All I Want To Do Is Sew

All I want to do these days is sew.  I don't even need a deadline or a project with a near finish.  Just let me sew.  Production sewing is just fine.  435 half square triangles?  No problem, I'm your girl.  I have finished four rows of Lori Holt's Row Along and I like it just fine.  All stash:  a free quilt.  My colors are a little bit "country", but I am ok with that too.  Are those apples cute or what?

My weekend was grand.  It rained so much I began to wonder where Noah was, but it ultimately did stop, so I guess we aren't going to have a flood.  I finished a Schnibble, and am mighty pleased with it too.

I did the machine quilting myself, and have to say the size of this was about as big as I am comfortable with quilting on my own.  I had a dream last night where somehow this little project was before a panel of judges.  The verdict?  "This is possibly the worst machine quilting job we have ever seen". I woke up all in a sweat.  Have any of you submitted a quilt to a judging?  You are so brave.  My friend Thelma has been doing that a few times, and I am amazed at the judging comments she gets.  You just never know what people will like, or what they might pick apart.

No, my job isn't that bad, but jeesh, wouldn't you think all this machine quilting practicing would be beneficial to my skill level?  I know we are our own worst critics, but seriously?  I should be having more even stitches.  Sigh.  The fabrics are totally cute though.  Merry and Bright by Sandy Gervais.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  Mine was full of decorating, a beef stroganoff dinner cooked with my son in law on Sunday, and plenty of sewing.  Pretty darn perfect.

Comments

[Dortha]

Love your schnibble. It is a Sandy Gervais line called Merry and Bright. I am making a moda free pattern out of that line now. It is so cheerful like most of her lines. Have a wonderful day and hope you get to sew some.

[Tazzie]

OMG Nicole, I am in lust with those apples, they're fabulous!!
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

[Sarah]

Two more weeks till we're all on summer holidays here in Australia, then I can just sew, sew, sew. I've only submitted my quilts in a local country show (I think they are called fairs in the US?) and I won prizes. I wouldn't submit mine in proper quilt shows for judging. I know they are not of that standard, and I actually say that as I'm making them! I'm not aiming to put any in a competition. I'm enjoying seeing everyone's row along. It's on my bucket list!

[Chris]

Nicole your "Row-a-long" strips are wonderful!! I haven't seen anyone using the more subdued, primitive colors, VERY NICE!!! Can't wait to see yours all finished, it is going to be so cute! I know what you mean about wanting to sew. I have 4 kids still at home and OFTEN I have some of the grandbabies so I sew a lot late at night so I can get my sewing "fix" :) Congrats on your Schnibbles topper. Very cute too. I bet your machine quilting is lovely...you are right, we ARE our own worst critics. Keep on practicing. :)

[Betty]

Your row quilt looks like so much fun. I have thought it would be fun to make up my own row quilt. And I cheated and enlarged your quilt and I'm here to tell you that there is NOTHING wrong with your quilting. The practise has worked! And I think the background and border is the perfect choice!

[Barbara Anne]

Cheers for a happy and satisfying weekend of food, family, and lots of sewing!

You're speedily catching up on Row Along and those apples are cute. Don't you just love a free from-the-stash quilt?! Those varied fabrics play together just perfectly.

Your table topper is too cute, too. More cheers for its finish! Fret not about the quilting. It's likely just fine but however it looks, it's holding things together, lets the fabrics sing, and that's the point. My own machine quilting seems to stay in the safe harbor of in-the-ditch or straight diagonals to make diamond shapes.

Will you please show us the entire Christmas quilt that is shown in your holiday header? You could point us to where it's shown by year of finish if that's easier. Thank you!

Hugs!

[Diane]

All I want to do is sew also. I must make it happen! Those apples are about the best thing I've seen in a long time. I have a daughter who LOVES apples...I'll have to keep those in mind.

[sillysally]

Oh, that is so awesome! (channeling my teenage daughter...) Love those apples! And your Schnibbles table topper is to die for. I'm a crazy woman sewing lots of little bags for gifts. Will probably start having dreams about them soon.

[Carmen]

I love your colors for the row-along. Makes it feel very warm and comfy. Which Schnibble is this? I really like it, and the Sandy Gervais? fabrics you used.

[Paula Zumaris]

Nicole, it sounds like you do not belong to a quilt guild or you probably would have had quilts judged. You have nothing to fear! Your piecing is wonderful! Bringing home ribbons is really fun.

[Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts]

Sounds like a wonderful weekend! I got to sew for a bit too. I love your rows! And your Schnibble topper is cute! Don't worry about the stitching, it will happen when aren't paying so much attention to it. ;-)

[AnnieO]

Your rows are adorable--yes, I love the apples! I love to sew too, and have since I was 11 years old and learned how to use the machine. Your Schnibble looks great. I have submitted quilts to the County Fair but that is a bit different from a regular juried show--and I quilt all my own quilts. They are far from perfect, but it really is only you who notices these things in your own quilts, right?

I have a question for you about your wool applique from August 2012 where you said you were whipstitching the pieces down. Is it a buttonhole stitch you do or simply the straight stitch off the edges? I could not tell from your photos.

[Teri]

Love both your quilts. I want to sew also! Life just keeps getting in the way

[Debbie R.]

Very cute rows and adorable apples. I love your Schnibble! Looks terrific to me. So don't worry about what those dream judges (and your subconscious) are saying. As for sewing. Well, I wish I had time. That is what I dream about -- sewing!

[Anita]

Love your shnibble! I'm sure the quilting is fine...better yet, it's done and free! More money to buy fabric :) They say practice makes perfect, so I'm sure once you've done it a few hundred times you'll be fine :)

[Kim]

Love your row quilt. And The Schnibbles quilt is adorable, too. It looks so festive on the table.

[pam]

Super cute! I need to make my leaves, but I'm a procrastinator. I was surprised how much I liked doing the geese that way, but in the end my edges are funky. I usually use the traditional method but like you, I thought trying something new would be interesting! Happy sewing!

[ina]

Girls just wanna have fun! ;p

[Kathy]

Cute Schnibble table topper... perfectly festive. I'm lovin' your row alongs too... my kind of colors! You are just sewing up a storm! (I'm jealous!)

[Sherri]

I love everything...and I'm right with you...All I want to do is sew too! Something about December just makes me want to sew even more...or maybe it's just all the gifts I want to give!

[Jennifer G]

I wish I could take a vacation until Christmas, so I could just sit and work on projects all day! I even try to get up in the middle of the night, but my kids are still so young - they wake up and come looking for me and then I'm down for the count again... I really want to jump on the Row Along bandwagon and I have printed out the weekly instructions, but I can't seem to fit it in yet. Maybe before Spring!

[Bari Jo]

Your weekend sounds just what the doctor ordered! Your work is fabulous and I love the colors of your row a long... I have a bundle of Kansas Troubles that I just may have to break open for this... so darn cute!