I’ve been working on the queen size Aegean quilt blocks this week. Lots of piecing, I am proud of myself for figuring out how to cut the right size chisel pieces and HSTs for the Tulip block. I avoided the dreaded extra HSTs and fabric waste. I used my large Easy Angle ruler, by lining up the lower fabric strip edge with the finished block size measuring line of the piece. The 3 ½ by 8 inch blocks were made with a 3 ½ inch wide strip with the ruler lined up with the 8 inch line along the lower edge. This left the appropriate length on the top edge and a diagonal cut to add the separately cut HST. Flipping the ruler, and lining up the diagonal and the lower edge again, I was able to cut the pieces I needed from strips. All the while having wrong sides together, creating a left and a right leaning piece. I finished all the blocks, 49, yesterday, I’d like to get them together this weekend and start another quilt top.

I got brave yesterday, and up-dated the software on my longarm. The bravery part was doing it during a rain storm. California has been experiencing record rain this year, and frequent power outages caused by falling trees and ancient equipment. In fact, two of the four utility poles that supply my home with electricity were damaged just last week. It took only two days for them to be replaced, I was amazed at this quick response, as there are so many other issues that were in dire need of fixing. I figured that since the worst thing that could happen during an upgrade would be a power outage, and since that already happened, now would be a good time to do it. Things went smoothly, and the computer and machine are working together. Now if I could only get the quilt, Botanica, finished as quickly.

The Heaven and Nature cross stitch project is coming along. I was a little nervous about running out of floss colors, especially the browns, red and greens. The house eats thread by the yard lol. I ordered a few more skeins, and a chart jumped into my cart as well. I have been looking at one from Luminous Fiber Arts, called Gathering Stitches, since it came out at Nashville earlier this month. I have made Gathering Berries, and have the chart for Gathering Snowflakes, but I really like the stitches one. I want to use some of the Sulky 12wt threads I have to stitch it. These smalls are relatively quick to stitch, although the Stitches one looks to have some “other” types of stitches.

Off to sew.

Be Kind.