I spent my sewing time yesterday mostly sorting and cutting strips for my Pastel Braid quilt. Today I really wanted to get some more actual sewing done.

It took a little rearranging of my sewing area, but I finally got things situated so that I could proceed smoothly. It seems to work best for me by choosing a strip from the colored-sorted sets on my left, then sewing it in place, and finally ironing the seam at the ironing table on my right.

I just finished the second column, and I hope to get another column done before bedtime.

This is just going to be a baby quilt for testing purposes. I eventually will make a twin size one for me to use in my reading chair. (I keep the thermostat high to save $$ so it’s cooollldd in here.) 

I cut lots of 2.5”x7.5" strips yesterday, but now I'm wondering if 2.5”x10" might be better since the columns will be wider. That will probably work best for the twin-size I intend to make. Tomorrow I’ll make a test block of 10" and see how it looks.

I decided to use many of the scraps left over from the strip slicing for the quilt border. I'll frame squares or rectangles with 1/2" white sashing. I think it'll be spectacular!

I posted my Electric Quilt 6 project file for this quilt and a link to instructions for assembling the Braid block on my web site: www.chickenladyquilts.com/dlpastelbraids.asp

I made great quilty progress yesterday. I unpacked the remaining 2 boxes from my old sewing room, and fit everything into the linen closet, which is now my sewing closet. (Note to self: get more large plastic tubs.)

I also sorted and boxed my stash, taking out pieces that are less than 1/2 a yard to cut up and add to my scrap bin. I hope (in my dreams?) to make some (small) scrap quilts for Christmas gifts. 

I found my works in progress (WIP), and got out a couple of them actually work on. <gasp!>

After 4 months of living in Memphis, I finally unpacked my sewing machine.  Actually, I didn’t do it, my son, Jesse (11 years old), unpacked and set up this small area as a surprise for me. What a sweetie!

Now if I could only find my rotary cutter…

Say that 3 times fast!  :)
I’m working on a new purse today. I picked out several color themes for it but settled on a pink-purple-green combo.

I’m stumped finding a color/fabric for the top band, which is pink on the pattern cover. I don’t really want a purple purse, so I’m thinking maybe an olive-ish green for the band. Something the color of the green dot fabric would be good. Maybe I should swap out the green dot fabric to use for the top band and put another green in the purse body. I just happen to have a multicolor bead trim that is going to be perfect for this project.

I’m excited to be getting a new purse. I normally keep the same purse for years. It is definitely time for a new one. My current purse is pretty, I made it myself and love the fabrics, but it is a tad too small and the handles are too short. I’ve put up with it for more than a year—time for a change.

Here’s the block I finally made with the yellow flying geese scraps. I pulled in some scraps of this minty green 30’s print and I think it came out very well. I couldn't make it work with the other green fabric I posted yesterday because the center square was not large enough to make a square in a square block.
Here’s another block I made with some more of the flying geese scraps. I ended up reversing the square in a square, and pointing the flying geese inward.  (The light green fabric is actually much brighter than it appears in the photo.)
I've still got a few flying geese left to play around with...

I’m slowly clearing up the piles of stuff that were brought from my old, organized, neat sewing room and dumped into this Room of Chaos. I cleaned out a tall plastic storage cabinet where almost nothing had been touched in years. I’m accumulating a large stack of “give away” stuff for the next quilt group meeting. :)

I also got most of my quilting stash onto the one tall bookshelf. I still have "stash" in a pile of plastic tubs that I need to find room for. These contain pre-cut strips, 2 1/2", 1", etc. A couple hold collections of fabric for specific projects, like all my dog fabrics for E's quilt, and the vintage valentine fabric.

Found the sewing machine!
Making progress in the new sewing room, I can see the cutting board too...

(I have fibromyalgia, and this move is causing me sooo much pain. I can't believe how much. When I finally stopped last night I was crying. It has been getting worse and worse this year. I am soooooo tired of hurting.)





My quilting stash before moving.

Jesse wants to keep these shelves so I'll try getting all this into the tall white bookcase in the new room.

What a mess! And we haven’t moved the fabric or closet contents yet. How did I get this much stuff in that tiny sewing room?

I love the new room (left photo) though! It has a large window and is at the front of the house so it is so much brighter. Plus it is much larger. The furnace/air conditioner & water heater are in the closet of this room so the noises those make at night have always scared Jesse. He is 10 1/2 years old, and always wants to sleep in my bed. (Good thing it is king sized!) He promises that he won’t be scared in the new room (right photo). He said he feels safe with the small window at the side of the house only. (Isn’t it strange what kids think about?) Hopefully I’ll get my bed back to myself now.

But what a mess…

I'm working on more 9-patches today for a swap with the Faith Quilters Group. We began swapping sets of 20 blocks a month last July. I mostly kept up until November when my son was injured and in the hospital. The ladies kindly did my December and January blocks for me, but I haven't sewed at all since. (It hasn't helped that I haven't had even a penny to buy fabric, either.)

The year-long swap ended in July, so I really need to get these done! Last week I finally was at last able to buy the rose red fabric to go with the brown I already had for February's Roses and Chocolates theme. (I can't believe I didn't have a bit of red in my stash!) I also bought the yellow I needed to go with the leaf green I already had for March's Daffodils theme. I already had the Lavender and Celery for April in my stash, so that was enough fabric to get me rolling.

Buying, washing, ironing, and slicing fabric is really helping to get me out of my sewing funk. I've been making 9-patches all weekend. I'm anxious to get them out of the way so I can get back to some of the old projects I had going last year. I don't even remember what I have pending so it'll be like Christmas when I get to dig through the boxes and bags of works-in-progress (WIP's). I can tell I'm really on the road to quilting recovery because I could hardly wait to get to the fabric store yesterday to buy the last of the fabric I needed for the 9-patches: Peach and Turquoise for June, and Americana Red and Blue for July.

Found Online...

This Raggy Chenille Purse from