Quilter's exercise regime

I am back from a week of trailing my suitcase (and bag full of handsewing and art equipment and Waterstones and M&S bags acquired en route) around the country. Time to relax with some quilting. But soon it occurred to me that I might ditch my gym membership ( which at this time of year I never use because I'm not here) in favour of quilting. Here is today's exercise regime.


Aerobic warm up
Carry fabric from upstairs store cupboard to machine downstairs.
Go back up for FQ you droppped on the landing.
Go down. Start to sew.
Decide thread colour is wrong. Go upstairs for thread box.
Carry it downstairs. (Note for most quilters this step also has an element of weight training involved.) Sew.
Realise you have forgotton the precise method for your chosen technique.
Go upstairs to bookshelf for manual. ( For advanced practitionsers keep this on bottom shelf to incorporate squat)
Go downstairs. Decide technique is harder than anticpated and really requires mini chocolate bar stashed in handbag upstairs ( liberated from hotel conference facilties). Go upstairs.
Come down
Repeat ad nauseaum.


Sit/Stand squats
Sew one line. Stand, pushing yoursef up without use of your hands on the chair. Walk to ironing board. Press fabric. Walk back to chair. Sit. Uses thigh muscles. For advanced level do squat whilst at board. Repeat for 8 seams per block and 40 blocks per quilt.

Yoga stretches - upper shoulders ( also tones arm muscles).
Grasp one corner of kingsize quilt top in eachhand. Stretch out arms until top is taut. Hold up and mantain tautness for what seems like years while panicked husband looks at it and tries to discern what particular element of it he is supposed to comment on.

Yoga stretches - lower back. ( also known as basters bum).
kneel on floor in front of quilt which should be pinned to floor with wadding and top set out. Stretch straight out keeping lower back straight to pin/ baste quilt. Gradually increase stretch. If necessary let your botom rise until it is sticking in the air.

I am sure there are more movements but I really should be working now so I'll let you devise your own.