Planning Week.

This week has not been very productive when it comes to getting projects done. I have 3 quilts in process and all are at a stage where I need to do cutting and/or trimming. The Star Quilt needs the blocks squared up and the sashing cut.  The Christmas Lemonade quilt needs the borders and backing cut. Since I decided to go back and add flying geese to the sides of my Irish chain quilt, I need to cut the fabric for those. 

The whole problem is that my cutting area is my dining room table. I don't have room in the studio to have a cutting table. My dining room is adjacent to my studio which makes it ideal for cutting. the table is "Pub" height so it is easy to cut on for long periods without hurting your back. But it is also a work space for meat processing or canning or anything related to kitchen work because it is also adjacent to the Kitchen. Open concept has it's advantages and disadvantages. 

Currently my daughter Perigrine is finishing up processing our last deer. It is mostly jerky and we have 3 dehydrators taking up the kitchen counters. The wrapping and running of the seal-a-meal is taking place on the dining room table. Plus cooking for the family and folding laundry, well it has pretty much kept my cutting space occupied. 

And if it wasn't daily life, it was Tatianna and her homework.  Tatianna studies at the table. Plus she has to build learning centers for her classes. So she is using her crafting talents to create them on my dining room table.  In other words life has gotten in the way of my quilting. I hate that. 

I told my girls if they didn't get the table cleared off soon I would be forced to start another quilt. It makes them crazy that I have so many UFO's. And don't get them started on the planned projects. There has been some minor improvement in the dining room but that was fleeting as project deadlines approached.

So other than a few quick stitch-up jobs I haven't done any sewing this week.  I did get the paperwork in my studio cleared up an filed away. It's nice to have the piles taken care of. (I should mention that I do all the bills, etc, at my computer station in the corner of my studio.) I got my shelves organized a bit better and I started the taxes which I always dread doing.  It's not like I haven't been productive.

I also went through a few quilt magazines. I am trying to decide which quilt I am going to do next. I am thinking about starting one of the layer cake quilts using a "cake mix". But that requires a cutting area, too.  I could do another baby quilt just using the 5 in charm packs. That requires fixing the design wall.  I guess I am being lazy. Hoping to get to my cutting surface back soon.

I did make some progress on one of my goals this week.  I am helping my friend Liz make a quilt for her daughter. She told me that she had some quilt/sewing stuff that was her grandmother's. Fabric and some blocks. She was hoping we could incorporate her grandmother's blocks into a picture quilt for her daughter. I spent the afternoon with Liz on Friday.  We had a wonderful girls day as she introduced me to her "Nonnie" (Nonnie has been gone for some time but I got to learn about her and who she was)

We opened the bin of stuff that had been in a shed for quite a few years. Liz was fearful that the fabric and blocks would be damaged. Thankfully they were fine. But what I thought would be some scraps and a few blocks (by Liz's description) turned out to be two quilt tops ready for quilting. We just need the backing and the batting. There were also 14 block that are about 18 inches square.

As we looked in to the box I could see the templates she used to cut the pieces. We also found some pillow cases that were cut up and scraps that were too big to throw away. All the sewing was done by hand. The stitches were so even and straight. Plus as we were looking at the quilts and blocks, Liz was remembering dresses and blouses that were made out of the different fabrics she had used.  Nonnie was "old school" using scraps and finding ways to use it up. I know Nonnie came from the era of "use up, wear it out, make it do, or do with out" but it is still amazing to see the work and scrimping done to make these quilts. I wonder how she would feel about the modern way of doing quilts. Would she find it extravagant? Buying fabric just for quilts. Would she see it as a waste? The cutting up yardage into quilt pieces.

I told Liz I would quilt these tops for her. We will do a wall hanging picture quilt for her daughter with pictures of her and her family. But these quilts need to be finished.  I am excited to finish these quilts for Nonnie. I am planning on doing a quilt label with Nonnie's picture on it. I just hope she doesn't feel like I am cheating by machine quilting them.  But I have the machine and it needs to be used and those quilts need to be done. I am sure she would much rather the quilts be on their beds rather than sitting in a bin in the shed.

What a find! It made my whole week! I think Liz is excited about it as well. Which makes it even more fun for me.

What excited you this week?