Stitching!!

Keep those hands busy!! Let's stitch!

Beginning January 31, come stitch along on Blue Jar Medley. Each Monday following, a participating designer will feature their "Blue Jar" with a free downloadable pattern available during each designer's spotlight week.  After that week, the patterns will be $5.  The finishing pattern will be availabe free April 25-May 2, 2022.

• Jan 31 - Feb 4 Calico Patch
• Feb 7- 11 The Woolen Needle
• Feb 14 - 18 Red Button Quilt Company
• Feb 21 - 25 Linen Closet Designs
• Feb 28 - Mar 4 My Red Door Designs
• Mar 7- 11 Blueberry Backroads
• Mar 14-18 Sew Cherished
• Mar 21 - 25 The Cottage Rose
• Mar 28 - Apr 1 Traditional Primitives
• Apr 4 - 8 Yellow Creek
• Apr 11 - 15 Through the Needle's Eye
• Apr 18 - 22 Rusty Crow
• April 25-May 2 Calico Patch: Finishing

Books and Roses  

This is a small embroidery design featuring books and roses which you'll be able to make into a unique bookmark of your own style. Of course, you might want to make them into a small wall quilt or stitch them onto small projects. 

All of monthly bookmarks will be a bit different from each other and perhaps that will give you ideas of your own.  gather ribbons, lace, fabric scraps and buttons, and chose a red, blue, green and white colour scheme. There's a tiny pop of applique and the designs are stitched onto lovely white linen.

 

What’s Next?

 Stir-crazy means "distraught because of prolonged confinement."

Guess I'll be "STIR CRAZY" with these projects!!

MMMQuilts is hosting "From Sweden Quilt Along"

I'm so happy!  This will definitely be my sew along project--

Why?  Because--I have this kit!! and never never did anything with it!

I thought it was so colorful and easy to assemble--ordered the kit,

and then promptly lost interest or more likely I put it aside thinking--

Another day!

Want to join me?  You don't need the kit, you can use your own stash--

the pattern is FREE!   I began January 15 and runs through March 15!  

Yeah!!

Oh My Soul! be still!  Another quilt that has gone to the wayside!

Yes, I began this pattern ages ago and now Pat Sloan is getting me off my butt

and I'll finish these blocks!!  All the patterns on her web site at the above 

address--hop on board--this train is pulling away from the station soon!

Purge--Out You- GO!

 Today I purged (rid (someone or something) of an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling.) things from my life---and I have no guilt about it at all!   For years I've been following many different blogs--almost 300 of them.  I see most of the regular bloggers on a daily basis; but there are some I don't see so often--therefore, I went to my blog list and looked to see who had been blogging and maybe I missed their entries------amazing to me, many had stopped blogging years ago!   Some had moved to another site so I updated those.

I found some blogs that I didn't know about, those were added--maybe, I'll be back up to my 300# again!  I love, love seeing other blogs--it keeps me grounded; lets me know what's happening in the world of fiber.  I wish more bloggers had dedication to stick to this way of journaling.  

Some folks journal before bedtime--saying it helps them sleep better; gets things off their minds.  my sleep brings me thoughts of what should be done at times--those dreams can open up new avenues!

Following a word of advice this year, I'm spending 22 minutes a day doing nothing!!! Now, that's not hard at all!  Just sit, mediate, dream, keep still, do nothing--and before you know it, more than 22 minutes have passed!  That's the only down side of this relaxation method.

Okay--So I purged my computer of blogs and then I thought in my 22 minutes of nothing--why not purge that upstairs closet-- and think nothing of it!  Just let it GO!

Recalculated!

 Isn’t that the phrase from my GPS?  Definitely, when I take a turn off my destination route—I hear the voice—sometimes it seems to be “shouting” at me!! Ok, I made a brief detour but I will get back on track!!

Each day I calculate what Projects I would like to work with—need to destroy that pile of UFOs—even if it’s done slowly! In the evenings I knit on hats—easy, non thinking patterns

I combine two different yarns, cast on and knit!  Finished the above hat within 3 nights of TV watching!  Onto the next one—

Almost finished with this one.  I found some rainbow handspan wool in the bin and placed it with this green/yellow sock yarn.  It’s knitting great!  I like the rolled cuff—

the next hat has a k p brim.  I found this funky yarn to add interest—planned to knit whole hat using this yarn; it was just too hard to keep on the needles.  Decision—change to mohair yarn to finish off.  

Off to see what other matches I can make from stash yarns.

These small bits were in the bottom of fiber bin.  Think these will make another varied hat—next on the needles.

 Looking good so far!

Mid Month Blues

Cerulean means "resembling the blue of the sky."

Can't believe we are mid January and when I look at my projects, I see nothing but UFOs or thoughts of what to create.  I'd rather sit and read or knit or watch a drama

I can find all sorts of interesting ways to be creative BUT I'm still sitting still working up the energy to push myself out of this chair--it's really a down time--"winter blues" maybe?

What causes the winter blues?

The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD . This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body's internal clock and lead to feelings of depression. Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD .

 

Charismas Corner is free pattern from an outstanding designer!  Make it with blue fabrics!!

 

Everything And The Kitchen Sink!

Affable means "being pleasant and at ease in talking to others" or "characterized by ease and friendliness."

Here is quilt sew along that includes everything and the kitchen sink!

There will be ten different quilt blocks, one each month. At the end of 10 months, 

you will 64 blocks, each 12.5"x12.5".  THis will yield a quilt 96"x96". To make a larger

quilt, just add side sashing. Blocks include in order of difficultly:

• Four Patch Block
• Nine Patch Block
• Half Square Triangle Block
• Quarter Square Triangle Block
• Friendship Star Block
• Flying Geese Block
• Variable Star Block
• Ohio Star Block
• Nine Patch Chain Block
• Pinwheel Mosaic Block 

To me, this is much like my orphan quilts that I assemble--will interesting to sew a quilt from beginning to end with a means to the end!

 

From Hands Finally!!

 Voluble means "characterized by ready or rapid speech.

Long time coming--finished This lace sampler knit along from 2019!  Yay! for me!  I"m afraid I skipped a couple of month patterns, but it's finished and now on the blocking pads!

I love how the pearl beads add definition to the border--I also added nupps--

not my favorite type of stitch but I did a few--that's those nubble things you see

I knit in white wool super fine yarn.  I figured I could dye it whatever color I wanted when finished, so I ask my friend, who I will gift it to, what was her favorite color--teal.  This is close to teal I could get.

It's super soft and yummy feeling--hope she likes it.  I just need to add the little heart tag and

it's all hers.

Challenge done--now, I can begin another knit along!  What will it be? most likely this--

Shetland Lace Sampler 2022 by Toni Lorenz--love her patterns even if I don't get them knitted for years!  I'll begin and see how far I get....

“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD.”* Psalm 27:14**