I have 18 days left in my Quilting the Countdown 100 Day Project, but I just couldn't resist jumping in with the large community of folks starting a new 100 Day Project Today.
I decided I would commit to 15 minutes of free motion quilting a day for the next 100 days. I currently have (at least) four of my own finished quilt tops, one of which is basted. Plus I'll be making four Project QUILTING submissions and two other quilt along quilt tops in the next two months and they will all need quilting. And also, I'll be helping my daughter quilt her project and my son quilt his. While they will actually be doing the quilting, I'm going to count assisting them with their quilting for my project. My quilts often get hung up at the "just needs quilting" stage (followed by getting stuck at the "just needs binding" step). And I'd love to finish some of these older and larger WIPs. The quilting step just always feels like a long and arduous task. I also have a mental hangup about the task of switching the machine over to free motion quilting. This really doesn't take long. I switch the foot on the machine, rethread the machine and put in matching bobbin thread, install my supreme slider, and put on my machingers gloves. [affiliate links] That is all maybe five minutes. But it always feels like such a blocker. Hopefully if I do this for 100 days I'll get over this mental block moving forward.
Today I got started on the small quilt that I had basted. Using Aurifil 50wt Dove (#2600) I quilted this first section. I had exactly 15 minutes of bobbin thread so that worked out well! Tomorrow morning I'll wind a bobbin and continue.
I'll update weekly here on my blog and daily on Instagram @sarahgoerquilts.
Today, January 31, is Day 1. So we will finish this up on May 10. Be sure to follow the community of folks participating on IG led by @lindsayjeanthomson by following #The100DayProject. This isn't a project just for quilters. There are quite a variety of makers and the project doesn't even have to be creativity-based. You can find all the details about The 100 Day Project on their website.
I'd love to know if you're participating and what you've chosen. If you're just learning about the project you can jump in anytime. :-)
Melanie
Cool idea! And it should be very helpful for your (moral) status of accumulated quilt tops, too. I also have the mental road block of "switching gears on the machine" - for me it is walking foot, needle and rethreading - but on bad days even switching piecing projects for a new thread color - I am sure I can do it in under a minute but it feels like at least fifteen in my head *covering my eyes*
sarah
Post authorThank you, Melanie. Glad to know I'm in good company! I'll let you know if I am able to kick my mental block.
Kathleen McCormick
This will be so much fun to watch! Love what you quilted.
sarah
Post authorThank you, Kathleen. The elephant is getting more and more wrinkly. :-)