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At Plum Loco Ranch, Door County, WI.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Turning a corner

I found it!  My sewing mojo!

It has been coming and going since my grandma's death.  This week I talked to the building inspector to discuss getting a demolition permit to take down her house.  Things are happening at the farm, too.  Fence rows being cleared and new fences going up.  And I manage it all from hundreds of miles away.

So, there were days when I needed to just "be."  And sitting at the sewing machine didn't fill the void.  Even our retreat didn't really do the trick.  What really did it was this past Sunday.  After sewing all day at Charla's house on Saturday, I wanted to keep going.  Finally, I got an entire afternoon just to sew in my own space and watch some Netflix and listen to Pandora.  I've done time at the machine each day this week, except yesterday which was unusually busy.  I can't tell you the last time that that happened.

The other corner relates to my quilting.  That is something that began at retreat.  I finally picked up an old Marti Michel BOM.

Marti BOM block
It's a UFO because the setting kit includes pieced sashing and cornerstones.  After working on 12.5" blocks that had up to 52 pieces, I was not interested in spending tons of time piecing the setting kit.
Marti BOM sashing pieces
It just seemed like such a daunting task!

I always wondered how quilters could get such large quilts with small pieces together in so little time.  Now I get it - you cut and cut and cut, then you sew and sew and sew, and it all comes together.  It obviously doesn't come together in a day but it doesn't take months and months and months unless you stop working on it.

This week I've been working on another UFO.  I need 35 twelve inch Jacob's Ladder blocks for a quilt that I sketched out on graph paper about 5.5 years ago, while we were finishing our basement.  I made about 10 blocks.  Then the stripes got the better of me and I just put it away, let other projects take priority.  This is what I've been working on all week.

Jacobs Ladder blocks
I cut all the stripe triangles and have been chain sewing like crazy.

See what other have been doing this week - check out the Whoop Whoop's!  Oh - and Sarah has a giveaway for you, too!

7 comments:

  1. I love that color combo in that top block. Do you know the name of that block?

    http://richardquilts.blogspot.com
    http://trackmyshows.com

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  2. Both of those are great UFOs to bring out and finish! I love seeing things like this get back on the table. Your color sense is great.

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  3. I know what you mean about the stripes. I must have look at my flag quilt with stripes 100's of time and still had one lone stripe. The thing is I did not realize it until it was all pieced and quilted. Luck would have it that the lone stripe was on the very end so it was easy to pull out and redo. Wow is me. Happy Holidays to you and family.

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  4. Hi there! *Love* the Marti Mitchell project! Funny thing is, I just finished one BOM to full flimsy state and the box I pulled out of the closet to focus on next is my own old Marti Mitchell BOM. lol A different season, though, than yours, so totally different fabrics. I'm at the same point as you, sounds like - have the 12 blocks finished and need to work up the setting kit. If you feel like sharing your progress periodically at the BOMs Away linky I do for every Monday, that'd be fun. :D http://whatahootquilts.blogspot.com/search/label/BOMs%20Away

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  5. and P.S. I'm sorry about losing your Grandmother. Glad you're able to sew again. I lost my mojo for a good 4 years when my mother died. Scott was a very happy man when I was able to break into sewing again.

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  6. Glad to hear some corners are turning for you. You blocks look great. I'm very sorry you lost your Grandma. I'll keep you in my prayers.

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  7. Sorry to hear about losing your grandma. On the other hand well done for managing the farm hundreds of miles away.
    I am a couple of thousand miles away and just feel the crumbs falling...
    I like your 'attitude'.
    I am inspired.
    I need to get into this 'cut, cut and cut and sew, sew and sew' like mad too.

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