Hello, friends! Spring has officially sprung, and I couldn’t be happier about it! My lilies are blooming, my backyard is looking greener by the day, and my little flock of chickens must be feeling the sunshine, too – they’re laying eggs like crazy! Given the price of eggs lately, I’m extra grateful for their overachieving ways.
With all this fresh air and warm weather, I find myself itching to be outside as much as possible. But, as much as I love planting flowers and soaking up the sun, I still want to make time to sew. And honestly, that can be a challenge when Mother Nature is calling my name!
So, what’s a quilter to do? Take the sewing outside!
One of my favorite things to do this time of year is sit on my front porch in my favorite rocking chair (one of those white ones from Cracker Barrel!), enjoy the breeze, and work on a bit of hand embroidery or quilt binding. There’s something so peaceful about stitching in the fresh air – just me, my needle and thread, and the sound of birds chirping.
Of course, not all sewing is portable, so making time for indoor projects takes a little planning. Here are a few ways I squeeze in my sewing when the outdoors is so tempting:
Sew first thing in the morning – The house is quiet, the air is crisp, and a fresh cup of coffee pairs perfectly with a little stitching.
30 minutes a day – Just a half-hour of sewing each day adds up fast! It’s amazing what you can accomplish in small chunks of time.
Set a timer – If I know I have chores on the agenda, I’ll set a timer for sewing first. That way, I get my creative time in before I get lost in other projects.
Make it social – Invite a friend over for a little porch stitching! Quilting and chatting go hand in hand, and everything is more fun with a friend.
So, tell me, how do you make time to sew in the spring? Do you take your stitching outside? I’d love to hear your favorite ways to balance sewing and sunshine!
Happy stitching,
Beth 
P.S. Don’t forget to check out the Nancy’s Notions homepage! That’s where you can find all of the categories leading you to hundreds, yes, hundreds of articles all about quilting and sewing! I think of our website as a super fun sewing magazine – it’s just online and it’s free! Click here!
I work full time outside the home, so I work it in at night. Often times from 8-10 pm at night. I’m up at 5 am to get my husband off to work before I leave, so no time in the morning. When my adult special needs son has a function I bring hand embroidery or EPP to work on. Thank goodness MSQC has come out with some beautiful hand embroidery designs!