Working 50-60 hours/week doesn't leave much time or energy for sewing but I find I miss it. On vacation I planned a 9p and Ohio Star blue/white scrap quilt, which sounds nice but feels too taxing when I only have 1-2 hours/week to sew and, as Pooh would say, very little brain to do it with. Under such circumstances, what would y'all piece?
Dogmom
Farmer wife friend of mine does only string quilts( can be made to look very complex by focusing your fabircs in one color range), sew and flip blocks with a focus fabric in center, confetti quilts, or mile a minute blocks....this way she doesn't have to worry about precision sewing or matching seam or chopped off points.....even cutting fabric then is simplified..........you set up your work area, then have your fabrics ready to sit down and sew....no thinking just sewing....go to
Mauvice in Central WI
If you find sewing relaxing (I don't) maybe you could dedicate 30 min. when you get home or after dinner or before bedtime or some time when it's your 'me' time and sew up a storm for that time period. Make sure the family knows you are to be left alone. You can accomplish quite a bit that way. But it won't work very well unless you can leave your sewing equipment set-up and ready to go. If you have to pull it out and tidy up again that would use up most of your time frame. Good luck finding some time to sew--- and those working hours of yours are a killer! How on earth can you keep that up???
Leslie (retired), Missy & The Furbabies in MO.
I worked that kind of hours for decades but really *needed* to sew. That is when I became a maniac about being organized, having everything where I could find it and keeping basics always on hand. You can't get anywhere with a 30 minute sewing session if you have to hunt or run shopping. And, there's the 'one bite at a time' theory. You can't stitch 20 blocks in 30 minutes but you can do one or part of one and still have time to hide your scissors. Polly
The trick is not to think of it as an impossibly large quilt. Just take it one block at a time. Only make all the same kind of blocks. Some day you'll feel like counting your stack of blocks and realize that if you alternate with setting squares, you have enough to cover a bed!
My hand projects are usually this kind of block, currently a 1000 Pyramids. Each block is only 16 little 60-degree triangles, or rather, four triangles made up of four smaller ones. Anybody can find time to stitch those. Cut pieces from scraps if you have 15 minutes to sit down. Carry a bag of triangles and a sewing kit wherever you go, there's always a little waiting time here and there. Soothes the nerves amazingly! No deadlines, so no frustration. Roberta in D
"dogmom" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:FP6dnZI_QcQAR5vanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@io.com...
As I was in a similar situation recently with two weeks to make a an oversized lap quilt for a friend's daughters wedding. I work full time and am one of those folks who needs her sleep so late nights are out except for weekends. So....I went with a simple paper pieced heart block - not much thought or pre-cutting involved and I can do it half asleep (which I proved to myself I could do!). Got it done the day before the wedding....phew!!!
-Irene
Bar or strip quilt. No points to frustrate you. Less math involved--cut fabric strips as long as you want the quilt to be, and cut enough of them to make the quilt as wide as you need. No borders are needed so nothing to miter on the top. They are all straight line sewing so they go together fast. My Mom is making one out of what to me was an ugly blue and pink floral print plus two solids. The resulting quilt is going to be beautiful. She arranged the strips out on a bed for me to see and it made me immediately think "Sweetheart". I think her strips were cut about 5 inches wide.
Simple Applique Raw edge, machine satin stitch. One or two pieces per block. Think hearts, or leaves, or any other simple outline shape.
Debra in VA See my quilts at
do you drive to work? you could hand piece or hand quilt (by the block?) on the bus... I have done it.
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