Sugar Loaf blocks in early morning progress!
I don't know about you, but I learn a lot on how to get things done, by watching other people - getting things done!
My friend Jill (Who I don't see often enough because she is in Southern California, and I am on the opposite coast in Virginia) is a master at making her available quilting time work for her. She is SO productive.
When is her best quilting time? Way early morning - like Zero Dark Thirty before she goes to work.
I remember her telling me that sneaking a couple of blocks in (Maybe just an hour in the morning?) energized her through the day, made it so she couldn't wait to come back to her project the next morning giving her something to look forward to.
I took her challenge this morning. At a bit past 6am I was at the machine - and I made TWO blocks - the brown one and the blue one. The green one in assembly mode? I can justify that as I used it as Leaders & Enders as the ender to the two that had just finished.
It will be waiting for me to get back to tomorrow early morning - as evening machine time just hasn't been happening. I've been giving that time to feet up and hand stitching at the end of the day.
Is there a time of day that you could switch around to feel a bit of that productivity?
This also happened during my lunch break yesterday. What do you see here? The clean up and reorganization of all of the strips I had been working with for Nearly Lemoyne.
I am kind of a "Pull it all out there!" quilter when choosing fabrics for a quilt. And with all of the blocks using 3 fabrics, each block different from the next, with no set color theme (Read that as KITCHEN SINK QUILTING!) I needed it all in front of me where I could make choices and pairings and determine what to use where.
The strips I was using ended up in a big bin where I could pull and match - and then when finished, comes the job of resorting and putting back away.
I love using the table side of my long arm for more than just quilting. It becomes a staging and sorting area!
I tend to sort the strips by width and color family, hanging them over the take up roller to give me more freedom of table space.
From this point - when all was sorted, it was an easy job to bundle up the strips by color family and put them back in the drawers where they go waiting for the next project explosion to happen.
Of course I turned around to find this!
Lola the Scrap Compactor.
The bins you see to the right in the photo? Those are scraps that have NOT been cut down to Scrap User’s System sizes yet. They are smaller than 1/2 a fat quarter, weird hunks and chunks, some leftover border lengths, things like that. I have kept them separated by color, and this winter I want to work through cutting things down - especially the colors that I am running short on in the strips department.
So many strips, so much fun!
What amazes me though - with a quilt that finishes at 74'' x 90'' - you'd think that there would be a visible reduction in the amount of available strips. Nope. Scraps are the golden goose of quilting and they just keep replenishing!
I'm also thinking this quilt would be BEAUTIFUL as a Christmas quilt - what if you made the stars in Christmas fabrics, shades of green, red, maybe some gold?
If you purchased this pattern yesterday - THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'd love to see some progress as you pull fabrics and work on your blocks. Would you mind sharing some photos with me? I'd love to see your blocks as you make them - maybe on the design wall, the design floor, at your machine!
You can email photos to me and any info you'd like me to include about them.
To email photos, click the email envelope in the dots beneath my signature below. Did you know each of those dots have clickable links to my other channels?
If you are on Instagram, please tag your photos with #nearlylemoynequilt and personally tag me @quiltville_bonnie so I can see your progress. Instagram is still hiding new hashtag info due to the election stuff (I really don't understand that, but then my world is limited to quilting.) Tagging me helps me to see your posts!
More from the Trail Cam!
I know it's a grainy lo-res photo - and the buck was moving so it's not like he is going to stand still and pose while the camera is shooting.
This was VERY close the cabin last night at about 5pm. The Hubster yelled "10 point!" "10 point!" as I was starting to write the blog down in the basement studio just a bit ago.
I had to run all the way up to his loft office to see what he was clamoring on about.
So THIS is the guy that has been populating the mountain producing many baby fawns in the spring!
We think this is the same one captured in yesterday's video.
There is just something wonderful about sharing our property with majestic creatures such as this. I just don't want them on the road, running out in front of my car at dusk!
We are drawing for our lucky winner of Barbara Brackman's 3rd edition of Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns THURSDAY!
Did you get your entry in ON THAT POST?
Also on that post is the information and links for ordering your own copy at 30% off through November 24th!
This is a wonderful gift for your quilty friends and relations - shipped just in time for the holidays. Order up today, and cross those names off your list!
So what is happening here for Tuesday?
I am making the jump from my doctor's office 2 hours drive away, to finding a family practice up here closer to where I live now. New patient appointment this afternoon.
The worst part? THE PAPERWORK. I think that is the thing that stops me from wanting to move my business to a new medical facility - it's all the paperwork. But it will be good to have someone here.
That also means I will get a mammogram also scheduled locally as I put all of that on hold in April when Covid was hitting hard and the last place I wanted to be was in a medical facility with possibly asymptomatic people.
Are you behind in your medical check ups too? Maybe we can pinky swear together to get caught up on them and start taking better care of ourselves?
And that goes with other forms of self care too.
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
I am vowing to do this.
How about you?
Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone!
Covid is rearing it's ugly head again here in Northern Illinois. I am currently sitting with my dad as he makes his final journey. I need to reestablish myself with a new doctor but many are not taking in person visits with new patients right now.
ReplyDeleteIn the last month I’ve had my flu shot, shingles shot, mammogram and dexascan. Hopefully I’m good for a while. Anymore that paperwork is a nearly annual occurrence. Either they need an update or they have a new computer system. Cutting the drive will be rewarding.
ReplyDeleteI found a new doctor in September when the former went "concierge". That annual fee was beyond my reach! All caught up with the checkups except the teeth. Must reschedule the ones that got cancelled during the peak of Covid. Loving your wildlife photos, including the cat compactor :) Mary / https://stitchinggrandma.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteReally love the new blog header w Zoey and Nearly Lemoyne.
ReplyDeleteBut oh! The idea of doing that in Christmas fabrics is perfect! I've been looking for the right pattern for some leftover Christmas fabrics. I already have a backing that's a sort of 8-point star print that would complement that block really well. Hmm... guess I'm off to your digital store. ;) Thanks, Bonnie!!
Thank you for the posting of the deer photo. You are fortunate to be so close to nature there at your home. Here in Scottsdale we get to see coyotes, javelina, bobcats, owls and hawks, but they aren’t as magnificent as that stag. 👏
ReplyDeleteWe had a beautiful four point buck walk through our lower pasture this week. Couldn't get a picture as it was deep dusk & he was blending in with our woods. We usually see the does, so it was a treat to watch the buck going about his business!
ReplyDeleteCatherine in SW Indiana
Good morning to you, Bonnie. I live in the Arizona desert, so I have much less risk of hitting a buck in the road than you, but we do have our hazards. Saturday morning, on the last leg of a road trip home after visiting family in Texas, a tumbleweed, literally as wide as my car, was tumbled by high winds onto the road from my left. I quickly maneuvered while traveling at 83 mph to cross to the left lane, hoping to skirt the tumbleweed's trajectory. But that tumbleweed had a flat side, and it stopped unexpectedly smack-dab in front of me. It exploded around my car in tiny shards and twigs for a very thrilling instant, and then it was nothing but a memory. I am very grateful it was old and dry and disintegrated at the first touch with no damage to the car.
ReplyDeleteI was forced to find a new doctor when my long time doc closed his practice in April. fortunately, he referred his patients to a wonderful team, and my transition was almost painless. I was put on a new med, which greatly improved my numbers. I'm caught up on my screenings, labs, and will schedule an eye appointment soon. Gotta be able to see to quilt. Love seeing your trail cam - we miss living in the country. We had such a variety of wildlife that visited the property. I follow you on every possible media because i don't want to miss anything. Ordering the new pattern today. Thanks for everything.
ReplyDeleteDon't skip those mammograms. I had been lulled into a false sense of security after 15+ years of clean reports. I started skipping. After talking to a neighbor across the street who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, it scared me back into the imaging center for a mammogram. Sure enough at 58 years old I was diagnosed with breast cancer. No family history...I was the first. I did not know that 85% of breast cancer patients have no family history. I thought it was the other way around. Thank God it was caught very early. Surgery for a lumpectomy and some radiation...no chemotherapy. It makes such a difference when it's caught EARLY. My survival rate is 96%...get them done ladies and don't skip.
ReplyDeleteSo true! I caught mine early (39) due to family history and having test done starting at 35.
DeleteJust downloaded the PDF and want to work on it as soon as possible. I have one block that I did by looking on Quiltmaker but have been finishing up projects and that was the only one I made. Thank you for all the work you do to make your followers inspired and happy.
ReplyDeleteMammogram last Wednesday, Colonoscopy this Wednesday. But had to have Covid test yesterday before Colonoscopy! Eye exam scheduled for next month. I also decided I needed to make sure I did appointments.
ReplyDeleteSince mid-September, I have had a dental exam, my flu shot, my pneumonia shot, my first shingles shot, and an eye exam. Mammo was done last January so will have that to look forward to in a few months. Thankfully, my PCP is YOUNGER than I am so, hopefully, I won’t need to be looking for a new physician any time soon.
ReplyDeleteLOVE seeing your wildlife shots! We live in the middle of Lincoln, NE, well, close to the north edge, and we have seen fox, coyotes, raccoons, TONS of squirrels, a few hawks, several different kinds of owls, and plenty of birds on our property. The raccoons were particularly entertaining as they (Mama and baby) were in a huge tree next to our garage. They put on quite a show in the evening last May. We were in the middle of being so isolated, and they provided some much-needed entertainment for over an hour. I can’t believe we so much wildlife in the city. Friends have taken to calling our property the Westerhold Wildlife Refuge Center!
I love to sew from 9-10:30 PM after the kids and hubby go to bed. It's the relaxation I need before going to sleep. Even after a long day, I plug in the machine and start sewing. So relaxing! I have kept up on all my medical appointments, doing chemo then radiation every week from March-August. I felt safest at the medical appointments because they used every precaution. Get them mammo! Early detection saved my life at 40 years young. For my 41st birthday I'll have surgery for my permanent implants and be ready to move on with life. COVID slowed me down, giving me the rest and time at home to recover from treatments. I love seeing your wildlife pictures. We don't have the trail cam up (hunting season here) but we're seeing them every day out our back door.
ReplyDeleteAnother plus to staying home to work. I get to see the wildlife right outside my office window instead of running in front of my windshield on my drive into work! By sheer luck I had my mammogram on the very last day my provider was open in March. Had just gone to the dentist and eye doctor...so thankful.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the new physician thing....sigh. I don't mind the paper work so much but what I struggle with is getting to know the new physician and being comfortable. I am definitely not an open book. My blood pressure goes up at the first couple of visits for just this reason. I try to find a woman specializing in internal medicine and when we moved here 2 years ago I asked around and found someone I really am comfortable with. I had my yearly things done last September. Please, please make your appointments and take care of yourself! We owe it to ourselves and too
ReplyDeletethe people we love.
I just got caught up on all my yearly medical visits. all good. I had also delayed them
ReplyDeleteI just sent in my request to the VA medical center near me for a referral for my mammogram and my annual skin cancer check. Both my mom and her mom had melanomia, and as a product of the 60s and 70s (baby oil for tans, anyone?) with a lot of freckles and moles, I've very high risk. So while everyone is getting their check-up tests in a row, please remember to have your skin, which is our largest organ, checked.
ReplyDeleteFor the last 8 months my hubby & I have been cautioning each other to BE CAREFUL when working outside, etc....we need to avoid ER's. I finally decided to get my mammogram scheduled & am going this Thursday - exactly on my due date. After one cancer scare 3 years ago (which found 3 lumps of 2 different types of tumors) that resulted in a total hysterectomy I woke in the recovery room to "NO CANCER".
ReplyDeleteI went in expecting them to find stage 4 ovarian cancer, even the surgeon was expecting it. Within an hour of being in recovery I got out of bed & got dressed, informing the nurses I was going home NOW, I wasn't taking any chances on catching MERS. The doctor told the nurses on the phone to let me go home. Weird tumors, though - one is always in young women (and I am a retired senior) and both grew incredibly fast. You really need to pay attention to your body, advocate for yourself big time & get the recommended tests! But I'm going in fully masked, with hand sanitizer to be used liberally while there.
I’ve always a been an early bird and get up between 2 and 3 am to read emails/news/buy stuff online, haha, but most importantly sew before work. I think getting up super early started when kids were little and it was the only time I had to myself all day. My family thinks I’m nuts (daughter said she thinks I’m a vampire, lol), but I’m most alert & creative early a.m.
ReplyDeleteMy work schedule swings too often from day to night for me to have anything close to a schedule, but I prefer to sew and be productive in the mornings before work. If I try doing it after a long day of work my hands shake too badly and I make so many mistakes.
ReplyDeleteAs for doctors? Not a fan. My pocketbook can't afford repeated visits to the doctor to get diagnosed, and for some reason doctors don't like to actually treat me. The last time I had an ear infection I got sent home because I had the flu....my eardrum burst less than 8 hours after my appointment.
My prime time to sew had been when I get home from work and am starting dinner, but with my husband working from home and my work increased with digital learning I haven’t found a bee golden hour. My doctor was actually impressed how well I’ve kept up on my appointments during covid but the exercise and me time parts of self care have been off.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, Nancy Zieman had a thing "10, 20, 30 Minutes to Sew." I was working full time with 3 kids - very limited sewing time. I decided to keep a cutting mat, rulers, rotary cutter and pins in and under my desk at work. On days I stayed in for lunch, I would take out the mat, etc. I was amazed at how much cutting and pinning I could get done in that short amount of time. It also broke up the day and refreshed me for the afternoon. Thanks for the mammogram reminder. I've been carrying that script around since August. I'll make an appointment this weeks since I have my annual physical in the beginning of December and I'm about six months late for the mammogram.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working, an hour of quilting before work got lots done. Now I like to catch up on reading early too. Finally made your pumpkin cookies this week. They are so good. Will make more for Thanksgiving. Had to find an egg substitute due to family member's allergy. One quarter cup aqua farber(liquid drained from canned chick peas) plus 1 TBsp ground flax meal worked fine. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI'll pinky swear with you Bonnie. I'm up half the night because I don't feel well, because I haven't been looking after myself. I don't think I could use my sewing machine early in the morning because the house is sleeping but I could cut and press and hand quilt. Something to think about for sure.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bonnie - your seemingly endless energy and kind reflections on everything around you is truly inspiring!
ReplyDeleteWhy did I never think to just spread my strips out like that?? Digging through a tote is a big pain.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of sewing a couple of blocks in the morning. I wonder if this would also work when I just set down a bit throughout the day to rest when doing my house work. Bonnie your friend is a quilter energizer.
ReplyDeleteQuick suggestion to speed up the medical paperwork. I created a word document that contains all my current prescriptions and vitamins, all surgeries and anything else that is relevant. When I have an appointment, I print this off and in all the boxes asking for this information I write "see attached." This saves me lots of writing and remembering.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mammo reminder. I put mine off due to covid, too. it's on the calendar now!
ReplyDeleteWise words indeed we all need to take better care of our own health, we won’t be of use to our families if we aren’t well ourselves. Thank you for this timely reminder, and good luck with your doctors office paperwork.
ReplyDeleteStay safe
Love and quilty hugs
Anne xx