What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

As of this morning, at 6 AM, I have not touched ONE project I brought with me. WOW—can you believe how well I packed? It was another very successful day, and I'm excited. However, I'm also learning (well, I know this) that having a plan is vital! 

In the past - long, long ago - I would flit from project to project. In my "new" life, I'm pretty good at sticking to one thing. I don't get distracted by what others are doing. I'm focused. There has to be a plan, or I will never get ...

 Oh gosh—I just realized I'm eating my breakfast in front of my new laptop. That means there's going to be a mess of splashed milk! So I must be cautious!!! The bowl is moved off to the side! 

This is the most productive (knock on wood) retreat I've been to in a long, long time. I dug into the second bag of projects as I had finished everything in the first one, and I'll be taking that to the car later today. There is no sense in keeping all this crap in the house, and ...

My OMG for the month was finishing Remember Me, a quilt started while I was in the Scraps to Squares quilt group back in 2006. Members made me blocks out of 1930s reproduction fabrics, block design of their choice.

I ended up with an odd number of blocks, which I sewed into rows sometime after that. I don’t remember what year.

Then it aged for quite a while. I sewed the rows together and added the borders a couple years ago. I’ve quilted on it off and on ever since.

I’m very happy to have it finished ...

No fabric in this week. There were opportunities but no interest.

The binding is sewn to Remember Me, but I need to stitch it down. The label is in process. I’m counting the fabric for this project out. I didn’t make most of the blocks and never counted them as fabric in, making the usage lower.

The socks are also very close to finished, with just the heel and the top edge left.

I expect to wrap up both projects this week. I can’t wait to have something different to talk about, like this project.

I may ...

Did you get a chance to watch that video on one woman's journey with her Mom and Swedish Death Cleaning? If you have been following my blog and you are NOT convinced that you need to be cleaning up your crap, then you need to watch this video. It's 22 minutes long and well worth watching. 

I cried at the end, not just because of what she said about the time wasted with her Mom but because it made me think of my situation. I would have loved conversing with my Mom about her stuff—where it came ...

No change in the numbers.

I finished quilting and trimming Remember Me.

Next week I’ll count the fabric out. I may not have all the binding stitched down, but it should be attached.

I made a lot of progress on the second sock this week too. Looks like I’ll finish multiple projects at once. How does that happen all the time?

Fabric In: 16.5 yards

Fabric out: 22.125 yards

Net Fabric Used: 5.625 yards

How did you do this week?

October was another challenging month, with work the guilty party. Not much you can do about it when it involves other people.

I framed Peace on Earth last month and started nothing. It wasn’t on the October list, but I’m good with that. November will result in finishes, which means different projects on the Short List.

I began the Short List many years ago to create short-term goals and a way to focus. I change things up as my interests change.

Project 1 (Crochet): I finished the first sock and started the second. This project will likely finish ...

I’m always surprised when the end of another month rolls around. They come up so fast!

My OMG for October was to finish quilting the center of Remember Me, everything except the borders.

Not only did I do that, but I also quilted the top and bottom borders and started on the side border.

I’m so ready to finish this quilt and move on to a different project.

For all the other OMG finishes, visit Stories From the Sewing Room.

 While I like the "UFO" acronym...cute...I think of these as Unfinished Projects since mine are usually full size quilts. Ha!

September was quite the month. A lot of life happened, which never equates to a lot of creative time. We do what we can with what we have.

I finished stitching Peace on Earth last month and started crocheting a pair of socks. I have a lot of projects going, more than suits me. This month, the Short List is everything in active rotation.

I began the Short List many years ago to create short-term goals and a way to focus. I change things up as my interests change.

Project 1 (Crochet): I started a pair of socks as a ...

No change in the numbers.

It goes without saying that I’m still quilting Remember Me, although I finished the feather.

On a happy note, I finished stitching Peace on Earth.

I’d like to frame it if I can find the right size frame. It’s a bit of an odd sized square.

Fabric In: 16.5 yards

Fabric out: 22.125 yards

Net Fabric Used: 5.625 yards

How did you do this week?

No change in the numbers.

It’s been a week. Work got busy, not in a good way. I received some unpleasant news, and because those things come in 3s, it happened twice more. All were unrelated.

I know I worked on my projects, but it’s a blur. I made progress on quilting Remember Me. Peace on Earth is close enough to a finish that it’s hard to put down. I’ve enjoyed working on it, but I’m eager to stitch some other projects too.

Here’s the basket with all my quilt kits (3), stitch projects ...

No change in the numbers.

I’m quilting the feather design I drafted last week. So far, so good.

I’m starting to think about what I want to focus on in 2025 beyond the basic goal of “finish things”. Remember Me has turned into a long term project. I have other, even larger, UFOs that I want to finish. Like this one.

I don’t know that I have another large project in me for next year. This decision will drive the rest of what I do next year. After it rolls around my head for a couple months ...

It’s almost Fall. I love everything about this time of year – cooler weather, the red, orange, gold and brown leaves against a crisp blue sky, the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, pumpkin everything, fresh apples. The days are getting shorter, with less time outside. The sewing room calls my name.

I didn’t finish anything last month, nor did I start anything new. I wanted to but already had a lot going.

I began The Short List many years ago to create short-term goals and a way to focus. I change things up as my interests change.

Project 1 ...

I had to stop a minute before I typed September in the title. How did that happen? We’ve had a major heat wave this week, and it feels more like July. We’re ready for some fall weather.

No fabric in or out this week. I took the rest of the fabric I bought at my Guild’s fabric sale and threw it in the charity box. I bought so much the other day I figured I’d never get to that runner. I’ll use some of it in Traffic Jam.

I’ve been working on the quilting ...

After a busy month of going places, I’m finally getting back in the sewing room.

My goal is to finish Remember Me and work on the Traffic Jam top. I’d like to finish both of them this year and start 2025 with a clean(er) slate.

I finished quilting all the blocks in the first three rows of Remember Me.

I also basted the bottom two rows and started quilting those blocks.

I have an idea for quilting the borders. We’ll see if that plan works with the top once it’s quilted.

The rest of the ...

August always feels like the end of summer, even though it’s still hot in September. Once school starts, the focus turns to fall activities and the upcoming holidays.

I have a lot going on this month and won’t have many weekends at home. I expect that will cut down my creative time.

I finished a shirt in July and didn’t start anything new.

I began The Short List many years ago to create short-term goals and a way to focus. I change things up as my priorities and interests change.

Project 1 (Stitching): Peace on Earth by ...

It’s now the second half of the year. I’m happy with what I’ve completed so far, yet it feels a bit unbalanced. The rest of the year could use a wider variety of projects.

I finished stitching and framed Summer Flowers in June, then started a new stitch project.

I began The Short List many years ago to create short-term goals and a way to focus. I change things up as my priorities and interests change.

Project 1 (Stitching): Peace on Earth by Cottage Garden Samplings. This is the first I’ve stitched one of their patterns ...

No change in the numbers.

There’s been a lot of thinking about new projects here. I pulled a couple cuts of clothing fabric out of stash for a second project to alternate with quilting Remember Me.

The red fabric is a woven from Fabric Mart. The blue fabric is a knit from Field’s Fabric. I have enough of both the make a shirt, but haven’t matched the fabrics to patterns yet.

I’m hoping a second project will motivate me to sew more.

Fabric In: 11 yards

Fabric out: 16.375 yards

Net Fabric Used: 5.375 ...

Summer is here. Increased time outside keeps me out of the sewing room. Summers are short in the Midwest, and you have to enjoy them while you can.

I framed two stitch projects in May and did not start anything new.

I began The Short List many years ago to create short-term goals and a way to focus. I change things up as my priorities and interests change.

Project 1 (Stitching): Summer Flowers, a kit I bought at the thrift in March. I expect to finish the stitching and frame it this month.

Project 2 (UFO): Remember Me, a member ...