Beat the Heat Sewing

Oh, the contradictions in quilting in the summer!

I've spoken about seasonal sewing before. Once, I even surveyed readers about whether they sew more in the summer or the winter. All I know is that right now, in this epic heat wave, the basement is where I want to be. That means I am sewing. This is the time for piecing though, not finishing quilts. I can't quite imagine having the heaviness of a quilt on my shoulder as I quilt or on my lap as I bind. It might be different if we had air conditioning though!

What I can and want to do is the playful yet mindless sewing. The kind of stuff that I can pick up and leave and not worry about losing my place. Nothing too challenging but still pretty. The beach read equivalent of quilting! Plenty of opportunity to stare into space, watch the kids splash in the pool, or take an ice cream break and come back to your machine at any point. Here are a few suggestions:

• Sewing strips together
• Half square triangles
• Four patches
• Make slabs

While my default is to do all this improvisationally, that isn't for everyone. Go with what feels the most relaxing and playful. This isn't about making a quilt either, it's just about the act of sewing as a break.