This week is an impromptu retreat for me. My DH is out of town, so I have no one to care for but my animals and me. I really enjoy a little time off, I do what I want, when I want and how I want to. It’s not that I’m unusually restricted at other times, it’s just my “obligations” that I get a break from. I admit that I don’t have many either, but the structure is there. I like a more fluid schedule, if I’m hungry – I’ll eat, if I’m tired – I’ll sleep, if there’s a chore to be done, I’ll get to it. After raising children and all their schedules and appointments, I really enjoy not having to constantly watch a clock or calendar. Life has gotten a lot easier with the nest being empty, but DH works from home and although he has his own space/office here, he’s “in the house”.  I like that he checks in on me, “whatcha doing?” “what’s for dinner?”, but sometimes I don’t have an answer, “stuff” is pretty vague. It may be that that is the reason I’m happy to be alone for a bit, no upper management staff – LOL. Or it could be that I need to recharge myself after the holidays. This time of year is tough on an introvert, add in the cold, rain and short days, all I want to do is stay in, listen to a book and sew.

I have been sewing a lot this week. I got all the blocks together for Indigo way, it is a very pretty quilt, the reveal was last Friday. It reminds me of the Orca Bay (2012) mystery quilt and the Provence (2017) mystery quilts. 

Has it really been 12 years since I made the Orca Bay quilt? I remember I started following Bonnie Hunter about a year before, she was hosting the Carolina Christmas Mystery then. I thought it was pretty, but didn’t participate, I got sucked in to the mystery quilt the next year though, with Orca Bay. What an initiation that was, string piecing and lots of pieces. The experience was good, and I was hooked, I liked the comrades and the link ups and seeing all the other quilters work. The Mystery quilts have been streamlined a bit now, and most of the sharing takes place on Facebook. I still like the challenge, sometimes it’s the color way, sometimes the piecing, or even the sheer number of pieces that hooks me in. This assembly-line style has changed the way I approach quilting too. I will look at a pattern and break it down to the essentials and then how to make the most of my time and energy to create it. 

The Meadow Mist QAL quilt, Sommerville Circle is also getting put together. There are lots of little squares and rectangles, and I am happy with the variety of scraps that can be used in these blocks. Although it has hardly made a dent in the 1930’s reproduction scraps. I’m a bit ahead of the quilt-a-long, as there are 2 weeks to get each part done. I’m at the 1/30/24 point, getting the units together, I want to get the 18 half units together today. Then I’ll start on the blocks after Indigo way is put together.

Consider the Lillies is also a work in progress, I stitched the tree branches and the people, note Eves fancy green dress. I was all set to start stitching the Fabulous Houses this past week, I got all the thread sorted out and the fabric hooped. I started stitching the border for the December block – Santa house, it’s white, and my Aida cloth is/was white, oh! no… I ended up ordering a new piece of Aida, in a light blue/gray color. The model is stitched on a beige-gray cloth, I don’t know what I was thinking when I got the white. Possible that I ordered white because it has the wash out alignment lines printed on it, and I figured it would be a little easier to line every thing up on. Once the fabric gets here I am ready to start, the second house pattern got here yesterday, I am a month behind already. Sigh.

Speaking of catching up, I finally got the yarn I ordered for two hats I was going to make for Christmas gifts. It was back ordered and coming from Italy. Not as backlogged as the three linen aprons I ordered in November. I did receive one of them, and the other two are slated to arrive in a week or two. I wish I had taken a picture of the embroidery (picture below left) I did on the olive green apron. I was in such a hurry to get it packed up and sent out, I forgot. I used another one of the Embroidery library color-theory designs. These designs are lightly stitched and only use four colors, the effects are achieved through the blending and shading. I stitched one a few weeks ago on a horse pad. 

Be Kind.     

I guess this decision is sort of a resolution, as this is the season for them. I have decided to continue with this blog on WordPress. I figured out how to mass delete my media files, which made a lot more storage space available, and more importantly, the cost will not increase.  I kept last years media(photos) and I am slowly deleting all posts prior to 2023. These go a bit more slowly, one at a time. I will miss being able to use the computer to look back in on them, but every year I have them printed into a book with Blog2Print, so the books will become my old school reference. 

I got my white board set up, all I could find was an orange dry erase marker, not the most attractive color pen, but it’s a start. I know I have some more around here somewhere, I didn’t want to spoil the momentum. I got a few things listed, so it is sort of a to-do list, with a nod to a memory enhancer, as in “Remember this project?” I have to figure out which blocks are done in the Message in a Bottle BOM. I counted the finished ones for Simple Days, and sadly I have six of nine put together and four finished. I’m not really sad, kinda deflated, that there weren’t nine ready to embellish. I still want to finish this project.

The Indigo Way blocks are coming together, 1/1/24 there was surprise step released. I was able to get those parts finished up. I think it’s an alternate block, as there are still a bunch of pieces and sets yet to be used.  I am enjoying working with all batiks for this quilt, they are so crisp and easy to work with. Many of the block pieces in this mystery are triangular, and the bias edges with batiks aren’t as much of a problem. The fact that I didn’t have to purchase any more fabric also makes me happy. Oh wait, I did buy the red focus fabric, it was on sale though :).

I am contemplating starting a quilt with Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs , she is doing a QAL with her book “Just two Charm Pack Quilts Book”. You have to choose one of the sixteen from the book to make. I have the PDF book and I got it to do the quilt called Sommerville Circle. The QAL is 1/2/24 through 3/5/24, with cutting this week. I need to look and see what’s in my stash to make this work. It calls for 2 – 3/8s yards background (white) and 1- 7/8 yards background (pink) and of course two charm packs. I could very well just use scraps for the charms, I know I have white yardage. I pulled out my box of 30’s retro prints for the Simple Days, they would be nice as the scraps/charms maybe with a light green background. I doubt I will do all the postings and -graming that one is supposed to do with this QAL. It will give me an agenda/plan though, and I am good at sticking to them.

I haven’t posted a photo of my current cross stitching project lately, Consider the Lillies. I am on page eight, the center section. It’s got a symbolic Adam and Eve with the serpent, although they both have apples (?). Trying to decide if Eve will have a bra for her body, the pattern gives a hint of breasts, but it’s all in the tan color. I could just stitch the body in green, extend the skirt up into a sheath dress. It just looks weird to me that she is half dressed, fig leaves would have been more in line here. May be that they were too difficult to chart. 

It’s a rainy day today, good for staying in and sewing. I may dismantle the Christmas tree, and do a bit of cleaning. I am finally caught up on the laundry that amassed after our visitors left. I have been wanting to make some cinnamon buns too. Time to get moving.

Be Kind. 

Looking back at 2023 I made a lot of things, but I feel like I hardly made a dent in my UFO list that I have been dragging up every year. It maybe time to move on from these projects, it’s time to assess them and finish them or end them and move on. To be fair, I did have a lot of custom quilts this year and I made some progress.

This is the tired ol’ list from 2021

List of UFO’s to finish in the next 365 days: 

• Simple things 1930’s embroidery/appliqué 
• Teal, black and white maze quilt
• Love Entwined Quilt – appliqué 
• 365 Batik block quilt 270 blocks to go
• Dragon quilt finish quilting embellishing etc (oldest circa late 1900’s)
• Holiday Snow Village 2021 BOM
• Needing quilting/binding Berties year, Growing up odd, Misses Miller, Christmas Figs, Halloween Figs, Botanica Park, Washboard, Red and white quilt, Paper pieced ice quilt, Autumn leaves, Quick curve quilt.

I did work on Simple Things a bit. I got another block done, three totally, and since there are only 9 blocks, I should be able to finish this in 2024. If I get it all out and assemble it, then all that’s left is the embroidery. 

The Teal, black and white quilt should just be scrapped at this point. I don’t want to fix it, and I ‘m not really sure I like the color combo any more. Plus, I have used a lot of the teal fabric for other projects. Seriously thinking of pitching it, after salvaging for scraps.

Love Entwined and Holiday Snow Village are both appliqué quilts and like Message in a Bottle, they have not been on the hand work to-do list. Part of the impasse is that cross stitch is now my hand stitching preference. I did pull the MinaB blocks out and worked on one, this quilt isn’t that big, 12 blocks. However each one has to be pieced and then appliquéd. A little less than Simple Things, as there is little to no embroidery. Love Entwined is, hmm, I may have to dig that out, and see what it needs, I sort of remember that its mostly done.

365 quilt, yeah, a block a day. I could re-start that, do a leader ender. I should see how many blocks I have made. Perhaps I can do half, and still make a decent sized quilt. Although it is medallion style, so thought/math maybe involved there.

The Dragon quilt, this is an embellishment thing. It just needs a lot more beading and stuff added to it. Hand work again, but in reality, I feel like it is too far finished to chuck, but I don’t want to invest more time into it either. 

On the quilting of TBQ tops I did finish a few, all that’s left for that list are Growing up Odd, Washboard, and the paper foundation quilt “Ice”. This year I have added to the pile, the Reunion quilt still needs quilting and then there are a few whole quilts (Big Dream flowers) and a few small baby quilts. I put the top I made at the Asilomar retreat in that pile too. I really want to do some graffiti style quilting on it. 

Looking ahead, eyes on the road, I want to get a white board list up in the sewing studio. Listing current projects and UFOs. I think if I have the list in sight, I will finish one, rather than start a new project.  I also have kits I have bought to do. I did start the Swordfish one, but just sorted out all the pieces of paper foundation, no sewing. I bought two more kits on sale yesterday, and I know for sure that there are three more in my closet. Those need to get WB listed too. 

On the plus side, I am caught up with Indigo Way, I finished part five yesterday. There were a bunch of half blocks to do, so I think this one will be set on point in the final mock up. I should get some time in on Morning Glories too. 

My finished in 2023 list:

• 20 quilts sold
• knitted 5 hats
• finished 6 cross stitch projects
• made two waxed canvas bags
• quilted 4 quilts for other people
• Finished 29 quilts
• made 17 bity boxy bags for gifts

Finally, in looking back mode, I have been blogging here for about ten years. I mostly do it for myself to keep a record of my projects and doings. Lately it’s become a bit of a chore, I still have things to say, but getting photos and content to post is not my favorite part. My bill for WordPress is coming up at the end of January. I’m not sure if I’ll renew. I have used up 98% of my 6GB for media storage, which means if I want to keep blogging here, I have to move up to the next level (more$$). Over the tenure of Touch of Grey, I have followed and read lots of other blogs, linked up with many design walls, finished lists, quilt-a-longs and such. I have noticed that many have switched to instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, which is fine for them. I miss reading the thoughts and inspirations that are absent from instagrams, yeah, pictures are pretty and all, but I feel like it’s more of a sales pitch. Tag me, # blah blah, @someone, all so easy to copy/paste and not think.  I’m not here to make money, just organize my thoughts and ideas. These first few weeks of 2024, I’m going to be thinking if I want to continue posting here, or end it. My other idea is to start a new blog, a free one, it would be bare bones, no photos, or maybe just one or two.  Or I could go old school with a journal and white board, we’ll see.

Be Kind. 

A few months ago I wrote a little bit about this quilt in a post called Cruising. 

Although, my motivation to re-start one of my ufo’s isn’t quite as keen. I did acquire another rescue project. This one is somewhat of a mess. It is a king sized Hawaiian appliqué quilt that was started with hand quilting, in the center (ugh) and part of a border. It is faded, water marked, frayed on the edges and probably not very square. The only saving grace is that it is basted. I am going to have to think on it for a bit, just getting it on the frame will be challenging.

Cruising post 10/8/23

I finished the roses panto on the first Violet and Roses quilt, I made those tops back in October too. I was going to put the second V&R quilt on the frame, when I got a mental nudge to do the Hawaiian one. This quilt has been in plain sight since I got it. I didn’t want to pack it away as then I would “forget” about it. It is a challenge, and I am going to finish it, well sooner than later. I started two days ago, I draped it over the frame to see the whole thing. It is a very large quilt, king size at least, I have about 14 inches folded over on one side, my frame is 12 feet wide. It is already sandwiched and basted and the center and one of the borders has some hand stitching/quilting. I am not too familiar with the method on how this quilt was put together. From what I can tell, it’s two layers on the front the purple under the light blue. The light blue is pieced, 5/8″ seams, but I can’t really see where the purple is seamed. I think the blue piece was done as a cut-away design, as I can’t really imagine that it was done like a paper snowflake. I have made a total of two Hawaiian style quilts, both were small, about 24 inches square. I guess if there was an area to lay out the fabrics and cut and baste it maybe? I’ll have to ask Eddie, his mom, Diana Leone made it. 

This quilt is vintage, I’m thinking late 1970’s. Of course it’s got the “ever lovely” polyester batting, which is pieced too, it is a thinner product, thankfully. Once I wrestled it on to the frame, I used the long pink plastic clamps to hold it on to the top rail. The weight of it was enough that I could let it hang over the front rail. I thought I would put the ruler table on the machine, to give it a little more stability in the stitching area. I am using 40wt thread, Mettler cotton in light blue and Aurifil 40wt in purple. I popped in a 50wt Fil-tec bobbin to start. A 100 size needle and a bit of oil on the hook and I started to sew in the center. I wanted to do the same sort of echo quilting that was already hand quilted. That’s when the machine said NO. Skipping stitches like nobody’s business, time to run through all the things to correct it.  

• Check/change needle size
• Too tight on frame?
• check hopping foot height
• check tension in top thread
• check bobbin thread

I did all of the above and then the last one, which should be : Walk away and try again later. The next day I thought I would try a quilting needle, I usually use a universal one. I was looking through my needles and came across the ones I bought for sewing on iron on appliqué, with a non-stick coating. I figured, well, why not? They were a size 75, so still okay for the thread too. Desperate times, desperate measures? It worked, I was stitching away in no time. I think the fabric has a bit of polyester in it, three layers and a poly batting was too much fabric friction. The slick needle solved the problem. 

Wrangling this quilt on the frame is a bear though. It hangs over the top bar and needs to be folded over it so as not to drag on or under the machine carriage. I got the center motif done, sort of echo quilting it. and trying not to have too many stops and starts. I am going to do a small stipple in the purple sections and continue the echoing in the outer blue borders. The plain blue borders will be cut down a bit, maybe I’ll do some piano keys or cross hatch. Once I finish the center part I will square it and cut it down to a king size 108″ x 95″. Then perhaps I can pin it to the leaders, and work with a ruler.

I have spent a few hours quilting the top, and it’s not too difficult. Moving the quilt is tough, and since the center is a large motif.  I am going to get back to it in a few days, once company has left, and the holidays are over.

Be Kind.

Time to get moving on gifts and things. I have been working on all such things this week.

I finished up the second clue for Indigo Way, a day after the third clue was posted. I am hoping to have some free time later this week to put it together. It is similar to the first two clues in that it is matching sets. I find that these take a bit longer to do than random scrappy pieces. I need to come up with a system to streamline the cutting that won’t mix up the order and matches.

I saw a video link for a fabric basket the other day, it was such a good gift idea, I made two. Sorry no pictures, I wrapped them up and packed them for the mail. The pattern is from Noodlehead, called Divided Basket Pattern , the video is by Jess at Oklaroots . Jess also has a bunch of other bag making videos, that are well done and easy to follow. I found one for mini box bags, and I am going to make a bunch for the people at my horse barn. I am new to this barn, and they exchange small gifts and treats. I thought that these little bags would work for dog treats or key fobs and a credit card. Mostly I thought it would be a cute way to carry around those rolls of bags for cleaning up after dogs. I have to make 16 of them, assembly line sewing for the win! Bonus that they can be made from less than a fat quarter. I needed to order zips and swivel snaps as I don’t have them in quantity.

I set up and used the embroidery system on my new 780Pro. Wow, what a difference from the last model. Much more smooth and faster, I had the speed adjusted to half and it was still moving along nicely. The first project I did was an embellishment of a horse pad. The design was one from Embroidery Library, its from a new collection that uses a light stitching pattern and a few colors. This one only has three, red, yellow and blue, but the blending and the black outline make it look like so many more.

I went on to make two candy cane holders, due to my own inefficiency, it took me about three hours to make these. I couldn’t figure out how to make two at a time in the hoop work. The second one was a lot faster, but I wasn’t about to make another one last night. I am going to try two snowman ones, and a mug cozy today. Oh, and a book mark and embroidered cards, just because.

PRESTO! its the next day. I managed to get quite a few things done yesterday. Packed up gifts and I’m posting them today. I’m a bit upset that a bunch of gifts I ordered two weeks ago, aren’t here yet. I really wanted to send them out today. Most are for adult gifts, so they’ll understand if they are late. All the kids things are accounted for, that’s a big task done.

Thinking of maybe getting the tree up and decorating a bit more today. I’ll see how much energy I have left after a round of errands and such today. I would like to get the Indigo Way block pieces cut. Also I have to put the sewing table back in sew mode. In order to embroider, I have to move my elevated desk/cutting mat and move my machine out of its cut out area. Not to mention putting the embroidery unit away and all its accouterments.

Be Kind.