Quilts and craziness.

I worked on my quilt some more today. Yesterday I finished chain piecing all of the 728 squares (I just realized that I was probably supposed to do that some as I was making strips, too, but I didn't). I guess it made things go more quickly, but since this is my first quilt I have nothing to compare it to. :) Today I started sewing the pairs of squares into strips.

I have 21 of 28 rows done so far.

It's not hard work, but it is tedious. And my pile of squares doesn't seem to be shrinking much, though I know it is. :)

I'm attempting to enjoy even the repetitive nature of quilt making.

Several times recently I've read something in relation to sewing: that you should enjoy the process just as much as the finished project. I've realized that I rarely do that. I'm always in such a hurry to see a project finished that I rush through it. And not just with sewing, but with knitting and embroidering and even reading. Sometimes I hurry through a book just so I can add it to my "read" list. Isn't that ridiculous?

I'm trying to learn to relax and enjoy things more. :) A quilt is a project that's really time consuming. But every time I see my finished quilt over the years, I don't just want to see the quilt itself. I want to remember all of the work I put into it and be proud of that.

So, I'm trying my best to enjoy the process of creating just as much as I enjoy what I create. Even when things aren't going so well. Like when I sew up the wrong seam and have to pick it out. Or when my stitches in knitting are too loose. :)

Oliver enjoys the process. Or what little of it he sees, anyway, when he's actually awake.

It doesn't bother him in the slightest that he's in my way or that his face or paws are only inches away from a very sharp needle.

Or that he's so sweet that I can't resist loving on him every few minutes.

Anyway, I hoping to finish the last seven strips tomorrow and then start sewing the rows together. After I get the quilt top finished, I can't do anymore until I buy the batting and wait for my walking presser foot to get here. I ordered one from Ebay today, because from what I've read, quilting (in straight lines- not free motion) is very frustrating and difficult without a walking foot.

I've been holding back on ordering one, because they're so ridiculously expensive. The cheapest I could find online was $30, which still sounds to me like way too much for a tiny piece of metal and plastic. Then Marmee called the local sewing machine/vacuum store (where I bought my machine) and asked if they had the walking foot I need. They did, and it's $75. Can you believe that?? Crazy. That's about 1/4 of what I paid for my whole machine! So I broke down and bought the one on Ebay. But it hurt. I kept thinking of how many books or how much fabric I could buy with that money.

My quilt has gone along pretty smoothly so far. I hope it'll still be that way when I start actually quilting it. :)

By the way, I saw Grey Gardens this weekend. One of the most bizarre things I've ever seen in my life. It was one of those things sort of like a car accident, that show Hoarders, or The Lawrence Welk Show. You feel like you should look away, but it's so hypnotic that you can't help but keep watching.

Until next time,