Monday, August 14, 2006

Finding Time to Quilt

The past week has been a busy one for me. Long hours at the office and then a weekend on Cape Cod with Bruce. I've been trying to keep up with everyone's blogs but I've been so tired by the end of the day I can hardly see straight, let alone type a coherent sentence.

Anyway, I was so impressed by Norma's Nine-Patch quilt that I bought the magazine with the pattern in it. I spent some time trying to make nine-patches using the method Linda Lowers uses; but I just can't seem to make them properly. Oh well, I'll keep trying or make nine patches the old-fashioned way.

This past weekend I went to the Bayberry Quilters Quilt Show on Cape Cod. The theme of the show was celebrating their 25th anniversary. Many of the quilts on exhibit were older quilts made by the members, including one that was started in 1936 and finished in 1986. Many of the quilts were also hand pieced and hand quilted. I loved many of the quilts.

Unlike last weekend when I purchased the oak and glass chest, my purchases were more minimal. There was vendor there from California, Pincushion Boutique. She sells "Sweet Treats" - a package 8 coordinating FQs. The best part about them is that each pack has a name and if you want to purchase additional fabric from the pack you can contact them, tell them what pack you bought and what fabric you want and they will sell it to you. She also carries a line of patterns designed for using a "Sweet Treat." I bought the Stairstepper pattern and 2 "Sweet Treats". The purple one is for my DIL and the other one is for me. At the show I also bought some Thimble-Its for hand quilting and a pattern for a Quilter's Necessary, a wallet for carrying notions and threads. On the way back to the hotel I stopped at quilt shop near our hotel and purchased some polka dot fabric. This store had a coupon in the quilt show book that gave you a choice of free batting, $4 off your purchase or Mundial scissors or thread clips. I chose the thread clips.





The title of this post is Finding Time to Quilt. For quilte some time I've been daydreaming during my morning commute about having hand work with me. It's only a 20 minute ride so I figured a few minutes is better than none. So finally last Friday I packed up my Tumbling Blocks and brought them with me. In 20 minutes on the way to the office I finished one block. That afternoon on our way to Boston I finished two blocks. Yesterday on the way home I did two more blocks and this morning I completed yet another one! That's six blocks I would not have done if I didn't do it in the car! DH is starting call my project the "car quilt".

I haven't started Judy's one hour quilt, but I am still spending 20 minutes more a day quilting than I had been. That's fine with me.

6 comments:

Gail said...

20 minutes is 20 minutes more than before, you're doing great-look at all you have accomplished already! Good going.

Cynthia said...

Well done getting those Tumbling blocks made. Even if you spend 20 minutes at a time you'll be surprised at how many more you'll be able to complete.

Eileen said...

Glad you enjoyed the quilt show. Don't the creative juices start flowing when you see all those quilts lined up?
Nice fabrics-I'm doing the August no fabric challenge, so I'll stroke your fabric vicariously, if it's okay with you. lol
If you do a block in 20 minutes on your commute, you can get a whole quilt's worth done within a month-not bad.

Kim West said...

Glad you are finding time to quilt - 20 minutes is better than nothing!

floribunda said...

Pincushion Boutique is a wonderful place -- I think the very first quilt fabric I bought was one of their Sweet Treats! I have to go past their store every once in a while for a business meeting and I try to stop in...

Julie

sewnut said...

All those spare minutes add up to really make a difference in completing a project.
That was a wonderful plan (preparing the car bag).
You will have to give yourself extra credit in computer time for the quilting you are accomplishing.
Your fabrics look wonderful, thanks for sharing