I consistently carry some kind of project in my purse or my car with me for the down moments when I find myself sitting and waiting. It is almost always some kind of portable handwork - knitting, embroidery, needlepoint. I like having something to keep my hands busy, but that allows me to talk and interact with others while I am doing it. I find it especially nice to have something to work on when I travel. Besides being portable, it needs to be easy to pick up and put down. I always used to have a book on hand because I love to read, but when the girls were little, I found that I never got around to reading the books because they talked so much. (Understatement.) That is when I started carrying some kind of stitching. I could work along and listen and converse and laugh all the while.

Presently I find myself waiting alone more than I do with one of my cohorts, but I am still stitching along. I love the sense of accomplishment I get from completing a band of ribbing on a hat or two needles worth of yarn on my needlepoint in the thirty minutes of a guitar lesson or the fifteen minutes before play rehearsal is over. Plain and simple, it's just a good use of my time.

My newest project is Carolyn Friedlander's Alturas. I have wanted to make this for a long time and bought the pattern from her last spring at SewDown in Nashville. And, of course, I was heavily inspired by Cheryl's version. It is just so beautiful! In searching for my *perfect* palette, I consulted my stash and settled on Liberty. Just that, Liberty of London Tana Lawn in all of its floral goodness. I'm not worrying about the colors or the scale or how in the world I am going to hand applique all. of. those. pieces. Instead, I gathered 70 five-inch squares and cut a handful of backgrounds from my very favorite Kona Snow. I took eight prints from the top of the pile and packed them in my handwork pouch (complete with thread, needles and embroidery scissors) for a quick day trip to Chicago a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to a five hour delay at O'Hare on our way home, I had all eight blocks prepped and ready for needle turn applique by the tie we landed.

I'd be lying if I told you I had gotten further than that. I haven't. I am so very, very close to finishing my other traveling handwork project started almost exactly two years ago. Anna Maria, you are going to be so proud of me.

I left last Wednesday morning for QuiltCon and was back this morning at 2:30 a.m. Six extra hours of airport time had me very thankful that I packed some handwork from my Alison Glass applique class in my carry on. I started the day with one plus appliqued and finished with only 1.5 left to go. I have a lot to say about this (wool! over-dyes!), but I don't think I can string the words together right now. The whole weekend was great and fun and inspiring and overwhelming and exhausting and filled with friends (new and old) and lots of things to think about and creative exercises to try and more things to make. There is a lot of stuff swirling around in my head and I'm going to drink (more) coffee, wait for the dryer repair guy, stitch the remaining pluses and try to make sense of it all while attempting to ascertain just what groceries are needed and what to make for dinner. Then, maybe, I will unpack. Look for more snippets (or postcards, if you will) over the next week or so as I ease back into my days.

Because I keep putting my scissors down and not being able to find them, I made a scissors lanyard. Simple fix, really. Now I can just wear them around my neck. I used a strip of Liberty that was laying around, cut to 1.5" wide. I pressed it in half, opened it up, pressed the raw edges into the center crease, folded it closed and sewed it shut. Easy peasy and long overdue. Now I will not drop them between the seat of my car and the console while I'm stitching in the carpool line because they will be on my person. Look at me...I am brilliant!

And then, as these things happen, I decided that I need something in which to carry the threads and fabrics required for car sewing. Pouch, of course! I picked out the fabric based on the zipper colors I had on hand. A little hand sewing and some machine sewing and I am in applique-on-the-go business. Cooking with gas, I tell you! Said pouch is about 10" x 8", the exterior fabric is Hatbox by Alexia Abegg, the interior fabric is a coral dot I had in the stash, I used perle cotton to embroider a running stitch around Kentucky 3 times and a 12 inch zipper was cut to fit. Did I miss anything?

In all seriousness, it is killing me that I can't show you what I am working on (book!!!) so I am contriving small, satisfying sews to share here when time allows. And sometimes when time does not allow and I really should be doing something else, but I only have 40 minutes and that is not enough time to conquer the next logical book step. So, ta da! Lanyard and pouch! Which I will be putting to use in just ten minutes time as I head out the door to pick up my high schooler. (Yes, it's still weird when I stop and think about that.)

Happy making to you!

Thanks for all of the comments on my stash organization question! I have LOVED reading through everyone's systems (or lack thereof!). If you haven't added your voice to the conversation, please do. You have until Friday afternoon to be added to the pot for the giveaway. As of right now, the chances are 1 in 155. Not bad!

In the evenings, I have been slowly stitching away at my needlepoint. I started this April, but it sat for a good six months (summer/fall) without being touched. It got a lot of love during the Olympics and I am also enjoying working on it a bit here and there, in various waiting rooms, on the go, etc. The road trip case makes it super easy for me to tote it around - it really is grab and go. And while this is definitely a slow craft, all those little stitches add up! I can't tell you how exciting it was to move on to another section, complete with wool in five new colors. It's the little things, you know?

I've got my hands on all kinds of projects at the moment.

The crazy star quilt has its binding attached on the front and is just waiting for me to slow down and stitch it onto the back.

I started slicing up the Liberty strips I bought in October for Anna Maria's feathers. I'm wondering if I'm crazy to make the center of the feathers out of voile or if I should use some quilting cotton instead.

My spring/summer traveling, waiting room, TV watching project is this needlepoint Floral Path bolster pillow, also designed by Anna Maria. I don't think I have done any needlepoint since I was about 10, and then it was always with embroidery floss on plastic canvas. I'm excited to see this progress.

Did you have any time to spend stitching this weekend? Do tell.

I'm snatching every spare moment to stitch x's. I packed a small tote with needle, floss, hoop, scissors and this project to take in the car so that if I find myself waiting for kids, I can stitch. Then I tote it all back inside and place it on the couch, where I sew more while watching Friday Night Lights in the evenings. Rinse and repeat. I am anxious to finish, so excited to see the end of the making and the beginning of the using.

The pearl cotton is Anna Maria's and so is the fabric. Both materials are absolutely lovely as is the artist herself. She's a true gem, a fantastic teacher and an incredible inspiration. Plus, she's funny and nice and down to earth. I can't wait to show you what she helped me make. And I will. Soon.

I finished stitching my Daisychain Sampler this past weekend. I enjoyed every last stitch! This project was a great reminder of how much I love handwork. I am on the search for my next take and go embroidery or crewel work. I also might just design my own!

The sampler will be framed and hung in Jane's room which is undergoing a bit of a makeover. Two summers ago, I painted it and made her new curtains and then moved onto other things. I'm back to finishing her room - we've added a bookcase, sent fabric out for an upholstered headboard and bought new bedding. There is a bedskirt to make and furniture to paint. Still, I couldn't resist starting a quilt for her. I hope to finish cutting it tonight and start sewing tomorrow.

I promise to show and tell when it's all finished. I'm also sprucing up some other corners in the house. More on those later.

I forgot just how soothing hand stitching can be.

I bought the pattern a few weeks ago before Fatty and I went to New York and immediately transferred it to a fat quarter of aqua quilting cotton. (I didn't mention that, did I? New York? It was a quick and fun trip - one of our favorite places to go.) I took the pattern into Purl Soho and the super patient and kind gals there helped me narrow down the choices when it came to the Appleton crewel wool. There are so many beautiful colors!

I started the letter "a" in the terminal in LaGuardia while waiting for our flight. The "b" came the following day. And so on. I've been carrying my hoop, wool and pattern in a gallon sized ziploc bag, toting it to the pool, piano practice, tennis lessons and more, just hoping to get a few stitches in as every free moment arises. I've mastered the stem stitch, the satin stitch and the lazy daisy. My french knots are getting better. My chain stitch isn't too shabby and I really like the long short stitch that I had never done before. Every letter brings something new and keeps me interested, still stitching along.

I had forgotten how my mind rests when my hands are at work. Seems silly, doesn't it? That I could forget such a fundamental thing? I did, though. In all the hub bub of summer, of running kids here and there, packing and unpacking for trips, staying up late and getting up early to beat the heat, I shoved my creative time to the side. And I've missed it. And really, I need that creative time. I'm a better mother, wife, friend, geez even a better housekeeper, when I take the time to make things. So I'm moving sewing up higher on the priority list. It's now right up there with a good night's sleep and exercise each day. I'm going to keep stitching all the way through "z", reveling in the deliberate and quiet way that needle and thread quiet my mind and energize it at the same time.

Do you enjoy hand stitching, too? What other creative pursuits give you peace of mind?