Cleaning Up the Hard Way

I'm still working on cleaning up my sewing space. When there are too many projects out, they need to be moved along. Quilt tops hanging in the closet don't stress me out, blocks all over my sewing studio from multiple projects, that can stress me out. 

I finally sewed borders on DD#3's wedding quilt! Now this will be basted next basting spree. 

I also finished this quilt top that was made from leftovers from DD#3's wedding quilt. No hurry on getting this quilted. It's hanging in the closet now like a nice UFO.

I finished another wedding quilt that was two years late. The couple asked for a blue and white quilt, and I gave it to them, as long as you use a loose definition of blue! I'm hoping to get this in the mail on Friday. 

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Tin Lizzie? I don't normally quilt with this much of the quilt under the harp, but I wanted to see if I could do it. That is 108" of quilt under the harp of that machine with room to still maneuver. Yup, love that sit down longarm!!!

I'm quilting yet another past due wedding quilt, this one has a minky backing. I've quilted minky backings before, but never one with this long of pile. It is creating major drag, which is a drag on my arm. I really should try some polish on the bed of my machine and see if it helps. This quilt isn't that large, they just wanted something for the couch, and I should be able to finish it in three more one hour sessions. 

My timed one hour quilting sessions are on the minky backed quilt. My main sewing project is a bargello wedding quilt, and for leaders/enders I can either make more split nine patch blocks that I've been making, or I can switch it to my grandson, Mr. LJ's big boy bed quilt. I just finished cutting that out a couple days ago.

Cutting is a big deal for my arm, and I just ordered two strip dies for my GO! cutter to help me out. I still have lots to cut by hand. My sewing room is cleaned up substantially after assembling all those quilt tops the past couple weeks, but my cutting room has piles everywhere. 

On my cutting to do list
1) wedding quilt for a nephew
2) wedding quilt for another niece
3) quilt for our bed
4) baby quilt for a grandson due in January
5) replacement Army quilt for DS the Younger whose previous Army quilt was lost while deployed. 
6) non quilt baby items for that new grandson on the way.

The strips dies I ordered will only work for two of those quilts, but it will help a ton on those. I can only cut short sessions at a time, and for now, my cutting is reserved for the bargello quilt that is my main sewing project. After I get that top together, then I'll start cutting the rest, a little at a time. 

If life weren't swamped enough, I came down with shingles. I don't feel that bad, but the nerve pain in my leg is...bothersome to say the least. Sleeping is incredibly difficult when the sheets feel like they are burning my leg, but I get cold without any covers. This too shall pass.

DH and I went for a drive to unwind the other day, so I'll leave you with some photos near AZ wine country. (Yes, there are wineries in AZ)