Sunday, January 21, 2018

January Therapy

We arrived home from the midwest the first week in January and went into some serious funk.  December handled us badly on several fronts:  holiday frenzy, traveling, sewer crisis, four new tires, viruses and extreme temperatures below zero.  I couldn't sew when the house wouldn't get above 66º, but on warmer days I experienced what is meant by "quilting is therapy."  I closed myself up in my sewing room with an audiobook and the sewing machine, and just sewed.  The quilt is going well, but it was to a point where the end of the centerpiece motif was almost done.  The stitching was monotonous.  The bugs had been worked out.  The end was in sight and the sewing machine sang its lovely chorus.  This was what I needed to get my mind off the bigger worries and discomforts for a couple of hours each day.  It is amazing what a little sewing can do to rest your brain and restore your spirit.

It also helps to finally make progress on the quilt.  I have now pulled out most of the paper and am ready for the first border.  It is exciting to start a new phase of any quilt, but especially this one.  I reached this point once before and that is when I decided to start all over again from the beginning.  Soooooo glad that I did!  Putting the blocks all together was challenging as there were many points to match up.  However, with the precision of paper piecing most of them went together easily.

Below is a sneak peak of the main part of the quilt.  Borders, appliqué and quilting still ahead of me.


Sew some happy seams this week.  I wish you some productive therapy sessions.


10 comments:

  1. What a gorgeous design in those colors. Can't wait to see the finish.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. My daughter said, "Mom, those are really different colors for you." Branching out I guess.

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  2. Your quilt is amazing, and your story was a joy to read. It just puts into perspective that we all have those kinds of days/weeks.

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  3. The colors are so nice and vibrant - perfect for January de-funk sewing time. Looking forward to seeing the whole design!

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  4. Vibrant is the first thing that pops into my head when looking at this wonderful quilt. I think I like winter for the reason I can hole up and quilt without feeling guilty about not mowing the lawn, gardening or walking the dogs. It’s all about me!

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    Replies
    1. You are so right. I enjoy having this this to light up my day and today is blowing an arctic wind through the mountains. I am definitely "holed up."

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  5. What a fascinating design! Love the vibrant colors, too.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I can't wait to show the whole thing, but it will be awhile as the quilting will be time consuming.

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  6. Beautiful! Must be a joy to work with something so bright and cheerful in the miserable weather!

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    Replies
    1. It is fun and even more fun to be moving on to the last piecing steps. Can't wait to start quilting.

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