Back to School!

     It seems like I always start off the blog with a weather update-- so I just finished describing the lovely temperatures we were having, when the jet stream got knocked out of place. It has been near 90 for the past week with blazing sun and 200% humidity. I know you people from Texas will mock me-- not even in the hundreds-- but I signed up for Maine, not Death Valley!

     There's no A/C in this house, but Mr. SFO the architect, knows exactly which windows should be down and which blinds up, so we're surviving. I did use all the indoor time to push my sewing along, as I'd hoped.

    I whipped a new fall cross stitch set! These were inspired by the Fat Quarter Shop's little tart tin finishing ornaments-- I ordered a set, and they are extremely well made-- in my mind, I thought they were silver with sharp edges like a real tart tin, but they are a beautiful pristine white. I may do a couple of sets for Christmas-- I need more cross stitch on my tree!

    I also got the Christmas tree applique done for the center of the Tree Farm Mug Rug-- hoping to get it stitched together today, and then all I have left is the embroidery of the corners. If you are afraid of re-hooping-- don't be-- I digitize this with guidelines and all you have to do is hoop stabilizer and lay your fabric on top of it, matching the lines.

   A lot of blocks got put together last week! In keeping with the idea that it's "back to school" week, every day in my spare moments, I would prep a bit of sewing-- either cutting new parts or pressing, and then that would be my sewing "assignment" for the night. I did this for Summer Memories, the Resilient quilt, the Tree Farm Table Runner, and then I even added the Pressed Flowers BOM. Juggling four projects, you can guess the "assignment" got to be a bit much at that point. If I was my kid's teacher, I would have been extremely annoyed!  

   One night, Mr. SFO asked when I was going to stop for our little bit of TV-- I said, "I have to finish my assignment." So he did look askance a bit, but didn't question it-- I instantly regretted the choice of words, in case he decides to give me a few more "assignments" around the house this week.

     I'm really feeling under the gun because of Summer Memories-- a thousand times I have lamented starting this! I did crush it with finishing up eight more baskets this week and I really have the system going now. Don't get me wrong, I do love this quilt, and I'm really doing a great job on points and pressing.

 

    I almost got even more baskets done, but I had to order more background fabric-- it is White Grunge. It's so subtle it's been a bit of chore to see which is the right side, but that also means if I make a mistake, no one will notice. I sorted all my Berry Basket jolly bar fabrics into matching basket and flower sets, so I'm sure I now have enough to make the whole quilt. I've been on the lookout for potential sashing fabrics-- nothing from Berry Basket is grabbing me, so we'll see what happens. 24 of 64 baskets done. Hoping to knock off another twelve next week?

     Five Resilient quilt blocks got done-- these just involve making some big HSTs and sewing them together. It's quite the puzzle, though, getting them arranged-- harder than one of those Sudokus! Jack made an appearance more than once. Do you think we are all offsetting the onset of dementia with all this puzzle making in fabric? I do know, if you ever want to make sure a block is correct, just post it on social media-- you will instantly get feedback on more mistakes than you would ever want to correct!

      

   So you can start to get the "look" of the quilt. Still not a fan of the fabric, so get over it already... I'm learning the "modern" aesthetic is really not for me, either... I guess I'm a traditionalist. But it does look cool and it's fun to try something different.

     Here's my Pressed Flower Block 5-- it's a very unusual one. I had a chuckle,  because Fat Quarter Shop is usually so precise about giving directions. On this one, they kind of ran out of space on an
8-1/2" x 11" sheet. So once you had about twenty separate units made, the last instruction was ASSEMBLE BLOCK. Heehee. As someone who writes directions, I'm keeping that in my pocket for future use!

   Block Heads 5 has started-- the first block is supposed to be your label. I'm wondering if that's the simple secret to getting us all to finish-- make a label first. (This week was just full of humor for me.) So I'm still super tempted, although it would be totally ridiculous for me to start this. 

     I noticed someone posted a picture of their block sideways-- I instantly recognized the Appalachian Trail marker. I'm sure Gypsy and Fern would have been proud of me, in that moment-- if you don't know, my daughter and son-in-law hiked the entire trail last year and uploaded a video on YouTube every night of their progress. So wouldn't that be a super fun quilt for them, if I made all the blocks and inserted that marker? They'd love it. So, maybe I'll do a few blocks in my spare time, and see what happens. I could always just abandon ship and make a couple of pillows for their cozy cabin.

    Click here if you dare get sucked in,

for the first FREE block from Moda!

    Speaking of Gypsy and Fern, the honeymooners are back from their hike in the Alps. Over there, it's not hiking, it's "walking holiday." Look at the the beautiful gifts they brought me-- a bread basket with a really nice embroidery design on it (you need one for your morning croissants)-- the cutest cow ever, (he's already grazing on my desk) and a real Swiss Army knife from Switzerland, of all places! If you ever now need a screwdriver when you're out and about, I have you covered. The lovely box of chocolates I received is gone. :-)

    If you need something really wholesome to watch on YouTube, they are uploading a video of each day of their hike from Mount Blanc to the Matterhorn every Saturday night. for the next few weeks. The first one is up, it's just ten minutes, You can view it here.

Hiking Homesteaders

    Sew that's the goings on the past week-- hope you had a productive, but a bit cooler week than me! 

xox

Carol