February 2022 ~ Week 2

Saturday 2/5 

Two rows knitting and 30 minutes hand quilting. Had planned to stitch for an hour but my shoulder got to hurting so I had to quit early. 

Sunday 2/6

Only managed two rows of knitting today. The weather here has been unseasonably warm, actually there have been a few record breaking days. Our ornamental plum trees are in bloom, and I think it's rather early. But they are beautiful and have a lovely fragrance. 

Monday 2/7

This morning I finished sub cutting the last 7 joined strips for the 4 square blocks and got the blocks sewn too. Now it’s time to set the project aside for a couple of days and prep my Snowflake project for quilting. I need to press it, mark it, layer it, and get it pinned. Then I will decide how to balance my time between getting it quilted and working on my new project. 

Tuesday 2/8

I had a doctor appointment this morning so only managed one row of knitting before I had to leave. When I got back home I took some time to do some cleaning in the garage. After that I came in for lunch and then started working on my Snowflake quilt. I got it down off the design wall and got it pressed and then started getting it marked. 

Wednesday 2/9

The baby blanket I'm knitting is coming along, I got two more rows of knitting done today. I typically knit during my morning coffee time, it's quiet and peaceful and the knitting is a pleasant task. Today though I decided to save my knitting for the afternoon knowing that I would be spending a fair amount of time working on marking the Snowflake quilt top. Spending time at the tables in the sewing room doing that kind of work usually puts my back in pain, so I saved the knitting for later because I can do that in my comfortable chair and it eases the pain right out.  

Thursday 2/10

I did more marking on the Snowflake quilt top today. When I needed to stop to relax my back I went to the sewing machine and began work on the quarter square triangles for the new quilt for the main bedroom. The light pinkish squares in the center are part of the star blocks and I got them all sewn to background squares. The reddish purple squares will be next to get sewn to background squares and then I will cut them diagonally and put them together to make quarter square triangle blocks.

Friday 2/11 

This morning I went for a walk with friend I haven't seen in quite a while. It was the longest walk I've taken in a long time, but was good because the ground was flat. When I walk our neighborhood there are some pretty steep hills to climb, so though I don't walk nearly as far, it's a good workout. Anyway, we then had lunch together. It was a really good visit and I was so glad to have the chance to connect. I only managed two rows of knitting today. 

Here is a shot of the marking I'm doing on the Snowflake quilt. I've not used this template before but I'm really liking how it's starting to look. I hope quilting it won't be too complicated. 

Saturday 2/12 

Our little Suzette has been very lonesome since we lost Nigel just before Christmas. I've thought about the possibility of getting a kitten to keep her company but wasn't sure how she would react to our bringing a new kitty into the house. So I set up a kitty play date for her to see what her reaction would be. I borrowed a lovely kitten, not a very tiny one, but still a kitten from a friend and brought him home to see how Suzette would react. She ran away and hid. She wouldn't come out so Dan and I played with the sweet kitty for a little while and then I took him back home. Sorry I didn't get a picture of him. He was a very sweet boy. Suzette didn't come out of hiding until the kitten had been gone for a few hours. 

I got two rows knitting done and did a Russian join at the end of a row. It didn't turn out very good. It works but is a bit awkward. I've only done that kind of join once before. Guess I need some practice. Then I did a regular join on my crochet shawl and got a row of crochet done too. 

Sunday 2/13 

This morning I got two rows of knitting done and will do a little more when I'm done with the blog post. I also need to get back to my hand quilting project. 

The colors for the February RSC are aqua and teal. I think I might try to organize the scraps instead of trying to get blocks done. Sorting through scraps that are just pushed in and wadded up in the drawer takes more time than I'm usually willing to give to get a couple of scrappy blocks done. I watched a video this week of someone who has a good method for organizing her scraps and I think I'm going to give it a try. 

I'm linking up with the following linky parties:

Judy Hansen of Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Beth of Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making

Jennifer at the Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday Wait Loss

Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers

Cynthia at Quilting is More fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday

Angela at So Scrappy for Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Nina Marie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever for Off the Wall Friday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Denise at For the Love of Geese for Put Your Foot Down 

January ~ Week 4 / February ~ Week 1

Sunday 1/23

Spent time with Suzette in my lap. She is more inclined now to spend time there since Nigel passed away. I know she is lonesome for him, he was brother to her for 10 years and she is having to learn to live without him. As are we. He was 15 years old and life is not the same without him. 

Two rows of crochet was all I managed today, but did that after kitty lap time and was able to do it out on the back deck in the warm sunshine, very enjoyable time. 

Monday 1/24

Managed two rows of knitting only. My plan for this year is to complete as many UFOs as possible. The baby blanket I'm knitting was started about 6 years ago. The baby it was intended for is obviously no longer a baby. I don't know who this blanket will go to but want to get it finished. 

Tuesday 1/25

Two rows of knitting and one hour of hand quilting. Fabric cutting for Red blocks for rainbow scrap challenge. I also spent some time looking for quilt pattern for queen size bed in main bedroom.  

Wednesday 1/26

Two hours of hand quilting and started sewing blocks for Rainbow scrap challenge. I also decided on the pattern for the quilt I want for main bedroom and chose fabrics for it from my stash. 

Thursday 1/27  

Continued sewing blocks for rainbow scrap challenge. 

Part of my plan for getting some UFO's done this year is to spend time each morning with either my knitting, crochet, or hand quilting project prior to going into the sewing room to work on new or continuing projects like the blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

Friday 1/28

Figured out the fabric cutting requirements for the new quilt and verified that the fabrics I chose for it from my stash were sufficiently large enough for the job. Also determined the size fabric I needed to buy for the one piece I didn’t have fabric for in my stash. This was a big challenge for me, math is not my thing. But the pattern I chose for my quilt does not have dimensions for a queen size. That took up my morning and then I left to go visit my Dad and Judy. I also visited a quilt store in their area and found the last fabric I needed for the new quilt. 

Saturday 1/29 

Finished sewing red blocks for rainbow scrap challenge and put new fabrics through the wash. Purchased new blades, thread, and a 3.5” ruler all with the new quilt project in mind. 

I don't have much in the way of red scraps so some of these blocks don't have much difference in value which is too bad, but hey they are scrap blocks.  

I don't have much in the way of green scraps for the leaves either. Think I might have to go find a green charm pack to have enough to get me through the year with the RSC blocks. I'm using a white charm pack for the background fabric for these blocks too.

Once I got all the leftover scraps picked up and put away from the RSC blocks I dumped out a dish of cut triangles, mostly from binding prints, that I've been saving for a couple of years. I pulled out those that were already matched up from half square triangles made for previous quilts and got them in a container together. Then matched up as best I could most of the ones that were left. They are in the container with the others and I will be using them as leaders and enders for as long as they last. 

They will be making very small half square triangle blocks. 

I don't know how I will wind up using them but will see when I've got enough to do something with and when I get an idea for them.  I'm using my Lock Block ruler to trim them and even at this small size the rulers give me some very accurate blocks. 

Sunday 1/30 

Started cutting fabrics for my new bed quilt. Cut 90 3.5” blocks for the center of the 9 patch blocks out of the new fabric and realized when I was done that it was the wrong fabric for the center pieces. Fortunately I had purchased more than I needed so was able to cut the 45 4” squares I actually needed from that fabric. I also got all the background fabric strips cut. 

The fabric on the left is intended as the outer border fabric for the new quilt - the stack of the blocks on the right - all the blocks I should not have cut! I also cut some extra 4" squares from that fabric by mistake. I want that fabric for the inner border but am afraid I will not have enough now because of my mistakes. There is some left I will have to wait and see if it's enough. 

Monday 1/31

Finally finished row 71 of my crochet shawl. Luckily I got to the end of the row with just enough yarn left for a Russian join. I spent more time with Suzette in my lap and had an unexpected dentist appointment. I still managed two rows of knitting and sub cut the background squares and background portion of the quarter square triangle blocks for the new quilt. 

Tuesday 2/1

Another UFO I will be working on soon is the snowflake quilt. I finished the top last year. I put it up on the design wall to look at while I'm in the sewing room to help me figure out how I want to quilt it. I've chosen the quilting pattern I want to use and will bring it down and mark it once I'm done cutting all the pieces for the new quilt project. 

Two rows of knitting. An hour of hand quilting. Cut the center squares for both the Stepping Stones and Star blocks for the new quilt.  Actually used the correct fabric this time too. 

Wednesday 2/2

Two rows of knitting. Cut and sewed together strips for 4 square blocks in new quilt project. There are 18 wof strips each so sub cutting and sewing the 4 square blocks is going to take some time. Suzette came in to check out what I was doing. Actually she was sitting there letting me know that she was hungry. 

Thursday 2/3

Continued work on knitting project and began sub cutting 4 square strips and sewing them together. I’m doing one strip at a time rather than cutting all of them at once and chain sewing. Cutting all at once would be painful for my hands and chain piecing would be hard on my back. Doing it a little at a time gives my hands and my back a break.

Friday 2/4

Four rows of knitting. More sub cutting and sewing strips for 4 square blocks. More time with Suzette in my lap. She is not an affectionate kitty in general so I very much enjoy the times she will come sit in my lap. We both got a nap in while she was with me. 

Saturday 2/5

Time to do some more hand quilting. I'm going to have to limit the time spent doing that to one hour at a time. When I did two hours the other day it really hurt my shoulder. I have more strips for the 4 square blocks to cut and sew, but otherwise am done cutting the fabrics for the new quilt. I might pull out my teal scraps and start on the blocks for the RSC if I have time this afternoon. I think I need to begin a better approach to the way I save my scraps. More on that some other time. 

Many thanks if you've managed to read this whole post! I had hoped to do this a week at a time but didn't make it this time around. I will try to get next week written and posted by itself so it won't be so long! 

I'm linking up with the following linky parties:

Judy Hansen of Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Beth of Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making

Jennifer at the Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday Wait Loss

Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers

Cynthia at Quilting is More fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday

Angela at So Scrappy for Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Nina Marie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever for Off the Wall Friday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Denise at For the Love of Geese for Put Your Foot Down 

January 2022 ~ Week 3

MONDAY 1/17

This morning was rather discouraging. I was working on my crochet shawl and made an error very near the beginning of the row I was working. I just didn't realize it until I got to the end of the row - well over a hundred and fifty stitches later. Most of the row had to be pulled out so I could pick up the stitch I dropped. I was so bummed that I just dumped it into the bin and went off to start my day. I need to get back to it before too much longer now. I really want to get at least two rows done each day. 

Today on the design wall: Partially done blocks that will be a wall hanging for over the bed in the main bedroom. The block is called Taos by Vanessa Goertzen. It's block number 9 of the Moda Block Heads 3 collection. Only the two blocks at the top of the photo are complete. 

The centers of the blocks are all scrap pieces. The surrounding sides are made from just two fabrics that I purchased because I loved the colors. I had no idea at the time how I would use them. As it turned out I barely had enough to make all the pieces for the number of blocks I planned. One of the dark corner squares is actually pieced out of two end scraps from strips I cut to get the squares. 

I started the Taos blocks as leaders/enders back in August while I was working on a baby quilt that I did with my friend Kathy for our friend Annalisa and her firstborn. Here it is in the baby's nursery. Somehow it got finished without my getting a picture of it before I took it to the baby shower. 

I continued using the Taos pieces as leaders/enders while I worked on a quilt for my great-nephew Colin. His quilt was finished September 29th and sent off to him in Florida. It was so nice to get a picture of him with the quilt I sent and to see his smiling face. I also got a little video of him with the quilt and a sweet thank you from him. Made my day. 

Well, it's time to get back to my crochet shawl and see if I can get my two rows done for today. 

TUESDAY 1/18

Not much done today, I was out of town for a good part of the day. I was able to get my 2 rows done yesterday after having pulled out that row. Today I got 2 more rows of my crochet shawl and two rows of my knit baby blanket done. 

WEDNESDAY 1/19

I was able to get more done today, 2 rows of my crochet shawl and 2 rows of my knit baby blanket. 

Worked on the Taos project. Got all the blocks finished and sewn into rows. 

THURSDAY 1/20

I got a couple of rows done on my crochet shawl and a couple done on my knit baby blanket. I also got the Taos top finished. Tried a few options for a border and decided not to do one. 

FRIDAY 1/21

Today is my sister's birthday and the "Peppermint Patty" quilt I've been working at on and off for years was finally complete and sent to her. She was surprised, and she loves it. Pink is her color! 

This photo is the first one I took when I began this project, it's dated January 2014. I started this quilt as an experiment in paper piecing. I had done a couple of quilts in the traditional paper piecing way but then saw a tutorial on using freezer paper which eliminates the need to sew through the paper and the hassle of getting the paper off the pieces. It worked very well for me. I used the Square in a Square pattern from Paper Piecing with Alex Anderson.

There were many different times I had the pieces on the design wall trying to figure out how to arrange them. I had a really hard time because as nice as the blocks were individually I didn't like the way they looked together. 

One day by chance as I was looking at the blocks on the design wall I caught sight of a star that was formed within a "9 patch." I hadn't put it up there like that on purpose and looking around didn't see other stars. So once again all the blocks came down except the one that showed a star. I put the blocks back up in the 9 patch arrangement and stars appeared, more noticeable in some than others. That meant dividing the blocks up and arranging them by value. It also meant making some substitute blocks, and extra blocks to get enough blocks for the needed 9 patches. Not all the stars are obvious, but they are all there and once I got the pattern arranged that way I fell in love with the project. 

Long story there, but not as long as it took to finish that quilt and get it to my sister. It's my first finish for 2022.  

I got a couple of rows on the crochet shawl done today and did some work in the sewing room. I quilted the table runner I pieced last year. I also chose the fabric for the binding and cut the needed strips. It's scrappy and not my favorite but will be fine on top of my hutch.

SATURDAY 1/22

I relaxed this morning with my knitting project, the baby blanket that I started when my now 6 year old great-niece was born. Do not know who will get this little piece but it will be nice to have ready when the next baby in the family comes along. 

I got the binding attached to the table runner and also got it sewn down on the back - that that is my second finished project for 2022. I'm happier with it now that the binding is on, I think it helped pull the whole thing together. 

SUNDAY 1/23

Today I'm set to avoid the sewing room and simply work on my slow stitching projects. I will do some crochet, some knitting and get back to my little hand quilting project that I've been neglecting for far too long. 

I'm linking up with the following linky parties:

Judy Hansen of Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Beth of Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making

Dione at Clever Chameleon for Color and Inspiration Tuesday

Jennifer at the Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday Wait Loss

Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers

Cynthia at Quilting is More fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday

Angela at So Scrappy for Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Nina Marie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever for Off the Wall Friday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching

Slowing Down

After almost two years I've finally begun working on my Feather and Fan baby blanket again.  I started it several years ago and did pretty well to about the half way mark of the project. But I messed up just as the first wave of Covid lockdowns hit California. The fix was beyond me so it's been sitting in my closet all this time waiting for me to get the help I needed to get it fixed. 

Our local yarn shop moved to a new location recently and I went in to see what the new shop was like. I found out that I could have a one on one session with one of their teachers to help me with my knitting problem. So I set up a time and got my project out of the closet. The woman who worked with me was very kind and obviously an experienced and knowledgable knitter. She got my mess up all taken off and got me back to a place where I could continue the knitting for myself. I want to take classes from her. I'm very much a knitting novice and know I have lots to learn. 

I'm also working on a crochet shawl. This is a new project for me, using the shell stitch. It goes pretty well until I get to the last stitch where I need to add the last shell. That part is a hassle every time. Otherwise the project is coming along nicely. I get a couple of rows done most mornings while my husband and I have our coffee time together. We are early risers, and enjoy the cozy togetherness with our little kitty Suzette by the fireplace. She plays, Dan reads, and I stitch while the sun slowly rises. 

I've crocheted two other projects recently. One was a new poncho for my great niece's birthday. The child pattern I have has three sizes. I made her the small size in purple a few years ago and this time made the medium size in pink.  The other one was a simple beanie for myself. 

I have other slow stitching projects that need my attention and I hope to get busy with them soon. 

I've been working on lots of other projects throughout this past year, and perhaps I'll make some posts about them in the coming weeks. I'm purposely slowing down for now, I've started numerous projects for myself over the years and most of them have gotten put aside while I've worked on things for others. I've been happy to do this and it gives me joy to gift my quilts to people I love. I just think it's time to turn my attention to some of the projects I've been neglecting. 

Suzette

I'm linking up with Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.