Trying to Get Something Done

I'm almost at the midway point of having three grandkids for two weeks. I knew personal sewing wasn't going to happen, but I do have a pillowcase project planned with the grandkids. I just finished making a pillowcase with the youngest. We used my 1918 Singer 66 handcrank, and Miss A was a champ! 

With the handcrank, you only have one hand available to guide the fabric, so I help the beginners keep it going straight. Having the screw in seam guide on is a good help too. It would be a bit easier for the grandkids if I had a Singer 99 handcrank, so they didn't have to reach so far. If I find one at a good price someday, I may add it to my collection.

Pretty nice pillowcase for a four (almost 5) year old!

All three of these grandkids have chosen their fabrics, the hardest but most fun part! Miss A wanted puppy fabric, and I had several but she opted for the 101 Dalmatian fabric. For the cuff and accent pieces I just had her choose colors out of the main fabric and I showed her a few fabrics that would work. 

I'm not letting any of the kids near a rotary cutter, and I've got the two boys pillowcases cut and pinned ready to sew the first step. I've had a chronic headache for 15 years now, but I'm also coming down off a three day migraine on top of it, so I think one pillowcase per day is all I've got in me. I've never sewn with any of these grandkids, so we are having to start instruction from the beginning. 

Just so that I am getting a bit of my own stuff done, I decided I could get away with sub-cutting strips from my scrap user system. I need 6.5" pieces for the quillow project, but I've decided I am just going to cut all of my 2" strips for several different projects. I know my strip drawers will fill up quickly again, so I don't mind total annihilation right now. I'm cutting by color. I finished the blues before my company arrived. In the last week I cut all the pinks (which I had the least of) and now I'm working on purple. I'm not counting any pieces. I have several ideas of patterns to make with these sizes, and if I need more fabric I have plenty more I can cut into 2" strips then subcut to whatever size I run short of. Most quilts I plan out to exact specs, but sometimes I like to just work with scraps, cut without counting, and see what happens. 

The grandkids are very curious about my rotary cutter, so I've been hiding it in a different spot each time I cut. I'm not worried about them messing with my ruler or fabric pieces, but I don't want them to get hurt. 

I'm going to need a vacation after six weeks of non-stop company! I know the migraine that I'm still battling is likely due to all the commotion and lack of sleep. I may take a week off after everyone leaves. Usually I don't feel old, but this summer has let me know I'm not in my 20's anymore. C'est la vie!