Monday, March 18, 2019

Mid month catch up... chasing one's tail!

March is just one of those hectic months isn't it?  March is crazy month at my work, and although I am in a great place deadline wise at work, I am still finding the overall stress of the month daunting and it has affected my crafting life also.


I have been busily buzzing away at my Meadowland blocks and they are so addictive.  The cutting of one block results in cuting pieces for other blocks.... so it is always pulling you forward (or dragging you into a black hole depending on your perspective).  The QAL instructions require blocks to be completed over 4 weeks, so I was optimistically hoping to complete four each week.  Yeah... nah... not happening.  I have scaled back production estimates back to two blocks per week and this still feels like it is taking up all my time.



I am really enjoying the fabric combinations and simple large piecing though!



So today was a bit of a reminder that there are other things I am supposed to be concentrating on and that I hadn't really achieved much so far, so I removed the miscellaneous piecing from covering up my diary and reassessed the month so far.

Not a lot to report

One of my broken down tasks was to trace the applique design onto my Timeless Treasures half finished corner.  So right, I pulled it out and it took like 3 minutes.  Next goal was to get the small sections of bias stem sewn down this week.  Right... another few minutes and I had these pinned down, and a few more minutes and the first of three was done.  Ok... now we're getting somewhere.

I have set another goal of sewing two lengths of thread on the Sugar Club binding.  Although this is a bit of a slow process... it will eventually get finished.

I attached the flange binding per the Missouri Quilt Companys tutorial... then instead of machine stitching through the flange seam, I decided to use running stitch and 12wt thread to stitch it down.  It is quite subtle, but I do like it, and once I am more comfortable with the technique I would be more likely to use more contrasting thread.  Although this was using stuff I already had.


I am thinking that keeping my goals small and very task specific is the key... so I will see how this variation to the diary planning works out.

5 comments:

Susan said...

Good luck keeping up with your schedule! I found the Meadowland blocks a wizz to sew through. Lots of chain piecing saw me making two scaled down ones in an hour. I like the look of the hand stitched flange. That would be an extra stage I'd skip because by the time I get to binding on, I want to be finished!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Such cute hedgehog fabric! How big are the 'meadowland' blocks? And I'm curious, were the 'meadowland' blocks down on your schedule too? or had you been sidetracked, like I often do!

Leeanne said...

Good going! I like flange bindings too, they add something to a quilt somehow.

dq said...

Hello Suz. I enjoy watching and reading about your goal setting/achieving. I do exactly the same thing and find that it makes all the difference. I never beat myself up if I don't get it all done though. This sewing stuff is a joy in my life; I want to keep it that way.

Your blocks are very pretty and look like fun.

Lynette said...

You have some more pretty blocks, Suz - you have the best fabrics to choose from. :) Flange bindings are great. I like your running stitch on this. And yes! There are definitely times when small, specific goals are a very good thing for building satisfaction in accomplishment and maintaining the MoJo. :)