Motivational Monday - making due

I've been lax in keeping up with posts for the Motivational Monday. But I'm here today to chat about what I've been working on.

And what's with the weather? Yesterday, we're sweltering in the heat, today -you need a sweater. I guess just be prepared for anything and you're good - dress in layers.

No, I did NOT start reading a novel, but now I'm reading two non-fiction books. They are not page turners so it's easy to put them down. I got all ambitious last night to start listening to an audiobook and do some embroidery. I listened to the first chapter of the book, but I think I'll need to start over. I'm not sure how much I caught before I dozed off.

And I've found a home for the Anne Perry books and the big bag of batting. Everything is good!

Yesterday it was back to Monday sewing - my favorite day of the week. I got quite a bit accomplished but I'm going to run into some problems. Let's peek at what I'm working on now.

I started off by working on another series of 6-inch blocks. This time from the book called Farmer's Wife by Laurie Aaron Hird.

There are 111 blocks in the book. My goal is to get 6 blocks sewn a week. So in total that would be 19 weeks. But the good news is that 45 (if my count is correct) are done!!!! That means there are 11 weeks to finish this project and then I can pick another one to work on.

The fabrics are quite different from anything that I've been working on lately, but still very nice. I'm using Kansas Troubles.

Just looked it up - we did this as a class in 2012. Well, no time like the present to get it done. I must say that setting these weekly goals has been a godsend in getting projects like this completed. Don't worry, I won't be running out anytime soon.

Here are the five blocks that I finished yesterday. Gosh, you can barely see the contrast in that bottom right block. Oh well, live and learn.

Five blocks are done!

 The nice thing about this project is that almost all the blocks are cut out and ready to sew. They were cut using templates (Marti Michell) so there's no need to make half square triangles. That's a treat after the 150 Canadian Women project.

However, I do have one wee bit of a problem. I was working one more block and wasn't able to finish because some of the pieces were missing. Obviously, counting is not my strong point - the same thing happened with the 150 Canadian Women project.

Incomplete block due to missing pieces

Hmm - now where would the rest of that fabric be? I've no recollection what kind of a container it went into. And it wasn't on the shelf where these ongoing projects are stored. Well - as many as will fit on the shelf and that's where the bag of blocks was stored.

I had to dig deep into the stash room to find the basket of Kansas Troubles fabrics. Literally, it was on the bottom shelf deep into the corner. No, there are no leftovers from this project. It's all yardage. Drat - now I have to put that basket away and it's going to be a challenge to get back in there. Let's just say that maneuvering around some of these baskets and boxes of fabric - well I had visions of being found under stacks of it last night - unable to get up!!!

Kansas Troubles basket of fabric

 Actually, there's a couple of huge pieces of yardage as well, but those are still in the stash room. I had to lift those pieces out of the basket as I couldn't lift it with them in it. I was going to take a picture because, well - let's just say that this basket is buried DEEP.

When I was looking for the remainder of the fabrics, I came across another project (on that same shelf) also made with Kansas Troubles, but the bits weren't in this basket either.

Another Kansas Troubles project, but NOT the right one

Shoot - I can't remember where those scraps could be. No idea what kind of storage box they were in and no idea even how much was left. Zip, zilch, zero! I remember NOTHING about this project other than the bag of cut blocks.

So I had a little dig through some of the other stuff in that room and in another storage room and I still came up with nothing. I'm going to leave that block for the moment and hope it's the only one that I've got issues with. I'm missing four little squares which would be easy to substitute with some of the other stuff that I found. Just annoying that I can't remember a thing about the leftovers.

I did dig out and put on the work tables, a couple of things that I would like to work on. Now to find the time to do that!!!

I found the pattern for the little wall hangings that my Mom wants me to make. The "treasured" ones that were buried in a box. I'll take a picture of the two wall hangings that I had made as I brought them home with me. I'm going to change the hanger on the back so they'll all be the same and easy to hang on a hook on their door - which I'll do when I'm there later this year.

However, the bad news is that I found the pattern that I've already made. Now I need to find the one that I haven't made. I know it's around as I had seen it not that long ago. I've probably put it out to work on and now where the heck is it???

I need to find the Summer/Fall pattern - DRAT!!!

Amazing how quickly something gets lost and then how I find other things that I didn't even know were lost. Well, if I'm not needing them, I guess they aren't lost????

After my five (and a half) blocks were sewn yesterday, I was back to working on my squirrel project from Sew Fresh Quilting. Had five squirrels to sew and I almost got all the components sewn together. It shouldn't take long to finish that up next week. OK - who am I kidding?  I hope to get the top finished next week. If I don't, I'll be very close. Again, everything is cut for that project and the extra fabric is even in the project bag (just in case).

Squirrel block progress

You'll see it next week.

I was working on my ender and leader project. It's a scrap quilt, except that the little red squares are all the same fabric. I realized yesterday that I was going to run out of red fabric. Shoot!!!! I checked the project box when I got home and there is NO MORE red fabric. So off to dig through the fabric boxes to find a match. I think this will work just fine.

Best match for the red fabric

Can't complain about that match. But seriously???  I had better start doing a better job of keeping fabric set aside or labeled or something. I didn't cut the red fabric but put it in the bag so when I need to cut, it's handy.

Then I decided that I had better get to work and get some of that cutting table tidied up. There are a few of the table runners from the table runner class that needed to be worked on. Time to get those completed. I finished the top for one as well as the binding and the backing. I'm not going to show you until later as I want the group to see it first. It's super cute and I love the fabric choice.

I've been making some of the table runners from a box of batik samples that I had acquired a while back. That means very limited fabric to work with and only pieces that measure about 12" by 18". I had the top finished for one, but nothing for the backing or the binding. I had a quick peek at my stash, but the color is a bit weird. I was going to set it aside and try to find something new on a future shopping trip, but when I was at my sewing machine this morning (near the box of batiks), I saw some pieces in there that would work. So I had to join 7 small strips to make the binding and four pieces to make the backing, but that's done!!!!  Two projects ready to be quilted.

I started to work on the third one. I was missing four squares of white and a border to finish the project. Back to the boxes of fabric this time to find something to go with that. AHA - the squares are cut and ready to be sewn on. I dug out several greens for the border and will find the best one and cut that. I'll share all this with you later this week or early next week. Needless to say, it's time to get this stuff tidied up.

And once these smaller projects are in the "to be quilted" pile, it's time to move onto a couple of big projects that are sitting there waiting to be finished. I have a sit n sew this Sunday and we're a small group. It'll be a perfect time to work on some of these bigger projects as there'll be more room.

Now I do have a couple of urgent projects that need to be worked on so I must get my act together, but we're off on an adventure this morning. But I'll be sewing this afternoon - it just means, no paperwork today. Yeah - OH - I mean that's sad.

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!