I’ve been working on the railroad all week, specifically on the island of Sodar. So many hours spent with Thomas and friends during my children’s early years. Hours spent building and playing with track layouts and watching the animations. I did finish the large panel, and mounted the other two quilts side by side. The split nine patch has a simple train panto, but the “This Way” quilt has some train borders and fussy placement. I sew a bit on each one, and advance the quilts, it’s a little slower than what I usually do – quilt a panto row across both. I do save time though, as I only have to load it once, one backing and batting. I did finish the Halloween wall hanging first 🙂

I signed up for this winters Krista Moser quilt, Winter Visit. I did the Poinsettia one last year, I even bought the kit for that one. It was made for a gift, I think I may keep this one for me, like I need another quilt. I want to use some well aged Cherrywood sueded cottons I have in the stash. They are left over from a huge Poinsettia quilt I made about 10 or 12 years ago. I don’t think I have a picture of it, it was a pattern that I saw at RD2CA one year and got the great idea to make it with Cherrywood. I am still afraid to wash it, it has a buttery yellow background and all those deep red petals. I have never been one to prewash fabrics, and I can’t remember if I did with this quilt. Anyway, it is usually on the guest bed for Christmas only.

I speed-knit this Monarch wing hat yesterday. It was very easy, especially with a color chart, and worsted weight yarn. I may make another for a one year old I know, but use sport weight and smaller needles. I used 7’s for this, as the Ravelry reviews said it knitted up tightly with the recommended 5’s for the ribbing. I may make another adult size, as I did buy the beautiful Malabrigo yarns. I used Cascade for this one, and a remnant white acrylic I had in the bottom of my bag. I still have a bit of duplicate stitches to do, as a sort of blending between the oranges.

The Country Christmas/ Plaid Pines quilt is coming along. I got the 25 tree blocks done, and the pieces for the log cabin blocks done. Lots of chain piecing and it’ll come together quickly. I don’t think I have mentioned the Extra Large Stripology rule I got recently. It is quickly becoming a favorite, it is a bit faster than the Accuquilt cutter, and much easier to set up and use. It has made the cutting for this quilt go so fast. The layer cakes I ordered for the Evergeen quilt came in. I need to check and see if I can use the 108″ snowflake fabric I have as a background. I bought a bolt of it last year, thinking I would use it for the custom order I had. The Client didn’t like it, so I need to use it up.

In other thoughts, I had to buy a new standing steamer, I tried to use my current one when I was loading the train quilts, the lights went on, but no steam. The new one specifically says to use distilled water, maybe thats why my old one didn’t last. Although I think it was over five years old – it was lightly used.

Today I want to serge three little dresses I have cut out and ready to sew. I really enjoy sewing with the L890, after years of struggling with three other models. Its is so easy and rewarding to have a finished project that looks like ready to wear – but better.

Be Kind.

I finally opened up the Riley Blake Thomas the Tank engine fat quarter pack I got earlier this summer. I had seen two quilts with panels and one without. I searched all over to find the one without the panel, but only came up with a kit (bottom right) and another idea with a different panel (bottom left). Maybe I was confused (probably) when I saw the kit, thinking it was a free pattern. I did find another idea though, a split nine patch using all the prints and some white yardage. I need to add borders to the smaller panel top, that fabric should be here Thursday. The three tops made a large dent in this stash, there is probably one more possibly with the addition of some solids.

I finished the Wonderful Wallaby sweater last night. I made a decision to skip the hood, and do a rolled collar. The recipient doesn’t like hoods/hats at this point in time, removing them within a few seconds of application. The hoods prove to be frustrating, as they are pulled more firmly on and not off. All the yarns I ordered for the Coastal butterfly hats have arrived. Naturally the hand dyed merino wool is much nicer than the Cascade mill spin, I am debating on whether to order some Malabrigo in black to go with them. Or I could search through my stash for something appropriate. I am planning on making seven hats for holiday gifts this year, possibly eight. It is time to get clicking so to speak. Some may have to be one color, maybe cables or striped yarn plain stockinette. Will have to see – planning stages.

Since the Christmas count down has begun, I feel like I should be working on a few designs for the shop. Maybe two or three full size quilts. I ordered a stacker of Holiday fabric (should be here this week) so I could make a tree themed Cluck Cluck Sew quilt. It is the same layer cake/stacker quilt that I made for the Pumpkin Patch ones, called Evergreen. I also have a Craftsy kit I bought from Fabric depot, for another plaid pines quilt. I sold this one a few years ago, it was popular. I have a big bag of scraps from all the Winterly fabric from last year too. I really liked the Merry Christmas Darling pattern, and may make it with that bag of scraps. Also the batik tree quilt was popular, I could make it in regular cotton, I have lots of green from my stashing of green for the Emerald City quilt I wanted to make. I lost my mojo for string piecing before I started that one. Still would like to make one though.

Lastly, I picked up two fabric packs, at a Fab-Mo sale, from AvalonBloom. AvalonBloom is the shop that does the one block wonder cut kits. They are 39.00 and up, I got them for 4.00 each – so even if they don’t really work out, its not a huge loss (a learning experience) The pieces are from an OLD Robert Kaufman line, the original Scala, they are up to 7 or 8 now. I was able to track down a few co-ordinating yards for borders and sashings. I think I found some that will work from the current lines of metallics from RK too.

What I really need to get done before Thanksgiving, is the pile of tops for long arm quilting. The two customs especially, the Halloween one will get done first, the black batting will be here today. Then I will have to get a message out to remind the client that he still needs to pick a panto for the Santa Land quilt.

Be kind.

I didn’t want to finish putting the eclipse top together yesterday, so I started and finished the last installment of the Blooming Beauties BOM. Sixteen 6″ Sawtooth star blocks. The block instructions included specific cutting directions for the pink print fabric. I carefully followed them and all my leaves face the same way. I need to save this technique for future reference, when making two at a time flying geese. Now I just have to wait for the borders and binding kit to arrive in four weeks.

I had a few minutes left to reposition the Peacock blocks and I think the substitution of the chartreuse is helping. I left the cheddar in the corners, and may have it reappear in the side borders. I figured out if I echo the color bands of the peacock in the panel it was more complimentary. Probably why I didn’t like it before as it felt like a competition between the two parts. Squinting and making the photo smaller really helps to see the design and what’s working.

A Second session with the peacock blocks and I have them all together. The outer border fabric came in the mail and I am thinking that three borders may work. The floral dark blue and then an aqua , with the feather print surrounding it. It looked okay on the wall, I did a final audition once the center was together. I also sewed the Eclipse top together, yay!

The wallaby has sleeves attached now, and I am working on the raglan part up to the hood. There is a placket in the front to help with pulling it over ones head. This will end the (mindless) knitting in the round and go back to stockinette stitching. I was about to add the placket and started counting, apparently I wasn’t paying enough attention to the numbers when I attached the sleeves. The left one was way too close to center, 5 rows of un-knitting ensued, and I am on the right track now.

Be Kind.

Five days later, I still feel like I am treading water. I am getting things done, but not feeling like I have accomplished anything. It could be that I have too many plates in the air, and only a few finishes. Which means I need to slow down a bit (?) or breathe and relax. I looked back on my last post and I have worked-on/finished most of the things listed in my accomplishment list. The project that is really bugging me is the peacock panel quilt top. I keep adding more to it and I just don’t like the composition. I sewed all the cats cradle blocks together, I think I need to get rid of the cheddar squares. I may sub in some chartreuse, that might calm it down a little. I ended up ordering more feather fabric for the outer border, it is getting very hard to find. I had to resort to EBay, although I am realizing that there is a lot more available on that platform than the Etsy one. Some stores I looked at do both, which got me wondering about the differences in fees and such. I don’t have the time or inclination to open on another platform. I finally have a handle on the Etsy one, and although it is a bit expensive, I feel that it provides a good service. Thinking back to a few years ago, when I tried out the Michaels Maker site, and Amazon Handmade. Those were frustrating and a time sink, for very little return.

The blocks for the Eclipse quilt, using the Art Haus fabric, were next on the design wall. I finished sewing them and squared them up. I also realized I cut way too many background pieces, twice as many. Now I have enough to make another quilt top, with the addition of a 10″stacker. I don’t know if I want to. I do have a Stacker of the Zen Chic backgrounds that go with the Olive You line, I could get another stacker of those to go with them. But then I would still have all the extra Art Haus ones. Anyway, once I started putting them up on the wall, I realized I only had 50. I went with a 7 x 7 block layout, and it’ll work. I need to tweak the placement a bit, but it is pretty.

Yesterday I worked on quilting the first of the Peter Rabbit quilts. I did a flannel backing on this one, and used a new to me panto, Folk Art Bunnies, from Bunny Cup Embroidery. It’s cute, and not too dense. I like the Peter Rabbit drawings and characters, but I can’t seem to remember the stories. I sort of remember Peter being naughty and going to eat veggies at Mr. MGregor’s garden. Oh, I just read a summary, seems that Peters father was put into a pie by Mrs. McGregor and thats why he’s not around anymore. Good enough reason to stay out of that garden.

The binding of the Tilda quilt went quickly, as did the Candy Corn one and the 12 Days quilts. I just need to sew the hanging sleeve down on the Tilda. It took me about ten hours to quilt that one. I ended up doing some cross hatching in the borders, stitch in the ditch around all the appliqué and stipples in all that negative space. I used a wool batting, so light and fluffy, I think it will be a wall hanging, but it would be a cuddly throw too. Happy to have that one done before the recipients first birthday. I started it in June/August 2024, Just Keep Stitching, thinking that I could get it finished before the birth. That didn’t happen, I was really trying, but the amount of appliqué was more that I thought. I didn’t count the number of pieces, but there are many. I think if I had been monogamous on this quilt I would have finished it earlier, oh well. I have gifted many other hand made things and three quilts, so no worries that they are going without.

I have been making knitting headway on the Wonderful Wallaby sweater. I am making a size 2, in a slightly smaller size yarn than the called for worsted. I have had this yarn for quite a while, I think I got it at a Stitches West show (rip 2023) about 15 years ago. It’s wool, but chained instead of twisted. I am hoping it is hardy, it is machine washable. I started a sleeve yesterday and have the body and front pocket knitted. The last time I made this sweater was for my daughter, at least 25 years ago. I remember using pink (her favorite color) acrylic yarn, I wonder what happened to it?

Lastly, although the new sweater has been getting the most stitching this week, I managed to get a few more bricks done one night. That’s how houses and stitchery projects get made, right?

Be Kind.

Where did my week go? Suddenly it is Monday morning and half the month is gone and I don’t have much to show for it. This time of year is heavy with equestrian duties. This week my horse got vaccinated, new shoes, clipped and a dental floating. I spent a lot of extra time with him at the barn. This other hobby of mine clashes with sewing and quilting, as they are two very different kinds of activity. One is sedate and mostly clean, the other is active, mostly dirty and sweaty (possibly hairy). The only thing I can think of that they have in common is good posture is a must and the ability to make money disappear quickly.

Things I accomplished in the sewing studio this week:

• Finished the Candy Corn Quilt (custom order)
• Quilted the 12 Days of Christmas quilt (needs binding)
• Started quilting the Tilda Anniversary quilt
• Finished the Santa land Top (custom order)
• Started another Eclipse quilt with Art Haus fabric
• Got month one of the Tara Faughnan class watched and stitched
• Found and ordered a few more fabrics for the green peacock quilt
• Added a few hundred stitches to the Lilies
• Started a wallaby sweater

This week I want to get a few more quilts quilted. I want to finish up the Tilda quilt. I have the backing for one of the Peter Rabbit quilts, I need to make another from a few pieces of flannel. The other Halloween and Santa Land Custom quilts need to be quilted. Finish up piecing the Green Peacock top and free up the design board. Time to get a move on.

Be Kind.