As summer begins to slide off the calendar, I'm trying to get a few projects finished. The heat and humidity are keeping me indoors. I tend to turn up the AC, throw in a batch of cookies, and head to the basement. It continues to surprise me, how cleaning out one area that's been a mess it just contagious! Once I made some progress on the basement rec room, the momentum was there to continue on into my sewing room. It screamed "good intentions" all over the place. Everything was there to accomplish much, but just not enough order to actually get anything done. So I trudged ahead and it's pretty much done. Then I got busy sewing...

A few photos, first of the quilt I finished, just under the wire, to deliver to the Pregnancy Resource Center this past Wednesday.


Yes, you may politely say "My, but it's bright, isn't it?!!!!!" Not my usual style, but it just happened. Our church gives support to this organization which offers pregnancy testing, sonograms, counseling, etc. for moms and their unborn. Our Sew and Sows decided to make a bunch of baby quilts, which would in turn be given to the moms. My quilt was less than perfect on many counts, since my quilting skills were never completely developed and are now a bit rusty, but there's a life lesson in it all - my 'less than perfect' quilt will snuggle a baby just fine. I don't know about you, but sometimes I tend to major in the minors and miss the whole party. Our group of 10 quilters delivered 20 quilts. I made one, some of us made four! We toured the place, met the director, overall it was a really encouraging day, and we saw more ways we can help in the future. They told us they have clients often as young as 14, and sometimes 12 years old! The director told us 90% of their clients choose life after they come to the center. That's 9 out of 10 babies saved. Many of their volunteers have come back, after choosing abortion themselves, wanting to save some other girl from the scars that leaves behind. Certainly a ministry worth supporting.

Here's my quilt room - all cleaned up. I've got one drawer left to clean out, but it's pretty much a done deal. I can pop in a movie or listen to music and sew away, and that was the whole point. I expect to spend a lot of time in there this fall and winter. With a portable heater plugged in! It's hard to sew with cold fingers, and this room doesn't have a heat duct aimed at it.


I bought my 'sewing table' at Office Depot, it's just a desk, then bought the matching file cabinet to sit next to it (an "L" shape is the most efficient workspace whether it's a kitchen counter, office desk, or sewing area.) I was able to set up files on all sorts of things I need to sew (my two machine manuals, machine quilting patterns, maps to other quilter's homes, fabric sources) and can use the top drawer to hold sewing tools and notions. The white table is a cutting table, and when it's not big enough I can drag the quilt out the door to the pool table. I'm really, really happy with this space. I sat and quilted a few nights ago while I watched Les Miserables on the VCR (picked up at the library used for 50 cents). I can also just shut the door behind me when I'm not sewing, and the mess is hidden from sight.

And a secret! I finished Miss Addison's quilt - only three months after her first birthday. Sarah and Chris and the kids are all in the mountains, and I wanted it there waiting for her when she returned. I shipped it yesterday. I bought the fabric when she wasn't even conceived, setting it aside for the first girl grandchild. If you look closely at the fabric there are pink dragonflies and one fabric has shoes of all colors and fashions. Several of the ladies in the sewing group voiced a desire for capris in that fabric. Of course the quilt has lots of pink - Addison's signature color.

Miss Addison, pretty in pink with a pickle. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss book...

I went with a very simple pattern, focusing on actually getting it done, rather than making a masterpiece.

Labeled with a sweet tag, so she'll know it was made with love, just for her.

I started a tradition, with our first grandchild, Caiden, of making a quilt for each on their first birthday. Now that Addison's is done, I need to get busy cutting out Landon's. His has an outdoor nature walk theme, bugs in jars, caterpillars under magnifying glasses, etc. I suspect he's going to be a little boy who loves the outdoors if he got any of his Daddy's genes.

Last, here are a few photos of our latest sewing session. We meet weekly for 5 hours, sharing lunch prepared by the host. One of our group, Mary Ann, brought her 9 year old granddaughter. You can see in the photo Mary Ann helping her sew a quilt for her soon-to-arrive baby sister. How sweet is that?

Sew - that's what's up around here til it cools off, and I can stand to head outdoors again. By then the weeds will likely have taken over, the lawn will need mowing again, blah blah blah. Looking out my windows, I remember it won't be long til the lawn is buried under a blanket of snow, and I need to get back out there pretty soon before I miss the rest of summer. But just for a little break, I'm busy sewing up a storm.

Labels: Busy Buzz