My 2026 cross stitch rotation is to do 1/4th of a page and on this page that means 550 stitches whenever this WIP comes up…
Last post:
Now…
Happy Stitching!
~Melanie
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For those who do not remember… this was the Modern Folk Embroidery (MFE) mystery Stitch a long (SAL) from 2023.
Important info: BOM with my fave LQS, Quilt Emporium, in Woodland Hills, CA. The shop owner, Lisa Hanson designed this mystery quilt with William Morris fabrics and I think it’s super inexpensive for a BOM at $15/month. Even though I decided no more BOMs, I couldn’t help but cave on this one.
Started: 02/2025
Previous posts here, here, here, here, update #4, update #5, update #6, update #7 and the most recent #8.
After finishing the November block I got started on the December block. This one had a few errors in the instructions. Luckily I caught them before any ripping had to be done.
I still need to finish the handwork for the September block and get the hexis done for the October block. September is part of my homework and will get done when it comes up in my queue. I plan to start the October block at our next mini retreat.
Blocks Made
Keep on quilting!
Melanie
In 2025, I posted this queue at the end of every 1st month of the quarter. So, 1/31, 4/30, 7/31, and 10/31. It’s a little depressing because I haven’t had much desire to do any actual quilting for the last few years. Being president of the quilt guild took a lot of my time and then my dad passed, and I got divorced. And with all those changes, I decided to move rooms around. My craft room is still piled high with boxes as I’ve not been able to get myself together to organize everything. It’s partially due to the fact that my family room still has piles of things (mainly fabric from other quilters, needlepoint and cross stitch stuff). I’m having trouble going through them and removing those things that I won’t ever play with. Anyway, the only way I can start actually using my craft room is to start actually using it. Regardless of whether it’s ready or not. I have a little corner cleared out where I sew on my main domestic machine. And I recently unearthed my Q20 so I can start quilting again.
I still have the finished door banners to add to this list.
The quilt queue:
Jan Krentz – Broken Diamond Star – flimsy 4/2021
Scrappy Stars Around the Corner – finished top! 8/7/2021
Kimberly Einmo’s mystery quilt from Craftsy circa 2014-
Wendy Mathson’s Storm at Sea / Snail’s Trail – flimsy 12/5/2022
Happy quilting my friends!
Melanie
Here is where I’m at now… the block is still not entirely appliquéd down. all are done except the blue flowers.
I do enjoy working on this but my hands can only do so much handwork before I need to do something else. I try to spend about 15 minutes a day so it’s progressing nicely. Handwork just takes longer.
Keep on quilting!
Melanie
Started: October 2025
Kit purchased from Quilty Pleasures in Simi Valley, CA.
Previous posts:
Free Pattern from stashlounge.com “fantastic fingerless mitts”
started 11/11/2025
I looked through my posts and I see I mentioned this new start on my knitting WIP lists but was negligent in giving its own special new start post.
I am almost done with these and then I’ll focus on Soldotna. Having 4 knitting WIPs is a little much for me even though I am only really working on 3. But even 3 is too many. The fingerless mitts is more of like a travel knit – something small and easy to transport and not something that I truly enjoy knitting. but I also can’t have sitting around waiting for me to travel, or go to a doctor’s appointment. I really want to work on Soldotna so I am focusing on finishing this WIP since I’m so close. I only have to do the thumbs at this point.
Melanie
My sewing room is still a mess. I started this mess last year when my son and I switched rooms. He took my office/sewing room and I took his bedroom. His bedroom became my office and bedroom. My bedroom became my sewing room. My now sewing room is the master bedroom of the house so it’s bigger than my previous sewing room. My office/bedroom is pretty much put together. But my sewing room is still a big mess.
All my fabric and craft stuff is in the middle of the room. A few months ago, I unearthed my sewing machine so I have a place to sew. And I have a “personal” table that has a small wool pad for ironing and a small mat for cutting. But when I need to cut bigger pieces I have to go to the living room to cut because my new to me cutting table is still in the garage. There’s currently no space for it in the sewing room.
Some of the mess is due to some projects that need to be finished and if you remember my quilt queue list- there’s probably 9 quilts that need to be quilted. I think some of the mess can be cleared if I get those quilts quilted and moved out of the way. So I unearthed my Q20 so I can start quilting again. In the process of unearthing the machine, I found this doll quilt that I quilted a couple of years ago. All that had to be done was bind it. Our guild collects doll quilts to be given to an organization who gives the quilt along with a cradle made by the local woodworkers and a doll to children in need. And when I finished this doll quilt, they had already met the need for that year so it got set aside. Well I finished the binding and it’s now ready for this coming Christmas.
And my q20 is now clear of stuff so on my next free weekend I can quilt something.
don’t freak out but here’s the mess that’s creeping up behind me..
the Q20 is behind that tower of bins. and there’s a bed back there too. When we have a guest, they sleep in my bedroom and I sleep in here.
Happy quilting.
Melanie
I’ve finished 2 rows. Part of my cross stitch rotation is doing a row of this WIP when its turn comes up and I’m loving it. It’s just enough to inspire me to play with this project and then not get bored with it.
The shop I kitted this up at didn’t have one of the called for beads. And the pattern didn’t distinguish which bead belongs to which in the key. They both share the same symbol but one is white and the other is shaded. I looked at the sample on the pattern and I figured out that the white beads are with the white symbols and the gray beads are the shaded symbols. I finally got around to ordering the missing beads and have decided to get started on the beading when I get a little further down in the rows. I don’t want the beads to get squished within a hoop so I think I will use a bigger hoop and when I get further down switch to a smaller hoop. I don’t know if it will work but I should get the grayish beads before the next time this project comes through my rotation so I’ll plan to try then.
Here’s where I was the last time I reported on this.
What it will be when it grows up…
Important info:
Fabric: 28 count Lugana “Whisper”
Floss: Called for DMC
2×2
Previous posts:
Keep on stitching,
Melanie
Important info: BOM with my fave LQS, Quilt Emporium, in Woodland Hills, CA. The shop owner, Lisa Hanson designed this mystery quilt with William Morris fabrics and I think it’s super inexpensive for a BOM at $15/month. Even though I decided no more BOMs, I couldn’t help but cave on this one.
Started: 02/2025
Previous posts here, here, here, here, update #4, update #5, update #6, and the most recent #7.
On New Year’s day, a few of us got together at a friend’s house to get caught up on some of our outstanding blocks. I had September’s prepped and ready but I didn’t feel like doing handwork. October is a repeat of July’s hexis so I jumped right in to November.
I would have gotten it done the same day except that when I got to one of the latter steps, I needed some pieces that were not part of the original cutting instructions. Luckily I had enough fabric to do the cutting but it’s not fun to get up after settling down in front of my machine to cut more fabric.
The September one is still prepped and ready to be sewed down. My friends did their August block much better than mine and turned out so much nicer.
Blocks Made
Keep on quilting!
Melanie
I’m having so much fun with this cross stitch WIP that I’ve made this part of my regular rotation. I recently decided to do a column at a time. At the top I was doing a motif at a time but then as I worked my way down I changed it to a column at a time. I’ve finished the first column and I will move on to the next WIP in my rotation.
Details:
Fabric: Live & Dye LA “Dusk” Lugana 32 count
Floss: Live & Dye LA “Naughty”
2×2
Happy Stitching!
~Melanie
I received these cuttings around Thanksgiving, 2025 and for awhile they were looking the same. But suddenly, 1/3/2026, the tips were turning green so I think they are worth reporting on now:
Can’t tell by the above picture but the little nibs have green tips. Not all of them but quite a few have them.
It’s my first time growing mulberries from cuttings. These came from a member of a SoCal gardening group in Walnut, CA who posted that she had free cuttings for anyone who wanted to grab some. I happened to be out of town so my ex drove the three hour round trip to pick a few up for me. It was a happy Xmas gift that he didn’t have to pay with money for. He’s so much nicer as an ex than as a husband.
I have been taking pictures on a weekly basis and if you start at the bottom, and scroll up, it’s more accurate in terms of chronological order. However the first month basically didn’t show any difference. Maybe I’ll do it monthly after this point.
