Trials and Tribulations of a Makeshift Sewing Room

So, as talked about in my last posting, I’m on vacation and have taken a bit of sewing prep work with me.  This unto itself is a challenge:

·         Have I packed everything I need

·         Modifying the above statement – did I pack things that I do not need, taking up vital space and weight in my checked bag?

·         No printer and special paper along so if I’ve missed a pattern piece, I either have to wait or hand draw it

·         Having only a 17 inch square cutting board presents some unique challenges

·         A small coffee table is really a lot less space than my usual cutting table

·         AND not much space to make piles of pieces while organizing

·         The ironing board cover is so nice and pristine, but the iron really bites – no steam, barely heats up, is light weight; I miss my Rowenta

There’s also a new challenge…. Due to some odd circumstances which I won’t bore you with, my daughter’s young cat is staying with us.  His name is Loki.  As in the Norse god of mischief.

Yes, he lives up to his name….

Very much so.

In his defense, he’s not been around my sewing long enough to learn the things that he can and cannot do.   The cats who live in my home – all five of them – may pull pins out of things, sit on every piece of fabric and scatter pieces as I’m trying to lay them out, but we have an established routine.  Loki is unpredictable.  I’m not used of him, and he’s a bit trying.  He’s also very cute, so he’s getting away with a lot.

Here’s a picture:

He’s on the ironing board of course, getting ready to pounce.  If you can tell, he’s wearing a bow.  It’s a scrap trimmed from the edge of a piece of fabric I brought along.

So far, Loki has dumped a bunch of organized pieces from the coffee table, hidden a small plastic template and is trying very hard to keep me from writing about how mischievous he is (he’s biting my hands and trying to sit on the keyboard!).  If you remember my last post, I wrote the following:

Since Daughter and some friends will be with us, and since we’ll have a large floor space without five cats, I’ve got both a juried panel and the ability to lay a quilt out for more than ten minutes with the blocks retaining their positions.  I figure that even though these 3 or 4 (the number keeps changing) young adults are not quilters, they have eyes and will have opinions – some of which I may listen to.

Ok, that changed…. Loki is going to DESTROY things as I lay them out.  He’s still a kitten, and does a several/many hour passed out nap each day (and then is very active all night); maybe I can get it laid out during that time.  I only have two full days left here.

Project Updates

Supplies:  I think that I planned pretty well.  I brought plastic baggies for the cut pieces, but I should have brought more.  That’s an easy one though – there’s a grocery store nearby.  Additionally, I did not bring hand needles or thread as I only intended to cut and organize.  However, shortly after arriving, daughter presented me with a pair of her pants that are brand new but have a small cut.  She asked me to mend them.  We happened by a Joann’s while out touring and I bought needles and a small spool of thread.  I have more needles than I ever need….. and now I bought more…..  Word to the wise:  always bring a spool of thread and a needle – those two things fit nicely in any bag.

Projects:  I’m pretty much on schedule with the cutting/organizing projects I brought.  However, I also brought crochet and wire / jewelry work and haven’t touched those.  Oh well, its vacation…. I have to have some fun outside of my projects too!

Mariner’s Compass quilt

·         Cut out/prep all pieces for blocks

Curved Piece quilt

·         Layout quilt/arrange blocks

Scrap Tamers

·         Determine layout Layout will be a 4-3-4-3-4 blocks/rows, and partials on the ends of the 3 block rows.

·         Cut out any additional blocks needed (most are already cut)

Contest entry

·         Organize fabrics

·         Cut fabrics