Distractions...

“If I must choose between Despair and Energy-- I choose the latter.” ― John Keats

So this week has been a struggle for me, but I am trying to choose action over hiding under a rock. It does no good to the people of my little world if I'm not present. I really appreciated the prattle of my favorite YouTube sewists, even though I did wonder frequently if they would mention "the thing." So here's my current action list-- and I sincerely hope it makes a little distraction for you.

AQS Daytona-- I'm still hoping to sort through my photos and post some of my favorite non-winners when I can. AQS always posts the winners. The show was notable for being the first in-person one for AQS in two years-- and the quality of work was stunning.

If YOU didn't produce a quantity of stunning work over the pandemic, no worries-- I did notice a few quilts from my favorite artists that were from the 2019 MQX show here in the Northeast? Oldies, but goodies, to be sure, but is it because they also suffered a dry spell? Also of note-- machine embroidery is a trend-- YAY!-- but not one I saw in the winner's circle-- oh, how I would love to change that.

For now, I just give you this photo-- the weather was as warm the quilts for me, coming out of this snowy winter. My room looked straight over to France. It was glorious.

Back at home, I did release the Lucky ABCs which was ready before I left. This is my sleeper series of monthly cross stitch designs-- I love a word puzzle, and they've been really fun to think up. I know they have a few diehard fans out there-- it's good enough for me.

I really want to make some of them into a larger project like a pillow or a table runner-- my mug rug drawing in the kitchen is completely stuffed.

And, if you notice trends, a quilt design can be made into a cross stitch design as we've watched Lori Holt's Vintage Farm Girl blocks slowly turn into "Stitch Cards." But did you know a cross stitch design can also become a quilt? I sketched out these tiny shamrocks in the above design...

...and I realized the design would make an adorable 3" quilt block to add to my cross stitch for a little March pillow. They came out great!

Unfortunately, I thought I was making them in the same fabric as the embroidery-- OOPS! Once I unhooped, I saw my mistake. (San Francisco Stitch Co. is a business founded upon a pile of mishaps, in case you wondered.) So the pillow idea was abandoned-- what, remake them in the right fabric? Never.

Then I decided to make a all-pieced, no embroidery table runner. Writing more quilt patterns is something I've been considering for a long time-- I'm also considering turning my cross stitch designs into hand cross stitch patterns, since the number of refunds I've had to make to people who thought they were buying a chart is growing. I'd love to hear your opinion on this-- should I expand from machine embroidery? Quilt patterns? Cross Stitch charts?

But anyway, here is my table runner sketch-- the little squares are the shamrock blocks pointing this way and that, and it will be shaped as an oval. Many of the quilt patterns I'm seeing lately have a "sameness" about them-- lots of stars, etc. etc. and I think this is a little different and MIGHT sell well, but honestly I have no idea. And then there's the undisputable fact that the center would be PERFECT for an embroidered shamrock design-- that's what that sketchy cloud in the middle is- heehee. So I'm back where I started-- digitizing! I really want to make this, but I also really need to get moving for a timely release-- let's see what happens. At the same time, we are of Irish heritage-- so it's always St. Patrick's Day here.

Here's just another example of a tiny cross stitch reindeer I took off my "Merry Christmas" mug rug-- wouldn't that make a fabulous big quilt! But this sketch has been sitting around for more than a year now, so we may never know! If only I could keep up with my imagination.

The second installment of A Ribbon Runs Through It arrived-- sew happy to get this-- it's extremely relaxing to work on. Now I have five blocks. If I make one a week, I'm keeping up. They seem to be taking longer and longer, and my friend who is doing it with me may quit. I keep trying to figure out the number of pieces in these blocks, but I can't count that high. For now, I'm committed.

I have no doubt this is going to be a gorgeous quilt-- one that is totally out of my bandwidth, too. My father-in-law was a Civil War buff, and I have mused through the hours how I would have loved to  gift him this beauty. Don't postpone those gift quilts! 

I'm stitching around the edges as I finish each one so the seams don't split and it also occurred to me to number them as they all look kind of similar. I'm not changing the layout on this at all-- it's a KIT and exists solely for relaxing my overactive brain!

Then my friend Laurel sent me this email from Brother-- she said at first she looked with indignation that they STOLE my design, but then realized they were featuring it! I so love getting your emails and this really made my day. So the person who made it didn't quite make my fully fleshed version-- it's more of a pineapple block and I love it. Seeing your projects is my best medicine, I cannot say that enough!

And here's the last photo of the blog-- someone stuck these into my mailbox. The artist-in-residence brought them upstairs and said, "At least one person in the neighborhood likes you."

Oh, how I am going to miss that dry humor when my gypsy leaves for the Appalachian trail in less than a month from now!

Hoping you can have some peace and some sewing today, and learn to exist in this world that simultaneously showers sunshine in one place, and darkness in another. 

xoxo

Carol