Getting stuff done...

Boxer Rebellion took a leap forward this weekend...I finished the applique and assembled the blocks.  I need to sneak by my husband's work place and measure the area where this will hang before I decide how to border it.  I need to keep it small (all blocks finish 7.5 inches).  I will sprinkle a few more tiny appliqued hearts around the other two applique blocks, enough to balance the sarcasm and snarkiness in this quilt...I wonder how many dozen THAT will take, LOL?!

Here are close ups of the applique blocks...this one you've seen.

I thought I needed an actual pair of boxer shorts represented...I will add a tiny button on the flap after I've quilted it...

I put an up-side-down block in the mix because I just love to see those on cat and doggie quilts...it feeds my goofy side (and Steve IS my favorite critter, after all)...

And I guess the musical reference to the song about a dog being gone was inevitable...

Someone emailed me and asked me how I was going to finish his face on these appliques.  I had to admit that I considered myself finished.  I am HORRIBLE with faces, which is why I left the bride's face blank in my Civil War Bride quilt, along with the self-portrait block of our family.  Since I had already done Steve that way for that quilt, I thought I would continue that idea for this one.  I would love to find a book or resource about making easy, real looking faces.  I didn't want to put a face on my bride because I thought it would make her look cartoon-ish, with my very limited art skills.

I totally avoided the face situation with my daughter by putting a book in front of her face, which is true to life anyway.

My sad little design wall is, unfortunately, at the bottom of the stairs in the quilt cave.  As usual, I take great care pinning a project to the wall, and then over the course of time, THIS happens.  Maybe it is a subtle message telling me to get on with it!

I have both a teenager and a cat who like to zoom down the stairs and the resulting velocity is just too much for design lay-outs.  Pretty funny when compared to taking each step s-l-o-w-l-y and carefully like I do, thinking about the consequences of reckless abandon with every step.  Ah, stupid youth.

I took some time to sew the blocks together this weekend...HA!  Let's see those two upset my apple cart NOW.  My next step is to decide on a skinny stop border and something for the outer border.  Any suggestions??  I never know what to do with scrappy things to pull all that lovely randomness to a logical conclusion.

I also glanced in my magic box and it was almost empty!  Time to prep the next few basket blocks for casual hand applique.  I manage to get at least one a day done, waiting for my car full of teenagers to materialize after school in the afternoon.  I've got some awaiting me...all ready to cut out with the freezer paper ironed to the right side of the fabric. 

This is the 4th use of these 20 freezer paper patterns...I peel them off carefully each time to re-use them, and I'm trying to see how many times I can use them before having to make another set. Waste not, want not...(really I'm just SUPER lazy!). 

I hope you found a few moments for quality sewing time this weekend.  I'm still having to make the most of small chunks of time...I would LOVE a big block of time with no cooking, no housework, no job, no mothering, no wifing, and no dental appointments for bite adjustments (hey - I've had 3 days of no pain meds!!  THAT'S progress!).  I am continuously motivated by Victoria's idea of 15 minutes of play...you really CAN get something done in 15 minute chunks. 

Small blocks of time are great for working on projects that are already planned and fairly well organized, but I need more uninterrupted time when planning a project I want to start.  Maybe the lack of that is a sign I need to FINISH the things I have started.  Hmmm...

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)