Monday, September 1, 2025

What I'm Working On

 How did I do on the list for AUGUST 24-30?

  • continue to cut pieces for baby bricks in colors to fill gaps - DONE
  • sew baby bricks - PROGRESS - individual blocks are sewn 
  • clean sewing room - PROGRESS
  • make a plan for the twin girl quilts for church outreach - PROGRESS
I was going to make another short list this week since I feel like I am still working on getting back into the back to school groove.  Little bits of projects have been working so far, so I will stick with it.  But then I remembered that it is a three-day weekend!  So I'll stretch myself and see what I can get done.  Worst case - I add it back to next week's list!
Final Layout ????

TO DO LIST FOR AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 6:
  • join baby bricks into a top
  • prepare a backing for the scrappy baby bricks
  • cut more blocks for twin baby girl quilts for church
  • determine layout for blocks for twin baby girl quilts
  • join baby girl blocks
  • decide on borders for baby girl quilts
  • prepare backings for baby girl quilts
  • start thinking about what project will be next
  • clean sewing room

Saturday, August 30, 2025

Scrappy Baby Bricks

I worked steadily on the baby bricks this week.  Since I used scraps only, the color placement turned out not quite right in some color paths.  I am convincing myself that it is fine and done is good and a baby won't care.


I will let this sit while I clean up the mess of the sewing room and think on what my next project will be.  If it still doesn't bother me enough to remake blocks, then I'll start joining them next week.

UPDATE: I rearranged some of the purples and oranges and I think that helps.  I still will not sew them all together yet though. 
Better? Maybe?

Open House was Thursday evening.  I was at school for 12 hours and did not have any oompf left for sewing when I finally got home.  Some days are like that and that's okay.  Still good forward progress.

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days/last week = 6/7
15 minute days/August = 25/30
15 minute days/2025 = 224/263
Success Rate = 85%
 
Still no stash movement, but I am hopeful that I'll get the baby bricks joined this week and have better numbers next week.

2025 Stash Totals
Used last week: 0 yards
Used year to date: 86.03 yards
Acquired recently: 15.83 yards 
Acquired year to date: 40.33 yards
Net used in 2025: 45.73 more yards used

Linking up to: 



Friday, August 29, 2025

Baby Bricks for a Friday Finish

I worked away at it little by little all week and got all the block units done.  

Sunday ...

Color placement may not be perfect, but a baby will never notice, right?

Friday!
I'm happy I got this far.  I will think on it over the weekend before starting to join the blocks.


Monday, August 25, 2025

What I'm Working On

 How did I do last week AUG 17-23:

  • cut pieces for leader & enders in colors to fill gaps PROGRESS
  • clean sewing room PROGRESS
  • move leader & ender project from floor to design wall  DONE
  • confirm number of baby quilts need to church outreach  PROGRESS

In rereading the list from last week, I realized I am still calling the baby brick project a leader & ender project.  I has definitely moved on to primary focus project.

The number of baby quilts needed for the church outreach is still a moving target, but has gone down from twelve to possibly four quilts. I think her group is in flux, so it's hard to make firm plans for both of us.  Kind of frustrating, but I have some ready to go and it will be fine.  In the previous list there were twin girls for the fall, so I am going to work on those just in case.  The good thing about quilts is that they don't go bad if they are not used right away.

TO DO LIST FOR AUGUST 24-30:
  • continue to cut pieces for baby bricks in colors to fill gaps
  • sew baby bricks
  • clean sewing room
  • make a plan for the twin girl quilts for church outreach
Another short list since I am still working on getting back into the back to school groove.  Forward progress of any kind is welcome.

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Forward Progress on the Baby Brick Quilt

I am getting settled into the school routine and I had a plan for the week, so I was productive this week.  I got the brick units up off the floor and onto the design wall.  

I tried to think better about placement this time.  Currently I have darks on the top and right leading towards lights on the left and bottom.  

Some colors look very different in the photo than in real life.

I am going through my scraps filling in color gaps for bricks that I already made with the hope that I will not have bricks made that don't fit in the final plan.  We'll see.

Thinking through the color placement.

It took everything I had not to just keep sewing as I cut pieces, but I had a LOT of grading and lesson planning that had to get done on Saturday.  And I knew that if I sewed them all up I would not have anything to do when I needed something simple after school this coming week.

Waiting to be sewn on a school day!

I prepped and/or sewed every day except Friday.  I thought about it, but realized I was so tired I should not be making any decisions and certainly not using sharp instruments!  So, I sat in front of the TV and sorted school papers, which was also a much needed task, but no thought required.

No sewing, just sorting.

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days/last week = 6/7
15 minute days/August = 13/23
15 minute days/2025 = 218/253
Success Rate = 86%
 
No stash movement at all this week! 

2025 Stash Totals
Used last week: 0 yards
Used year to date: 86.03 yards
Acquired recently: 15.83 yards 
Acquired year to date: 40.33 yards
Net used in 2025: 45.73 more yards used

Linking up to: 
Kate at Life in Pieces.

Monday, August 18, 2025

What I'm Working On

 How did I do on the list for AUG 10 - 16 ?

  • clean the sewing room cleaned, but then covered up with work stuff
  • wash fabric from Greenville DONE
  • cut leaders & enders didn't cut, but did plan a layout and sew some pairs together
  • decide on the next big project, which needs to be simple as I get back in the groove DONE 
  • confirm number of baby quilts needed for church outreach NO
A weird week but I had expected that since it was the first week back to school with students.  I have a plan for my next project and that is the most important thing.  
A starting point!

I'm going to work forward more intentionally on my leader & enders project.  I had just randomly cut pieces to sew since I didn't have a better idea at the time, but now I will work to fill the gaps.  I think I have about 3/4 of what I need for a baby quilt.  So that is manageable.

TO DO LIST FOR AUG 17-23:
  • cut pieces for leader & enders in colors to fill gaps
  • clean sewing room
  • move leader & ender project from floor to design wall
  • confirm number of baby quilts need to church outreach

Saturday, August 16, 2025

First Week of School is in the Books

First week of school - DONE!!  I'm off to a good start at school, but definitely need to work on my stamina so that I can work and sew everyday.   I also need a better plan so that when I come home tired I have something ready to go.  I had a few ideas for this past week, but most of them didn't happen.  

I did, however, take advantage of being home alone for a few evenings to lay out the leader & ender units I had completed.  A while back I had cut random pieces for leader enders with no real plan, but now I had a few ideas and tried this to start.  I think it has potential.  Since I don't have anymore pieces cut for leader enders, I think that's a good place to start to keep me sewing and keep this moving along.

I like where this is going!
15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days/last week = 5/7
15 minute days/August = 7/16
15 minute days/2025 = 212/246
Success Rate = 86%
 
No movement at all this week! 

2025 Stash Totals
Used last week: 0 yards
Used year to date: 86.03 yards
Acquired recently: 15.83 yards 
Acquired year to date: 40.33 yards
Net used in 2025: 45.73 more yards used

Linking up to: 
Kate at Life in Pieces.