a LOT of sewing and positivity finish

Last week I shared a lot of new fabrics.  Or pulls of fabrics from the stash for new projects at least.

This week I have lots of sewing to share, though the week got off to a bit of a slower start.

On Monday, I got a message from my cat rescue group contact letting me know she had some "scrap muslin" that had been donated and would I like to make more hammocks.  While I cringed a little at the term "scrap muslin," knowing there is a HUGE variety in quality of that material, I decided I would go for it and, worst case, once I saw it, turn it down.

What she actually had was ironing board covers.  Someone had bought a whole pile of them at an auction and it turns out they are Canadian and shaped very differently from American covers.  While I'm not sure if our boards are that different, and wonder if maybe these are just older, they are definitely not shaped like any ironing board I've ever seen.

And the quality?  They are about the weight of lightweight denim, but they washed up beautifully.

This is part of the pile, on the floor in my back room.  It took THREE loads in my large washing machine to get them all through.  But any quilter knows the value of prewashing, so I kept at it.  And laundry is fairly passive anyways.

When it was all done, I had about 50 covers.  (I may or may not have lost count somewhere in the middle.)  And a request for an official tutorial for the group to share.  So I started with one, taking photos as I went, and then wrote a draft.  After a friend proofread for me, I awaited an answer to my most important question - desired sizes - to add to the final draft.  

That meant I could do something different for a bit.  I started cutting (early!) for the Valle Crucis quilt along!

The quilt along actually started Friday, but I was so excited.  A day or two early won't hurt, right?

I decided to make 12 blocks instead of the 9 indicated for this quilt, and make the blocks a bit smaller.  Since the finished product is going to Quilts for Kids, and I vaguely remembered size ranges requested, I checked that out.  I think a smaller block in a 3x4 configuration will work nicely for them.  Not that the larger blocks in a 9x9 setting is bad, just different.  And anyone who has been reading about my quilting adventures for any length of time knows I don't just do patterns as written.  More often than not I'm making it bigger or smaller or making my flying geese or half square triangles differently or something.  Nothing new here!

Since I was still waiting, and I needed 196 half square triangles, might as well start sewing those, right?

I pressed them and called it a night.  Lots of trimming was in my future, but I had decided to lay out block parts in formation and trim as I needed them.  That meant 12 at a time instead of 196.  It was still tedious, but broke it up nicely.

(And my cousin who gave me these googley eyes - best idea ever!)

I kept sewing and sewing and then I had blocks (a few days later)...

I've come this far and the hubby was out seeing a movie with some nieces and nephews, so I'll keep sewing until he comes home and demands (haha!) dinner.  And would you believe that as I was heading out to take this photo, he pulled in the driveway?

There are two different pinks, but one blue, in the quilt.  And I even made the binding (from the blue) before I was done!  Of course now I have to quilt it, but since the quilt along goes for another few weeks (and that only gets us to the top being done), I've got time.  You know I'll use it!

Somewhere along in here I realized it was the first of the month and time to clean my machine.  Being less than a month old, I didn't expect much, but wow!

I pulled out this:

I'm sure there was more that just wafted off into the air, but wow!  (Bobbin is there for size comparison.)  And it had already developed some felt pads, which I don't see too often.  Perhaps, being new, it was a bit oily in there and it caught more than a normal amount of fuzz, but that's okay.  I'd rather get it out than have a mess later.

By this time, my contact had found time (I think she works full time in addition to caring for kitties in need, so I'm cutting her a lot of slack on time she takes for fairly unnecessary things like measuring hammocks) to measure the hammocks and let me know sizes.  I updated my document, emailed a "final" draft to her and proceeded to make hammocks with the remaining about 48 covers.  (Due to size and shape, it takes two covers to make the larger hammocks she prefers.)

I've found it best to lay two together on the floor, right sides together, to prep for cutting.  Gabby obviously needed to inspect.  Or help.  Or complain that I wasn't paying her enough attention.

Freddie, the kitty who put me in contact with the rescue group (he was one of their rescues needing a forever home almost two years ago), decided he needed to help smooth things out.

Finn would like you to know that he also helped, but earlier in the process.  While I was a few feet away unfolding covers and putting them in the washing machine, he climbed up on a shelf and into a box that holds books I've read while they wait to be donated back for the local book sale.

Helped indeed.

I've made three hammocks each of the two days I haven't worked since getting the measurements.  So that brings me to seven.  Many more to go, but my new machine, now that I have a correct needle in it, is chewing through this like nothing.  When going over the loops, I'm sewing through 12 layers of fabric and it isn't blinking an eye.  Hooray!

It may be hard to see here, but since the fabric is B-O-R-I-N-G, I'm using fun colors of thread.  Turquoise, green, purple...  It started out as using up some spools that were nearly gone, but now I'm just having fun.

Once I finish a set of hammocks, I'm allowed to do quilty fun sewing.  (Not that the hammocks aren't fun, but if I do too many, I'll burn myself out and no one wants that!)

Today that fun is cutting a second Valle Crucis quilt.  You saw these fabrics before, and they're a pull from my stash.  I'll mix and match the colors for a scrappier version than the last one, but this is as far as I got today, as I had a few edits (and new photos) for the cat hammock tutorial, and that, since others are waiting for it, is more important.  After blogging, maybe I'll head back up and sew?  (Even if I dread the idea of another 196 half square triangles...)

I also need to mention that I actually finished my Positivity quilt and mailed it out earlier this week.

It probably should get its own post, but for posterity, I'm putting it here, because who knows if I'll actually get that written?

Here you can see the quilting better and the back.  When I saw that back, I was done shopping.  I can't explain why, but it is perfect.

Just a few minutes ago, I realized I should probably pull some sticks for September, even if it is just to ignore them...

The string blocks...I intended that one to decide if I'm going to make more or give them away.  I think I'll give what I have away.  I just need to find a willing participant!  The remainder?  We'll see...

And one last thing to share.  I found a new podcast that, so far, I like.  It came to me in an odd manner - the virology podcast I enjoy had a listener letter mention this - but since this is a literature-based podcast aimed at crafters whose hands are busy, it seems an unlikely match, but there it is.  Craftlit.com is from a gal who knits and loves books.  She does a bit of chatting at the start, about the book, her family, her life, whatever, and then you listen to part of an audiobook.  After, there is a bit more chatting.  I've only listened to one book ("The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde" - I had not read it before), but I enjoyed it.  I wasn't sure if audiobooks would work for me, wondering if my attention would scatter, but it is broken up into shorter stretches, with some historical context and whatnot sprinkled in, so it was actually a good format for me.  I'll be listening to other episodes in the future.  They're nice if you'll be sitting and sewing, say, a whole quilt top in one afternoon...

Can you believe that all happened in a week?  AND I baked goodies for work, worked two shifts, slept, cooked meals, washed dishes, did real laundry (not just fabric for sewing) and slept AND read a real book, too?  The kitties were not neglected either, just in case you were worried.

I guess I'm back to normal!

Happy quilting, 

Katie