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.

Last Wednesday I brought my machine in for servicing, the thread cutter was really getting on my nerves and the start screen telling me to bring it in for service everyday was worse than a “check engine” light. Before I went I checked for a “regular” fabric store in the area. There was one, Fabrics-R-Us, about twenty minutes south of the sewing machine store. I figured I would make a day of it, and hopefully find some leopard tee shirt material. I arrived at the sewing machine place and noticed that they still carried some clothing fabrics. I found a velvety knit Tiger stripe print that was perfect. I got two yards of it and went home, I really didn’t want to go to Fabrics-R-Us. I was able to cut and sew two shirts and a set of ears for the Saturday event. My friend and I were “Fabulous”, it was a good time and my friend loved her shirt, she asked to keep it for a Halloween event she has coming up. Yes, please, I am going to be stuck with two more yards of leopard print this week. I am thinking of a pajama set for me.

I started quilting the Candy Corn quilt, it’s going well. Although, I started with a black bobbin thread, after about three inches I stitching, I knew it wasn’t going to work with the stark white background. I switched to white, as the black was showing up as dots on the front. I really didn’t want to go through explaining that “issue” to another client. I should note that last client quilt was accepted, but I didn’t charge them for the quilting. The black bobbin thread will probably sink down once this quilt is washed and dried, but I won’t take a chance this time.

I have been working on the blue and green peacock panel quilt. I took it all apart and I am adding a different border. I saw this quilt pattern, called “What a View” and thought I could modify it for my panel. This is a horizontal panel, most panel quilts call for vertically printed ones. I’m using the Cats Cradle ruler from Creative Grids to make the blocks. It’s sort of a two at a time method like the flying geese two at a time one. Very little waste and they trim up square. These blocks are 5 inches finished size, and since I have a limited amount of matching fabric I am being careful. I may add some 4 patch blocks to fill and use the scraps I have left.

Cross-stitch land is gaining more X-es. I have the out lines of the house done and the windows and roof details. Lots of bricks and fill left. One night I skipped up and stitched the stem of the flower on top of it, to break up the monotony a bit.

With the cooler weather lately, I have been thinking about knitting, I want to start something new. I could start a baby sweater, or I have been wanting to make a throw. I recently went through my stash for yarn to give to a “new knitter” the daughter of a friend of mine. I have so much sock yarn and hand dyed yarn that I am never going to use. I have shawls and socks that I seldom wear, and I figured it was time to let it go. What I really need to work on is the sweater for my son that I started a few years ago. I worked on it earlier this year, but summer came around and knitting was sidelined for sewing.

Be Kind.