July Report

Blog Posts

Unfortunately, I did not manage to write any blog posts in July. But I just announced in my newsletter that there will shortly be an “All the Diagonals Sew Along”. The blog post with all the details will follow in the next few days.

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Progress

As we are already a week into August, this is more of a July+ report cause I really just stitched the final seam on both of the finishes I am reporting here. But as I did not get around to writing this report earlier and most of the progress was done in July … I will count it there.

I am also counting them as finished although they are not truly – at least in my book. Wondering what I might mean? Well, the quilting portion is fully done and most define that as finished. But I normally only count a photographed and blogged quilt as such. I will add the blog posts soon.

Lots of excuses again… But hey, it is working with my path of reducing WIPs ;)

I can also report that Emanuela @ Quiltkarussel already sent back the two Bright Side quilts she offered to longarm quilt for me. And she did a terrific job! She chose two modern, jet totally different pantographs. Next, I will have to bury the threads and attach the binding. At least I have already settled on the binding fabrics.

Fabric Tracking

Whoohoo! Two finishes, one with over 1,000 pieces, did add up to quite some yardage. “Treasure Triangles” does account for 5.80 yards and Scrappy Pixel even adds another 8.94 yards. This was a huge step forward in getting my total down.

Minimalism

The topic I am reading the most about – besides quilting – is minimalism. So I thought I would put my best reads from this month in here in case you are interested too :)

• Maybe Your Family Doesn’t Care About Money As Much As You Do
• The Incredible Power of Focusing for 15 Minutes
• Invisible Clutter: Why It’s Important to Let Go of the Clutter You Can’t See
  Articles were the title says it all.
• Carry-On Travel Is Not a Goal of Mine
  This was a refreshing read to contrast the Carry-On-Enthusiasts. Don’t get me wrong, I love to pack as light as possible – and sometimes that means a carry-on. But sometimes it doesn’t.
• 12,795 possessions! Meet the woman who photographed every single thing she owns
  What a fun endeavor. Also loved the pictures ;)
• Why “Make Your Coffee at Home” is About More Than Just Saving a Few Dollars
  Food for thought on the financial side of minimalism.
• Why We Should All Be Doing More Work
  This blog post feels slightly philosophical. But I found it good food for thought.

Personal Life

July was pretty cool! First, my new couch arrived. Yes, another big investment. But I was getting lots of back pain and I found a big trigger was probably my old couch. I had no back support at all. So I went couch hunting a few weeks ago and my choice finally arrived. Even in time to be admired by everyone at my birthday party. And yes, I really did change the quilt, so that it fit my rainbow theme better. This year it was “just a small” gathering. But 10-15 people in my living room and tiny kitchen for a potluck-style brunch was plenty ;) And it was such a great energy! Even my new nephew who arrived a bit early in the first days of July was able to attend. A short hospital scare had us all anxious. But all is well now!

I hope you enjoyed my recap of the month and the extra insides into what is happening over here.

Best wishes
xo Melanie