Spinning My Wheels

I am still pondering about my RSC2022 options. The list is way too long and I find it hard to remove some contenders. Anyone else with this kind of problem? 

The 9-Patch and HSTs are still on ... like forever! Haha.

The crumb bricks too as I don't have enough to do anything with these. 

Chaser Crumb Blocks

Chaser Crumb to be trimmed and sashed

What if I make a mask every month? It looks like we will be needing these for some time still. One thing I forgot to say in my previous post is that we are working from home again. I go to the office two mornings a week to distribute incoming mail and to mail out what was printed by the caseworkers. I like this routine as it gets me out of the house without meeting anyone. Win-win. 

Masks done in November.
The cat one has been washed already and the fabric shrunk
but not the liner so I have to redo this one.
The yellow one is not finished. 

I would love to do a Scrap Jar Star quilt. So I will start sewing 4-Patch blocks (or 16 Patch blocks) (same thing). Do I sew the block in rainbow colours or one colour? 

Both are pleasing to me. Sigh! 

Then the strings are demanding some attention. I have an idea that would be an opportunity for some of them to shine. Still on the drawing board but here's what I have so far. 

The solid coloured fabric from my mother's stash is also something I would like to use up and I love this quilt. 

from Google search

There's also this. 

Hmm! It could be interesting. No, I don't know the name. Yes, I know where I'm going with this. 

I would also love to make another Hidden Gems quilt

or a Burgoyne Surrounded but for a big quilt this time. 

How many hours of sewing do I have in a month? Darn!  That really cramp my style. 

There's also my Personal Rainbow UFO Challenge. The colour red calls for a new project but that's for another post. Stay tuned. 

Oh! Almost forgot. I have two finishes to show you. YES! 

First, it's Stars in Blue, labeled and all. My first finish of the year! Yay! 

Remember this panel I salvaged from a year ago? It was quilted with only batting. No backing. See this post for the story behind it. It was the perfect size for Stars in Blue. Win/win! (I know it's not straight but it'll do.)

The binding is built with dark blue scraps.

I think it was the only solution to my dilemma since nothing looked good from the front and the back. 

Then, there's this finish. 

Phew! Made it. Looking at the fabric for clues of who goes with who was impossible in the Spider Web quilt. Once I organized the yellow pieces together, pointing in the same direction, it went so much faster. 

All I had to do was to turn the pieces in my hand and search for the yellow piece going to the right. 

The rest of the pieces were picked as per their unique shape. 

Now, I'll take it apart and put it away so my son can work on the puzzle he received on New Year's Eve. 

It's nothing interesting so I won't keep you posted on this one. 

The original post was supposed to finish with this paragraph. 

I am sorry to announce that the year didn't start on the right foot for us. Raven disappeared on January 3. I've been very down and still am. I'm pushing myself to sew as I know it will help me (and you will too with the comments and your posts about wonderful stuff). Thank you for being there. 

BUT 

After 10 days away, he came back home. I just couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him on the deck. He lost a lot of weight but is otherwise okay as you can tell from this picture. 

He's still sassy! Haha. I'm so happy. 

Have a great one! 

;^)

 

Joining my quilting friends

Angela at So Scrappy

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Sarah at Confession of a Fabric Addict

One Continuous Line

... is what time is. It is the last day of the year and yet it is just a regular day before another regular day. Nothing different will happen. No big bang. No threshold to cross. No ritual to do. Well, maybe the clinging of wine glasses but time is just one continuous line. Humans make it the last day of the year. We have to separate things, quantify them and categorize them. When I look back, all I see is one life, mine in one continuous line.

I didn't do a lot of sewing lately but did a lot of quilting. The goal is to get Stars in Blue finished before the end of the year. Almost there. 
This was my Personal Rainbow UFO Challenge for the month of July and August 2021. I got the top together and the backing magically appeared so I sandwiched it right away. It's been waiting ever since. 

The big stars were quilted with one continuous line. I hope you can see it in the next picture 

A loop in the corner going up to the Hourglass unit side where I sew in the ditch (not that easy when you don't use the walking foot) across the bottom and up the other side to make another loop and round I went. The middle square ends up being sewn all around and everything is well secured. 

The little stars got a different treatment. 

I went loopy all around this one. Free motion with no marking so each one is unique and crooked differently, haha. The white spaces around the middle block are quilted in tight straight lines. 

That's it. Nothing very fancy but I like it and it is done. Now, what to use to bind this one? Blue? 

A scrappy binding of blue, orange, and red? If I want to finish it before the bells of New Years' ring, I better hurry and decide soon. I still have all those threads to bury too. Where is my Fairy Quilting Godmother? 

Another thing I've been doing lately is puzzles. Like this. 

Don't get me wrong. I love Bonnie's quilts but when they look like this, they are a nightmare. 

As you can see, I did manage to get some done but that yellow Spider Web quilt is a doozer! But I'm stubborn; I'll get it done eventually. 😉

Here's my Snow Panther. Haha! He is Snow nothing. He really doesn't like snow. He will only step in my footsteps or those made by other animals. He fell through the snow once and never again. He makes sure his footing is secure before he steps in. He's so funny. 

May you all be blessed with a wonderful new year. May your family, friends, and a smile be with you always. May health be by your side throughout. Let's not forget those who have left and cherish those that are with us. Blessings to you as I am blessed with you as my friends. Here's to another year of blogging, sewing, helping out, laughing out loud, counting units, separating blocks, categorizing fabrics into colours, because this is what humans do. So let's enjoy it all again in 2022. 

Cheers! 

;^)

 

Joining Alycia Quilts for the first time for Finished or Not Friday.  

Joining Angela at So Scrappy for Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Family Gathering and Quilting

A simple little post for those who are alone and wish to see some quilty stuff and some fabrics. Like Rebecca, it will be just us with the boys today. A simple family gathering to enjoy. 

In my previous post, I mentioned a bag of cream, grey, and poinsettias print triangles that I sewed and trimmed. They grew into little HSTs and I played with them until I was happy with the layout. 

It was fun playing with these little Broken Dish blocks at 2.5 inches. 

I should have taken more pictures as I was constructing this one. The gold fabric is not cotton and was ... (let me find a nice word) ... umm ... "unpleasant" to cut and sew. It was just a little piece that was given to me and I really liked it but not anymore! I thought it would bring out the gold highlights in the poinsettias fabric. I should have made that border slimmer but it doesn't bother me enough to change it. 

Let's try another picture to capture its real colour. 

Somewhat better. 

The last border is also a given fabric so nothing in this little mat (12.75 X 10.5) is from my stash but all were saved from the trash. The backing will be as the border fabric. It will go to the quilting pile which I need to do something with. 

While sewing the mat, I made 9-Patch blocks as my leader-ender. Here they are in order of completion. As I took the picture I realized that I am easy to influence. The more I worked on the mat, the more I picked the same colours. 

Stars in Blue is at the ready for quilting but I am not. I need to practice before I tackle that one. I feel rusty. I will practice on a placemat or something before I do anything on this one. Hopefully, a practice session or two will happen this weekend. 

Hope you enjoy this day any which way you can. Be it with family, friends, or fabric. 

;^)

Joining Angela at So Scrappy 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Bring On 2022!

Edited: If you are looking for the RSC with Angela, it is about halfway down the page. Thanks. ;^)

 

Hello again. It's me. I'm coming out of my shell a little more every day and I'll try this posting business one more time.

(So blogger is still having fun with some stupid changes, I see. I'll try to fix that when my head's in a different shape.) 





I haven't done a lot of sewing, to the point that the machine is gathering dust. My! Do I remember how it works? I fed it a few pieces and it went well.

These were eventually made.

 


Yep, that's the same sewing machine block from my last post. Nothing in the sewing room has moved since then.
November is always a difficult month for me. This year, it started before November even came. Then, very unexpectedly, my father-in-law passed away. We were shocked, numbed, lived on auto-pilot for the rest of the month. I miss him so much. My husband grabbed his old coat to do outside work here. Every time I see him with the coat my soul cries a little. Hubby probably finds comfort in wearing his father's coat so I keep my peace. We all grieve in different ways.


Back to sewing. In October (or about) I found a bag of triangles and started to sew them together. Now I trimmed them down to 1.5 inches and played with them a little.

 
                                             


Like most of you, I am thinking of RSC2022. There are so many lovely inspirations out there that I don't know what I want. Actually, yes I do know; I want them all. 😄 I'll try to be reasonable and respect my limits. My energy level is very low lately.

One thing I am sure of is my Personal Rainbow UFO Challenge. I loved it so much that I want to do it again next year.

What is the Personal Rainbow UFO Challenge?
It's very simple. Just tag one of your UFO quilts or projects to a colour. When Angela calls the colour of the month, you have to work on that UFO. You don't HAVE to finish it, but working on it, and bringing it forward is the name of this game. (Bonus point if you do finish it.) Care to join?


Here's my list in no particular order. (Some are repeats from last year as the project didn't get finished.)

Purple - Framed 9-Patch (2016) (same)
Red - Start a new project - new (well, we all need a perk every now and then, right?)
Orange - Hole in the Barn Door (RSC2016) (same)
Yellow - Buttons and Spools (RSC2020) (same)
Green - Field of Poppies (2020) (same)
Bleu - Crumb Quilt for DS3 (2017) flannel - new
Pink - Westering Woman (2016) new

I might switch some for HST quilt #1, Ohio Star Shadow, Expect Some Flurries, etc. 

The next ones are in case Angela calls a darker shade of a colour.
Dark Blue or Aqua - ???
Dark Green - Tricked Me (2013) (same)
Multicoloured - Getting Better (2013) (same)
Black, grey, or neutrals - Shoreline (2016) (same)

Obviously, I still have some thinking to do on that list. 

I would also like to do a BOM that was gifted to me. We'll see how the months go before I sign this one in. 

                                        🎇✨🎁🎄

I want to take a few minutes to wish you all the very best for the Holidays and the New Year. One thing that is certain is that nothing is certain, so live your life now. Don't wait. Don't let Covid or what's his face distract you from enjoying what you do and being happy. (Looks who's talking? Haha.) 

Anywho! I do think of you all and I hope to "see" you all again in Blogland next year. 

Take care. 

Love always. 💛💚💙💜💝🧡

;^)

Joining Angela at So Scrappy for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2022

Orange Sewing and Much More

Are you tired of hearing about the Hole in the Barn Door? Well, your misery is almost over, lol. 

More sashings were done...

... only three more to go. Yay! 

The assembling process has begun. 

Not sure what has happened at this intersection but no amount of pressing will flatten this out. The seam ripper rescue team has been called. 😋

And then... 

Hole in the Barn Door is a top! 

There are so many fabrics in here. One day, I'll sit down and count the pieces ... Buhahahaha! 

Do you see circles? When I look at one block, I see circles in the corners of the block. I didn't know it would do that. It's cool. 

I am using my DS2's empty room as a photographing room. All my pictures were dark because it is raining again here. Then it dawned on me - I have a vacant room with two fluorescent lights! Awesome! It was my sewing room when the boys were small. Now, one boy has left the nest. Sigh! 

Mommy, where is E? 

As I connected the last rows together, I did this little sewing machine as a leader-ender. 

It is so fun, I want to make some more. It's a free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop. It comes in different sizes and I did the 6" one. I don't know why it looks so crooked in the photo. 

But before I embark on anything, I need to clean the mess a crumb quilt can leave behind. 

It needed lots of variety of colours and prints. Every bags of little pieces I have are present or emptied on the cutting table. At the top right you can see that even the drawer of my desk is open in order to have more "flat surfaces" to place bags. I'm quite funny that way. 😁

I found something at the thrift store I didn't know I needed until I saw it. Don't you like it when that happens?

IKEA's storage with baskets. The price I paid barely covers the cost of the baskets. It will be put to good use as I clean and reorganized the sewing room. 

That's all for now. Take care, everyone. 

;^)

Joining
Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Angela at So Scrappy
Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts
Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework