again, not news to most of you!) that I can use up a lot of this fabric for many things -- quilts for friends, quilts for charities, fabric for donations ... and the list goes on.  I would so much rather give a quilt to a friend "just because" than to leave this world with piles of fabric sitting here!

So I came up with a plan!  I made a monthly list of people I want to make quilts for.  I've been asking folks for their favorite colors and adding to the list.  And if I give them a quilt this year, I may even give them a quilt next year!  Or they may get two quilts in one year!  I don't have to wait for weddings and Christmas.  I can give quilts JUST BECAUSE I can!  After coming up with my plan I told my husband who was happy to hear that I'm ready to use up fabric.

And at the sewathon this past weekend, I only came home with 10 more yards!!

I'm striving for progress ... not perfection!!

Retreating is so fun!!

Went off to a quilt retreat at my favorite local quilt store this weekend ... What's Your Stitch 'n Stuff in Virginia Beach ... and had so much fun!  They hold the retreat quarterly, starts on Friday evening, resumes Saturday morning and runs until midnight, then all day Sunday until about 6 p.m.  Lots of the meals are provided, and groups go out for others or take-out orders come in.  And it's hours of sewing and companionship and tons of laughing!  I was totally exhausted when I came home last night, but had a blast! 

I worked on several projects while there, but the most fun was a baby quilt made out if strips of mostly 1930s reproduction fabrics.  Then I put in a few rows of chenille -- my first time using chenille by the inch! -- and some words for babies (eat, sleep, play, repeat) and it's just the cutest darn thing!  When I finish the top this week I'll post some pictures for you.

At the "closing ceremonies" I was totally blown away to receive an MVP award from my teammates!!  Actually brought me to tears!  I'm sure that the chocolate dessert I brought contributed to their good feelings towards me, but no matter -- I was touched :)

Great weekend ... now back to sewing!