Sunday, July 7, 2013

I'm Sewing Every Day in July

I have been challenged by Pat Sloan to sew every day in July.  It can be a few stitches to sew  on a binding, cutting out a quilt, sewing for a few minutes, or all day, by hand or machine.     You can read more about Pat's Sew Every Day in July Challenge here.

My first day was spent straightening up my sewing room.  I had fabrics that needed to be folded, and I did some rearranging.





I can't believe I'm showing you this photo.  I have some decluttering to do. It's always a work in progress.  This isn't all of my fabric, by the way.  I keep my seasonal fabrics (Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, Easter, Patriotic, Halloween, and Christmas) in other places because I don't use them all the time.

Back to the Challenge...

While straightening up my sewing room, I started looking through some of my UFO boxes.  I found a Bow Tie quilt that I had started about 7 years ago.  I already had all of the pieces made, and all of them were sewn together except for the final seam that joins the top part of the bowtie to the bottom part. I'm sure you're wondering why I didn't finish.  I am wondering that, as well!

In the meantime, I was reading in Bonnie Hunter's book Leaders and Enders that you can sew two quilts at the same time by using blocks in one project as a leader (instead of a fabric scrap) and as an ender (instead of another fabric scrap).   I thought this would be a great idea for the project I have been working on for Kim's Scrap Basket Sunday.




 I put my half completed bow tie blocks beside my sewing machine and every time I sewed a seam  on my Quick and Easy Pinwheel scrap quilt,  I picked up a bowtie block and completed it.



I am almost finished sewing all 80 of the bowtie blocks, and I have more blocks to sew in the Quick and Easy Pinwheel.  

I really like the idea of sewing two quilts at the same time.  I'm sure I have more unfinished projects that are almost put together like this bow-tie.  There is no telling how many UFO's  I could sew at the same time.  I'm too afraid to look!   Hopefully, with Pat's Sew Every Day in July Challenge will result in several finishes!  After all, a few minutes here, a few minutes there, and voila!  you have a finished quilt top (or two).  

Have a great day!  

Amanda 

10 comments:

  1. The pinwheels are great. I love your color choices.

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  2. Good use of a few minutes. I usually sew from 6-7 pm during the week. Finished projects pile up much faster!!

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    1. It's amazing how much you can get done when you work at least an hour a day. I need to get back in that habit.
      I used to sew 4 hours a day while my youngest daugther took a nap. It's amazing how much I got finished with 3 little kids running around. Now that they are all grown, it seems I don't manage my time as well.
      A few years ago Martha Stewart and Gilmore Girls every afternoon from 4:00-6:00, and during that time I would sew. My machine quilter was shocked at how many projects I was finishing.

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  3. Hi! I came over to your blog from Kim's Scrap Basket Sunday. I love your scrappy pinwheel quilt and was wondering if that is your own pattern and if you could share it, or if it's a purchased pattern would you be willing to tell me the name of it and who designed it so maybe I could find it in my quilt shop. Thanks a bunch! You can let me know at phonygal@msn.com if you would. Ronda

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  4. I like the idea of this challenge! It's a great way to tackle a couple of UFOs.

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    1. I thought so, too! Since it was sort of a last minute idea that Pat had (I didn't see her post about it until the July 2) I knew I had to find something that had already been cut out.

      Thank you for visiting my blog!

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  5. hi amanda,
    i love reading your blog! Do you do any hand piecing and hand quilting? i have been quilting for over 40 years and have learned so much more about quilting than i ever thought possible. i have made over 200 quilts and give them all to charities such as cancer awareness, neonatal unit, church raffles and humane society. my income is less than four hundred dollars monthly for disability so i cant even afford faric from wal mart. have you thought about have a give away with some of your ufos that you dont think you will finish? i know i would be proud to have one and i am sure others would too. keep up the great work. barbara babscorbitt@gmail.com

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    1. I don't do any hand quilting or hand piecing. Everything I do is by machine. Pat Sloan has a post about hand quilting and it looks like it would be a lot more portable than a sewing machine. And the blocks seem to be so precise!

      That's a great idea about a giveaway of a UFO or maybe some fabric scraps. I, too, make quilts for charities and I donate fabric to my quilt guild for the charities that we give to. I do understand about fabric being so expensive, and having a giving heart. It's even expensive, now, at Walmart.

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  6. Beautiful blocks Amanda!
    Love your fabric choices for these too!

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