Tag Archives: sewing

Baby Changes

Posted on August 4, 2011 | 6 comments

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

Four times a year I spend an entire day with my special WSQ (Washington State Quilters-Spokane Chapter) friends.  We car pool for 2 hours to the big city (Spokane) and spend the day in fellowship, shopping, lunch (sometimes dinner), and a quilt guild meeting.  We catch up on each other’s news and help each other shop.

I’m going to be a grandmother again (number 5), and I need a baby quilt.  The night before my big day out with the girls, I chose a focus fabric from my stash and I found a free baby quilt tutorial online.  Thank you Janet Wickell!   

On my big day out, the girls helped me to choose fabric (can’t be too girlish or too boyish because I don’t know what I’m getting yet).  I also won a door prize at the guild meeting…a package of bamboo batting and a spool of thread!  Lucky me!  I’ve never tried bamboo batting, so I have a feeling that I am in for a treat!

As you can see from the photo, this baby quilt will look quite different from the online pattern.  And…I have another project to add to my WIP List.  

Always be flexible…life does change things up! 

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A Battle Plan for Those Works in Progress

Posted on July 28, 2011 | 4 comments

The first step binds one to the second. – french proverb

In the spirit of goal setting and taking back control from works in progress, I have come across Pat Sloan’s excellent 12 UFO Buster Tips.  I have summarized these tips (and printed them out) and now I am ready to head for the sewing studio and do battle with my WIPs.  If you are losing the war with your own WIPs, then I strongly suggest checking out Pat’s blog (loads of details, tips and photos).  She even has a UFO group over there for extra support!

•Know what I have.  Count my projects in progress.  Group A (Almost Done-Love and Finish).  Group B (Almost Done-Lost Interest-Give Away).  Group C (Partially Done-Love and Finish).  Group D (Partially Done-Give Away or Sort).  Group E (Barely Begun-List).

•Pick 4; one that is fast to finish, one with a deadline, one I love, and one long-term project.

•Mandatory! Daily set a timer and sew. Always have a project out.

•Give myself rewards for finished UFOs.

•Fix 3 lack of organization items that keep me from sewing my UFOs.

•Find a Buddy to account to each other.

•Trade services or UFOs.

•Delegate.

•Disassemble-break up a project that I don’t love.  Use the fabric for something else.

•Quick and easy finish-flannel, quilt top and grid quilting.

•Set orphan blocks in a sampler (hot pad, tote bag, tablerunner, pillow, coaster, etc.)

•Pick 3 projects to finish for myself.  Set a deadline.

There is no reason why Pat’s tips couldn’t be adapted and applied to other works in progress.  Are you a gardener?  Do you have an overgrown monster bush that needs taming?  Would a particular flower do better in a different location?  Make a gardening list.  Are you giving a room a makeover?  Need to get painting done?  Need a storage solution?  Get it on a list and get it done.

Do it!

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Would She Still Love Me?

Posted on July 11, 2011 | 3 comments

So here is the WIP I am working on (I’d love to see what you are working on!).  What possessed me to use these colors together?  My, but this isn’t a very pretty tabletopper!

It started out innocently.  I went to a Washington State Quilters-Spokane Chapter guild meeting several years ago.  (Yes, I still attend meetings regularly…it is an addiction I have no intention of discarding.  This is a UFO after all…they can be any age.)  A pattern for the Spokane block was handed out (I don’t think this is really the name of the block, but I’ve been wrong before.  Perhaps one of you can enlighten me…I’d love that!).  I had to have it…I am a Spokane native.

I wanted to do some stash busting as I recall.  As my friends in-the-know will tell you, I don’t care for pink and blue (although the older I get, the more I recognize their importance).  I decided to use up the pink and blue in my stash.  I guess I thought the other colors would balance it out for me.  Hmmmmm.  In hindsight, I should’ve used pastel pink/blue, white or cream (I’m still growing…and I’ve been quilting for years).

I still need to quilt the borders and add the binding.  But then…I wonder if I can ship it off to my daughter or my daughter-in-law?  Would she still love me?

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