Monday, February 9, 2009

A quilter's confession...

Here's a little window into my quilting life. I confess, I am not neat. Fabric, thread, pins and scissors are pretty much everywhere. My dinning table is my sewing table and my kids are lucky if they don't get thread in their food.
If there is a flat space, my "stuff" is there. My ironing board needs help! Luckily the ironing board (a gift from my husband) is pretty big so I still have room to iron my quilt pieces.
I love my quilts and usually have them folded at least, but my kids like to play----jump on them so they end up like this. Notice my photos are not color? That's because it doesn't look as messy. Right?
I confess the laundry is done, but not folded. It probably won't be folded. Why fold? There is too much quilting to do. Take care!

16 comments:

Barb said...

dido on that one!!! my space is a total wreck.....my husband comes into my room and goessss "Whoa...what blew up in here!"

Eileen said...

ha-ha-ha.. love this post. I'm afraid it all looks too familiar! You are brave to post it. We have not eaten at our diningroom table in I can't remember how long.

Anonymous said...

YES! You are living my past! You weren't kidding. Trust in me....you've seen my blog and studio...dreams really do come true.

onlymehere said...

I used to sew at the kitchen table so obviously not as much sewing got done. I now have a nook that I carved out of my family room to sew in. I have a son moving out this summer and so I'll then FINALLY after 27 years of marriage have a sewing room! I have a hard time getting my laundry folded too bz with five of us here still at home it gets worn too fast to have folding as a priority!! Cindy

Linda said...

LOL I will remember the black & white trick that is for sure! My sewing "room" is in my bedroom and there is literally a path to my bed and that is about it! The excercise bike is used to hold strips! :D Someday I hope to organize it... someday LOL!

Linda said...

Oh yeah, forgot to mention... our clean laundry is currently residing in the playpen! LOL Alexxa got her nap today on the dog bed(never used for a dog btw lol) we keep in her playpen to elevate her, but today was on the floor :D

Stitched With Prayer said...

I was a kitchen quilter too until I got so tired of moving everything each night at dinner time and numerous times on weekends that my hubby finally decided to get me very sturdy, portable table. It is 30" wide, 6' long and adjusts to 3 different heights, low for children (23"), a perfect sewing height of 30" and the perfect cutting height, 36" and the cost was $80. I leave my sewing machine on one end, the cutting mat (large or small) in the center and my ironing mat on the end. (I never set my ironing board up until my quilts are larger). I use the ironing mat on the table for pressing seams, blocks ,fat quarters and even yardage. Best of all, since you adjust one end at a time, I can change the height of the table as needed all by myself, even though I have severe neuropathy in my hands and feet and also have Scleroderma (a sister disease to Lupus). I put my light weight tools, cutters, seam rippers etc. in my tool box before I change the height so they won't slide. My sewing machine stays on the table as I adjust the height. This table also folds down flat to store away if necessary. So now, until it warms up here in Utah for me to sew downstairs, I am set up in my living room. I have my kitchen table back for our meals and life is good!!! About the sewing supplies all over the place...I read a tip in one of my 'How To' books that recommended keeping the tools you use as you sew on a small flat tray by your machine. Great tip!!! I have found that a shoe box lid, or a small size tote lid, even an inexpensive shallow rectangle food storage container holds my scissors, seam ripper pen, pin cushion, marking pencils, and all the tools I use as I sit at the sewing maching. I set it within easy reach as I sew and when I'm through for the day, I just pop the lid on. It works wonders for my sanity!!!

Anonymous said...

I don't understand what the problem is -- looks perfectly normal to me. B&W pics make everything look so much more artsy ("artsy" = good). So what if thread gets in the kids' food; thread is one of the 8 major food groups and provides bulk to their diets. Pins, not so much.

All you need to do is create one vast quilted tent to throw over the ironing board and another to throw over the table. They should coordinate, however, so that they look like lage companion soft sculptures.

Pat, from Pennsylvania

Paula said...

Very brave of you! Just don't expect it from the rest of us!!!! LOL

happy zombie said...

"my kids are lucky if they don't get thread in their food"... this cracked me up! My family can relate! Hey... it's a high fiber diet I keep telling them!

Jossie said...

Ooohh, how I love those pictures. I do have a sewing room but somehow things tend to follow me. I also have half of the guest room and a corner in the living room. Don't know when things are going to stop and stay where they belong. My DH has given up complaining. He now understands it is not me but the projects that make a mess...LOL

MARCIE said...

I am with you sister!

Thimbleanna said...

Hahaha! I'm going to have to remember that neatness technique with b&w pictures!

Barb said...

I just awarded your blog the lemonade award, hop on over to my blog and pick it up....

Cheryl said...

You are in good company Judi!!! What a wonderful blog you have. Thanks so much for the nice comment on mine! Oh, and I love your header!!!!

Twice Nice said...

I can so relate! I must remember the B&W photo idea too. My kids eat threads and wool dust on a continual basis too. I say clean houses are over-rated! Deb