Week 47 Already!

15 Minutes to Stitch: Week 47

This week,  I added more rounds of more Courthouse Steps and seeing the stack of finished blocks grow is satisfying to see.

I also completely emptied out the closet in the studio to feel the sparks of joy.  Since it was empty, I also painted it.

I am now thinking about where I want to keep the board games that I want to keep, but for now I am keeping my focus on the studio.  Once I go through the other bedrooms, I am sure I will find a good place in the other bedrooms.

It took me a year to go through the first floor, and I am giving myself plenty of time to go through the upstairs a few minutes, a few decisions at a time. It's easier for me to do it this way so that I can do it right the first time, instead of regretting things later.

• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this week: 7 out of 7
• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this year: 289 out of 328 days
• Success Rate: 88%

Linked with:
Kate's Life in Pieces 15 Minutes to Stitch 

Another Week, Another Weekly Post

Time to check in for my weekly recap of stitching for 15 minutes a day.  I did well this week, actually stitching every day, sometimes for more than 15 minutes. I stitched more rounds to the courthouse square blocks, aiming for the 8" size.

After watching the impeachment hearings, I am thinking about changing the name of the quilt to "Not as Outlandish as It Could Be."    Some of my centers start out as triangles instead of squares or rectangles, so they are even more wonky than the crooked blocks shown here.  If I am up to it, I might add some wonky lettering to this.

15 Minutes to Stitch: Week 46

This week,  I added more rounds of more Courthouse Steps. I had to steal some fabric from another container of scraps, mostly because I thought I was using the same scraps too many times. It's like clothes. When I was working on the lights, I thought I had plenty of scraps but didn't have enough lights, yet when I was working on the darks, I thought I had plenty of scraps but didn't have enough darks. I think I should organize the scraps again like I did last week. That worked out better.

• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this week: 7 out of 7
• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this year: 282 out of 321sessions
• Success Rate: 88%

Linked with:
Kate's Life in Pieces 15 Minutes to Stitch 
Oh Scrap!

Courthouse Steps

The courthouses are being built one step at a time. Bonnie had recommended making a few blocks at a time, but it is easier for me to make them in an assembly line process. 

I sorted my scraps by size - first round is about 2 inches and less than 4 inches in length, second round is between 4 and 6 inches, third round is between 6 and 8 inches and the final round is longer than 8 inches. This kept me from using up the longer lengths when smaller ones were available. It also made it convenient to find the right size scraps.

When I am done with that round of the blocks, all the trimmings and any leftover scraps are thrown away. Remember when I was personifying my quilts by making generations quilts? I am thinking of these blocks as Day of the Dead quilt. These fabrics won't be able to make any more children since the leftovers are being thrown away. They are the last of the line. Yet they are a joyful bunch and showcase a great history of other quilts that have been made with these fabrics.

Then I realized that I had more scraps in the shoe box. Apparently I hadn't sorted all my scraps by sizes so maybe there will be another generation quilt after all, if I have too many blocks to fit into one quilt!

15 Minutes to Stitch: Week 44

This week, I finished binding the Drunkard's Garden. If you haven't seen it yet, please do!

 I also started the first couple of rounds of more Courthouse Steps.

• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this week: 7 out of 7
• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this year: 275 out of 314 sessions
• Success Rate: 88%

Linked with:
Kate's Life in Pieces 15 Minutes to Stitch

Daily Index Cards

I just wanted to let you know that I am still doing the "daily" index cards. Just don't look up the definition of "daily" in the dictionary if you still want to be my friend.

Yes, I do realize that the index card in the photo above is made with markers and not the watercolor paints or the marker shown in the picture. I'd show you my artistic license if I had one.

I bought some colored index cards at the back to school sale. The blank ones are in the front and the daily cards are in the back of the box. I've added more tabs because I like the way they look in the box.

I've kept collaging [apparently this word is not in the dictionary either] more things to the outside of the box. These colorful flowers cut out of a magazine make me happy.

15 Minutes to Stitch: Week 43

This week, I spent my time turning my living room / dining room back to a sewing room. I also cut down some more scraps for the courthouse steps.  It doesn't seem very productive overall but it will help in the future.  I realized that these supplies that are being moved back downstairs need a more permanent space in the Cave of Wonders upstairs. More like a vacation home and less begging for a space on the floor. I've done a lot of work in the upstairs bedrooms this summer, but that process will continue for the rest of the year.

• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this week: 14 out of 14 
• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this year: 261 out of 300 sessions
• Success Rate: 87%

Linked to:
15 Minutes to Stitch

Courthouse Steps

I am cleaning up for a family gathering and still cleaning my sewing room as a part of 15 minutes to stitch.

This means that the room where I sew has to be returned to living room / dining room status. The dining table had some fabric strings on it, and instead of finding an appropriate box and an appropriate place to put the box, I thought it might be better to just turn them into blocks.    Bonnie Hunter's  crooked courthouse steps quilt tutorial came at exactly the right time. Cleaning by sewing. That's my story and I am sticking to it!

15 Minutes to Stitch: Week 41

This week, I cut and prepared the binding for the drunkard's path quilt. I cleaned the dining table as well as sewed seven string blocks. These are the same blocks shown different ways. The seventh one is under the needle.


15 Minute sessions of stitching this week: 7 out of 7
15 Minute sessions of stitching this year: 247 out of 286 sessions
Success Rate: 86%

Linked with:
15 Minutes to Stitch 
Finished or Not Friday