Monday, August 3, 2009

Things I'm Learning

Things I'm Learning...
  • I'm learning that you CAN become obsessed with Flikr.
  • That it's too hot to hook, when all the wool fuzz just clings to your skin when you're clammy
  • If doing windmills or matchy matchy seamed points -open the seams. The bulk factor is insane!
  • I like Half Square Triangles (HSTs) for all the things you can do with them.
  • I do NOT like HSTs for sewing them all back together IN ORDER and staying sane.
  • Leave the little corner tails ON the HSTs until AFTER matching seams and piecing. Realllly helps to have them there! Lesson learned after clipping them all before sewing. LOL
  • As long as your seam allowance is the same through out, nothing will change. Like dying, if you are using the same measuring tools the ratio stays the same. Mess with that just once, and you will see consequences in the end.
  • I LIKE starch :)
  • I need more room on my sewing table.
  • Pinning is a GOOD thing
  • DON'T whatever you do, no matter how HOT you are, turn on the overhead fan, when you have a bunch of little blocks laid out all perfect.
  • DON'T leave your layout on the floor overnight, when you have two mischevious cats that like to play in the MUD, and then come back in to clean themselves on TOP of something.
  • DON'T assume that said pieces of fabrics are not play toys for bored cats at night.
  • ALWAYS have backup blocks made, in case you didn't follow the above "donts".
  • And last but not least..... I AM A TOTAL SEWING SLOB LOLWhen fixated on a project and totally in focus, i dont care where all the little pieces fall. lol my floor looks like a chopping wharehouse burped in my room! they are everywhere all over my floor. lololol a couple swipes of my feet to gather them all up and toss them in the trash, and all is good. but in the middle of it.... oh myyy!!! :D
Trying to decide whether i should put a long white border on either side? If i dont, i will lose my points of the squares and windmills to the binding? What do you think? Thrilled to have this top "done". Laid it out upstairs in the family room. (first mistake) as i dont have much floor space in my craft room. I got my exercise going up and then back down to my craft room (12 stairs) piecing each 4 square block, and then back up cuz i got confused, and then back down, and then back up to get another batch. lol enter in not liking HSTs again. :) Well, my kids start school on Wednesday!! I have been crazily chasing the sales, trying to outfit each child with new school clothes, and school supplies. I have shopped more in the last week, than i have all year. (no, i don't LIKE shopping!) Got the house clean, helped my girlfriend paint her dining room, calli started dance class, got a good start on my doll quilt for the swap, cleaned the house again, and have been falling into bed around 1 or 1:30 each night. Totally exhausted with no time to squeeze in anything else. Let me just say... i LOVE the summer!! I love the freedom of being able to go do things on a whim, as there is no schedule... i love saying YES to my kids wanting to go and do. And i love the sunshine!! But i am desperately looking forward to being back on a schedule!!! I will feel soo much more orderly, so much more in control of getting things accomplished, and its easier to schedule things in when you know that these 3 days of the week are already spoken for... so i have that day and that day open. Ya know? Looking forward to having 4 or 5 hours without the kids each day, that i can actually focus on some things that need to get done. And... mixed emotions on this one... happy/excited/dreading getting my exercise routine back on track. Gonna be one SORE mama for a week or three!! And... looking forward to cooler weather so my wool can be on my lap again!!!! :D Hope you have a very blessed week! I probably wont be posting again, until next week, as each of my kids start school on a different day this week, and those are "momentous" days. I started a tradition when my oldest son started school... i bake fresh chocolate chip cookies on the first day... and they are fresh out of the oven when they arrive home. LOL This is going to be a KILLER for me this year... three seperate days of fresh choc chip cookies (my all time fave!!!) while dieting and not allowing myself to cheat!!! oh Lord... give me strength!!!!! I dont think i'm strong enough to say no to that smell or taste three days in a row!!!! Shoot me now!!!!! xo Bren

3 comments:

WoolenSails said...

What a beautiful quilt. I did a pinwheel, now if I can only sit down and quilt the top. I like dark borders, so don't ask me;)

Debbie

Jacque. said...

Hey Breni

First of all...you did a really great job piecing that quilt together...proud of ya, girlfriend!!! Second...definitely a white border on all 4 sides. Bind it with the green. It is totally awesome!!

Love your lessons learned. Not sure I get the one about not snipping off the corner tails. I had no problem.

kelley said...

I like white borders and binding with green too...

No choc chip cookies...that will be a test of your willpower...just don't have that first one, if you're anything like me it's all or nothing!

Maybe start a new tradition...fruit kabobs or something...