Final countdown - friday 3 pm

2 days until we head to Arkansas and then on to Tennessee.
4 portfolios ready to go.
5 table runners completed and ready to go.
5 pillow cases made and hidden away.
1 baby quilt quilted and bound!
1 table runner still waiting to be quilted.
1 baby quilt waiting its turn on the machine. -
1 portfolio in pink needing to be made.
1 table runner in need of binding !
1 last minute special request that is not getting done!(Sorry mom!)

Can I somehow add more hours to my days?

Here's hoping you are getting all your holiday sewing done!
Merry Christmas!

Sunday stash report

I never got around to posting last week's progress so I will combine the two.

Last week I made a total of 5 of the small portfolios. And I finally got around to taking pictures!
I still have one more pink one to make for a certain favorite niece.

5 portfolios x 3 fat quarters per portfolio = 15 fat quarters of almost 4 yards of fabric used!

This week - although I got a lot of sewing done (including through my finger - see previous post) - it was all bindings and therefore very little fabric. Maybe 1.5 yards total. I have 5 of the table runners bound and ready to go! I managed to get a small solid inner border put on the baby quilt and will get the final outer border on tomorrow. My MIL's table runner is on the quilting machine and has to be quilted this week too! Better go to sleep so I can get up in the morning and get busy!

It was bound to happen someday....

Yes, today I sewed through my finger - the tip of my middle finger on my right hand. Still not sure how it happened. Maddie was sewing right beside me on the featherweight and I was using the newer Singer. I had to reach around with my left hand and crank the wheel up so the needle would come out. Then there was the matter of the thread that seemed to have no end - just running through my finger. By this time I am beginning to panic and have to call Maddie back into the room to clip the thread - she had run out when it happened! It only bled for about 1 minute. It still isn't very sore. Nina should be proud that I didn't faint! I remember when she sewed through her finger.

When I called to tell my mom what I had done, she said she hoped that her Christmas gift was already finished! Ah, can't you just feel the love!

Time to go get back on the horse!

Sunday's stashbusting report

This week I was not inspired to work on the bindings on all of those table runners. So what's a girl to do? Start on a new sewing project - a mini-portfolio I found over at Craft Apple (the orange one in the bottom picture). I bought this pattern several months ago and never sat down to do it. Thursday, because I was avoiding cleaning house, I sat down and made one of these - in about an hour and a half.

Each portfolio uses three fat quarters. You can squeak out various additional pieces with careful cutting. The pattern calls for two pieces of cardboard from a cereal box, glued together, as reinforcement for the notebook side of the cover. Because I wanted a little more stability and wanted to be able to wash the cover, I have replaced the cardboard with a piece of plastic canvas on both the front and back sides of the cover. You can buy a 11x15 piece of plastic canvas at Hobby Lobby for about 29 cents.

I have made three complete covers in the last few days and now both of my kids want one. So now I have pieces for about 6 different covers in various stages of completion. I decided if i am going to make one for Maddie and Ian , I might as well make one for my niece and nephew too!

I would like to make several more for Christmas gifts - but we will have to see what the schedule allows. I will try to post a picture soon.

This week's stash busting: 27 fat quarters.

Look, Ma, I can sew!

There wasn't anything I wanted bad enough to get up at 4 a.m. - but I did manage to get up around 6:30. As I was headed towards target and Best Buy, I drove through downtown Auburn to check on some friends who were setting up for tail gating for the Auburn/Alabama game tomorrow. I timed it just right - they were across the street, in line to get some breakfast! So I stopped and ate with them and then finally headed out to Best Buy. Packed! They were already sold out of what I was looking for (Band of Brothers - bought it on-line later today) - but the check out line was at least an hour long - so it is just as well! I came on home and was hit by a slight desire to actually quilt. I have managed to get two of the table runners quilted today. Would have gotten another couple done but my nap was calling too loudly!

I have estimated that each table runner uses about 1 yard of fabric for the front and another yard for the backing. And the backing doesn't have to be pieced! So far I have made 6 table runners for christmas gifts. That totals about 12 yards gone from the stash. A very small dent, but a dent none the less!


I also went online and ordered Maddie's Christmas gift - a Janome Sew Mini. Isn't it cute? It does a straight stitch and a zig-zag. It is not a toy but a small regular sewing machine. All the reviews I could find were very positive. Anyone else out there own one? What do you think of it?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The turkey is in the oven and the dressing is sitting on the counter waiting for the broth and some more sage! I am also making pineapple casserole, green bean casserole and Sister Schubert's yeast rolls. For dessert we will have the ever traditional Key Lime pie! DH is the only one who likes pumpkin pie so we came up with an alternative. What is on your menu for today?


I got my MIL's table runner pieced. The blue and the purple are hand dyed by me and Nines. My FIL is very into coffee so I thought the focus fabric was appropriate! Now I need to get started quilting all of these table runners! And Brady's baby quilt!


Hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And don't eat too much!

I gave up...

I gave up looking for more of that brown fabric. several people found it for me - in other colors. One even found it online in the right color - in California. When I called the store on Sunday afternoon to make sure it was really the right thing (the picture on-line was tiny and could not be enlarged) - the poor sales lady could not find the fabric anywhere. So close!

So this morning after finishing up the second red, white and blue table runner, I gave up and pieced together all the leftover brown scraps and came up with enough for the borders. Hopefully all the seams won't be that noticeable after it is quilted.

I have some fabric picked out to make one for my MIL. Right now I have to go rescue the kitchen so thanksgiving dinner details can get started! Have a great weekend!