15 minute challenge...week 37!

And I'm back in the game!  Had a VERY productive sewing week, so let's check in with Kate and the 15 minute Challenge:

Tuesday: Tote bag

Wednesday: Tote bag

Thursday: Sew South

Friday: Sew South

Saturday: Sew South

Sunday: duffle

Monday: duffle

7 for 7 baby!!!

To review the first part of 2013, I've been up and down.  Had a few weeks where I was sewing almost every day, and then had several weeks where I was doing almost no sewing.  It's ok though.  It's all part of life.

Right now I'm feeling really good and inspired and can't wait to get home each day and sew.  I have some more thoughts on this amazing quilting blog community that Kate mentions in today's challenge post, but will save those for my big ole Sew South post that I'm still trying to write.

Until later!

Full...

Wow...a day later and that's still all I can say as I try to describe Sew South.  It was WOW.  My heart and head and spirit are so full right now.  It was a truly fantabulous experience.  I'll try to put it into words later, but for now a few pictures:

the clutch we made:

the dang duffle:

and my first attempt at paper piecing (I am so doing this again!):

Back later...or tomorrow...I'm working on dang duffle part 2 for my Girl, and I really want to get it finished! 

tick...tick...tick

That is all I can hear in my head right now.  It's the sound of the clock moving too slow, and the sound of time going too fast right now!

Sew South starts TOMORROW!!!!!!  EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!  I'm seriously over the moon excited about this.  However...that's tomorrow...how am I ever going to get through today?  Not to mention come to work tomorrow, work a full day, THEN drive to Charlotte.  The clock is moving so slow!

And then...time is also flying by right now.  Sew South is TOMORROW???????  Oh crud!  I'm so behind!  I don't have everything ready, and there really isn't enough time in the day for me to get it all done before I have to come to work for a full day tomorrow!  So much to do...so little time!

So now I sit, and ponder the supply list and try and figure out how I'm going to squeeze a few more hours in my free time!

As the impatient part of me wonders why tomorrow isn't here already!

15 minute challenge...week 36

Happy Tuesday!  and we are already over half way through March...and heading very quickly to spring (had to start taking allergy meds again...ick).  Time to check in with Kate and the 15 minute challenge!

I actually did some sewing the past week, all of 2 days, but that wasn't for lack of trying or enthusiasm.  I am prepping for Sew South, so I have spent quite a bit of time with fabric and odds and ends, but only 2 days of sewing.  It's an improvement over previous weeks, so I'll take it!

Last night I quickly put together a strap cover for my camera using this tutorial at Moda Bake Shop (so quick and easy to put together! fabric = Ruby by Bonnie&Camille):

I like it!  I'm so excited for this retreat!  It's really sparking my creativity!  And it also happens to fit in with the 15 minute challenge March "theme" which is to talk about your sewing.  Which I manage to do quite a bit!  Several of my co-workers have learned quite a bit about the sewing process.  And I give them lots of credit, as they appear interested most of the time!  At the same time, other than on this blog, I really don't talk sewing with that many people that actually sew.  Some of that will change this weekend, (have I mentioned I'm over-the-moon excited about this??), and we'll see what I'm feeling about it next week!

Prep time...

Oh my word!  Sew South Retreat is THIS WEEK!  I'm so behind on my prep, so it was crunch time yesterday to get some done!  I'm all ready for one of the classes:

Getting ready for the others won't take me too terribly long (I hope!).

and then there is getting all my FQs ready for the FQ swap...and getting my treats ready for my Secret Sister...and then...I really have to get some stuff put together so I can travel at least semi-handmade! 

Best get busy!  Later!!!

being an adult

Sometimes being an adult bites the big one!

There is a lot going on behind the scenes right now at my house (nothing bad, just stuff).  Some of which requires those big ole fashioned grownup decisions.  Decisions I'm still working on, the kind I'm not sleeping too well about right now because I've got pros vs. cons lists rolling over and over in my noggin.  Time is about up for some of these decisions to be finalized, so we'll see how it goes.  I'll let you know more at a later date.

Some other stuff going on behind the scenes...I've been working out like crazy.  Made the decision at the beginning of the year that I needed some changes in my health (another grownup type thing).  I quit smoking last October, and started my new eating plan and working out in January of this year.  And so far, so good.  Pretty pleased with the results.  However, it does mean that my work outs are often taking up sewing time.  I just need to reschedule some things and try to figure out how to fit it all in! 

I haven't sewn at all the past week.  I'm really missing it, so my plan right now is to get back on the 15 minute challenge wagon, and set the timer and make some room in the schedule for me to get my creativity on!  (ESPECIALLY since SEW SOUTH RETREAT is NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have a bunch to get done between now and then!)

15 minute challenge week 33 and 34...aka recovery

Well...it's been a little while since I last posted.  Not too terribly long, but long enough.

In the past two weeks I've accomplished 3 days of sewing...and all of that can be found in my posts from the 23-25 of February.  Making the swap back to day shift has taken me a lot longer this go round than in previous years.

Plus we were out of town over this past weekend.

Plus Girl has developed some insane cold that has kept her out of commission for most of this week.

So around my house...it's all called recovery time right now!  I haven't even done my usual blog crawl lately.  Part of fostering my own creativity is seeing how others employ theirs!

So now, it's time for me to recover some sewing time!

Posting with  Kate over at Life In Pieces to see how everyone has done lately!