A Very Productive Week

I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety these last couple of weeks. I've always struggled with it, but up until the beginning of April I've managed to keep it under control. I'm not really sure what set me off, but the anxiety I feel has grown exponentially. Which stinks.

On the bright side, one of the things I've discovered that helps me cope with these feelings is sewing! 

When I'm working on a something I get pulled into the project and I momentarily forget everything that has me stressed and worried.

This week I was able to tune out life and get a lot done.

I was able to start and complete the Ohio Star block for the March BOM. It's my favorite Ohio Star block yet. 

I was able to finish up the applique stitching on my Shadow Blossom block. I decided to just hand stitch it after failing again to machine sew it. I'm really happy with how the stitches look. Or how they don't look actually since the thread is clear.

Lastly, I was able to cut all of the material for my black and red quilt that I purchased at the quilt show last month. 

I've never worked with so many yards of fabric before. You can't tell at this angle, but that is a stack of 51 strips. I was nervous to tackle so much material but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. 

I decided the best method was to press part of the material, cut what I pressed, and then press some more. It was slow going, but it worked pretty well. 

I'm so excited to finally start sewing these all together. I'm a little confused by the directions, but once I figure out exactly what I'm supposed to do I'll get to work.

Does anyone else out there use sewing as a coping mechanism?