Yesterday upon getting out of bed, I turned my head and something happened to my neck. It was very painful, I went to my chiropractor and she worked on it for a bit. I was able turn my head to the right about 15 degrees by the end of the day. Lots of sitting and icing made time for hand stitching. I finished the Elefantz block I’ve been working on this month, while my Q24 stitched out another two rows of pantographs. I finished the moth and started the border on the NB sampler too.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Then I moved to stitching the Changed World sampler. This new sampler is the one I started on August 1st, as a SAL with Judy at Patchwork Times, Denise at Just Quilting and Jo at Jo’s Country Junction. It’s a loose and stitch when you can sort of SAL. Check ins are Fridays, and this is what I have for the first five days of stitching. Since I am now stitching two samplers, I have decided that I will stitch the Newcastle Bouquet on even numbered days and Changed world on odd numbered days.

I’m using a hoop for this one, I started out using a Q-snap frame, but it was too heavy. I liked the space it had for stitching and the ease of getting the fabric into it, but it was too much strain on my wrist to hold it. I switched to a little hoop after trying a 10 inch plastic hoop (too heavy) and it seems to be okay. Recently I saw a hoop holder on a floss-tube, made by Lowery. I liked that it was adjustable and metal with a small footprint. It also can hold hoops or frames, my current holder is only for scroll frames. I found one at Love Crafts and with a promotional coupon and a bit of wavering (do I really need it?) I ordered it. I feel like I am at the dentist when I sit in my stitching chair. I have a light over my head, a magnifier and small table on the right, the frame holder on the left and a foot stool in front. My DH wonders why I don’t jump up to get the phone when it rings.

A little more sewing was done on the Washboard road top. I squared up all the blocks and started to web the top. I think I’ll get it done this weekend. Especially because I have two days to myself, my DH is going on a short road trip with friends. Thankfully, my neck is feeling much better today and I’ll be sewing a lot this weekend.

Be Kind.

Today I am working on getting the Washboard road blocks organized. I have all of the halves made, and since I want to make an ombre/fade pattern with them I figured that it would be easier this way. I spent the last few days making the pieces, and yes, I made half of them facing the wrong way. In my defense, I am using solid color fabrics, so it can easy to flip things around or over to the wrong side. I just feel a bit ashamed (not really, more mad at myself) that I did it 79 times. Chain piecing is a blessing and a burden, at least that’s what I told myself as I was ripping out and resewing those parts. I am using the spare bed in the guest room to lay them out on, not too sure I want to do the bending down thing today.

• 

• 

• 

Last night I started to stitch the moth in the left hand corner of the Newcastle Bouquet piece. This moth is what first attracted me to this sampler, I saw Jo Kramer stitching it last year and wanted to make it too. I also got and kitted up Heaven and Nature (another Teresa Kogut design) because of Jo showing hers. On that sampler, it was a raccoon that attracted me. Sunday, August 1 starts the Changed World SAL hosted by Patchwork Times, Jo’s Country Junction, and Just Quilting’. This will be a departure of my stead fast rule for my cross stitching, ‘only one project at a time’. As I am well aware, it is hard for me to show restraint when it comes to starting new things. I always have a few Quilty things going on, a knitting piece, handwork and a pile of UFOs. When I re-started cross stitching, I told myself I wasn’t going to be taken in by the start-itis I have with all my other hobbies/etc. I have all the excuses (I just wrote excesses there) its a smaller piece, its a SAL, I like the pattern, I’m almost done with the Newcastle… I think I will alternate days I stitch on each, that’s reasonable, lol.

I finally finished the LA quilting on the large Chickadee panel quilt. You probably heard my sigh of relief as those last four locking stitches ended on the last row. I am planning on putting the yellow and navy table runner I made recently on the end of the backing of this quilt. I think there may be enough, but I just wanted to be done, so I left, and enjoyed my sense of accomplishment. This quilt used up about 600 yards of thread, not too bad, there wasn’t a lot of back stitching or retracing of the design (Thankful flowers). It was a complicated design though, so my machine had to slow down a bit for all those curves and bubbles. Each row took about two hours and fifteen minute to stitch out. There was no thread breakage and the only time I had to stop was when I ran out of bobbin thread mid-row. I want to finish the other two tops with the Julie Paschkis fabrics in them, that I made earlier this year. I am thinking of a paw print panto though, as they have cat and animal themed prints.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Be Kind.

I recently got a pattern from Highway 10 Designs, called ‘Washboard Road’. I cut all the pieces for the throw size yesterday and started sewing them together. It uses a jelly roll and 3 1/4 yards of background, I had a jelly roll of solid teal shades and enough plain vanilla white to do this. The hard part will be getting the blocks to play nicely together. I am planning on an ombre sort of look, fading from light to dark.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The Newcastle Bouquet cross stitch marathon is continuing. I am not going to finish it before Sunday, but I feel like I have made progress. I am starting the Changed World SAL on August 1, so I will have two projects going at once. I would rather not do this, because I know I’ll end up with a UFO. It is a slippery slope with quilting, and I didn’t want to start back in with the cross stitchery. Changed World is a smaller piece, finished size is 9″ x 14″, while Newcastle is a bit bigger at 17″ x 10″. Also NB is on 40 count linen, while CW is 36 count. I am going to stitch CW in a hoop, so NB will stay on the frame, switching between them won’t be too difficult as I will still need the magnifier to stitch.

I was out shopping last week in a neighboring town/city, and parked in front of their local Goodwill store. Once I got my errand done, I figured I would go in to check out any frames that may work for cross stitch. They had a bunch of framed “art”, and I found one that may work so I went to up to pay for it. While standing in line I noticed a woman ahead of me holding two Omni-grid rulers. I asked her where she found them and she said in the back area, and that there was one left. I went back and looked, and there were two, a 12 ½ inch square and a 21″ x 8″, they were marked 4.99 and 6.99, woohoo! score! I hope the person who donated them knows they went to two people who appreciate them.

Going to try to get another row of quilting done today, small goals. I really like the way this is stitching out on my Chickadee quilt so far. I have enough room on the backing to add this table runner I “whipped up” this past weekend. I want to do some ruler work on it. Another Quick Curve Ruler project called Summer Citrus from the book ‘One Wonderful Curve’.

• 

• 

Off to sew a bunch of tiny X’s.

Be Kind.

I got the Posh Snowball top together. I wanted to add an outer border of the dark brown print, but I didn’t have enough left over. So I made another white and small square border, then cut and pressed the binding. I really like how this turned out, I am not sure how I want to quilt it though.

• 

• 

• 

Yesterday I got the two quilts, Small Chickadee and the Bees, squared up and bound (above, right). I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the dark brown binding looked against the black. I was able to put the bigger Chickadee panel quilt on the frame too. I found a panto that has flowers and circles much like those on the fabric. It is called Thankful Flowers, and it takes about two hours to stitch a row. Thank goodness I had the sense to mount this top longways, as there are only 5 rows. Ten plus hours of quilting, it is a good thing I can multitask.

Speaking of, I have been working on this BOM by Elefantz, called Simple Days. I just finished the first blocks embroidery, and downloaded the sixth block of the nine block quilt. I have two more blocks sewn together, but its the embroidery that takes a while.

I am contemplating starting something new. I want to explore the curves a bit more, with the Sew Kind of Wonderful quick curve rulers. Maybe a table runner, since I finally received the fabric I ordered 5 weeks ago for one. I like this one, a bit mid-century modern, below.

Lastly, I received the pastel batiks I ordered for the borders of the snails trails baby quilts. Got one done yesterday, hoping to get the peachy one done today. I positioned the blocks differently on each, I can’t decide which one I like better.

• 

• 

Be Kind.

The blocks for the Posh Snowball quilt are done. There was a whole lot of assembly line sewing going on for the past few days. Each block has thirteen pieces, after each segment is sewn together there is a curve to be cut. Then more sewing cutting and finally squaring up. This quilt is very rich looking, like a box of chocolates. I still need to cut and put together the sashing pieces, they will break up the rich darkness a bit. I did enjoy making these blocks, there is a certain satisfaction to sewing a curve that works.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Still stitching almost daily on the Newcastle Bouquet. I am still getting up the courage to start the border. I bought another batch of DMC and linen yesterday for a free chart, “Set Her Sails” from Susan Ache. I am planning on making it into a small pillow. The finished size is 12 x 11 ish. I want to leave it set up next to the long arm, that way while I am waiting for a row to machine stitch out, I can hand stitch a row or two. I have been resisting having two cross stitch projects going at the same time. But it is a slippery slope, and I really want to finish the Newcastle Bouquet before starting the Changed World SAL.

I’m also starting the third shawl in the Curious Handmade KAL, as soon as the yarn I ordered gets here. I didn’t stitch the second (of six) shawl, because it was another one of garter stitch. Too much garter stitch gets boring, this third shawl is called the Wild Bees Wrap, and it starts with a square center and then gets to be a long rectangle with the addition of side knitting. The pattern called for three colors, Blue, light blue and golden brown, of which only one was available in my stash. I managed to resist buying yarn for three days, but caved to a sale at Knit Picks.

• 

• 

Be Kind.