Sound familiar? As a kid, vegetables were a punishment I endured before getting to eat the good stuff, dessert! We had a house cow, so we ate a lot of desserts, usually milk based. As a Jersey cow, she produced up to 22 bottles of milk a day, which we had to get through. Of course I never connected these yummy puddings with the symptoms of lactose intolerance, but how could sago or semolina custard ever be bad for you?
Anyway, this way of thinking has remained with me. The veggies first mentality. So when faced with trying to do more of the sewing I actually wanted to do, I found I couldn’t do it unless I had cleared my plate of “veggies”, the “should” projects.
The complete list was a little longer than I had initially thought. Two quilts for nephews, and three for my Daughters. But just as I used to throw myself reluctantly into eating the gritty, sand enhanced silverbeet my Mother dished up at night (it grew next to our sandpit), so I have thrown myself into getting rid of these projects. (NB: I did draw a line at eating silverbeet when I found spiders and earwigs on my plate as well).
First up was a quilt for Cooper. Done. Nothing fancy, just squares of various sizes, til I had used up all the fabric. I even used the leftover backing fabric to make binding. He loves dinosaurs, and as long as nobody calls the rocks and minerals “Jewels”, it should be a hit.
Next up was a quilt for Daughter #1. I found a length of “One Piece” fabric at Morelands Fabric and was instructed that cutting it up would ruin it. That turned the project into a simple “blankie” style quilt. I even used the backing as binding. Done and dusted in a few hours.
I don’t usually quilt fabric with people and animals on it. I don’t like cutting into the images, dissecting them. Can you tell I’m a reluctant meat eater? I found myself quilting in rather crooked lines to avoid sewing through the heads.
Next up is the quilt for nephew #2. He has requested “masculine” colours. Blue, dark blue, black, and green. No yellow, please! I found a deer fabric which I thought might appeal to him, given how he loves going shooting with his Dad. It’s not my cup of tea, but I am prepared to put aside my own liberal, lefty, pacifistic principles for one quilt.
Make quilts, not war!
I will go through my stash and find some deep blues and greens. Still mulling over quite how to put it together though.
After this quilt I have two projects for Daughter #2. One I will send off to be finished, because of its sheer size. I got halfway through the quilting then discovered a tuck in the back, which I had repeatedly sewn over. It is currently sitting on the naughty step.
The second is a coin quilt, which I find fun and fast to make. They are fun, bright, and I enjoy revisiting the scraps they use up. I think another week and a half should see me clear of these projects, and then I can have dessert again (my Jen Kingwell quilts).
The trick is then to take on no more “should” projects. With this held firmly in mind, I have already turned down a hint for a super king-size quilt by my SIL. Think she was only kidding?
Linking up eventually with WIP Wednesday.
quilts across the aisle 
Your vege remarks brought a smile. How about cabbage boiled until the whole house stunk, or mince stewed all afternoon without the lovely herbs and spices we have now.
I do hope you enjoy your just rewards and have many splendid hours with Jen Kingwell
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My Big Nana (she was very tall) made a version of grey mince too. It boiled for most of a day, and was enough to turn you vegetarian. I am very thankful for our access to an expanded range of groceries these days. Have a great week. Do you still eat cabbage boiled?
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No, the cabbage is usually eaten raw these days – nothing like a tasty coleslaw. I also make a mean raw brocolli salad – it would have to be my favourite. Did you sew on this glorious afternoon?
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Just a little sewing, after a trip to a cafe to sit and drink some freshly sqeezed juice in the sunshine. I didn’t get so much as an interview for the job I applied for, so I am currently poring over books dreaming of doing over my sewing room.
Trying to decide between midcentury modern colours, and bohemian chaos. At the moment its cream and brown, which is very uninspiring!
Hope you enjoyed the sun.
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I smiled at your reluctance to cut and quilt “people” fabric. I found myself spending WAY too much time recently weighing the choice of cutting off the top of Joseph’s head as opposed to Baby Jesus’s feet when making a Christmas quilt! Both wouldn’t fit in the size of square I was using. I finally decided that the Baby needed His feet–Joseph could always put on a hat. 🙂
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I know it’s silly, but it is quite hard to bring yourself to do. The back of a quilt I made recently had a fabric with saints and the trinity etc. i made certain it was saints like St Michael who got the chop. There was no way I was running a pair of scissors through the trinity.
One of the highlights for me of a trip to Estonia a few years ago, were the Russian Orthodox churches. I love icons, probably because the protestant churches I have attended are always so bare of art.
Have a great week.
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