Satisfaction.

      Good morning from the western mountains of Maine, where it was 75 degrees this weekend! With that kind of weather, you'd have to ask why I wasn't outside, but I was killin' it in the sewing room, people! I had a beautiful week of cross stitch, machine embroidery, and quilting. And even some more unpacking, the never ending chore.

     I can't begin to even tell you how satisfying it was to cut 42 charm square into nine pieces each and then sew them back together into corn for the "Let's Pop Some Corn" table runner. If you are a quilter, you understand this! Yes, it's another kit, but oh, sew appropriate since we frequently make popcorn in this establishment. We even have the professional movie theater salt-- it's call FLAVICOL, and a really nice popper. 

     These are BIG corns-- I have to keep reminding myself to check the dimensions before deciding to make things-- this one is 18" x 58"-- that's almost taller than me. The large dimension also made me feel sad-- I don't have a dining room anymore, and it will just be six of us this Thanksgiving. 

     I got nine corns out of my charm pack, and plan to use the two extra for some cute pillows, but once the blocks are done, I'm going to lay them out on my various tables and see if I should make two shorter pieces. Or maybe just use the extra for a fancy backing like everyone seems to be doing these days. Hoping to get the husks on this week!

     I don't listen to music or watch TV while I'm working-- I just let the musings in my head wander about for entertainment-- such as this one that came to mind while I was stitching kernels.

    Now here's a little tip for you-- sewing patches of 4 x 10 tiny squares is never going to give you a straight edge along the perimeter. And there's probably very little extra to be able to trim them down to size, either. I just cut off the merest fraction to get the fuzzies and sewing thread off the edges. Then, on the other side, I draw a nice straight stitching line with erasable fabric marker. 

     "A Ribbon Runs Through It" did not fall by the wayside. All 888 pieces are stacked and ready for assembly on my handy, dandy Block Layout Sheet. Lots of rows to piece this week! After that, can you believe I will only have one more of the original star blocks to finish-- everything will be ready for final assembly. All my pieces are within 1/8" of where they should be, so I think assembly will go well, with just a little easing here or there.

     Cross stitch-- okay, maybe not hitting out of the park, but progress has been made. I might have this finished by next week-- I'm just doing the bottom strip of this lovely thing for now and making a mini bench pillow.

     Machine Embroidery-- I almost have another new set! It's more cute cross stitch-- these are sew fun to design and very easy to digitize. Tomorrow, I'm test stitching, and then I'll finish them off into some new Thanksgiving decor. It is so nice after years of machine embroidery to be able to pull out things I have made over the past years-- they are just like old friends! Not all of them have popped out of the boxes yet, but again, unpacking progress has been made.

     

     During some of my down time over the move, I learned a new software-- it's a cross stitch program that will let you machine embroider your designs, but also print out a chart for hand stitching. Often, I draw people into the site who think my work is for hand stitch-- should I start offering my designs as charts? There is a real glut of people jumping into that market now, but it is really beyond easy to just make a PDF chart with this software. Should I do it? I was thinking of starting a new brand on Etsy "Sugar Meadow Cross Stitch." I'd love to hear your input. 

     Instead of all these quilt kits I buy and work on, I also have been doing some of my own block designing. I really want to make an Autumn Sampler quilt, but don't see quite the right one to make. Another new brand for me... Sugar Meadow Quilts? Haha-- since change is in the air around here, let's change everything! Quilt designing is also a tough market since there is so much free content out there and I don't have any fabric to sell.

     Sugar Meadow Fabric?? LOL

     At home, the kitchen is starting to look like MY kitchen! It quite didn't feel right until I moved the silverware to the left of the fridge like it was in my old home. Makes me wonder if my silverware drawer has always been the right of my various fridges, starting with that first Brooklyn apartment and through all the moves, all these years. 

     It's such a mental boost when things get in order. All I need is a little more curation of the open shelves, and a storage place for my large crock pot!

     Now let's all get out there and start stitching!

xoxo

Carol