It's late in the month, but I still had time to start, and now share, my Rainbow Scrap Challenge sewing, with green scraps. I've always wanted to make a quilt, sewn by hand. Not EPP, but hand stitched pieces. I'm not sure why I've never tried this way to stitching together a quilt.
I have a big "0" birthday coming up next year and I decided to make a list of "50 things to do before I'm 50". One item on my list is to hand sew a quilt. This ticks off that item quite nicely.
I used the triangle template from the Ice Cream Soda EPP quilt, which I'm also making at the moment. I've cut out triangles from my scraps, marked the lines and am hand piecing these into hexagon shapes.
My hope is to make at least four blocks each month, but realistically, I'll probably aim for at least 8-12 in each colour so that I can make some sort of colour wash style quilt at the end of the year.
So far, so good! I've made another couple of blocks since this picture was taken and have more triangles cut to piece together over the next few days as I find snippets of time. That's one good thing about hand sewing - it can be picked up and put down quite easily. No need to head into the sewing room and turn on the sewing machine...
What else has been happening around here this past few days? Well I taught a class at work - a group of girls on how to sew a pencil case. It's lined and includes a zipper. They all did very well.
It's always funny to me that at the start of the class, I tell the kids that they can go around the store and choose any fabric they want. The overwhelmed look that crosses their faces when they see the walls of fabrics, is priceless.
As quilters, we know that choosing the 'right' fabric for a project can take a lot of time. So I give them a 5 minute time limit. They have 5 minutes to go around and choose whichever fabric they want, to create a pencil case to take to school. I've run this class a few times and the fabric choices always surprise me. No Tula, Kaffe or Anna Maria have ever been chosen (which would be my go-to fabrics).
Australia Day was on Friday. We had a BBQ here at home for lunch, which is tradition. Around that, I joined Chooky and the gang for a zoom chat. I popped in and out a few times through the day, but some of the girls stitched for a good 12+ hours!
It's always fun to join the zoom chats organised by Chooky. If you're interested in joining in, follow along her blog to find out when the next one will be. There are people who join from all over the world and we just sit, sew and chat. Here's the link to Chookyblue.
Joining Slow Stitching Sunday, RSC24
Hand sewing is so much fun, very relaxing. I just completed a hand sewing project, I really enjoyed it. Happy stitching!
ReplyDeleteIt really is a lovely way to wind down, isn't it? I've now made 9 green blocks and am ready to start the next February colour. Have a lovely rest of the week Gretchen :)
DeleteThe variety of fabrics that your students chose is interesting. I love the hand sewing that you are currently working on.
ReplyDeleteIt was an odd selection. One girl chose the Michigan fabric and her reasoning was because her aunt had just been to Michagan in the US. Cute, no?
DeleteGreat fabrics for your hand piecing project this month!
ReplyDeleteThank you though I'm ready to put the green scrap tub away now and start on the new February colour.
DeleteYour hand-pieced triangle blocks are going to make a pretty quilt! I didn't learn to hand-piece until I was in my 60s, but I've found that I really enjoy it. The pouch project looks like it was fun, too!
ReplyDeleteNever too late to start, right? Do you find that you hand piece more now, or still prefer machine sewing? Enjoy the rest of your week :)
DeleteGood to see you on zoom. I was one of the long stayers. 14.5 hours of sewing, bliss.
ReplyDeleteWow, you were dedicated and got lots done too. That's great :)
DeleteI admire anyone who hand pieces blocks. Looks like you have the technique under control! Teaching young women to sew is a challenge. It is amazing what fabrics catch their attention. Looks like they were successful!
ReplyDeleteI've found that it's a lovely way to wind down and stitch in the evening. Even prepping the pieces to sew is a nice way to pass time. Have you tried hand piecing blocks?
DeleteYour hexagon looks great, hand sewing is always relaxing. Missed you on zoom as I dropped in quite late on. xx
ReplyDeleteOh I missed you! Hopefully next time. I was in and out for short bits through the day, around what was happening here at home. One time, Chooky will send out the message and I'll be able to hang around all day and sew... one day... LOL
DeleteGood on you for your goal to hand stitch a quilt, doing it in RSC will spread it out over the months.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes it's a nice way to dip my toes into hand sewing without overly committing too much time all at once. Green is done and now I'm eager to start the new colour :) Enjoy the rest of your week.
DeleteSo good teach the girls sewing. Nice choice of fabrics.
ReplyDeleteMaria
Lifeontheblock
Thanks Maria. Learning to sew doesn't seem to be a priority in school any more.
DeleteThat looks like a beaut pattern to do by hand. It will be a nice and bright quilt. The kids would have had fun making their pencil cases. I made a couple when I was at school. Not lined and not is such fun fabrics. One was black with a bright yellow zip and one in a red white a blue stripe. Just what was in Mum's stash. I still have them. It was good to see you on Zoom the other day.
ReplyDeleteI love that you still have your pencil cases. When I was growing up, I hated sewing (or textiles as we called it at school). I remember we had to make a garment and I unpicked it so much and was so upset with it, that I threw it in corner and had enough. Mum ended up un-picking and finishing it for me so I wouldn't fail the class. I never did any sewing again after that... until I was pregnant with Sam and caught the sewing-bug. Strange how life turns around like that. Enjoy the rest of your week :)
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