Wednesday, September 21, 2011

15 Minute Challenge with Kate

If you have read my previous post you'll know I was a lean mean sewing machine for at least three days this past week. OK- maybe not so lean but I think it's safe to say I got my 15 minutes a day in and then some if you average it out over the week.

I'm like that in real life too. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. Whatever I'm focussed on tends to consume me so I'm either crazily sewing enough for three people or I'm  doing nothing. Thank goodness this week was of the crazy sewing variety. I never know how long that feeling will last so I just roll with the punches.

I tend to be a morning person so when I get home from work I often don't feel like dragging my very tired patootie to the sewing room. In the morning I don't think Mr. P would be very happy to be woken at 5 am by the dulcet whirring of a sewing machine. It's a dilemma I haven't managed to solve satisfactorily yet. One solution would be to give up my day job but we tend to like eating and paying bills and not being evicted from our home so me not working isn't a very practical solution. 

I have some goals for this week. One of them is to make this pile of strips disappear into magically sewn sets of threes and 6 more Hourglass blocks. 


I'm going to make some binding for the Flurry quilt. Yes I'm aware I haven't made a back for it yet. That's on the list for this week too...

And lastly on a begging note, I have decided to make a selvage quilt in 2012. This has been a long term dream of mine for a couple of years and I've been saving selvages. I have a large squished down zip lock bag full of them but it's probably not enough for a whole quilt yet.


So if anyone has any they would be willing to gift to me please let me know. I'd really appreciate it and promise to mention you on my quilt label!

For more 15 minute reports from this week pop on over to Kate's blog - Life in Pieces. All the craftiest people hang out there. 




19 comments:

Jennifer said...

You could have my selvedges if I cut them wide enough but I am ikey, so I cut the very bare minimum.

Jackie's Stitches said...

Like you, I struggle with finding the time to do the things I love. I don't have small children though. I need to make an effort to use what time I do have more wisely.

Marg said...

You can have my selvages, you might need to make the backing into one gigantic label, I think you will get quite a few people adding to your pile.
Love those gorgeous bright colours.
Would you believe the word verification is ablebut, he he he.

Pat said...

Wow! You've been a busy girl!

Brenda said...

Dear obsessed quilting friend - I just love you!

Canadian Abroad said...

I'm like Jennifer, I cut the barest minimum from my selvedge, but if you need some I will try to cut them wider just for you. :-))

Three Birds Inspired said...

The benefit of living alone - I can sew any time I feel like it. I usually get up between 4 and 4:30am to sew. I am my very best in the morning. By the time I get home the best I can manage is the occasional bit of hand sewing. I am amazed at how much you get done especially given the time constraints!

Kate said...

Again, WOW! You are absolutely amazing! Love all your projects, old, new and proposed.

Thanks for linking up this week.

Larri said...

All the stitching you complete each week simply astounds me. ☺ I wanna be just like you, Super-star!

You can have my selvages. Yours appear wide. How wide do you want them? Since it's a 2012 quilt dream, do I have until Dec.31st to send them to you? ;)

Happy Wednesday morning! ☺

Kate said...

You got a lot done! I love the colors for the hourglass blocks. And I'm another that cuts selvages to the minimum, but you're welcome to my box.

Mindy said...

I wish they sold a silencer for sewing machines! I could get a lot done while everyone else sleeps!

Sara said...

I didn't know we were allowed to say our one big sesh counted as 7x15 minutes... I never really do 'only a little bit' of sewing because it take so long to get set up and going... the problem with not having a dedicated sewing space I suppose. But I quite happily sew until 3 or 4 in the morning. My house is full of solid sleepers, not that you can really even hear the machine over the snoring.

I have quite a lot of selvedge, and I cut them quite wide too, but they're usually not very long, since I tend toward smaller cuts of fabric. With summer on it's way I'll probably be churning out another heap of stubby holders with them but I'll keep an eye out for any longer bits for you.

Paulette said...

I'd be happy to send you some selvages, but I cut them pretty close. Don't know if that's going to work or if you need them to be at least a certain width.

thea said...

nice week .. I too have some selvages. Don't know if they are long enough or wide enough .. but I'm happy to pass them on.

AnnieO said...

I'm glad that it's a crazy sewing week too for you--what with those inspiring batiks firing you up! It is hard for me to sew at night sometimes too. Maybe you can stuff earplugs in Mr. P's ears when you get up at 5 a.m. so you can sew without disturbing him? Of course, cutting and ironing don't make much noise unless you injure yourself doing them.

seabreezequilts said...

Averaging out is good. You are achieving more than me at the moment.

Vanessa R said...

Wow - I'm impressed! Love all your projects (finished and just started!)Well done.

Michelle said...

Wow, I love the colors in the collection of fabrics you have set aside for the Hourglass blocks.

Once I'm back into quilting ~ as in designing quilts ~ as opposed to just quilting my many unfinished projects, then my selvages are your selvages. :-)

Michelle Ridgway said...

What dimensions do your selvages have to be...I probably have a few you can have too.
Those strips look so pretty lined up there.
Michelle