Quilts finished and more projects

 I have a list of projects.  This list has 5 sections: Tops to be Quilted; UFOs & kits; Ideas/Designs for which I've pulled fabrics; Ideas/Designs only - no fabric; Coordinated bundled fabrics  with no specific idea in mind.

I've been working off the first section for a Real Long Time.  Currently, it has 17 entries.  It's turned out to be a revolving door: no sooner do I finished one project in that category then another gets listed to fill in the vacancy!  The newly listed project isn't necessarily one from the other categories either!

However, it is with some significant sense of accomplishment that I can say since this past December, I have quilted *five* of those projects, which means I have twelve projects still be quilted.

Some of those projects I've already talked about: Gone with the Wind, String of Pots and Woven Ribbon Trees. 

Since the first of the year, I've finished the quilting and binding of two more projects: both vaguely twin sized quilts.  Scrap Assassin is about 60"x90" and the Half-hexie Friendship Braid is about 66"x94".

All of those 5 quilts were done on my longarm machine, which means that when I was quilting on them, I wasn't in my sewing room doing any piecing.  This causes some inner angst in me since Mr. Pirate likes to sit in my sewing room (where I have a decent sized TV) in the evening and spend some time watching TV.  I would like to spend time in his company but if I'm working on the longarm, that isn't possible.  If I do adjourn to the sewing room, I'm not working on the longarm.  Additionally, if I'm in my sewing room, I like to be working on a project and not just sit there like a bump on a log!

BUT, I do NOT want to start another machine piecing project!  That will just create Another Top, which would join the pile!  My intent is to whittle that list of Tops to be Quilted down to nothing .. then: piece a top/quilt a top.  So, at this time, machine piecing a project is not on the horizon.

However, I do still have my hand-piecing Forever Project!  Originally designed as a hand-work project I could work on when I was away from home (doctor appointments, Little League games, trips in the car, etc),  I am now working on my current Forever Project at home ... in the evening whilst Mr. Pirate & I enjoy each other's company.  As a result, this Forever Project is going to get done much faster than is "normal".  :-)

My current Forever Project is using up even MORE vintage calico squares that I had rediscovered during a re-organization of my sewing room.  I've already made FOUR quilts from these squares and had thought I had finally used them up.  I was wrong.  Gosh, I am SO tired of looking at this color palette! 

This Forever Project is currently at 83"x93" and will get slightly larger, as I still need to put on the top/bottom narrow borders then a final, wider blue border.  Yep, it's entirely hand-pieced. 

I've tentatively worked out a barter with a local sewing buddy who likes to hand quilt.   She doesn't particularly care for piecing and will happily hand quilt cheater tops just so she can get to the quilting part!   I, on the other hand, deeply admire and appreciate hand quilting but am not in the least bit interested in doing any more of that!  So the barter may work out to be that she will hand quilt my Forever Project (in whatever manner she feels is appropriate and is willing to do) and in return, I will piece a top for her (of whatever size and pattern she would like), so that when the machine pieced top is finished, she can get right to the quilting part!

I do believe I am getting the better part of the deal. :-)

Anyway, I was finishing up the half-hexie Friendship Braid quilt on my longarm and thought about the webpage that needed to be created for it.   You see, for myself, part of the project is not only sewing and quilting but also making a webpage for the project so it can be shared.  It is a sad fact of life that some activities simply can NOT be multi-tasked!   If I'm longarming, I can't be piecing on my sewing machine.  If I am piecing, I can't be working on the computer for a webpage.  All of those activities are mutually exclusive.

As I thought of what I'd put on the webpage for the latest quilt, I also was simultaneously thinking of the OTHER quilts for which I needed to make a web page.  I was becoming discouraged as I thought of more completed projects without their webpages.  Finally, so I wouldn't lose track of them, I wrote them down.

CRIPES!!  I am TWELVE projects behind!  ::thunk head on wall::  O.M.G.  Now, in order not to become further behind on this part of my quilting process, I need to put the quilting on hiatus to get the web pages done!  (cue violins to indicate how sorrowful my problems are)

My situation is as follows:
1. work on the remaining tops to be quilted from the list.  This will probably be done during the daytime when Mr. Pirate is doing his own activities
2.  work on the hand-pieced Forever Project in the evenings when Mr. Pirate is relaxing in the sewing room
3. simultaneously, work on the computer to create the appropriate webpages

Or .. I could simply ignore the entire quilting enterprise all together and do some housework.
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Nah.  :-)