My focus over the last few weeks has really paid off. When I’m home on a week night, I’ve been spending some time before bed sewing my door banner together. I try to do at least 15 minutes but once started I have been going way more than 15 minutes. As such, I finished one of the three remaining banners and I’m thrilled with how cute this is.
Once it’s quilted I hope to stitch on a couple of buttons for its eyes. I have 2 more banners left:
October – Cut and ready to be pieced.
November – still needs to be cut
Here are the ones that I’ve finished and posted about before:
February BannerMarch BannerApril Banner May BannerJune Banner (shown in a previous post last year)July Banner (shown in a previous post last year)August BannerSeptember BannerDecember Banner
I had the first 3 sets of pieces done. And then started my assembly line…
First, I traced all the templates required on to the interface and then cut and pinned them to the corresponding fabric. Then cut the pieces from the fabric.
the numbers on the interface is the number of the template to make sure I attach them to the right fabric.
Then I started sewing on the line.
I had my little 330, my travel machine, and it does not have a knee lift. I got tired rather quickly using the hand lift at the back and put everything away after the second piece. I decided that my bigger machine with the knee lift would be a better option. And will either do this at home or bring my bigger machine to the next retreat or sew day.
I first posted about this new start here and here and here and here and update #4 and update #5. I guess this is no longer a new start as it’s already December and the BOM started in February.
August – prepped
I prepped the August block… but I’ve gotten to the part that is hand work and I didn’t want to spend all of my crafting time at the mini retreat on hand work. I added this to my list of quilty things to do at home.
September – prepped
And because it only took a bit of time and I didn’t bring all my projects to the retreat with me I was also able to start on the September block in an effort to catch up. But, again, I got the block prepped but then got to the part where hand work was required. Everything’s basted down and prepped.
Both the August and September blocks are done using the reverse applique method. I did try to do the handwork for August but my hands and my eyes were not working right so I put it aside for another day.
I enjoyed working on these two blocks. They were both a little different from other things I’m working on so I used my brain a little differently and made videos to help my friends who are also working on this project.
Blocks Made
July – all stitched downblock #5 – JuneAll the blocks so far. Block #4Block 3Block #2Block #1
I started the retreat late as I had to work Friday morning. And then I wasn’t feeling all that hot. My eyes were not working at 100%, my hand was hurting and my head ached slightly. I blamed it all on lack of sleep. Not much was done on Friday.
#1- SFVQA Opportunity Quilt – Lone Star.
Thankfully I already finished my part of the opportunity quilt. I didn’t have to do anything with this project since I already passed it on to the next person assigned to put it all together. We’re excited to get this done and over to a quilter to quilt it. It will finish at 96″ square.
#2 – Jane Austen’s quilt – I worked on the first block for several hours. After first reminding myself where I was at and how to do the Lori Holt applique method, I assembly lined the process. But by the time I got to sewing, my little 330 was not cut out for the task. I really needed a knee lift and my baby machine didn’t have one so I packed it all up to do at home, when I have time, along with several other things I set aside to do at home. lol.
#3 – Monthly Door banner- cut 1 door banner kit – October or November — done! I cut the October banner. The next mini retreat is in February so I hope to have the January and October pieced well before February. If I have time I’d like to get the pieces cut for November and finish that up. These banners are currently my primary project at home.
#4 – 2023 Saturday Sampler from QP.
Month 12- Eight Pointed Star
I needed to bring my binder with the full pattern and figure out what’s next. I knew there were ‘companion blocks’ that need to be made but where that is in the pattern and the process I have no idea.
—- I found my binder after searching all over in the place I thought it was and didn’t see. I had forgotten I moved it to a different thinner binder so didn’t realize it was what it was until a few hours of searching. Anyway, I found it and there’s one border and a companion pillowcase I could make. I’m not in love with the border and there’s a lot of piecing on it. And I’m not going to do the companion pillowcase at all. What I’ve decided to do is start putting the inner parts together while I contemplate the border. I can do what the pattern calls for or I can do something completely different.
— I ended up doing step one and two of the finishing part.
Step one – attach sashingStep 2
#5 – William Morris BOM – The next blocks to make are August, September, October, and November
August Block – prepped and made ready for hand work at home. September block – prepped and made ready for more handwork at home.
Everything below was not touched but I feel like I’ve moved everything along nicely and I’m thrilled with my focus throughout the weekend.
6 – Tula Pink Butterfly 2.0 – Find out where I am next
Part 1: Stripes
#7 – Spooky Halloween – Row 2, block 3 – take a picture
Row 2- Block 1
I’ve started it and I’m needle turning the traditional method. I want to prep the next block as I work some in Block 3.
#8- Tuella and Friends.
#9 – “Allietare” Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt from 2015 – My goal with putting this here is to start getting it into my queue. I don’t have time for it now but it’s on this list to start making its way from my head, to actually working on it.
My last update showed this block almost done and I spent an afternoon finishing it up.
It took longer because I hand stitched the hexis together. I machine blanket stitched the rosette onto the background. I used superior thread bobbin line (60w) on top and aurifil (50w) in the bobbin.
Blocks Made
block #5 – JuneAll the blocks so far. Block #4Block 3Block #2Block #1
September – I try not to point out my ‘mistakes’ but I messed up the placement of the pencils. mainly because I cut the pieces in one sitting and pieced everything in different sittings. From the time I cut the pieces and pieced the first set of things I forgot that my cut pieces were exactly per the cutting instructions. I thought I just cut strips and was going to trim as I got to the end. And as such the pencils were not the right sizes and I had to trim excess fabric and add more of the background. I know that unless you know how it’s supposed to look like you have no idea what I’m talking about. But I wasn’t paying as much attention to the directions from one sitting to the next and this is the result which is the only reason why I bring it up. Paying attention to the instructions is important. 🙂
I have 3 more banners left:
January – already cut and ready to be pieced
October and November – still needs to be cut
Here are the ones that I’ve finished and posted about before:
February BannerMarch BannerApril Banner May BannerJune Banner (shown in a previous post last year)July Banner (shown in a previous post last year)August BannerDecember Banner
Prepping for this class was on my to do list that I brain dumped here a few weeks ago. The class happened and I made this rosette. I was supposed to make 2 rosettes and a few more hexis in order to make the small bag I originally intended to do but I didn’t have the fortitude. I’m stopping here and calling it my mug rug.
Rami came and spoke at our guild. We had a facility snafu and I ended up hosting her and our group in my driveway. Thankfully I had just enough chairs and it was not cold. Those who didn’t want to go to my place went back home and joined online.
clear the living room 15 min/ day – this is working and I’ve already given away, found homes for or moved a lot of the excess stuff. I’m going through sections of the room now and I’m considering moving on to the family room.
get the switcher thingie from k’s room to switch computers in my room – in my last post I talked about the intent of this and at the end of my brainstorm decided I needed to talk with my daughter about our plans. We did this and she already knew what she wanted from the big Swedish store. She actually already asked me for my account info so she could order the items online. I provided it to her but we both had problems ordering the things. So one of these days we’ll need to try again.
william morris. when the door banner is done 15 min of hand work on the July block until done – the door banner has been done but I’ve not picked this up at all. I’ve been focused on the opp quilt. Now that that is done I’ve added this to my daily to do list.
get the baby boy to mount my second monitor now that I have the mounting screws.
shred the things in my shred pile
file the papers in my to be filed pile
go through my drawer of things I need to take care of
go through my knitting project piles and update my knitting to do list for 2026
My part is done and I’m thrilled that it turned out so well. I will be giving this to the person who will put all the pieces together. I’m relieved and can now focus on some of my other projects.
For the last few months I’ve been disheartened by my garden. I spent a lot of money on my drip system last year as well as the cost of water in Southern CA and things weren’t getting watered right and dying or burning from the heat of the sun. But after my recent New England trip I finally braved going outside to check on things. I found a bunch of bananas on my blue java banana plant! And now my motivation is high and I’m super excited about the potential bananas and all the plants. My loquat tree has also flowered despite all its issues (watering, not planted in the ground, etc). I do need to make changes as I go through all the things.
My mom gave me a few chayotes that I should just put in soil where my passion fruit vines are and they will grow with the passion fruit. I have two varieties … one with spiky prickles and one without. I’m hoping it does well.
This is not my dragonfruit but my mom’s. I planted dragonfruit a few years ago but it required more maintenance that I was willing to give. and I got rid of them. However I’ve since tasted real fresh dragonfruit and now have the desire to plant them again. If you’ve not had dragonfruit picked from the plant you do not know what you are missing. What we get at the grocery store is nothing compared to fresh picked.
I have several trees I need to prune and with that I want to plant the cuttings to get more trees and then pass them on to family and friends who want them. some of these fruit trees and plants are hard to get or expensive so I love the idea of adding more trees to the world.
I think I’m ready to settle down again in the near future.
