R & R Stitching Time

A few weeks ago, in an update post about trying to get in some personal sewing time (aka Scraps of Time, Scraps of Fabric), I mentioned I was trying to finish a little Nine Patch quilt as a gift for Christmas.  Happy to report that while I have been doing a lot of sitting, recovering from surgery, it is indeed pieced, quilted and bound!  

My friend Ronda did such a great job quilting this little piece (12 x 15 inches) and I know my step-mom will love it.

I'm two weeks past my second hip replacement surgery and about to go full into PT which is so important and not fun at all!  Oh well....such is life!  

Christmas prep is in full swing and we're checking our cookie baking list twice.  We have less than 2 weeks to go!  AAHHH!!!

Do you remember a post of a few months ago of me saying that there has been a disturbance in the force?

Watch my next post for an explanation!  

Plum Bundles & Scraps Of Time Update

It's been awhile since I posted anything about finding time to sew for myself.  I've been tracing lots of fabrics to prep for hand piecing while I recover from my next surgery (yeah - another one), and I've been waking up a little early now and then to finish making 1.5 inch Nine Patches for a Christmas present. 

This little quilt (12 x 15) will be given to my step-mom with whom I share this love of nineteenth century living.  There is nothing she would want more, which as you know, makes giving a gift like this so worth the effort.  I'm so excited to have it finished and it's off to be quilted.  Cross that off the Christmas To-Do list!!

I've been hand stitching some wool, working on Hexies, and tracing fabrics in the evening while watching TV.  Nothing fun to share in a photo, but progress nonetheless.

This assortment of pretty plums and purples are now available in Fat Quarter and Fat Eighth bundles.  All are prints from a variety of my fabric collections for Marcus Fabrics.

Here's the link to order.

Hope you find some time to stitch to your hearts content this week.  

Scraps of Time ~ Scraps of Fabric Update

It's been awhile since I wrote about making sure to find time to sew everyday...no matter what, and thought I'd check in with you all and see how you're doing with this mission, and share how I've been doing.  

Back in June, I made a pledge that everyday, I would try very hard to make time to sew something, or at least prepare fabrics for sewing.  I called my mission.... Scraps of Time ~ Scraps of Fabric.  (Click here to read my original June blog post.)

Sometimes, we do what seems to be a crazy thing, and just when I was admitting I have very little time to sew, I went a really did something crazy, and signed up for Lisa Bongean's Summer Block of the Week (SBOW) called Clara's Stars.  It was love at first sight.  I tried hard to resist, honest I did, but I just had to make this quilt!!  Yes....lots of blocks to make each week for 12 weeks over the summer.  

Not only are the fabrics coming weekly, but...it's all HAND PIECED....and I've never hand pieced a block together in my life!  Now that's crazy!!  So....sure call me crazy, and I'm so, so happy I did this.  I read about hand piecing and went to You Tube, and took the plunge. Jumped right in and started to sew.  (True confession time: I am not making all the blocks I'm supposed to make each week, and never intended to.  I don't mind that it will take me however long it's going to take.  I'm just enjoying the journey.)

I'm hooked!  I'm smitten!  I can't stop!!!  I cut, trace and sew these blocks, and most everything else I am presently working on in the evening while watching TV.  I prepped loads of blocks, and popped them into zip bags to take with me while I'm away from home.  I pieced a bunch on a trip to Maine, and while I was in Santa Fe, NM over Labor Day weekend.  My stitches are getting better and better with each block.

I delighted to say I'm a hand piecer now, and will likely hand piece until I can't hold a needle anymore.

I'm still working on tiny little Nine Patch blocks and better step it up because I need it completed for a Christmas gift.

Basket quilt is found in the book When The Cold Wind Blows by Blackbird Designs

And, I managed to hand applique another basket block (block 110).  Both the block background fabric and the basket fabric are from my new Old Plum Calicos collection.  Oh, and the black fabric underneath is also new from Conestoga Crossing.  Love, love, love the black fabric!!!  

How about you?  Are you making time to sew something each and every day?  I think I'm doing pretty well considering before pledging to this mission, I wasn't sewing very much at all.  

Hoping we all find some time to sew something everyday.  It's so very good for us in so may ways!  

Found Scraps Of Time

During evening television and over the weekend, I found scraps of time to work on some personal projects and was able to finish a few things!  Yes...I said finish!

Lady Liberty, designed by Lynn Horsford for Need'l Love ~ Liberty Threads book

I have been wanting to make this for soooo long, and now, FINALLY....she's done!  Just in time for the July 4th holiday.  I'm so jazzed....doing the dance of JOY!

I'm not sure why I am so drawn to Lady Liberty designs, but I am.  Maybe it's her strong, defiant stance?  I think she's so cool.  Love the details in this piece.  Her face is so simple, yet really suits her, don't you think?  

I didn't have to look far to find just the right fabric to frame the wool center.  The flash on my camera makes the red border from my new Star Spangled Liberty collection seem a lot brighter red than it really is.  (Don't blame the camera...the problem is with the person pressing the button.)  I substituted stars for wool pennies in the background.  Seemed appropriate, and I'm all for changing things to make them your own.

My goal is to have different wool quilts I can swap out during the year to have something wool wonderful to enjoy while I'm doing the dishes.  Presently, I have this Kim Diehl quilt to enjoy.

 Here she is in her place of honor.  Big honor.....center stage over the kitchen sink!  Teehee.  Well, she really will be enjoyed all day as we all pass through the kitchen, or are in the kitchen.  
How have you been doing with finding time for a little sewing each day?  I'm not doing badly at all.  Finding more time than I thought I would now that I've set my mind to it.  

Oh, and I completely lost my mind and signed up for not one, but TWO new scrappy projects that I just could not resist.  I blame it all on my obsession/addiction, love of fabric, and apparently no will power.  

I'll show you the projects I couldn't resist in my next post.  Try not to judge me too harshly...you might find yourself joining the fun!!

Finding Scraps of Time

Checking in with you....being accountable about finding scraps of time here and there to work on projects that are not work related.  I've done fairly well this week....how about you?  This morning, I prepped the bottom of this little basket block to applique later this evening.

In addition to making a few more Nine Patches, I added lots more hexies to my hexie quilt....a long term work in progress.  

And....I'm almost done with Lady Liberty, a wool project I've been pining over for years.  All I have left to stitch are a couple of stars and the details of her face.  Despite having most of the DMC floss colors, and a mountain of Weeks and Sampler over dyed threads, I don't have just the right color to match her head.  I'm stuck until I can go shopping at my local cross stitch store.  Gggrrrrr....so close!

During work hours, we're finishing the assembly of my next BOM quilt (announcement to come in July), and completion of writing the pattern for Tokens of the Past: Union Forever!  Lots to keep me occupied.  

June, in the midwest where I live (suburban Chicago area) is a wonderful time to be outdoors. Humidity has not yet come to stay, and no mosquitos.  Perfect stitching in the evening with a glass of wine!

Post your stitching to #ScrapsOfTimeScrapsOfFabric on social media so we can all see what you're working on.  If you don't know how this works, you can Google the above hashtag and click on the Images tab at the top of the page.  Or, you can enter the hashtag in the search bar on Facebook and the entries will pop up for you.  

Have a stitch happy week!