Working on UFOs..First two done!!!

I decided to grab a random project box and work on whatever I found.  

The first project box I picked had two projects in it.  Fortunately both were quick easy projects. 

The first one was a Christmas apron made from a panel.  All I had to do was hem all the edges and make the ties.  It was such a quick sew,  I’m not sure why I didn’t finish it years ago.  I honestly don’t remember even getting it!   I’m kind of sad I have to put it away until next Christmas.

The second project in the box was a table runner.  I completed the top over a year ago. It just needed quilted and bound.  I decided I didn’t want to bind it so I sewed it right sides together, turned it and then quilted it. 

The clover was my first time trying paper piecing. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, but I can’t say I enjoyed it. But then a couple weekends ago I went and purchased a paper piecing book. So who knows, maybe I have more paper piecing in my future.

I’m happy with the way it turned out.   This was made with scraps I had in my stash.

Two UFOs  done!!!  I still haven’t  counted the number I need to complete.  Every time I look in a box or drawer, I find more. It may take years to finish everything! 

Have you worked on any UFOs this week?

Happy Sewing!

Lori

Sewing Weekend!

 This blog is right at a year old.  I had written it out and never posted it.  I decided to go ahead and post it so you can see what we were working on a year ago.  Haley has completed her strawberry quilt and gifted to her newborn daughter!  

I use the Adventure Sling everyday, it's my go-to bag.  The water bottle holder, not so much.  I'm really surprised I don't use it nearly as much as I expected.  I guess it's just heavy when I have a full bottle of water and it makes my shoulder hurt after a while.

Here is the original blog from May 7, 2023:

After a long hiatus I'm trying my hand at blogging again.  I've been retired for about a year now and finally feel like I have the time and energy to make time for me to sew again.  

The name Sew Time for Me originally came about when my kids all grew up and left the nest.  I honestly felt at that time I was going to have time for me.  Well, that didn't work out so well.  Work, family obligations and my own head got in the way.

For the last several months I've finally been sewing on a regular basis.  I still don't get to sew every day or even every week, but it's definitely more often than I used to sew.  My sister, Kim, one of my daughters, Haley, and one of her friends, Sam, get together once every month or two for a sewing weekend.  

Every weekend that we get together, we all plan our projects out ahead of time.  I had two projects I wanted to work on.  The first was the Mistflower Water Bottle Tote from Season 4 Minikins by Sew Sweetness.  The second project was the Adventure Sling Bag by Missouri Star..  I'll have reviews of both patterns in a later blog.

 Kim worked on finishing a quilt top and starting another. Haley started a quilt and Sam made an apron.

My completed projects!

Haley's progress on her quilt. She completed all the strawberry blocks.  On our next sewing weekend she will work on the sashing and sewing everything together.  She hasn't decided if she will quilt it herself or send it out to be quilted.

The pattern for her quilt is by Margot Languedoc Designs by The Pattern Basket. It's called Strawberry Social.  

I forgot to get pictures of Kim and Sam's projects.  I'm just getting back into the whole blogging thing, so hopefully I'll do better at getting pictures.

Our sewing weekends are a wonderful way for us to relax, have fun and spend time doing something we love.  I've especially enjoy watching two young people embrace sewing.  It's becoming somewhat of a lost art and I'm happy to share with a new generation my love of sewing.

Happy Sewing!

Lori

New Year New Goals...in May!

 About three weeks before Christmas (2022) I realized there was no way I was going to get all my projects done in time.  I figured I had two choices: stress myself out and get them done or let it go.  I decided to let it go. I did complete ( with the help of my daughter) three quilts. 

That was the best decision I could have made!  I was so proud of myself for actually being able to let it go.  I started thinking about all the projects I wanted to complete for Christmas, then I started thinking about all the other projects I’ve started but never finished.  

I have A LOT of unfinished projects, UFOs, WIPs,  whatever you want to call them.  I haven’t taken the time to add them up.  I think it would just overwhelm me if I did.

I'd been thinking a lot lately about my sewing habits.  I came to the conclusion I’m a serial starter, but don’t actually finish many of them.  So I decided I would not start a new project this year until I’ve completed ALL my unfinished ones.   That’s a huge goal...and it lasted until March, I think!

I have my unfinished projects in several places, some are in 12x12 inch plastic craft boxes, some are thrown in tubs, some are in drawers, some are on the bed in the spare bedroom and one is even laying on my cedar chest in my bedroom.  

This is the one on my cedar chest in my bedroom.  I've since moved it to a project box.  I've worked on it some and think it's about half way finished.

These are moto pouches from Sew Sweetness.  I've completed several and still have 3 or 4 more to go.  I got tired of making them and just quit.  This was one of the projects I had to let go at Christmas.

Here are stacks of projects boxes filled with unknown projects!  There is a tub full of projects too.

A Blue Calla pattern I started several years ago.  I didn't have all the supplies I needed, so it got set aside.

A doll jacket I cut out and set aside.  This one I have since completed!  I'll post about it at a later date.

An Ora Rosa pattern I cut out and started and couldn't get my stitches right on the vinyl, so it got put aside also.

This is just what I found by doing a quick look around.  And I have no idea what is in all those project boxes and the big tub!  I’m sure there are many more. Well I know there are because I have a lot of fabric I’ve purchased for specific projects but they haven’t been started.   I should take the time to get each one out, evaluate whether I will actually complete it, then decide whether to keep it, pass it on to someone who will finish it or donate it.  

How may UFOs or WIPs do you have? Are you a serial starter like me or do you finish one project before you start the next? Leave a comment and let me know.

Happy Sewing!

Lori

Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival 2019

Hubby and I made it to the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival on Thursday and we had a wonderful time!  There were so many gorgeous quilts on which to feast our eyes.  I was like a kid in a candy store.

There were way too many quilts to take pictures of them all.  Here are a few of my favorites, hubby's favorites and ones we thought were interesting..

 I love these giraffes!  I think this would make a great baby quilt.

 We saw a couple elephants and several lions.  Love these quilts, but don't ever see myself making one.

 What a bright, happy quilt!

 Hubby liked this one.

 Not my style, but I thought choice of background fabrics was interesting.

Love this style.  I hope someday to make one similar.

 Aren't these snails the cutest?

 Hubby really struggled understand why someone would make a smaller quilt/wallhanging.  He's a firm believer that quilts belong on beds!

 Hubby is fascinated with how bargellos come together.

 Another one I would never make, but I love the look of these type of quilts.

 What a cute quilt for a child.

 These little dresses were actually crocheted.

 What a cool modern quilt.  I had fun trying to explain modern quilts to hubby.

 I also had fun trying to explain One Block Wonder quilts to hubby.  He was interested in these and wants me to make one.  I suggested he learn to quilt himself!

Hubby was impressed with all the piecing that went into this one!

 From a distance I really liked this one.  Then I got closer and was disappointed when I realized the cat was a panel.  

 This one reminds me of Christmas tree ornaments.

 This one made me laugh!

 We had quite the discussion about this one.  I mentioned I thought it would be a quick easy one for Christmas.  Hubby said he would make the upside down white trees in another fabric.  I had to explain he would have to be careful what fabric he picked because it would get lost and not look like trees anymore.  I don't think he understood my point!

 I always love Elizabeth Hartman patterns!

 This one is on my list to make.

 I thought this one was interesting, it definitely caught my eye.

 I love piano key borders.

 Hubby was not impressed with the darker civil war type quilts  I'm impressed by all the piecing that goes into them.

 Look at all that piecing!

 All that thread painting!  This art form fascinates me.

 Wow!  Love the colors.

I thought these trees were so cool.

 This one impressed hubby with all that little piecing.

 One of hubby's favorites,  he wants me to make one like this.

 I love the look of applique, but don't want to do it myself!

 The flowers in this quilt are made my twilling.  I took a class at one of my local quilt shops to learn how to twill and I loved it.  I need to pull  that back out and work on it again!

 Another one hubby loved.

 This is made with the binding tool.  Another one I'd like to make sometime.

 I love this little Panda.

 Interesting...

 Hubby really liked this one.  So much so he wants me to make one.  It was made with a special ruler.  It's called a Super Sidekick Ruler by Jaybird Quilt.  Our local quilt shop had a booth at the festival, so I chatted with the owner and she's ordering one for me.  Hubby thinks it looks like waves so he wants one in blues.

 Hubby loves looking at bargellos and trying to figure out how that are constructed.

 Love traditional blue and white quilts.

 Oh all the work that went into this quilt!  Love the grandma's flower garden border.

 Another favorite of the hubby's.

 Hubby liked this one too.

 It amazes me how someone can be so creative to do this.  I stood and just admired this one for a while.

 Love the colors in this one.

 There is something about this one I really like.  

 I think I must like purple and teal and not realize it!..

 Another one on my bucket list.

 Ok, maybe I love purple.

 Wow!

I think this one won Best of Show or maybe it was a judges award.  Either way, it definitely deserved it.  The quilting was exquisite.  

I managed to control my spending (probably because hubby was standing beside me the whole time).  I purchased a Pounce starter kit and a fine spray mist bottle for my Best Press.  I'll let you know what I think of them in a future post.

Which quilt do you like the best?  Are there any you want to make?

Happy sewing,

Lori