Baby Steps Toward Progress

Making more strides toward completing projects this month.  Finished the final block of Pat Sloan's Cozy Things mystery sew-along this morning... Not sure if I'm going to use her setting or make one of my own... but with 9 blocks, I just know that I don't want it to be square, so her setting would solve that issue.

 

  I am working on the layout for my Ripples quilt... here are 6 of 7 rows... I need a taller design wall.  And a step-stool.

I decided to replace the original borders I put on my Rainbow quilt.  I love it now... was going to just donate it but now I may keep it...

And my step 4 of the Morewood Mystery from Meadow Mist Designs:

I'm glad the holidays are almost upon us.   My husband already has his holiday gift and I have no idea what to give my son and daughter-in-law.  Perhaps I'll ask each one individually what the other might want.  Of course my husband is pressuring me what I want.  I have no clue.  sigh.  Time?  Peace?  Control over my bladder, lol.. okay TMI, I know... um... I'm kinda lost here.

Let The Mysteries Commence!

 Mystery season is upon me.  Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek mystery has begun, and part one is finished - a lot of HSTs (Half-square triangles).  Can't reveal numbers or sizes, but here's a picture of stacks of them:

Block 8 of Pat Sloan's Cozy Things block-of-the-week mystery is done as well:

I'm excited about all these mysteries and projects going on... I'm doing a New Year's Day sew along mystery on Jan 1st and the Parallel Universe mystery begins in January too, as does the 2021 Murder Mystery!  Sew much fun!!!

Cozy Things and Mystery Fabrics

 I finished another Pat Sloan Cozy Things block ... this one is all about cozy sounds... for me, that means purring... love having a happy cat on my lap.

This year's Murder Mystery quilt is all about Pirates and the Caribbean, and these are my fabrics for the mystery:

Can't wait to get started!

Getting Ready for Mystery Season

 December and January are 'mystery season' at my house.  The Bonnie Hunter mystery (this year called 'Grassy Creek') starts on Black Friday, and the Parallel Universe Mystery starts early January.  All my prep for those is done (fabrics pulled and ready to go!).  But in the meantime, I've got to keep up with all the other projects!

Cozy Things designed by Pat Sloan is about 1/2 way done... Here is my block #6, which came out this morning:

 

My first of 12 pairs of Hedgies blocks (a one year long block of the month, that just started last month):

and my test block for the month long 'block of the day' project at Pat Sloan's page.  For that one, I am making the Ripples quilt (a free pattern on the Fat Quarter Shop webpage):

Next week we will be enjoying Thanksgiving with my son and daughter in law (they live with us, so it's all in the family, but we'll still be maintaining some social distancing and safety measures.  Not sure exactly what to be thankful for this year... 2020 has been rough, but hoping things get better soon (at least by the beginning of next year.  I surely wish this one were over. 

Overwhelmed By the Holidays... and it's only November!

 I am already feeling overwhelmed by the holidays and it's really only November 12th.  We are having a very small Thanksgiving this year.  Just me and the hubs and maybe our live-in son and d-i-l.  They might actually be working... we are waiting for them to know their schedules.  I've got all my BOMs to keep up with, my BOWs (like Pat Sloan's 'Cozy Things' - see below), not to mention mystery quilts in progress (Tula Pink's City Sampler), or just starting (Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek), or soon to start (Parallel Universe mystery).  Add to that, I've committed to running Rise of the Runelords for my gaming friends - another time sink needing my attention... GAaaahh!

Well, here is block 5 of Cozy Things:

This block was totally fun to choose fabrics for and make.  I keep telling myself I don't need to make more samplers, which is what Pat's quilts tend to be, but I have so much fun with it, and then I donate them to folks in need - usually through one of my guilds' charities.  It's all win-win.  Sometimes I'm so jealous of my friends with grandkids and great-grandkids who have lots of family to gift quilts to as they grow, but I guess I will have to be content to find my blessings in other directions.  

Time to refocus and keep working, keep busy, and stay positive.

 

In the Wake of...

 A sleepless night online with friends last night til 3:30 am.... and fitful and unrestful sleep to follow for a few hours.  I've been up now since 6:30am... and still no answers.  So I took to my studio and made a block, trying to stay busy.

 

This is block 4 of Pat Sloan's 'Cozy Things' quilt design.  A bit wonky, but I was half asleep while sewing, so not surprising... I forgot to reset my stitch length to 2.3 (from 2.0 for applique), so there's a bit of gathering, and I didn't read the pattern thoroughly, so I made the center pinwheel and added the border strips in long strips using partial seam construction (instead of adding 2 pieces of each border to each square of the pinwheel and sewing it together as a four-patch)... I deserved what I get for this one... I really should read the isntructions! 

Shiny & New

Another shiny new project to deflect and distract my mind from the ills of the world.  We all have our own opinions and, as is my general habit, I'm not going to start talking politics here, just suffice it to say that come Nov. 3rd, things will change regardless of the outcome of this election.  I am not looking forward to the backlash either, no matter the outcome.  So... back to my escape:  quilting...

These are the first to blocks in the Hedgies block of the month.  When I first saw these blocks, I HAD to make them.. Just too cute.  Block one is the October block... Little hedgehog with his pet bat.  I still need to give the bat pupils (black french knots in the eyes), and the hedgehog gets button eyes (after quilting, what is showing here are little eyelashes that I embroidered on). 

The pieced blocks are alternate blocks that go in between the hedgie blocks. Below is the first of the pieced blocks. 

I think I'm gonna love this project!  Fun and easy applique (they come prefused and laser cut, though they DO use heat and bond which makes for a stiff quilt imo), easy piecing, too.  The hedgie block is supposed to have teal corners sewn on, but they are using a unitasking tool to make what they call 'folded corners'.  I will wait til I know the correct size of the corner pieces before I piece them on the old-fashioned way.  They call them 2" folded corner pieces, but I'm not sure if they mean 2" finished or 2" cut.  2" cut will make for a smaller corner once the blocks are sewn into the quilt.. 2" finished means I will probably have to cut 2 3/8" squares to have them finish at 2" in the quilt.  So, since the designer didn't actually know when I called her, I will wait and see, so for now, no teal corners... I'll just save the fabric for the corners til the end.  

PS if you like the project and are interested in doing one yourself, google 'Stitches of Love' and look for their 'Hedgies' quilt on their website.

Wake Me When It's Over

This year has just been too much.  Only 2 months to go, but it seems like forever.  I look forward to 2021... but this picture about sums up how I feel right now:  

Now on to quilt stuff... Here is block 3 in Pat Sloan's 'Cozy Things' design:  

And I got my block back from one of my local guild's Round Robin for last year.  This is it:  I started with the pet shop block in the center... unknown ladies in the guild added the darker grey border and the pinwheel/four-patch border.  Haven't decided what I might do with it yet... donate?  finish?  Just can't decide.

Cozy Things, Block 2

Cozy Things, Block 2 (for more about this and other projects, see 2 posts down 'One Myster Ends, Another Begins')

 

Cozy Things, block 1

 Cozy Things Block One (See 'One mystery ends, another begins' post below for more information)

Making but not Posting

I've been doing some sewing... maybe not as much as I COULD be doing and SHOULD be doing, but some... but not a lot of posting.  Some of that is due to some computer issues... seems I'm running out of RAM and computer is freezing up and locking up, requiring a hard reboot.  Keep having to switch to an older system... Ordered memory but it didn't help because the new memory chip was slower than the original hardwired memory chip and we had a compatibility problem... another, faster memory chip is on order... sigh.  Anyway, here is what I've been working on:

Tula Pink City Sampler blocks 21-30 are done:

Pat Sloan's Out West mystery is a finished top.  The backing just needs to be sewn together, batting cut and off to the quilter it goes:

The borders for the 2020 Murder Mystery quilt are done:

Blocks 1 (bottom) and 2 (top) of Pat Sloan's 'Cozy Things' mystery:

  Now, I have to finish masks for my husband and a friend to wear to work for Halloween.  They both want monster face masks, so that's what I've got to make... Saturday is a wash, so Sunday will be a work day for me at least 1/2 the day (the other half, I've got a meeting on Discord/Roll20).

As One Mystery Ends, Another Begins...

 The final block of 'Out West' has been released, and this is mine 'Music', block 9 of 9:

Fun and easy block to make... I really enjoy Pat's designs, even tho they aren't 'representational' of their names, she always designs interesting and easy blocks, some of which look complex, and her final layouts are often interesting and different.  (Layout for 'Out West' is my project for later today and/or tomorrow).

 And the Morewood Mystery from Meadow Mist Designs is just getting underway... Well, we just got clue #2, and here is my progress... all 45 pieces are done:

 I like her designs too, she designs a quilt with easy parts like these four patches or the HSTs from last month, and puts them together into complex designs that look hard (but aren't) and are always interesting.  Not sure about my background fabric yet (the black), but we shall see how it all comes out.

 Now... back to the studio for that Out West layout...

 

The Final Block

As our democracy finds itself on the chopping block, I sew to escape.  Today I needed a lot of escape, so I sewed the 12th picnic block of Pat Sloan's design called 'Waterworks':

I had already cut my sashing strips, but still need to decide on a cornerstone color... I'm thinking maybe a bright yellow or a bright gold.  ... and looking at the picture, I obviously need to move some blocks around. 

 

 

A Little Sewing Therapy

Being stuck at home so much, I think a little therapy isn't out of order... We each have our individual and different needs, wants and necessities, but among those, for most of us, is a basic need to connect with other people.  Self-quarantining, even with family around, feels a bit like being in solitary confinement, albeit with a few extra perks.  I rarely leave the house except for the rare shopping trip to Costco or the market, or a doctor's appointment. 

During all this, sewing is a bit of therapy - whether alone or together with sewing friends via Zoom, it's all a way of connecting with something outside myself.  This week, managed to make the next block (#11 of 12) in Pat Sloan's Picnic quilt, as well as the second 10 (#11-20) of the Tula Pink City Sampler quilt.  Here are my blocks:

'The Spread' - block 11 of the Picnic quilt.  Need block 12... NOW!  I want to put it all together!

 This month's Tula Pink City Sampler blocks (#11-16).  This is going to be a fun project!

I also wanted to show off what my husband made me on his new 3d printer... a new tool holder!  It wasn't really meant to be that, he was just testing printer capabilities, but as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted it!

I still have to put some applique on the scarab blocks for the Murder Mystery quilt but that will have to wait til much later today.  I think I need a little morning nap now.

Quilting Through the Night

 It's been a long time since I pulled an all-nighter in the studio... oh, sometimes there's a late night here and there... sewing til midnight or one or two... but the all-nighters are rare these days.  Last night, I got so wrapped up in what I was working on, I didn't realize what time it was til 4:45... and then I figured, why bother going to bed?  

It was at least a productive night!  I finished (all but a little applique, which is optional anyway) on the two September blocks for the Murder Mystery 2020 quilt.  I love paper-piecing, so this month's blocks were perfect for me.

As you might guess from the blocks, it is an Egyptian-themed quilt (and an Egyptian-themed mystery too).  Fun to make, and the wings of the one on the left are not white... they are actually gold lame' fabric.

This morning, after a short (15 minute) cat-nap, I finished up the round robin block for my guild (we started these before quarantine, and have been holding the April blocks all this time)... Friday is going to be the reveal (in a park with masks and social distancing), tho I won't be able to attend - I'll be mailing mine in later today.

The first border was to add a triangle, the second border was to add negative space, and the third border (mine) was to add a border that repeated one or more colors from the starting block (the small appliqued square in the middle).  I used a light blue background fabric for the border, and there are small turquoise and royal blue pinwheels in the center block as well, so I made pinwheels of turquoise and royal blue.  I left the cornerstones empty to a) give the eye somewhere to rest and b) leave it open for the owner to applique or quilt something special in the corners if desired.  I hope she likes it (whoever the owner is).  

 My Tula Pink City Sampler fabrics arrived in the mail today (a block of the month I'm working on).  I think I'll let that one wait til tomorrow... I'm beat.

No more masks!... Except for... sigh

I keep saying 'no more masks' but then family and special friends keep asking for something special or personal, and then I just can't say no... But right now, I've finished the last batch.. which I forgot to take pics of before mailing most of them.  I did keep 3 for me and my husband... will need pics of those I guess.. 

I did make a couple more of Pat Sloan's picnic blocks since my last post... One was 'Summer Fruits' (last Weds.), and today's block was 'Fun and Games'.  This first picture is my Summer Fruits block:  green for grapes, pink for peaches (I know, it doesn't look at all 'peachy', but I didn't have anything closer in my stash), orange for oranges and purple for plums:

This is my Fun and Games block for the picnic quilt:

Also, I finished selecting my fabrics for the Parallel Universe Mystery Quilt.  I'm SO looking forward to this one... I've never done a mystery quilt with a modern vibe before... Can't wait to see what we do!

Speaking of mystery quilts, I also sewed my starting sections for the Morewood Mystery quilt by Meadow Mist Designs...(that's a lot of M alliteration!):

Making Masks and More..

 I find, as time progresses during this time of Covid-19 and sheltering in place, that I need sewing as therapy more than ever.  It gives me something to do other than veg in front of the tv and compter.  Sewing also helps the time pass more quickly.  I really can go to the studio and come out four or five hours later not realizing how much time had passed... often missing other obligations because I wasn't watching the clock.

On top of the actual progress I'm making on my many projects, I'm keeping myself happy and contented to be at home.  

Here's block 8 of Pat Sloan's 'Out West' quilt:

The theme of the block was 'Western Music' so I used some boots and guitars fabric, with flowers that give it a sort of Hawaiian feel vibe, despite the cowboy boots.   

And I got a commission to make more masks, so now I've got to turn my thoughts to those.  I started them yesterday, and have the ties made (I don't do the elastic over the ear type)... the masks themselves are all pleated and now I just have to attach the ties, which is kind of like doing machine binding.  Hopefully will have them done soon... but I do have a convention this weekend and not sure when I"ll finish them...  

Tomorrow (Thursday), the first sewing clue for the Morewood Mystery is scheduled for release.  Looking forward to that as well.. though with the con starting on Friday morning, I'm not sure when I'll actually MAKE the pieces.  But it's all good... I'll have gaming therapy all weekend and sewing therapy next week too!

 

Finishing a Long-Languishing Project

 I started this quilt almost a year ago, made the blocks, sewed them into rows, cut the sashing and stalled out.  Didn't pick it up again til last week... Just kept moving it from one area of the studio to another to get it out of the way... but it is finally a finished top.  Need to cut batting and make a backing for it and WHOOSH!  off to the LAQ it will go.  It is an old Craftsy/Bluprint kit (not sure if it's THAT old, but from before they went belly up), and is called 'Whale You Be Mine'... I intend to give this to a friend whose little boy is just old enough to graduate to a 'big boy bed'.   (Sorry about the quality of the photo - my design wall isn't big enough to hold the entire quilt.  There really is a right border there behind the stash).

I also made block 8 of Pat Sloan's Picnic quilt this week.  I had a super-fun time picking fabrics for this block.  Maybe not perfect, but I like them...  Correlating the colors with the pattern, the 4 triangles in the center should have been dark or black like the background, but I liked it this way... black in the middle would have been SO dark. 

Picnic Time

 Going on picnics is fun... maybe not the prep or the planning, but the actual picnic is always a good time... some sun, some shade, some time at the beach, the park, the woods, wherever you want to go...  When we were young, we'd often picnic at the beach, or at Ladera Park, or in the wee hours in the mountains on my birthday to watch the Perseid meteor shower, a yearly picnic favorite.  So here is my 'Where To Hold a Picnic' block:

Making a New Post to Upload a picture

 Sometimes websites really make me mad.  In order to enter a picture of block 7 on another site, it has to come from a unique url from the previous post, so this is to satisfy that requirement... Nothing new to add really... just block 7 of Out West again.

Block 7

Sewing My Way to Sanity

 I am scheduled for surgery today, and woke up early (4am)... Worried about the day to come, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I resorted to my usual therapy - sewing.  I made a couple of blocks for Pat Sloan's 'Out West' quilt.  So here they are - blocks 6 and 7:

Block 6

Block 7

Now it's 6am and I still have an hour and a half before I have to leave for the surgery center.  I need more to do!  I know I've got masks to make but I'm waiting for answers to some color questions (these are being made to order for a friend and i need to know what colors to make), so can't really work on those.  So here I am watching reruns of Charmed and trying to stay sane.  I can't eat or drink so no tea or breakfast... I'm going a bit nuts, lol.

Starting the Day Right... Sewing!

This morning, I slept in late (a rarity for me), and started my day with cutting and sewing Pat Sloan's 'Picnic' quilt, block 6.  Took me just a few minutes to find the right fabrics, cut and sat down to sew.  Had it all finished by the time my husband left for work.  I love the design with the narrow borders and the little HSTs in the corners.   They look a little like butterflies in the corners to me.

Monday, I started my City Sampler blocks.  It's a Tula Pink design, and many (but not all) of the fabrics are from various of her lines from over the years.  Can't wait to see how it develops.  These are the first 10 of 100  six and a half inch blocks:

I'm especially not happy about #6, I don't like the sort-of-tan color, and might re-sew it with something a little more orange... and the almost white gray on block #9 is probably not going to look good against the almost white of the background.  I may re-sew that one too with a different color - maybe a light blue or a darker grey.  Until I decide tho, they will remain as they are.  

Today is my birthday so I think I will take a little time off from everything, and then maybe sew a new curtain for my bathroom window... it needs to get done... two of my cats shredded the lace curtain that was up there before.  I've picked a batik fabric so it will look nice from both sides (not that it matters much because the glass is frosted and no one outside will see it when the window is closed, and it's on the side of the house where only the dogs go most of the time anyway. Still, it will make me happy knowing it will look the same on both sides.

Sewing Takes a Backseat

GenCon is over, Strategicon looms in the near future (first weekend in September) and with my anniversary and birthday both this month, sewing is just going to be secondary to everything else that's going on.   The anniversary was very low key - dinner ordered in, and a quiet night watching a bit of tv and relaxing.  Birthday events are in hiatus at present because the restaurant we wanted to try food from is closed on my birthday.  Perhaps we'll just drive up the coast and try to find a dark bit of beach where we can watch the Perseid meteor shower that happens every year on my birthday.

 

I did a little sewing last week - finishing a top I don't like - it's not horrible, the pattern is actually rather cool (it was a mystery, so didn't know what I'd be making when I started), but the colors are just not my vibe.  I gave it away - it is on its way to Colorado as I write this - to someone who loves it and wants to finish it.  

I also made block 5 for Pat Sloan's 'Picnic' quilt today... just don't want to fall behind on my block of the week/block of the month/mystery projects... I put some bunnies in it because there's always bunnies in the woods and the red plaid for the picnic blanket:

 

I actually got all the cutting done for the Morewood Mystery by Meadow Mist Quilts - the first sewing clue comes out next month and I don't want to get behind.

The first ten blocks for the Tula Pink City Sampler arrived in the mail today along with the pattern book... another project that I will have to try to keep up with!  Aaaargh...

Not much sewing... Gearing Up for GenCon

Well, the title sort of says it all... I am falling behind on my sewing projects from simple lack of enthusiasm, and now with Gencon looming on the horizon (well, not that far ahead - it starts at 11am pacific time tomorrow), it doesn't look like my sewing mojo will return any time soon - or if it does, it will be preempted by my love of gaming.

I did spend a little time sewing this morning - I made block four of Pat Sloan's Picnic quilt...

Not exactly 'hot dogs and hamburgers' colors, but I loved chasing butterflies in the park as a kid, and so to me, this reminds me of picnics. 

Last week, I made these blocks for the Jolly Bar quilt.  I was actually caught up on this one - but a new pattern came out a couple of days ago:

And I made the four blocks that make the center star in the snowflake quilt below (there's more blocks released, but I haven't made them yet):

And two weeks ago, I  took an online class with Latifah Saafir on how to cut and machine piece a clamshell quilt.. It was all run on zoom - so we all sewed from the safety of our personal sewing studios.  Here's mine, all sewn together - just needs a back, some batting and of course the quilting.

All told, considering how much time I HAVE to sew, I'm not doing much... I hope after Gencon is over I will feel more like sewing...