I tried posting this several times but kept losing my words. Not sure what is going on but I’m extremely frustrated. Anyway, I was able to get this finished finished finished!
And my label.
Happy quilting
Melanie
Finished Quilt: Lucretia’s Journey
Quilting, Scrapbooking, Gardening and whatever else catches my fancy
Author Archives: Melanie
Needlepoint: East Meets West Kimono
Designer: Margaret Bendig
Started: 10/2021 at PSR in Las Vegas
I last wrote about this project here and here.
I’ve had some progress on this project. I’ve attended several cross stitch retreats since my last post and I try to do at least one block when I go. It doesn’t always happen and sometimes I do 2 blocks. But here is my current status.
I enjoy doing needlepoint and I do not have a place set up for me to do this. I notice that if I have a place, then I actively work on a project. When I don’t have a place then it hardly happens. So I bought myself a new stand and have set myself up. It’s actually the same place I do my cross stich which makes it easy since I use a lot of the same tools for both crafts. I just move the cross stitch stand to the side while I’m playing with my needlepoint.
~Happy needlepoint!
~Stay Safe.
~Melanie
May 2023 – mid month update
I’m off to Boston tomorrow but wanted to get a quick update as to what I’ve been able to accomplish so far this month. The rest of the month will be a lot of traveling, work and just making sure my family is taken care of that I don’t know how much more crafty things will get done.
#1 – Lucretia’s Journey – My goal is to quilt and finish finish finish this flimsy.
This was quilted last month and I’m super embarrassed to say that all I was able to do was get this bound. I still need to do a label and take a pic and do my final ‘it’s done’ post! I hope I get my act together and do it soon so I can get this off my to do list. And start quilting on my next project.
#2 Plum Fusion – Finish the top!
#3 – The Quilty Pleasure Saturday Sampler – the April block – done
#4 – Tuella and Friends – My goal for this month is to do block one. – The machine applique is done but there is some hand embroidery I need to add to embellish this.
#5 – Mountain Mist – no update
#6 – Ornaments – I finished the embroidery on all my ornaments last month and I think I forgot to update my post. I need to attach them to the final backing and then do some blanket stitching all around before this can me done.
#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
Cross Stitch, an update
Finally finished another diagonal. these diagonals are the longest and it’s a struggle to get through it.
And here’s my update on my MFE SAL.
Happy Stitching!
~Melanie
Quilt in Progress: Tuella and friends
Started: March 2022
I bought this kit at the last Long Beach show before they left. They are back now and this is the second year they’ve been back. But I think I bought this kit around 2013 or 2014. At some point soon after I stopped buying kit. I’ve been working my way through them but I still have a few left lying around.
I love how this quilt looks and I’m hoping to get a block done each month if I have the time. I’ve been so busy every weekend that it’s been hard to get my quilty goals done. But life is short.
Last weekend I was at a small retreat that I go to each year. It’s held at Orcutt, CA near Santa Maria. It’s about 2.5 hours north of me. It’s put together by a private group of ladies in my quilt guild and it’s by invitation only. They invite people as they need to to keep the numbers small and yet big enough to offset the cost. They actually plan two retreats- one in the spring and one in the late summer/ early fall. I usually can only make one. But this year there was only 6 of us with a bunch of last minute cancellations. It meant we each had to pay $75/ person. This was fine. So I got 4- 6’ tables to myself which was lovely. I was able to get a lot done!
Happy quilting!
Melanie
Quilt in Progress: 45 & Life To Go
This is #1 on my WIP list. Basically I usually work on this at retreats. My regular projects I work on each month keep me busy and so this is one of my retreat projects. I started it a long time ago and if I remember I will check my notes and edit this with that date. The pieces are tiny.
This past retreat I finally finished the final 8 blocks of the 40 I had to make. The squares in the middle are 1/2” finished and maybe one day I’ll post a pic of the back. I really enjoy making this quilt even if I complain about it.
Happy quilting!
Melanie
QP Saturday Sampler
Started: January 2023
This is the Block of the Month I’m working on for 2023. It’s hosted by one of our LQS’ Quilty Pleasures in Simi Valley, CA.
I was not able to attend the Saturday Sampler and the sew day in April again. So I missed out on all the hints and tricks that they provide. As always, I cut slightly bigger when the pattern used insane measurements like 2 and 5/8 etc etc and simply trimmed down.
There are another set of blocks for April but this block took a lot out of me and J wanted to work on something else. I’ll try to come back to this later in the month and finish up the April packet but I don’t know if I will have the time. I’m thrilled with how this came out and there is no rush.
Slowly making progress on this one!
Hugs
Melanie
Previous blocks completed:
May 2023
Okay. Here’s my crafty list for May 2023. It’s a lot and very similar to my April list but I already know that my life is going to be crazy this month. Both my kiddos are graduating and I’ll be celebrating with them. My daughter from college and my son from high school. So I’ll get done what I can.
#1 – Lucretia’s Journey – My goal is to quilt and finish finish finish this flimsy.
Last month I was able to get this quilted and then procrastinated. I only had one weekend to work on this as the other weekends were booked with other things. This month I plan to do the finishing steps – binding, label and picture.
#2 Plum Fusion – Finish the top!
#3 – The Quilty Pleasure Saturday Sampler – the April block
#4 – Tuella and Friends – This is #4 on my WIP list for 2023 and I generally like to go in order. That’s just how my brain works. But the next couple are ones I work on at retreats and Tuella is not one I am able to work on at retreats. It’s machine applique and I need to match the thread when working on it. So i don’t bring all my thread to retreats and often find myself not able to work on this project. My goal for this month is to do block one. If memory serves, The background is pieced and the applique pieces cut and fused on. I just need to applique it.
#5 – Mountain Mist –
#6 – Ornaments – I finished the embroidery on all my ornaments last month and I think I forgot to update my post. I need to attach them to the final backing and then do some blanket stitching all around before this can me done.
#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
April 2023 Update
A very late post indeed but needs to come out before it gets any later into May. I have been very busy the last few weeks and that has impacted my crafty time.
#1 – Lucretia’s Journey – My goal is to quilt and finish finish finish this flimsy.
Update – not done. I quilted it and procrastinated on the binding and the rest of the finishing. I am trying to get it done for my May guild meeting in a few days but it’s a struggle.
#2 Plum Fusion – This month I plan to tackle the kit for December 2022.
The December packet was instructions on finishing the top but I hadn’t yet done the page instructing us to do the 4 corners. I was able to squeeze it in during our last mini retreat at the end of april. So… not done but I consider it a big step for the month. I’m looking at finishing this top next month.
#3 – The Quilty Pleasure Saturday Sampler – the April block
Update – not done and everything else on this list! As spring and summer come upon us my crafty time is going to go down as I leap into gardening and traveling over the next few months. I will need to adjust my plans.
#4 – Tuella and Friends – This is #4 on my WIP list for 2023 and I generally like to go in order. That’s just how my brain works. But the next couple are ones I work on at retreats and Tuella is not one I am able to work on at retreats. It’s machine applique and I need to match the thread when working on it. So i don’t bring all my thread to retreats and often find myself not able to work on this project. My goal for this month is to do block one. If memory serves, The background is pieced and the applique pieces cut and fused on. I just need to applique it.
#5 – Mountain Mist – do a bit every day. My plan is to work on this project daily for 15 minutes.
#6 – Ornaments – Last time I posted about this project was here and I’m almost done. I have one more ornament to embroider before I can move on to the next step. And I was busy trying to finish Good Fortune and Plum Fusion goals for March that I didn’t get a chance to move on with this project.
#7 – Sashiko… I feel that this should be added to my daily craft to do list. But I already have 3 things on that list that if I add anymore I won’t get anything done. So instead my plan is to do this one day a week.
#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: Plum Fusion
Reminder- This is the 2022 Saturday Sampler from Cotton and Chocolate in Thousand Oaks, CA.
My April goal for this WIP was to do the December Packet. When I looked at the details this pointed to page 23 of the pattern and I wasn’t that far along yet. I looked at the previous pages and I hadn’t done page 20 yet so that became my April goal.
It took a long time as I was very busy this month and didn’t spend hardly any time in my sewing room. Luckily we had a mini retreat this weekend and I was able to put these 4 corners together.
So next month’s goal is to put these parts together. Hopefully I’ll have some time to get it done next month. And I’ll have a finish too to share!
Happy quilting!
Melanie