Hello again!
I’m back after a few very busy weeks!
First, we were busy with my sister, Deirdre’s wedding…
MY TWIN–A WEDDING SHOWER
Second, I’ve been planning my twin sister, Olivia’s bridal shower. She’s getting married in October!
Any suggestions for party favors??
WORK/QUILT BALANCE
And finally, I’ve been busy on a couple of presentations at work–(I work at Target’s HQ in Minneapolis.)
Have any of you ever had to speak in front of a large group??
If you’re like me, the effort of preparing for a presentation and then actually doing it takes up a lot of space in your brain! – eek!
But now I have less things on my plate–and I’m eager to get back to it…
Back to my quilting project!!!
A SHOPPING ESCAPE
Just before the wedding, my mom, Nora and I escaped the chaos…we snuck away to our local quilt shop.
I half expected to walk into the quilt shop and feel overwhelmed and not know where to start.
Well, honey, that’s not what happened!
FABRIC LOVE!!!
The colors! The patterns! The collections! – I couldn’t get enough!!
Every time I took a lap, I’d add two more bolts to my stack! Soon my fabric was stacked so high I couldn’t see over it!
That’s when my mom had to step in a provide a reality (budget) check!!!
Now I understand why some of you recommended to go in with cash only – I think I’m going to have to adopt that MO next time!
A New Project–Drawstring Bags
New fabric in hand, I’m excited to get to work using them!
When I first started this sewing/quilting adventure, I thought I wanted to jump right in with my indigos but – and after finding other fun fabrics at the store-I changed my mind. I want to get more comfortable with cutting and sewing before I commit to anything with my very special fabric.
After all, life’s too short to stick to one plan!
Instead, I am going to try my hand at making simple drawstring bags to keep my stuff organized when I travel.
I’ve seen several tutorials on Pinterest like this one from Very Berry Handmade and this one from The Stitching Scientist.
And I really love these Drawstring Bunny Bags from We All Sew–but I’ll save those for later!
Setting Up–Cutting tools
In that spirit, I went shopping again…
This time in my mom’s sewing room–don’t tell! (thanks, Lor!).
I picked up a cutting board, a ruler, and a .45M rotary cutter–her aqua OLFA Splash.
Are there any other basic tools you think I need in order to get rolling??
Some of you recommended The Klutz (cut resistant) glove from Fons and Porter. I plan to pick one up for myself and for Nora–thank YOU for the suggestion!
Setting Up a Sewing Center–Apartment Style
I’ve also figured out where I’ll be working on my project. Unfortunately for me, apartment living doesn’t allow for a huge sewing room–like my Mom’s.
My only potential working spaces are my desk and my coffee table.
PROGRESS, SLOW AND STEADY
Like Nora, I still have some work to do, but I’m proud to say I’ve completed the following:
- Bought fabric (and didn’t totally break the bank – ha!)
- Designated a work space at home – the desk will do for now!
- Found a pattern for a project that seems manageable and is a cute product!
Coming up…
Join me next week for my first adventure in cutting and following a simple pattern!
In the meantime, I’m going to be watching a few YouTube and Craftsy videos and reading Pat Sloan’s, Teach Me to Make my First Quilt so I can dazzle you with my progress!
PLEASE SHARE!
Do YOU ever notice how stress (even good stress) reduces creativity?
Do YOU ever go to YOUR quilt shop just to get away?
Do YOU ever pile YOUR bolts so high you can’t see?
Do YOU have any suggestions for quilting in a small space?
Thanks for YOUR help and suggestions!
Until next week,
Faye
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
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