What I've Been Stitching

...not much! Whew! It's been a long time since I sat in this spot though!

Sometimes I wonder what I do with my time that I can't find the time to sew. By the time I sit down in the evening, I'm just too tuckered out. With more daylight hours, it's after 7 before we even get in. Supper, shower, and bed pretty much finishes out the rest of the day. Haven't  a clue as to what is even going on in the world. This morning we were out the door just after 4 and headed to my in-laws, 2 hours from here, to help them butcher a beef.

On a positive sewing note, I'm acing this fabric fast! :) I did have to order just a tad for a wedding gift I'm making, but my friend, Theona, assured me it didn't count if I bought it to make a gift. I wanted to match the fabric I had used for the shower gift for a coordinating set that matched her kitchen.

We're gearing up for our Spring Works next week and this week has been full, but I finally made some time to stitch. The only thing I had worked on since the baby quilt - was that February or March?...was a few potholders and a grocery sack holder like this,

 but using the coffee fabric, for the wedding shower,and I added a recipe book where she can keep all of her recipes together. I made 2 more sets of potholders when I made Sara's and I'll get those bound one of these days.

 I took Lora's daughter to lunch the other day and she mentioned that she would like to come over sometime and see how they are made. And another friend of the kids' came to spend the day on Wednesday. She just made her first quilt and asked if I would show her how to make and sew on the binding. Sweet girl and we had a very fun day together.

So before she came, I thought it would be a good idea if I blew the dust off of my sewing machine. I picked up 2 quilts from Jackie last week that I had dropped off in February so I stitched the bindings on to them and they too are waiting for some hand stitching time.

Then I made curtains to cover up some troublesome shelves in the mudroom - laundry room - entry way.

I'm very thankful for that room, but good gravy, is it ever an eyesore and I'm trying to spruce it up a bit since its the first room you walk through when you come into the house.

For a long time, the ceiling was half blue and half yellow. That's just the way it was when we moved in. I finally painted over the blue. Then we have these shelves. They are very handy and filled with stuff that just needs a place to live. Rags, and light bulbs, and laundry soap, and yes that is a flag that I took down because the wind shredded it, and winter boots, and small coolers, and syringes, and gloves, and egg cartons, and trash bags, and paper plates, and just stuff. Please tell me that we're not the only ones who have this 'stuff'.  How do y'all keep it all organized? I've kind of corraled them into baskets, but it still seemed awfully messy.

So I stitched up curtains and my handy hubby came up with a way to attach metal pipe to the shelves.

They are easily removable so that the curtains can be washed. I had initially bought some curtain rods, but DH took one look at them and said, "Ummm...no. I've got something better." They WERE kinda flimsy and this pipe is a much better option.

Edited to add a few detailed shots of DH's handiwork:
 These are built in shelves that had to have been welded in the room. They are not going anywhere. They wouldn't fit through a door. DH drilled holes through the middle support and on each end.He inserted a solid metal rod that is about 8" long and smaller in diameter than the pipe:

I just slide the rod from one side to the other and release the pipe when I need to wash the curtain:

He asked me how I wanted to do this and I told him to fix it up the easiest way possible. I didn't want him to have to make hooks and weld supports and make things complicated. We have enough things waiting in the wings as is and I really think this is the perfect solution.

I've had this fabric in my stash for a couple of years. It's a textured upholstery fabric that's nubby and rough and just about perfect for this spot. I think they'll stay cleaner if they're not dragging the floor so I hemmed them a tad shorter than floor length.

I am super happy with the end result. Its kinda hard to get a decent picture in that room with the long window, but those shelves run the length of the room which is just over 11'. The washer and dryer sit opposite the shelves:

And that's about as exciting as the sewing gets around here lately. :)