From A - Clearing Out the Cobwebs

One of the best things about moving is how it forces you to get stuff done. As I was packing for the road trip, I found more than a few projects that had been stuffed into bins and boxes and long forgotten.

Way back in November 2011, I took a T-Shirt making class to build on my virtually non-existent serging skills. I managed to finish everything except the hems during class (partly because I hate pressing hems and partly because the cover stitch machine was on the fritz) and then my nearly finished T-Shirt sat on my To Do list for the better part of two years.

Since I don't have a serger or a cover stitch machine. This was a must-do before leaving the city.

 

It took me a couple of tries to figure out the cover stitch machine but even with my incompetence it only took about an hour to finish this up.

 

Love bamboo jersey I used for this. It is cool to the touch and silky smooth. A perfect basic for my summer wardrobe.

From A - The Gentle Art of GSD

I managed to finish my very long bike ride. It took almost 11 hours of riding over 2 days to get it done. The bad news was that at the end of day 1, I looked like this:

This didn't bode well for day 2. Although it was a bit of a rough start, the good news was that at the finish line I was able to pull it together enough to look like this:

It was such a fantastic and inspiring weekend. The ride was difficult and we really had to push ourselves to make it across that finish line. The rain held off and we were amazed at the kindness of the other participants and volunteers. We heard so many amazing and touching stories that I spent more than a few of the minutes on my bike in tears over the weekend.

For me, finishing one big goal usually generates enough momentum that I am able to finish another. This means that finishing usually begets more finishing. I have always called this interesting quirk the art of getting sh*#/stuff done or GSD.

In this case, the high of finishing my ride was somehow enough to spur me into heading to the storage locker across town where much of my fabric is being stored until the end of "the move" and digging out my long unfinished Smitten quilt.

I spent an afternoon squaring up the top and making a backing before boxing it up and sending it out to be quilted by a long arm quilter. Here's a little preview before it left.

It's the first quilt that I've sent to be quilted and I am pumped. This bad boy has been dragging towards finished for long enough that I am more than happy to pass the torch. Rarely has a trip to the post office been so satisfying.

Up next: that baby bonnet.