When I first started quilting, I mused that it would be really great to set up my sewing studio with an L-shaped sewing cabinet--with a sewing machine on each arm of the cabinet. Then, I could work on piecing on one machine at the same time that I could quilt on the other machine. Then I could get twice as much done during my time in the studio.
Since I'm very definitely not ambidextrous, I'm pretty sure that would not have gone well. Ridiculous idea!
Last week I reported that I managed to get three quilt tops layered and pin-basted over the holiday weekend. I even got one of the three quilted, and I attached the binding. I was on a roll.
This week, I'm here to tell you, things are moving much slower. I'm working on quilting the scrappy rail-fence project and I've chosen a quilting strategy that is more time-consuming.
On this project, I'm quilting in the ditch on both sides of the darker scraps, then a quarter-inch away from those ditched edges, then a line of quilting in the center of the pastel zig-zag to keep down the puff-factor.
The pivoting and squishing take more time than my preferred north-south edge-to-edge quilting strategy for similar scrappy quilts.
However, even though it's more time-consuming, this quilting strategy is doing a nice job emphasizing the zig-zag pattern of the rail fence block, which was my goal. Below is about half of the quilt, the other half is on deck.
Plus I'm forced to slow down, and focus on this ONE project, even as my head swirls with what's on deck.
This time of year, especially, I think it's important to slow down and focus on one thing at a time. At the sewing machine, and elsewhere - one quilt, one batch of cookies, one gift to wrap.
Everything that is supposed to get done will get done, everything else will come when it's ready.
And the real key is to enjoy the journey, one project at a time. And breathe in between.
Happy Stitching!
Head Hummingbird
Hummingbird-Highway.com
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