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Sunday, September 02, 2012

One Hour of Simply Needle & Thread!

I’ve gotten many comments and mails about those of you who want to work with me on the one hour of hand quilting a day.

I’m just planning to work this in on days that I am home ONLY. And only if time allows – but I want to do it early in the day on days that might be busy, unless I can definitely carve out a time in the evening where I won’t be pulled away by anything else.

Many have asked if they can work on “OTHER” handwork things too.

Of COURSE you can. We can consider it an hour of unplugged sewing time.

Do some redwork.

Do some applique.

Do some hand piecing.

Hand stitch a binding.

Someone said they had a cross stitch quilt kit that needed to be finished with the embroidery. That’s all good too.

It’s just got to be needle and thread --- BY HAND.

But for me – my main purpose is to get myself going on these quilts that are basted and partially quilted, yet keep getting pushed to the way back burner. Without a goal, I’m not going to make it!

So what am I going to do to remind myself?

calendar

Print Calendar HERE

Simple! I found a printable calendar ((linked above)) to mark my time down on the days that I hand quilt.

You can run this as you want to yourself. If you know you are going to be gone Friday, but want to quilt 15 minutes extra on four other days to make up for that lost hour on Friday, go for it!

I’m getting my things ready. I want to work on the Baptist fans on my In The Pink ((Dear Jane)) quilt. I’m putting all my tools in one place. I’m going to make myself ready.

I am betting that even at the end of one week, we will see OODLES of progress, all of us!

Those with blogs ---would you like to do a linky? Take a picture of your project as it sits right now. Then after a week, let’s linky again to show the before and after, okay? We can do the “Ready, Get Set – GO!” Linky tomorrow ((MONDAY)) and the following one will be the next Monday, with your blog post showing both your start photo and your progress photo. And a photo of how you marked your time on your calendar would be fun too!

Can you think of anything else that might benefit others? A photo of WHERE you sew? What you listen to when you sew? Make your posts as interesting as possible – it’s more fun for readers than just reading “I worked 7 hours on this this week.” End. Of. Story. You know? Be creative! Be inventive!

Deal??

I’m All In! I hope you are too!

40 comments:

  1. I have so much 'hand work' waiting for my attention - so I'm "IN" and love the "linky" idea...somehow, putting it OUT THERE might inspire me to actually DO it! LOL And while I don't have anything ready to hand quilt right now...when you said anything By Hand with Needle & Thread...my little box of a dozen or more pincushions waiting to be made sprang to mind...I NEED to get them done...yep, I'm IN!

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    1. wow...you DO get me moving...have my post up...it's out there - no turning back now! LOL

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  2. Hmmm...perhaps I need to find something to hand quilt! SMILE!

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  3. I have some hand applique I've been meaning to get to for weeks. I like to have a project with me wherever I go, but I have to get it preppred. Maybe this will be the swift kick in my tuckus I need to get started.

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  4. Sheila Hebert5:54 PM EDT

    I am in. Needed a push. Thank you Bonnie and all of your followers.
    Sheila from Texas

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  5. Hi Bonnie. Great idea.I don't have a blog, but I'll be working on my hexie project, and a patriotic table topper that I am hand quilting with free hand Baptiat fans. That is almost finished, so this will be incentive to complete it! Cindy in SC

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  6. I'm in. And I'll add a post on my blog tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion.

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  7. I'm in! I have hand embroidery I've been working on, and recently started a blog, so it will be my first chance to linky with you. :)
    Welcome home & congrats on the Completely Nearly Insane top being finished. It's beautiful!
    Nan in KS

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  8. I'm in too! I have numerous hand projects but will work on a hand piecing project which I'll then hand quilt. Mainly because I need to get it off my design wall and (embarrassing) it was supposed to be my birthday quilt (July). If I can figure out how to do the Linkie, I'll do that too!

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  9. I don't have a hand sewing project, but I have been procrastinating cutting out some applique pieces for a Christmas table runner. That's a project that requires sitting down in front of the television, and I haven't done that lately. (Well, not since last Sunday, lol. I really mean other than the Sunday shows, which both end tonight.)

    I hope to have the reindeer cut out by the week's end. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  10. I love your Dear Jane quilt! That's a great one to hand quilt. I've wanted to hand quilt one of my quilts with Baptist fans, but I'm having a problem deciding where to start in the quilt. I usually start in the center, but with this design I'm a little insecure. Help...

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    1. Anonymous6:57 PM EDT

      Bonnie has a post 'Freehand Baptist Fans' on her website. Hope you can find that and it helps.

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  11. I'm in - I've got an applique project that has sit on a back burner long enuff! - wonder if Ikea ships those bendy lights???

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  12. Really want to finish my Delectable Mountains wedding quilt (2007)
    tried to do an hour a day, but being Bonnie-inspired may help me to accomplish it.

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  13. I'm in. I have an embroidery & some repairs to an antique quilt to wrangle.

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  14. I'm in have 1 to applique, 1 to hand quilt & K1 too! !!!!!!!

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  15. It would be cool if my blog entry said something like, "Look at the hand work I got done this week while Bonnie was on "quilt cam," and while watching/listening I learned (blank)..." ;^ )

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  16. ooooh, you make this sound so tempting and easy... I've got hexies that are growing older by the day... AND I'm going on retreat on Wed. I could take my calendar, I could take my hexies... ok, you've talked me into it...

    What happened to the leaders and enders spools? I've been working on mine, though I've only finished 4 spool blocks (as leaders and enders). I'm thinking I'll make great progress with that at retreat.

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  17. I have some serious crochet to do. I'm in.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, good idea. I want to make a little spool pin doily. I think a hook and thread should count!

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  18. Anonymous6:44 PM EDT

    I'll try this too! Got some counted cross stitch needs doing!

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  19. Oh I am so in! I don't have a blog but I am an avid blog reader. Can't wait! Currently for hand work I've started a hexagon quilt. Also need to crochet some cotton dish cloths. In the next couple weeks hopefully I will be ready to bind two quilts. I don't currently have an applique project going, but applique is my love so I will start one soon. Thankfully I am at a job where there is periodically 'down time' and one of my clients sews (he is autistic and very focused on his sewing)so I sew with him. Woohoo! Can't wait! FYI I love to piece with YLI Heirloom 70 wt. thread. For applique I use YLI Heirloom 100 wt. thread.....both cotton.
    Happy stitching!

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  20. Anonymous7:07 PM EDT


    This is a great idea! I've just dug out three quilts that just need bindings put on them. I attached one this morning and hope to get the binding on the others tonight. The Oregon nights are cooling off and it's time to get these babies done!

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  21. I'm in, I have been working on a grandmothers flower garden quilt only on Fridays with " my little elderly ladies group". Been working on it for 3 yrs. Maybe this will help me get it done faster. There are a lot of flowers in Grandma's garden!

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  22. Hey Bonnie, what's that thing on your thread that looks like a thread bracelet? Pretty.... Does it have a purpose? Thanks, kate

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  23. I don't have a blog..don't know if I can figure out how to even
    get one..I may try to see what you have to do. I did take a picture of the cross stitch quilt. Wouldn't it be something grand
    if I actually finished it!!!! When I put it on the bed to take the
    picture I did't realize I had as much done as I do. How silly is it to wait 41 years?
    Thanks Bonnie.

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  24. I am IN! I have a preprinted small quilt that I am hand quilting. Have been working on it in a sporai fashion for about 3 years. I have my hexie project and an applique project called Tiny Town that I started about 3 years ago. I have a blog but am not sure I know how to do the linky.
    sandi in tennessee

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  25. that should have said "sporadic"...

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  26. I have a hand pieced GFG that mom gave me a couple of years ago. I have been intending to start hand quilting this for two years now. Gee it could have been done by now at 15 a day. I'll get it basted and in the frame for sure now. Thanks

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  27. I'm in with my Dear Jane cross-stitch; hand quilting roses in a yellow/blue quilt; hand applique on a Japanese fabric/Dresdan quilt; some hexies that have been hanging around plus another hexi project and last but not least, a redwork quilt! Now it's down, I hope to get into a program. Thanks Bonnie!

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  28. Anonymous11:51 PM EDT

    I'm in for sure! -- have several applique projects begun and a big sampler I taught from several years ago that is half quilted ... this will be GREAT encouragement to get it done. I like to do handwork after dinner while watching tv though my hands are not always up to handsewing for an hour --- BUT, "every stitch counts".

    Kar

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  29. I have two twin quilts that need handquilting, a king size quilt that needs binding, plus three thread painting projects. It would be great to get these finished. I'm in! Thanks, Bonnie.

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  30. I'm in! I have a wallhanging that is about a quarter quilted. It's a sampler quilt designed by Linda Halpin called "Quilting With Laura" - based on the "Little House On The Prairie" books. It's really sweet and will be great hanging in my bedroom with the civil war quilt I did last year.
    The next on my list will be some wool applique.....fall themed...that I promise myself LAST YEAR to have done before October 2012. HMMM....maybe I should be working on both....even days applique and odd days quilting.
    Thanks Bonnie for the nudge and it will be fun to see what everyone does.
    Good Luck!

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  31. I'm in. I got some done yesterday watching Dr. Who with my daughter Beth. I know that working on hand quilting in the evening will help me feel like I'm getting something done during the school year. Thanks Bonnie!

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  32. I can attest to the benefits of dedicated time for quilting projects. We have home gym equipment and I am disciplined about maintaining an exercise routine; in between exercise sets, I reward myself with 10-15 minutes of quilting time: piecing, or hand quilting. It's amazing what you can get done this way. It may take longer than if you just sat and quilted until a project was finished, but this method is easier on the (aging) body and steady progress keeps you encouraged. The first project I finished using this time management technique I named, "The Rewards of Exercise". Now this is my daily habit and I'm continually amazed with how much I get done. (and I no longer dread the exercise time).

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  33. Great idea, Bonnie - I'm onboard too. It's probably the only way I'll get some bindings done. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction.

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  35. I'm in. I've got a million hand sewing and quilting projects. I'm going to start small with a christmas angel wallhanging then progree to the quilt I put away 15 years ago when the dogs were jumping on the quilt frame. When I hand quilt I listen to Pat Sloans podcasts. They each last an hour and it makes the time go fast. Similar to quilting along with Bonnie on the quilt cam.

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  36. I am in! I have tons of handwork needing attention. I think I will start with the wool pincushions that need to be stitched. Then there is applique and embroidery and cross stitch and a bit of needlepoint that needs to get done. Gonna start today.

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  37. Anonymous5:58 PM EDT

    I have a redwork project a friend of my gave me, what a great way to get it done and finish an UFO at the same time.

    Sherry

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