It's not that I'm lazy. And I love sewing, so it's not that. It's that they take so darned long to make one. And I'm making 23 of them.
With all the baby quilts, I can use my rotary cutter to cut the blocks, sew block after block assembly line style, keep a straight stitch running, and not have to change thread colors.
But with these turtles...
*the shapes have to be cut by hand.
*all the seams are curved.
*some steps require basting.
*pinning is required with every step.
*pressing is required with each step.
*three different fabrics are being used for each one.
*each different fabric requires different colored thread for the top-stitching.
*buttons have to be sewn on for the eyes.
*black "toes" have to be sewn in.
Not hard, not beyond what I can do, but time consuming when multiplied by 23. I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
It would be nice to have someone around to help out. My husband helped me do some pressing, but quickly bored of it. (And made it clear he wasn't interested in any pinning or sewing or cutting.) And my daughter? Well, sewing isn't her thing. I helped her make a rag quilt years ago (which gave me hope for the future), but she hasn't been interested in making another one. She made a fall-themed quilted square for her apartment wall with the intention of making one for each season, but it never happened. Her fall-themed one is now still on her wall in July.
So it got me thinking - since I don't know anyone around me that sews or quilts, I do know someone who I can force to help me. I think.
This person has plenty of time on her hands. She owns a sewing machine. She's done a couple fleece blankets over the past year. She used to sew baby clothes for me. And she's moving back to Idaho this week.
That would be my mom. She doesn't know it yet (she does now since she's reading it right here), but she's going to have to come over to my house and help me with some of my charity projects.
It'll be good for her. And it'll be good for me to have someone helping out.
I'm hoping I'll get the turtles done before she shows up, though. Five more done today, 17 more to go.
