Another Box of Blessing!
What I have marked is usually what I get. I then add to the center to make a quilt about 60”x80” - more or less. This makes the typical European single.
We got another box just a couple of days ago - my friend, Fran, from Arizona, sent us a box of goodies.
Interestingly enough, I was working on the last of the tops that she had sent before. What I mean by that, I was finishing up adding borders and getting them ready to sandwich.
That is not to be confused with the idea that I am completely caught up quilting her tops. That isn’t true.
But I’m determined this year to finish up an average of 1 a week of the larger quilts she makes for a total of 52 for the year 2021. In the past I haven’t necessarily kept up with all of Fran’s since she sends so many - and they have a similar “look” to them.
However, I’ve decided that it has gotten crazy how many I have - so doesn’t matter that they look similar - I am working on them - they are all different from each other and different families will get them.
If I do get a long-arm this winter (that’s the plan after I get my next 3 year residency card - once they tell me I’ve been approved), I will have more fun with quilting them. Right now I’m just doing straight line quilting. If all goes well, I can finish quilting one in 1.5 hours plus sandwiching - about 30 minutes. It all takes more time than that, though, naturally. I can’t realistically do more than 2 of these a day lest I either explode from the sameness of it all and I risk “burning out” or my arms and and hands start hurting. Neither situation is appealing to me. So, I’m working on spreading these out and keeping myself motivated and interested. Each day after my one is finished, I am trying to prepare backings for the next few - at least the next day’s tops that I’m getting ready to sandwich.
Let me show you what I’m doing with those large ones. Here’s a pile of them.
Here you can kind of see what I’m doing with these lager ones. The added borders here are visible. These end up being about 90”x100” and they are wonderful. People love this size! I think this pile is about 20 deep. None of these are finished - they need trimming, binding and washing. I’m waiting til I get a few more of these done to start trimming and binding. For now I will make this pile higher and higher. :) I’m weird, I know, but I’m doing what I need to do to keep motivated. These large ones are the ones that make me go through backing fabric “in a jiffy”! Depending on the direction of the print I need with either 100” of the fabric x 2 or 110”x2 to create the backing for these big ones. With each of them, I will have some cut off which I can either use to add to a piece to make the next one, or eventually cut up into squares to make more tops.
I’m making a collection of them as I work - I’ll start binding these when I finish half of what I need for the year (52 of these big ones is my goal for 2021). I will repeat for 2022 as I won’t be caught up yet with hers. I had been almost all caught up with all the ones you all sent me, in 2020. I now have a new collection to work with. :)
Back to Fran’s tops.
I’m trying to quilt one a day. I’m also trying to sandwich 3 a day - two small ones - either from Fran or not and one large one. This is also do-able. I am considering this my “job” right now. If I focus hard I can get it done by the end of September.
I have been considering how it would be to be a migrant or very poor without resources.
As I reflect on how God has blessed us, my heart is full and I want to do these - even though this year has had its own challenges for me/us already. I also realize when I work on these, it gives me less time to work on my “creative” ones, however, I try to imagine how excited they will be to be able to be warm. This year has been chilly already - in August! If this is an indication of this winter - well, I will work extra hard to give all of these away this fall.
But I digress.
Here’s what was in the box.
Three small tops which I will end up adding borders to such as shown at the top of this post. I try to coordinate colors of the borders with what is in the middle. That all pink/white one might give me a real challenge, however, and I may introduce another color.
Two tops which are bigger than the small ones. I will add to these to make single European size quilt tops - whatever works for the measurements that I need. This is an unusual size for her to send to me—something new. And that’s fine!
Eight (8)!!! big tops. All I do to these is add a 2.5” border and then a 6.5” (cut) border to these. I just cut and sew - I don’t measure like you are really supposed to. I do apply them with a walking foot, however. That helps keep the fabric feeding evenly so my borders aren’t all weird.
Fran included some fabric that will coordinate well with that bottom left top. I am going to use it for backing - which is what I think she intended.
Anyway…this is what I’ve been up to - and what I just received the other day. Interestingly enough, I was upstairs working on her tops when my husband brought the box up to me. I had had a box of tops that had been in my bedroom for months (literally) that needed borders added to them and I was hoping to get caught up BEFORE I got her next box. She had told me that she had mailed more. :) Nice problem to have, huh? I didn’t quite meet my own goal. Those are done now. These new ones aren’t - not yet.
Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Thanks for coming along with me on my quilting/sewing journey!
Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!
Here’s one of the beauties we have!