Crushed it!

      I totally crushed most of my goals this week-- and even ended up with a cute baby quilt I hadn't even dreamed of last week at this time! Many of you kindly reached out to me privately to console me for not having big 2023 goals-- I think the weekly approach works much better for me-- so much more immediate and you have to do it, rather than think about it. I'm filling a column titled "This Week's List" in my happy planner with a weekly wish list instead of long range stuff.

     Did you see our new "Happy Mail" in-the-hoop quilt block? In last week's post, it was just an idea. I did move forward on it, and spent time figuring out how to do it, then perfecting it, then very quickly turning two charm packs into this...

    I'm going to spend the time to quickly sew those together this week-- someone I know just had a little girl and these Valentine fabrics are so perfect for a baby girl quilt. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had-- it's just that not too much in this hobby of ours happens fast, does it? I very much enjoyed picking the different fabrics for each envelope-- then planning so that this was the only waste out of the whole project-- thread dust and three extra squares. 

    My 6" blocks needed a 7" hoop (obviously), so the last thing I did was resize for smaller hoops-- this is the 5x7 inch hoop size-- it's just incredibly inspiring how little this is-- and just how perfect it comes out-- every time! And the trim lines are stitched right in-- so there's next to no measuring, too.

     Every project seems to beget another one-- I'd love to make tiny size envelopes in Christmas fabric for a holiday table runner this year. The Christmas spirit has kind of passed, so I'm going to jot the idea down in my happy planner for September. In the meantime, you can bet I am on the lookout for other blocks that would translate well to a hoop!

    Next up-- Block Four of Winter Twist--check! I loved all of your ideas about what the last white creature should be-- don't be offended if I didn't pick yours-- in the end it just comes down to the one I think will digitize well and expand on what we already have. We already had a bird-- the rabbit and fox were also good choices, but I felt they were too close to the ermine. So the white deer won out. We now have a full court-- king, baron, marquise, and knight-- I also got the phases of the moon in-- did you notice? I didn't plan that out-- it's just fun to let projects play out the way they will-- it just happened. I definitely prefer this to highly planning a piece. How do you like to work?

    The finishing kit will also be free-- I am still mostly in boxes after the move and am severely limited to fabric pulls I can do, so we'll have to see what happens. I have loved seeing your stitch outs on the Facebook group-- join if you haven't!-- LOVED all the colors and fabric-- I have to admit I'm feeling a bit of pressure!

     In the handwork department, I'm trying to do a Prairie Meadow applique block every three weeks-- that gives me one week to prep the pieces and two to sew. It's working out well. This past week was my week to prep. After totally re-working the last block, I pretty much stayed with the program and just changed the circle color on this block. 

    I have to say, the pieces really seemed fiddly to me this time-- but were really no different from other weeks. Am I getting bored? I am frequently reminding myself this is not a show quilt-- this is a fun and relaxing little stitch for my evenings! 

    It's really impossible to get nice points with this technique of stitching pieces to stabilizer and turning them, so I am just freeing all the points and turning them as I go-- it's not costing me any extra time. I have a long way to go with hand applique, but I'm pretty clever with points and I want them pointy!

    Since I wasn't hand sewing that last week, I worked along two of my cross stitches-- yes, I thought I was done with cross stitch for awhile. Last week one popped up, but now there are two of them!

   The Lori Holt Stitch Cards Set "O" is going really quickly. Most of these stitch cards were formulated from her quilt blocks, but this set really had more detail and I couldn't resist. The colors also remind me of the 1800s or something-- I love them. Anyway, I might gift some of these smaller things next Christmas-- I had so few handmade gifts last year. I love to make and give a handmade gift!

     I'm mad at myself I cut that off so close to the bottom! What was I thinking. 

     Then I started the FREE Fat Quarter Shop Love Note pattern-- we are supposed to wait to stitch it in February for the "Be Mine" sew-a-long, but just like I did in the 100yd dash in Kindergarten-- I need a head start. This only uses three colors and requires just a small piece of cloth. If you're looking for an inexpensive way to jump back into cross stitch, this would be it. 

     There is a ton of filling in on this-- I think you might actually be able to do it front of TV! Next, I'm just going to outline the color areas, and then I won't even have to think anymore. 

    So.... 

as they say, the beatings will continue until morale improves-- or in my case-- the whining will continue until A Ribbon Runs Through It is finished! This is the one thing I really struggle with last week. (again.)

    I promised to "force" myself to do one seam a night-- that didn't happen even once. Too much fun on other things! So on Sunday, I "forced" myself to work on it for a good few hours-- I got the last row of blocks pieced and quite a few rows sewn together. It's a gut buster-- I kidded someone that the seams were ten feet long, and then I measured them and they are closer to 11. It's true because we're sewing on the diagonal. As of this writing, I just have three big pieces left to join. 

    Can I just give myself a pat on the back-- or maybe the designer should get it, but it is coming together beautifully. Here's the corner-- all those pink triangles are just lining up sew perfectly, like soldiers in a row.

    After that, there are two borders to add-- then I have to wash and assemble the backing. I'm sure I can keep the misery going for another couple of weeks. The Barn Star Sampler with Fat Quarter Shop starts this Friday, so as one major quilt is finished, I just can't wait to start another!

Have a wonderful week!

xox

Carol