Going great guns

I was going great guns on quilting the patriotic quilt when my sewing machine went sideways. Actually, I had been having trouble with the bobbin casing with tangled thread so off to the machine shop it goes - with no backup machine at home. Grrrr Makes for a good argument on why one should have two machines.

 

My ironing board broke and needed to be replaced. I could have gone to a big box retailer and spend about $20 for the board and cover but I opted to buy one thrift. So cool it is not only sturdy but a so-what-if-I'm-orange ironing board ($4.50).

A NWT Hard Rock café t-shirt ($17.50, $2.50) was a delightful find. Peace sign t-shirts are high on my buy list.

My go-to for fabric and quilt books is Interfaith's Great Finds in Sutter Creek. There was a 1930s Milady sewing machine priced at $100, well beyond my budget. This batch hovering around my $8 total per shop visit was fabric and a couple of publications.

Having sent my son's quilt to a longarmer for quilting, I still need to find the perfect binding to finish the project. A sneek peek of the quilted middle portion.  

I also did another destash of the uglies, ugly fabric which wasn't really ugly so much as lower quality. I run into trouble when I use cheaper lighterweight fabric in my quilts.

I am also paring down my projects. I've previously revealed my ADD method of creating and have decided I need laser focus. I am neither retired nor do I have a lot of quilting time per project so marginal projects and even remnants from my finished creations were sent to the Great Thrift Shop Beyond. I did keep a couple of blocks and remnants from my Shabby Chic Wedding quilt to eventually make a pillow for my niece.

In a takeoff from this post 6-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-starting-a-diy-project, I present:

Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Quilting Project.

1.  Are the instructions reasonable and easy to follow?

While I have never attempted a quilt kit, I have heard pros and cons. Precut, you just sew the fabric together.

In my quest to be Quilter Extraordinaire, I flirt with the idea of making a Gypsy's Wife quilt - but then I come to my senses.

2.  Are you comfortable with the time and the cost of the project?

Any quilter can tell you, quilting is not a cheap hobby, from the cost of the machines to the fabric itself. Time, well heck, who doesn't have plenty of that?

 

3.  Will you be able to perform the tasks? 

Thankfully, I know my own limitations and when it comes to curves and points and all that, I'm just not top rung.

4.  Do you have the space to do the project? 

If you are talking design wall - no.
Long arm quilting machine - no.
Work bench - no.
Did I already take over part of the basement for my sewing stuff? - yes.

5.  Will you be okay with a wonky looking finished item?

Well, there should be plenty of proof of that in Pinterest fails. As quilters we already know there will be mistakes. Sometimes there are deliberate mistakes. Earlier this year I finished a deliberate wonky wall hanging so if its wonky, bring it on. 

Do you analyze whether you should proceed with certain projects or do you just begin them and wish for the best?