Busy otherwise, not busy quilting

I have been really busy lately, but not with quilting as much as I would like to be. We have decided to move, and we’ll be selling our house and many belongings at an auction scheduled for March. This means I am very busy with packing boxes, moving items to a sale staging area, and getting the house ready for an open house.

The good news is, in the course of cleaning and organizing the sewing room, I put all my unfinished projects in one box. Now that most of the intense work is done, I can spare some time for sewing and quilting. I don’t really want to start a new project, and seeing my old unfinished ones gave me a little incentive to clear out the box soon. It’ll be easy to pull out a project, work a bit, and it can go right back in the box if I don’t have time to work on it.

I pulled out two Christmas table runners last weekend, and finished them. One is for my niece and one for myself. I rarely make two items the same but I loved this design. I saw a project, but I never purchase kits so I made one that was similar. I had most of the squares together, the large white blocks cut out, and was stuck with deciding what to fill that large white space with. I noticed I had two different holly patterned fabrics so I appliqued holly leaves and berries. I’m very happy with the result, and in two days was able to complete these two table runners.

This weekend I noticed a tutorial by Noodlehead, which came at exactly the right time. I have three co-workers having babies, and I needed a fast project I could finish within a week, when the shower is scheduled. I made some diaper pouches using scraps from my closet. The color portions are flannel, leftover from previously made baby quilts.

What makes me happy? Two great weekends of sewing!

Bits and pieces

Oh boy, do I have some catching up to do.

Here is a picture of the Christmas table runner I started a couple of weeks ago.

I have not worked on it any more than I did that day. The next step is a 10″ square with an appliqued poinsettia in it, one for each end. Here’s a close up of the fabrics I chose.

I got distracted a bit. I made the book purse for my niece for a graduation gift, and haven’t got it sent out yet. I also still have the baby quilt on my couch, waiting for a box and a trip to the post office.

I’ve decided to make more of the book purses and list them in an Etsy store. I’m still setting up the store, but I noticed I’d be able to have a link from my blog directly to my store. Each item I finish making will be posted on the blog and then in the store, in case my readers should decide they can’t live without my purses!

Of course, that means I really must go to the thrift store tomorrow for their great weekly clearance sale. I’ll need belts, ribbons, purses (for their hardware), scarves and sewing notion grab-bags, plus anything else that catches my eye.

Starting Christmas

Today is the day I started Christmas quilting. My first holiday project is a table runner.

This will be a gift for my niece. I want one also, for myself, so as I cut the strips and blocks for my niece’s table runner, I cut an equal number for my own.

Have I said how much I love chain piecing? It gives me plenty of time to think, plan things out ahead, or just let my mind wander. Before I know it, that huge pile of cut fabric pieces has become something recognizable as part of a project.

Here is a look at the fabrics I chose for this project. Now that I have the strips complete, I would like a do-over. Have you ever done that? In fact, now that I think of it, I’ve often changed how I created a second project based on what I didn’t like or thought I could improve as I finished a first one.

I don’t have a photo of the project half-complete, but I think I’ve got time to be working on it again tomorrow. I’ll see what I can do.