Naps, time with grand daughter, motorcycle and pedal bike rides, reading books, hiking with co- workers, Zoom with friends, and Sewing... yay!
Just one day into break and I am loving it. The days pass more slowly too, and I am savoring them.
These are the round robin blocks I made in May. I mailed them off this morning.
They have been done for awhile all except for the comb on the chicken. I finished it today.
I suppose you could say that I have been quilty social lately. Last week my Stashbee hive had a little zoom session to get to know each other for the 2023 swap. The blocks for January will go to Diana and they are little colored kitties.
Here are my stashbee cats. I made an extra set just because.
Here is a photo of our zoom session. I look forward to working with you ladies and sewing for you.
I also joined a little block swap that my daughter has been involved in. It is a beginner group, but I don't care. I just want to enjoy it with my daughter. There are 26 people, and they finish I think in November, so some months we do 3 blocks while others we do two. Here are my blocks for January. I did just discover that another lady also chose the improv trees, so I need to make her a set as well.
Last weekend I got into my Auzzieness and zoomed with Chooky friends. I love me a good Chooky visit!!
Different zoom friends came on at different times.
I spent this past week entirely on "For the Birds". I have arranged and rearranged several times. It is all together except for the top right corner block with the birds on the branch. I will finalize the applique' on it likely tonight.
I pulled out an oldie to stitch along with two zoom groups on Saturday. It was truly a joy filled day.
This block is meant to be one of three blocks in my Christmas Row Quilt. It is by Crab-apple Hill and is Block#8: Ribbon Candy House. I have made good progress.
Only one other block is complete from this Gingerbread Square pattern, and it is called Block #9: Main Street Shops. I made it a couple of years ago, so my embroidery skills are rusty.
Do you ever change your mind about projects and decide to make them into something else? Well, that is the direction my Christmas Row Quilt is headed. When I put the embroidery blocks next to regular Christmas quilt blocks, they disappear. They are just too much work to not see them pop. After visiting a friend who had an embroidery quilt hanging in her home, I realized that her stitches showed up beautifully. I learned that she uses 3 strands of floss which is different than the 2 strands the pattern suggests. Now I am on a mission to switch to 3 strands. This weekend I picked out some stitches and replaced them. I am liking it better. I may not unstitch all of it on my second block, but maybe some more. If my first Gingerbread House doesn't look ok next to the others, it may become a pillow instead.
As for the Christmas Row Quilt - I think it will just be a Christmas Sampler which likely won't have embroidery Gingerbread houses in it. I ordered some more floss so I can stitch all 9 houses in 3 strands and put them all into their own quilt.
Zoom party photos:
PHD Progress Report:
The yellow shows what I have worked on this month. I hope to have the Masterpiece top done this week.
I participated in the Friday Night Sew In. Check out what the other sewers were doing at this link.
