Vintage Sheet Freedom Bee

I don't get enough to time to sew because:

a) I work all day
b) I have two toddlers
c) I am too tired/lazy to stay up after said toddlers go to bed
d) all of the above

If you answered "d) all of the above" then you are correct!

Also, it is a bit difficult to sew when you turn around to iron a seam and turn back to find this:







I call him my little bobbin winder . . . not sure what will kill him first, me or the fall.

Notice his sister in the back looking on in approval. "You have learned well young Padawan."

So, I joined in the Vintage Sheet Freedom Bee that Deb from Works in Progress is organizing (um, this is my like fourth post in as many weeks that has mentioned Deb, I promise I am not a stalker). I sent out all my sheet pieces awhile ago, and have 11 little envelopes of sheets waiting for me it sew up into lovely blocks.

I decided to make a Bonnie Scotsman, which I have never done before but seems pretty straightforward . . . all of my "piecing," such as it is, has heretofore been basically just squares.

I couldn't find instructions in the size I needed (12x12 finished) so I was forced to do the math myself.

It was very truamatic.

Because I am a nerd I made a graph.








And because I am a nerd of the highest order I then made 12 copies of the graph so I could pencil in the fabrics I am using for each person's block, and write their name at the top.

My first test block was with my fabrics. I am pretty much running low on any of the pieces that match what I sent out, so I was kind of limited in what I could place where in the block. I am hoping to be able to do some more strategic fabric placement with the future blocks.

I will not even tell you how long it took me to do this between work, toddlers, laundry (two 8 load washers full, I kid you not), Jamie climbing on the table, various tension issues with my new machine (I think it's that I am using a 1/4 inch foot that doesn't fit right because I'm using the one from my old machine as the one they sent me with the new machine doesn't FIT!), etc. . . but it may have been two days.







(Please excuse the horrible lighting, my sheets are not, in fact, yellow.)

It seems to have gone ok except that I cut that side rectangle a bit too thin! You can see the top square extends out past the rectangle piece and is the right size! I may replace it with different fabric, we will see. It will most likely be fine when I sew all the blocks together (it looks bad but it's less than an 1/8 of an inch difference), but we will see . . . luckily I messed up on my own block and can correct in the future!


So, yeah. I got one block sewn. Um, I have 11 more to go . . . but I think they will just fly along now that I know what I am doing. . . . hope springs eternal in the heart of Jessica.