the last several weeks have been very busy with life and not much going on in my crafting. Every weekend seems booked with something and I’ve been gardening a lot now that weather is permitting it.

Started December 2021

This was a kit and class originally purchased during my fave LQS, Quilt Emporium, 12 Days back in 2021. I attended the class in December of that year and started the project. There are about 12 ornaments and they have all been attached to this backing and slowly worked on. I finally finished the last ornament that I needed to embroider. The next step is to attach the stiff heat and bond to the final back, trim, etc etc.

Ornaments finished previously:

Happy crafting!

Melanie

Here is my April list to keep me focused.

#1 – Lucretia’s Journey – My goal is to quilt and finish finish finish this flimsy.

#2 Plum Fusion – This month I plan to tackle the kit for December 2022.

#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 – 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

I got hit with Covid again! After 2.5 years of not getting it until my first bought last July, my second case was just a mere 8 months. I got it from my husband this time around. And now that he works outside the house, who knows where he got it from. This time around was not as bad as the first and mainly because I was able to get some good drugs and this current strain was not nearly as bad as the delta strain causing havoc here in CA last July. But it still put a pause on my crafting energy. A whole weekend went by without me touching my machine or any craftiness. All in all, a much better scenario than the weeks and months of weakness, lack of energy, and covid brain that engulfed me all last summer and into the start of fall. Here’s my progress on my to do list for the month:

#1 – Good Fortune – My goal is to quilt and finish finish finish this flimsy.

Update: It’s finished!!!

#2 Plum Fusion – This month I plan to tackle the kit for November 2022.

November is done!

#3 – The Quilty Pleasure Saturday Sampler – the March block

Update- Finished!

#4 – Grassy Creek – I believe there is a border left to do but I’m not sure so I’ll need to pull it out and figure out what’s next. – FINISHED!

#5 – Mountain Mist – do a bit every day. My plan is to work on this project daily for 15 minutes.

Update – I worked on it a little bit this month. Not enough to post about but a little progress.

#6 – Go through my cabinet full of UFOs and I want to get those jotted down on my UFO/wip list too. Some of them are already but a lot are not. In addition that cabinet needs to be organized and cleaned out. It has become my stuffing spot – you know what I mean – I stuff things in there I am not ready to deal with…. And it’s jammed full.

– Finished

#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.

Update – I have two projects in the category now. The first is the Road class I took with Carol Zioga. The second is the project from my guilds March workshop on boro inspired stitching with April Sproule. It was great and here is where I’m at with the project I started for it.

#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.

Update – no progress! 😢

#9- added ornaments to this list as I’ve only got one more to do and then I can move on to thnext step. My plan is to actually do something in April.

Happy quilting!

Melanie

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 March. So I missed out on all the hints and tricks that they provide. I cut slightly bigger when the pattern used insane measurements like 2 and 5/8 etc etc and simply trimmed down. There was one where the instructions had us cut 8 – 2 and 1/4 squares and 12 – 2 and 5/8 squares and another 8 – 2 and 5/8 squares. I cut 20 – 2.75” squares and trimmed. I found out later I should have also cut the 8-2 and 1/4 at 2.75” as that one was too exact and caused some issues for me when I trimmed down.

This month we had to make 8 of these blocks. It was a lot and took me one evening to cut everything and one Sunday to sew everything. I ended up also prepping my leaders and enders to help me move along. I’m working on piecing 1” squares and I hope to one day have a postage stamp quilt.

Slowly making progress on this one!

Hugs

Melanie

Previous blocks completed:

Happy 18th birthday to my son!

He’s a bit of a shy bird or maybe just a teen boy who doesn’t like me posting picture of him on Facebook and Instagram. Actually he doesn’t mind the posts. He doesn’t like to be tagged. So as long as I don’t tag him I can post to my hearts content. And he will stay friends with me on those platforms. This is opposite to my daughter who loves it when I post things and tag her.

On this day, the boy is 18 and weighing heavy decisions on which college to select. He’s been lucky enough to get accepted to a number of colleges local and out of state. The major issues are financial and while his heart would love to go to an out of state school the finances don’t make sense. So far he’s leaning on staying close to home to our local state university. While I wish we could send him away (as he wants) I am proud of the young man he’s becoming to make the smart financial decisions he’s able to make.

Happy birthday to my baby boy.

M