Action Craft

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Deadline

Action Craft deadline met!

I completed the last stitches of the binding minutes before the park’s closing music rang through the trees (Auld Lang Syne, in fact — Japan’s universal “Go home already!” song).

This quilt was a joy to make.  I was determined to make something from fabric I already owned, and several times resisted the urge to go out and buy something “just right.”  I knew that would just delay and deter the project.  So I tried to make do and not worry so much.  I machine pieced and quilted it in just a few hours, and finished on Saturday by hand-stitching the binding while sitting in Shinjuku Gyoen.  I hope my lack of crazy with this quilt will carry on to whoever receives it.

Boxes of blankets have been arriving — thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make a little bit of comfort for someone in need.  If you’re still working, don’t worry!  Keep at it, and send me your quilt when you can.  I’ll probably make the drop later this month.

If you haven’t already, please leave me a message to let me know something is on its way.  If your project is still in pieces (it’s OK, it happens to the best of us) perhaps hold off from sending and save your quilt for a shelter or hospital near your home.

Good work, team!

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Procraftination

Action Craft is well underway! I’ve received a few shipments of quilts already and I’ve gotten word more are on the way. Keep up the great work, friends! I’ll be photographing the quilts and posting updates here, so keep an eye out for that.

Yesterday I realized we were getting close to the end-of-April deadline I set, and I had yet to start my quilt. Insert nervous-guilty face. So I went digging into my fabric stash, and ended up with this:

I made Dan a tie instead. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, and I had a beautiful chunk of Liberty fabric just sitting around.  This tie begged me to make it.

Pro·craf·ti·nation (v.) to delay or postpone one craft with the commencement of another; to put-off doing something with a deadline by making something else for fun

The last time we were in Pennsylvania visiting family, Dan found a stash of his dad’s old ties and pocketed a few. I must have married into a stylish family, because these ties are hip. Not vintagey or trendy, but with some sort of timeless style.  They’re skinny with a square end, which is such a great detail. I could make a joke about square being hip, but perhaps I’ll spare you.

Dan’s mom got word of the tie trend in our house, and sent me a stained one and a seam ripper.

The vintage labels are amazing.  Bonwit Teller?  Where did you go with your classy top hat?  This tie was easy and really fun to make, I even enjoyed the hand-sewing. When I presented it to him (thinly veiling my pure glee), Dan called it “festive” which I choose to interpret as a positive thing. Must not be so bad, since he wore it to work today.

But back to Action Quilt — I did manage to stitch a few pieces together:

Now, back to sewing … or tie-making, or blogging, or grocery shopping or a trip to the post office, or maybe some more sashiko…