A couple of recent projects...

Oh, poor, neglected little blog... there are so many things to post - great summer adventures never shared, new schools, and the beginning of fall fun.  In time, it will find it's way here.

But today is just a fun little sharing post.  While I haven't been sewing as much as I would like lately, there have been a couple of projects that make me happy.  But, oddly enough, they make me happy for very different reasons. One was a quick, one-hour project that I used nearly every day this summer.  The other was a project that began a year ago - and finally decided it was time to power through.

Project #1 - A Clothespin Apron
For mother's day, what I wanted more than anything was a clothes line.  I has dreamed of one all last summer, and made do with a small drying rack.  It was time for the real thing, so Dan and the boys kindly got me all the supplies, and when the rain went away, they put it up.  After about two loads of laundry, I realized that I had a serous need for an easy place to keep my clothespins.  A long time ago I purchased the book One Yard Wonders, and had seen the perfect solution. With fabric from the stash and an hour of the boys playing legos, it was done.

 Simple, easy, practical.  I use it more than just about anything I have ever made.  Love it.

Project #2. Bed Quilt

About a year ago, while in one of my favorite quilt shops, I saw a sample quilt that I fell in love with.  Girly, but not over-the-top, colors I love, linear and straight-forward. I bought it on the spot, sure it would be quick, easy quilt that would be done withing a month.  Um, yeah.  It was simple.  But honestly?  Once I got started, I kept finding reasons to put it away and work on other stuff. That many long, straight seams?  Not very exciting. After two or three months, I got the top finished.  Then it took another 2-3 months to get the fabric for the back and binding.  And the big stall?  That came in the machine quilting step.  My poor little machine was just not meant to tackle a king-sized quilt.  The minor tension issues my machine had been having became bigger, unkind words were said, and the whole thing very nearly found it's way to a basket in the crawl space where I could just forget about it. But I guess that this is where my stubborn nature kicks in.  I decided in July that I was not sewing ANYTHING else until this quilt was done.  Within a few weeks it was quilted and binding was attached.  Over the last two weeks, the binding was hand-sewn in the evenings.  And just this Tuesday, the final stitches were sewn.  It is done.  Finally.

To be honest, I'm having a hard time seeing past the mistakes right now.  I don't love it the way I hoped.  It's about 10 inches more narrow that I wish it were.  And  maybe I just need some distance from it before I love it again.  Right now, all that matters is that it is done.

SO, there they are.  I just got a new sewing book in the mail, and can't wait to get started on so many little projects.  I've also got pillows I want to make and dreams of a "sea and sky" themed log cabin couch quilt.  And the best thing?  Last weekend I bought myself a new machine. 

Now I just have to make time to use it!