One stitch leads to another...

      Now that birthday season is over at SFOXCO, I'm offering this picture taken last week as a metaphor for my life right now...

     Take a Rorshach test now and think about how you see it... Quiet? Restful? Lazy? Unproductive? Boring? Beautiful? Read on to see which of these describes my week!

     This cross stitch project has turned into my morning obsession... I LOVE IT! The original plan was to just finish the apple lady and "Autumn" before moving on to my handstitched Baltimore Album quilt borders, but then I couldn't resist framing her with the grapes, the red gingham--sew cute, the squirrel--fast and easy, and would it hurt to just stitch the leaf? So here's a month worth of progress:

    I've roughly calculated that if I turn this into a religion (we may be past that already) and devote an hour a day, I could finish it in about eight months. On the other hand-- if it ends up in a drawer, it may take twenty years-- we've seen that behaviour before. Let's see what happens! It's not a vice-- it doesn't interfere with my everyday life, and I've read these types of activities keep your brain sharp and your mindset relaxed. It is a lovely way to start the day. (It is Sandy Orton's "Autumn Sampler" and you can see it finished here:)

AUTUMN SAMPLER

    After congratulating myself on figuring out how to even up my odd-size snickerdoodle blocks, that has just not gone well... and the math is killing me. Sure, you can add a sashing to each side and bottom and resquare them up-- to what measurement though? Also, most of the blocks need at least one other side stitched on for my layout. So here we are:

    It's a 5x5 block layout, and I think if I stopped dabbling and just sat down for 2-3 hours, I could figure it out and polish it off. It's my July table-runner-of-the-month challenge, even though it's really a lap size.

    At the beginning of the year, I made the goal to do a table runner each month (up to speed on this), but also four quilts. So the first quarter of the year, I did the Editya Sitar Alaska quilt, but for the second quarter NADA quilt. I'm still hoping to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat here-- and my Coriander Christmas BOM is going to help me do it. For this project I have nine finished blocks, but I got stuck on ten-- I did that yesterday.

So I was only behind by one block, which I hoped to complete before the last one arrived-- then I could say I kept up! Block 11 is a killer though, lots of pieces and I haven't started yet.

Then today, this came in-- Block 12 AND the finishing kit, which I assumed would be mailed in Month 13? So I am officially underwater two blocks and a finishing kit. (Isn't that red stripe fabric cute, though? I think it's the binding?)

Then today, this came in-- Block 12 AND the finishing kit, which I assumed would be mailed in Month 13. So I am officially underwater two blocks and a finishing kit. That being said, the finishing kit is super simple-- you just make a bunch of these arrow looking things and it fabulously works out that you have a star between each block. I may just dive right into this-- maybe spending a whole day or two in August, and BAM! I will have my second quilt of the year done, and the whole month of September to finish a third. This could easily be accomplished by simply finishing one of many UFOs I have in various stages. So very hopeful on that.

     I'd just like to say that I have really enjoyed this stitch-a-long-- the fabrics are just simple and pretty. Corey Yoder is making another one with her apricot and ash fabrics-- buy the book and make it with your favorite line of fabric. The big 18" blocks really make for a nice size quilt. The blocks are are very unique, and the sewing is pretty straighforward. This is about the best I have ever done with keeping up to a BOM-- just the right amount of work each week.

  The Summer Twist finishing kit is stitching as I type! 

    With the new website, I have now discovered how many people are downloading free stitch-a-longs, without being tempted in the slightest to spend a dime. I guess it's a characteristic that I don't understand--LOL.

    But it's been a bit of a wake up call. Now this is not a complaint, because a mentor long ago warned me, if you don't want to give something away for free, then don't give it away for free. But this may be the end of free stitch-a-longs-- or I may just give a coupon to paying customers to get it free. The new website has so much functionality to accomplish these things.

     I'm also looking forward to starting customer rewards and other goodies for all of my frequent fliers! I appreciate you so much, especially at this time of year, when it becomes apparent that no one is sewing, except me-- heehee.

xoxo
Carol