December 2023

My dad passed away and I’ve been helping my mom with all the things that need to be done. Which means very little on the quilting side if things. I have been getting a lot done with my shawl because I’m able to bring that with me. It’s almost done but it’s still taking quite a bit of time. I also have been working on my Modern Folk Embroidery SAL from 2022 but not as enthusiastically. I finished my first Mountain Mist block but I don’t think I got a good picture of it. I also finished the borders in 45 and Life to go. also no picture yet.

I’m not planning on doing much in the crafty side of things for December but I don’t want my list to go astray. So I’ve got it down below.

#1 – Wendy Mathson’s Storm at Sea/ Snails Trail

Storm at Sea / Snail’s Trail Wendy Mathson December 2022

This has not been touched at all and I’ve let it go for now.

I was supposed to start the Alaska quilt in August with my guild but the workshop was rescheduled until November. And my goal for October was to get fabric. I was planning on using my birthday discount but that happened to be the weekend my Dad went into the ER and I made an emergency trip home. so the workshop happened without me.

This is still on my one day list….

#2 – 45 and life

45&Life

The border is actually on and this top is finished. But I need to take a pic. That will be my goal this month.

#3 – The Quilty Pleasure Saturday Sampler – the June and July block

April block

I still need to take a picture of the May block and do the June and July blocks. I’m very behind but it’s not high on my list.

#4 – Tuella and Friends – block 1 – needs the hand embroidery before I can set it aside.

Tuella and Friends – block 1

#5 – Mountain Mist – continue working on this

The first block is done. I need to take a pic, post it and get going on the second block.

#6 – Ornaments – all of these have been blanket stitched and are ready for the next step…

The next step is to embroider decorative stitches around. I need to go through my book of stitches and pull out some fancy thread and play with the various ones. Then pick what I like. This takes thought and having all my options with me so it feels a bit more involved than what I’m able to do right now.

#7 – Sashiko… I am keeping this on the list but this will have to wait until my ornaments are finished. There is just not enough time in the day.

#8 – Raining Cats and Dogs- this is an old hand quilting project that I set aside. I am adding this on this list to remember it and figure out how to get this done. Ideally It’s one of those projects I spend a little time on each day but I have a lot of those now and so need to think about my game plan.

Happy quilting!

Melanie

Happy Thanksgiving!

TurkeyCartoon

This year we are keeping it easy. I worked the first part of the week and we ordered our Thanksgiving meal from our favorite place to order it from. My daughter is bringing over a couple of friends who isn’t able to go home for the holiday.

Tomorrow is the start of Bonnie Hunter’s annual mystery quilt along and I will not be participating. I will collect the clues for a future make. My friends picked up the paint chips for me. They are so sweet and I’m thankful for them this year.

~Happy quilting!

Melanie

October 2023 – Update

Life is all consuming right now and I’m doing what I can to survive day to day.

#1 – Wendy Mathson’s Storm at Sea/ Snails Trail

Storm at Sea / Snail’s Trail Wendy Mathson December 2022

This has not been touched at all and I’ve let it go for now.

I was supposed to start the Alaska quilt in August with my guild but the workshop was rescheduled until November. But I need to get my fabrics together and will try to get that done this month.

Our guild is focusing on the center block but I love this quilt and plan to do the whole thing. There are several other colorways – Alaska Rainbow and Alaska Magic that I also love. I may be adding those to my one day some day list as well.

#2 – 45 and life

45&Life

I just need the border and this top will be ready to join the quilt queue. Up until now it’s been primarily a retreat project. At the last mini retreat, I hunkered down and pieced all the blocks together. Those little boxes in the stars are half inch squares.

#3 – The Quilty Pleasure Saturday Sampler – the June and July block

April block

I still need to take a picture of the May block and do the June and July blocks. I’m very behind but it’s not high on my list.

#4 – Tuella and Friends – block 1 – needs the hand embroidery before I can set it aside.

Tuella and Friends – block 1

#5 – Mountain Mist – continue working on this

This first block is almost done. I just have one of those centers to do and I can move on to the next block! So I have made some progress this month.

#6 – Ornaments – all of these have been blanket stitched and are ready for the next step…

I was able to get all these ornaments stitched down.

#7 – Sashiko… I am keeping this on the list but this will have to wait until my ornaments are finished. There is just not enough time in the day.

#8 – Raining Cats and Dogs- this is an old hand quilting project that I set aside. I am adding this on this list to remember it and figure out how to get this done. Ideally It’s one of those projects I spend a little time on each day but I have a lot of those now and so need to think about my game plan.

Happy quilting!

Melanie

2023 Quilt Queue – Updated Q3 2023

Here was the 2023 list in January and I’ve removed the items I finished in Q1 and Q2 2023. As before, it’s in no order of priority but in order of when the tops were done. Ideally I’d like to get the tops quilted in the order they were finished but the bigger tops are older while the smaller tops are newer. And so I like to alternate between big and small tops.

Finished in Q3 2023:

1. 2012 SoCal Quilters Run – Area One’s mystery quilt – flimsy June 2020

Area One – July 2023

2. Norene Skiles – QAYG workshop table mat

Skiles QAYG Mat – July 2023

The quilt queue:

Jan Krentz – Broken Diamond Star – flimsy 4/2021

Scrappy Stars Around the Corner – finished top! 8/7/2021

Scrappy Stars

Kimberly Einmo’s mystery quilt from Craftsy circa 2014-

I know it doesn’t look finished but I promise it is. I just haven’t taken a pic of the flimsy yet.

Wendy Mathson’s Storm at Sea / Snail’s Trail – flimsy 12/5/2022

Storm at Sea / Snail’s Trail Wendy Mathson December 2022
Linda Ballard Dresden – 01/2023
Scandinavian Snowflake – 02/2023
Grassy Creek – March 2023
Plum Fusion – August 3, 2023

Happy quilting my friends!

Melanie

October 2023

So many busy things happening right now. I got back mid September from my trip and I’ve been playing catch up ever since. I’ve only been able to do a little bit of crafting to keep my sanity but progress has been slow.

I kept the last list posted from August but there’s not much progress happening here.

#1 – Wendy Mathson’s Storm at Sea/ Snails Trail

Storm at Sea / Snail’s Trail Wendy Mathson December 2022

My guild has a boutique this month and I’ve not been able to quilt or do much of anything as my little bits of crafting has been towards that end. I hope to get this quilted at some point but not sure I’ll be able to get to it anytime soon.

I was supposed to start the Alaska quilt in August with my guild but the workshop was rescheduled until November. But I need to get my fabrics together and will try to get that done this month.

Our guild is focusing on the center block but I love this quilt and plan to do the whole thing. There are several other colorways – Alaska Rainbow and Alaska Magic that I also love. I may be adding those to my one day some day list as well.

#2 – 45 and life

45&Life

I just need the border and this top will be ready to join the quilt queue. Up until now it’s been primarily a retreat project. At the last mini retreat, I hunkered down and pieced all the blocks together. Those little boxes in the stars are half inch squares.

#3 – The Quilty Pleasure Saturday Sampler – the June and July block

April block

I still need to take a picture of the May block and do the June and July blocks. I’m very behind but it’s not high on my list.

#4 – Tuella and Friends – block 1 – needs the hand embroidery before I can set it aside.

Tuella and Friends – block 1

#5 – Mountain Mist – continue working on this

#6 – Ornaments – all of these have been blanket stitched and are ready for the next step…

I decided to make it into a table mat. They aren’t stitched down yet so that’s what I’m working on.

I actually have about half stitched on and I’ve been working on this slowly when my minigroup gets on zoom together. So I’m slowly making progress on this.

#7 – Sashiko… I am keeping this on the list but this will have to wait until my ornaments are finished. There is just not enough time in the day.

#8 – Raining Cats and Dogs- this is an old hand quilting project that I set aside. I am adding this on this list to remember it and figure out how to get this done. Ideally It’s one of those projects I spend a little time on each day but I have a lot of those now and so need to think about my game plan.

Happy quilting!

Melanie

Quilt in Progress: 45 & Life To Go

45 and Life to Go by Liza Bongean

At the last retreat, I finished the inner top.

Current Status – 10/1/2023

I am working on the borders now. I’ve cut the borders but they are not exactly right. I just pre-cut them so they are off the yardage but I have to press them and trim them down to the right size. But it’s almost done and I’m super excited about it.

Work is really busy right now so I’m only able to craft a little each day. It’s only a bit at a time but every little bit helps keep me sane.

Happy quilting!

Melanie

Updated WIP List – Q3 2023

In January I made my WIP list and I go off this list and my quilt queue list when making my monthly focus list. Things get added as I start new things and updated as I finish projects. Here is an updated list with my Q1 and Q2 starts and finishes.

Finished this third quarter in 2023:

Plum Fusion – August 3, 2023

Still a WIP:

1. 45 & Life to go

2. Christmas in Paris

Christmas in Paris by Coach House Designs

3. Tuella and Friends

4. Judy Neimeyer’s Double Wedding Ring – started Jan. 2020

Double Wedding Ring (picture is not my quilt) – started in Jan 2020

2022 New Starts

As of q3 2023, I’m thrilled that all the new starts in 2022 that are not hand projects are either finished quilts or flimsies waiting to be quilted.

hand projects started in 2022 –

5. Ornaments – I started this in December 2021 but I’ve been stitching diligently on this throughout 2022. All of the ornaments are finished and yet I wasn’t excited about the finished products. I really had one last step to do and that was to attach a piece of thread to make a hook so I could hang these ornaments on a tree or other place. However I rarely have a tree at Christmas as I usually go home to my mom’s house. As such, I was inspired to make a little table mat. I’m slowly making my way attaching each ornament to the black wool. When they are attached, the next step is to do some ornamental stitches.

6. Prairie something…. I haven’t started this really. I bought it and attended the class at Quilt Emporium and other projects jumped in line. This is not my product but a picture of the instructors and a reminder of the cuteness of it.

7. Mountain Mist: Apple Blossom (November 2022)

I am much further along on this but I have to take a more recent picture. I haven’t yet completed this first block so not that much futher along.

2023 New Starts

1. Quilty Pleasures 2023 Saturday Sampler

2. Kit from Texas trip – 2013

…need to take a picture

3. Tula Pink’s Butterfly 2.0 – I finally broke open this kit and started.

4. Kimberbell: Candy Corn Quilt Shoppe – see my post about starting it here.

Happy quilting friends

Melanie