Friday, December 21, 2007

Final countdown - friday 3 pm

2 days until we head to Arkansas and then on to Tennessee.
4 portfolios ready to go.
5 table runners completed and ready to go.
5 pillow cases made and hidden away.
1 baby quilt quilted and bound!
1 table runner still waiting to be quilted.
1 baby quilt waiting its turn on the machine. -
1 portfolio in pink needing to be made.
1 table runner in need of binding !
1 last minute special request that is not getting done!(Sorry mom!)

Can I somehow add more hours to my days?

Here's hoping you are getting all your holiday sewing done!
Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Sunday stash report

I never got around to posting last week's progress so I will combine the two.

Last week I made a total of 5 of the small portfolios. And I finally got around to taking pictures!
I still have one more pink one to make for a certain favorite niece.

5 portfolios x 3 fat quarters per portfolio = 15 fat quarters of almost 4 yards of fabric used!

This week - although I got a lot of sewing done (including through my finger - see previous post) - it was all bindings and therefore very little fabric. Maybe 1.5 yards total. I have 5 of the table runners bound and ready to go! I managed to get a small solid inner border put on the baby quilt and will get the final outer border on tomorrow. My MIL's table runner is on the quilting machine and has to be quilted this week too! Better go to sleep so I can get up in the morning and get busy!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

It was bound to happen someday....

Yes, today I sewed through my finger - the tip of my middle finger on my right hand. Still not sure how it happened. Maddie was sewing right beside me on the featherweight and I was using the newer Singer. I had to reach around with my left hand and crank the wheel up so the needle would come out. Then there was the matter of the thread that seemed to have no end - just running through my finger. By this time I am beginning to panic and have to call Maddie back into the room to clip the thread - she had run out when it happened! It only bled for about 1 minute. It still isn't very sore. Nina should be proud that I didn't faint! I remember when she sewed through her finger.

When I called to tell my mom what I had done, she said she hoped that her Christmas gift was already finished! Ah, can't you just feel the love!

Time to go get back on the horse!

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Sunday's stashbusting report

This week I was not inspired to work on the bindings on all of those table runners. So what's a girl to do? Start on a new sewing project - a mini-portfolio I found over at Craft Apple (the orange one in the bottom picture). I bought this pattern several months ago and never sat down to do it. Thursday, because I was avoiding cleaning house, I sat down and made one of these - in about an hour and a half.

Each portfolio uses three fat quarters. You can squeak out various additional pieces with careful cutting. The pattern calls for two pieces of cardboard from a cereal box, glued together, as reinforcement for the notebook side of the cover. Because I wanted a little more stability and wanted to be able to wash the cover, I have replaced the cardboard with a piece of plastic canvas on both the front and back sides of the cover. You can buy a 11x15 piece of plastic canvas at Hobby Lobby for about 29 cents.

I have made three complete covers in the last few days and now both of my kids want one. So now I have pieces for about 6 different covers in various stages of completion. I decided if i am going to make one for Maddie and Ian , I might as well make one for my niece and nephew too!

I would like to make several more for Christmas gifts - but we will have to see what the schedule allows. I will try to post a picture soon.

This week's stash busting: 27 fat quarters.