Hand Sewing

I decided to machine quilt both seams along side each block on the Forever Baseball quilt. What I find interesting is that my new machine sounds like a jack hammer and won't hold a straight line. I've changed needles, replaced both bobbin and top thread, and still...its not like having a relationship with mutual accountability. The machine cannot tell me it is sorry or give me some song and dance about personal events. Its a machine. I have a choice.

It is half quilted & isn't a top priority to finish. Meanwhile, there is a quilt label to embroider for the Italian Garden quilt, the Weekender Tote Bag strap to finish, and a Fall mug rug to bind and a 2-hand-hotpad to cut & baste. 

The strap is pinned to the bag now, & needs stitching along the bindings of the strap, which make the inside pocket channels at the same time. Kinda loud. The mug rug is done and goes to my friend Rex who reads this blog, so the pic will post after she gets it next week.

I have enough to do before finishing the machine quilting on the Forever Baseball quilt going out mid-October. Its both finishing work on some projects and prep work for others.

Its easy to get de-railed when I am between projects. I start watching You Tube tutorials and looking on Pinterest. Suddenly, I am making photo copies of patterns & longing to make what I see on both sites. Then I pull myself back in, reminding self of my commitments to finish what is in the closet. I think part of it is really wanting to make something new out of what I see in the bins. Part of it is a long-time desire to make house block quilts.

One of my family 'out-laws' is co-sponsoring a fundraiser. I set him all sorts of smaller items (couple of totes, some table toppers and a fabric box) I had in my bins to use as part of other baskets they offer in raffles or silent auctions. What I really want is to have charity quilts made up and ready to go when they are needed and I don't have that yet. So I keep quilting. Maybe someday.