Minutes to Spare

I can’t tell you off the top of my head the number of times I have moved. I guess I don’t want to think about it. It is always massive, lots of lists of things to do, lots to go through, chuck out, sell, pack up . . . I always think about the old joke about “How do you eat an elephant?” (Answer) One bite at a time.

With quilting, one bite at a time works, too. It’s how you actually get things finished. Here is just a short list of things you can do when you have ten minutes before you have to be out the door:

• design a block in your ever-present squared notebook

• figure out fabric requirements for the quilt size you want

• figure out how many strips of binding you will need for the quilt you need to get finished

• spin bobbins for your current project

• prepare some practice quilt bats for warming up before you quilt

• Practice a new quilting motif 🙂

• computer design a label for your quilt

• print off the label for copying later on the light table

• cut a binding

• attach a binding (be sure to wear an apron if you are already dressed for something special)

• clear off your sewing table

• sort your threads

• organize your needles (machine / metallic, hand quilting, embroidery)

• cut scraps into usable squares

• put away some fabrics

(DO NOT get started looking for just the right fabric! You can lose hours that way!)

Please! This list is not complete! Add YOUR suggestions for how a quilter can use ten extra minutes to make life easier and more organized!