4X7 Challenge - Week 4 (The final link-up!)

Well, the month of the Dark Lord is drawing to a close, as is the 4X7 Challenge. Here's my break down for Week 4!

Sunday
Thanks to some super solo parenting by Himself, I got a tonne of quality sewing time. I decided to stop waffling about the size of the quilt and just sew it together!

 My ironing board has never looked so good!

Monday
Woo hoo! Last two rows sewn! The top of the I Spy Polaroid quilt is done!

As if that wasn't enough, I completed my OMG for February, repairing J-Boy's Good Old Hockey Game quilt.

Tuesday
I spent some quality studio time tagging and putting away fabric from my trip, as well as building a scrap pack for the Stash Love giveaway!

I have some ideas floating around in my head for the backing of DT's Polaroid I Spy quilt. I'm so energized by this project that I couldn't resist working on it!

Wednesday & Thursday
No actual, physical sewing done. But I spend a tonne of time working on membership cards for my lovely little guild, Maritime Modern Quilt Guild. And messaging back and forth with three of my quilty pals with regards to a VERY exciting quilting opportunity. More on that another day! 

Friday
Check out my blog post from Friday! Gotta love a flimsy finish!

Saturday 
No trouble getting some sewing in today - MMQG February Sew In! I'll freely admit that I didn't try as hard as I might have to get sewing later in the week, knowing that I would have the entire day on Saturday.  I worked away on the improv letters and a little surprise for the back of the I Spy Polaroid quilt. Don't worry... you'll see it soon!

I'm linking up with Berry Barn Designs for Week 4 of the 4X7 Challenge. Shockingly, I'm a little sad to see the Month of The Dark Lord draw to a close. I didn't have firm goals for this month. I just wanted to sew more. And I've definitely done a lot of sewing in February... maybe I'll set a little challenge of my own to keep the momentum going!

J 

4X7 Challenge - Week 3!

What's this, you say? Did you miss the post from Week 2? Nope, you didn't. I completely and utterly flubbed Week 2 of Berry Barn Designs' 4X7 Challenge. In my defense, I was on vacation. A ski vacation. Our first vacation in a long time. And it was awesome! Week 3? Also awesome, but with less skiing and far more sewing!

Sunday
Starting out slowly. Stitching for today consisted of some EPP in front of the TV. ☺ I turned these Kona squares into basted squares! Alas, the basement rec room in the evening... not so good for pics!

Monday
Back to DT's I Spy Polaroid quilt! I managed to finish 4 red blocks today and made a few more centres. 

Tuesday
DT had an awesomely long nap, so I continued working on Polaroid blocks. I even finished the green and purple blocks today.

I think I mentioned it a few posts back, but I've added a few blocks to each row. And now I feel like the quilt needs to be longer to balance things. But I can't see me making a gagillion more blocks. Off to my scraps I went!

I made 3½ inch high improv panels to insert between rows of Polaroids here and there. It'll add the length and some visual interest! Purple's done. Just five colours left to go!

Wednesday
Ah... orange! I knew I'd have to lock the doors since Anja @ Anja Quilts had a vacation day and I posted a pic like this one on my guild's FaceBook page!

Thursday
More rainbow goodness! Sunny yellows for Thursday!

I even banged out some more stitching on Le EPP during my Bee meeting. Again, evening stitching and no pics!

Friday
I decided that the improv panels needed a little something more to "spy" so I'm adding some words. I'm sure BT will have fun finding his name some day down the road.

Saturday
And on to the blue! GT can't be left out...

Though I finished absolutely ZERO projects this week, I sewed each and every day. I made incredible progress on DT's I Spy Polaroid quilt and am feeling energized about working on it. It definitely helped me deal with a stressful week featuring twin 15 month olds learning to climb on couches and chairs. I haven't taken to drinking and only cried a few times. I credit improv piecing of wee bits of Kona.

I am, of course, linking up with Berry Barn Designs for the Week 3 link-up. Who knows? Maybe I'll even have a finished top to show off next week?

J

P.S. Many thanks to Sarah @ Berry Barn Designs for organizing this link-up and for the lovely giveaway prize I won in Week 1!

4X7 Challenge - Week 1!

February's here and the 4x7 Challenge @ Berry Barn Designs is well underway. I knew it would be a true challenge for me to manage some sewing every day, but I managed fairly well this week. Here's my day by day breakdown!

Monday
Ah... the first day of February. Not just the start of the 4x7 Challenge, but also the first of the month. So my "sewing time" was more like stash time.

I spent a fair amount of time rummaging about in my stash cutting 2½ inch squares to form a lovely rainbow palette for the February Birthday Queen of the Birthday Bonus Club.


Tuesday
I managed two sessions of sewing on Tuesday! The first was preparing fabric, templates, and notions for an EPP demonstration. And the second was spent passing on some sewing skills. As I've before, I'm a leader with the oldest Branch of Canadian Girl Guides, Rangers. We watched an eye-opening documentary, Misrepresentation, and stitched while watching. I'm pleased to say that at least one of the Rangers in attendance was well and truly bitten by the EPP bug!

Wednesday
I counted this as a banked day as Tuesday had me in my studio a lot! I did spend some quality time with my MMQG Executive Peeps planning our first ever retreat. I am over the moon excited about this opportunity to sew all week-end long!

Thursday
My sewing involved a little computer time to whip up a Kona Palette using Play Craft's Palette Builder 2.1.

I found an image on-line of this print from my stash, Dear Stella's French Lessons by Jack & Lulu and got to building.

I ♥ that selvage! Off I went to my Kona stash. I'm always amazed at how well the Palette Builder matches the colours in one's image. I had to make a few little substitutions in keeping with The Year of the Stash.

 Now I've got bits and pieces all cut out for my vacation EPP project!

Friday
Does fixing my Himself's ski mitts count as selfish sewing? ☺ I'm going to say it does!

Saturday
Alas, a day's driving with DT left absolutely zero in my personal tank for sewing. Not even a few stitches of EPP.

I'm linking up with Sarah @ Barn Berry Designs.

To sum up Week 1, no projects finished, but definitely some sewing play time. Week 2 is going to be all about EPP and cross-stitch.

J

Kickin' off some selfish sewing!

It's February A.K.A The Month of the Dark Lord. Here in Nova Scotia, it can be a long, cold, dark month. With each winter storm, spring seems a little further away. But I'm brightening things up again this year by participating in...

The goal is make time every day for sewing and to make it selfish sewing. As I said last year, making time for sewing every day is, in itself, a selfish goal for me. Sewing is my "me" time, no matter what I'm working on.

Here are a couple projects I plan to spend my time on this month:

• a new EPP project featuring fussy cut shapes
• finishing my stitchable iPhone case
• making improv pieced panels for DT's I Spy Polaroid quilt
• play with my Mighty Lucky Quilt Club challenges (January: bias tape, February: Minimalist Improv)

And who knows? More fun things might present themselves over the course of the month. I'm granting myself permission to start any ole thing that strikes my fancy. As I did last year, I'll physically track my daily sewing on a calendar. But this year, it'll be my Quilter's Planner in it's swanky new cover! See... I've already done some selfish sewing this week!

 I'm particularly proud of the attached bookmark and my fancy use of ruler ribbon!

So, are you in? Pop on over and visit Sarah @ Berry Barn Designs and grab a button for your sidebar. Then get to choosing some fun stuff just for you!

J

4x7 Challenge - Week 4

Ever hear that song lyric about sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug? Well, in Week 4 of the 4x7 Challenge, I was a bug! Big plans to sew = nope!

 

I won't be offering up a day by day list of stuff I got done since, most days, there wasn't anything! I did manage some time in my studio whilst grandparents adored DT and I made to it to Saturday's MMQG Sew In. At Sew In, I quilted (yet another) Kona strip baby quilt. Just for fun, I timed myself... with a stopwatch... 28 minutes, 54 seconds. Organic lines à la Adrienne. Done.

 

 And I sewed together those tiny (1 inch... ugh) HSTs from the QPPP.

Even though Week 4 was a bit of a bust, it's worth it to share it with you, dear reader. Sometimes things look at little too rosy in blogland... lovely finishes, piles of fabric cut and waiting to be sewn, etc. It's not always realistic. There are weeks when sewing/quilting can't be a priority... and that's okay. I resolved to focus on joy this year, not problems. It was a joy to sew in what time I had for it last week.

I'm linking up today with Barn Berry Designs. Thank you so much to Sarah for organizing this challenge. It was a great exercise and I look forward to taking it on again next year!

J

4x7 Challenge - Week 3

Ahh... another week of forced sewing. It's like hard labour, people. Just kidding! Making time for 30 minutes of sewing each day (14 hours of sewing total) is not such a hardship!

 

So here's the day by day blow by blow....

Day 15 - Finished this Haphazard Chevron pillow that's been hanging out on the design wall for a few weeks. Pillows are so danged satisfying!

Day 16 -Quilted the iron & sewing machine blocks from 2014 Skill Builder

Just showing you sneaky peeks on these ones... big reveal to come in the next few days when I link up with ALYOF 2015

Day 17 -Quilted the triangle quilt block from 2014 Skill Builder. Again, just a sneaky peak for you!

Day 18 - I'm enacting rollover minutes... I sewed way more than 30 minutes on previous days!
Day 19 - Got around to ironing all that fabric I've been buying!

 

Day 20 -Whipped up an iPad case for Himself!

Day 21 - Sewed up some HSTs for a project in the QPPP (Quilting Project Protection Program). I'd tell you more, but well.... it's secret!

I get a little down on myself when I commit to a challenge like this and don't get in the 30 minutes of sewing each and every day. And then I remember that it's not about beating yourself up, but celebrating what you did accomplish! A lovely pillow, an iPad case, some blocks that have been staring me down for months. You know, that's not too shabby! I'm linking up today with Barn Berry Designs. Pop on over and see what others accomplished this week - or jump on the bandwagon for our final week, Week 4. It's not too late!

J

4x7 Challenge - Week 2

Pssstt... if you're looking for the Kona link-up, it's here!

Ahh... another week of forced sewing. It's like hard labour, people. Just kidding! Making time for 30 minutes of sewing each day (14 hours of sewing total) is not such a hardship! Though it has looked a bit like Siberia outside my studio window this week...

 

So here's the day by day blow by blow....

Day  8 - Got down to business on that last paper pieced block for my Skill Builder 2014. Half done!

Day 9 - So close to done that sewing machine! If only I didn't have to tear bits out...
Day 10 - Success! Finished and layered!

Day 11 - No sewing... just blogging about it. Oh well.

Day 12 - It's not sewing, but I went to the February meeting of MMQG. Sometimes just talking about sewing is enough for me! And I bought fabric at two LQS. Lucky me!
Day 13 - Spent time in the studio playing with fabric for my Kona ♥ link-up!

And I whipped up this infinity scarf for my hot date with Himself!

Day 14 - Finally got organized and made the prize for my 200th post giveaway. It'll be heading to Maine to live with Kitty @ Night Quilter!

This week wasn't quite as successful as Week 1. Some days I spent a lot more than 30 minutes.. other days I manage no actual sewing at all. Aiming higher for Week 3! I'm linking up today with Barn Berry Designs. I guess I should uncross my fingers and give someone else a chance - I won the prize for last week!

J

4x7 Challenge - Week 1

This month, I'm taking on the 4 by 7 Sewing Challenge hosted by Sarah @ Berry Barn Designs. I've decided to do it as a birthday present to myself. Making time for 30 minutes of sewing each day gives me 14 hours of sewing in the month of February. Not too shabby!

 

They also say that it takes 21 days to make a new habit. With DT being the main focus of my life these days, it's important to make time for myself. Who needs a shower when you can sit and sew? ☺ For me, whenever I sew, I sew for myself.  I don't have to be making a project for myself... the me-time is enough.

So here's the day by day blow by blow....

Day 1 - Continued paper piecing the December block of my Skill Builder BOM

Day 2 - Starched some Silver & finished the Triangle Quilt block. Yay!

Day 3 - Made a serious dent in the Iron block. Fiddly paperpiecing...

Day 4 - Spent part of my errand running time at my LQS, but opted to go to bed instead of sewing late into the night. Sometimes sleep wins...

Day 5 - Finished the Iron block. Might need to take it apart so that one section lines up better! ☺

Day 6 - Had an afternoon stay-cation in my studio courtesy of Himself and spent it cutting into my teal-y Kona scraps for a future project.

Day 7 - Spent some quality time with my new Kona Colour Card and my Kona stash! Sometimes I get a little behind on labeling. Yes, I label them all. ☺

And that's Week 1! In Week 2, I hope to finish the last block of my Skill Builder and treat myself to making something not on The List! I'm linking up with Barn Berry Designs. Here's hoping she doesn't boot me out for my Day 4 fail. I sewed more than ½ an hour the other days!Off to get in my 30 minutes for Day 8!

J

P.S. Don't forget about next Saturday's link up! Show everyone how much you ♥ Kona (or another solid line... we won't judge you if you have another love!)