Start A New Project For a Good Cause

Begin a new project in a new month!  And this is a great quilt for a worthy cause!

One of my favorite people, Alycia Quilts, is once again hosting this mystery quilt-a-long.

This begins February 1 with fabric requirements and on February 16th the first clue will be revealed.

Alycia says this will be a super easy, beginner friendly pattern; finish at 61"x81" with NO half squares!

This size is just perfect as Quilt of Valor .

Gather your red, white and blue fabrics for this one, I'm sure!

Another great project for someone you love!

This is the quilt-- and below is the block pattern

free block from cluck cluck sew

 

Good Idea?? Or Not??

Word of the day:  Spirit-stirring:  stirs or animates the spirits; spirit rousing!

 I thought this would be a good idea!  Who doesn't like to make medallion quilts?  Simple--start with one block and build around it!  It's called a round robin as well as medallion-- A round robin involves sending your piece off to friends to add the next round.  Eventually, after all the rounds, the piece makes it back to first sender.  Last year, this group didn't send their rounds but were sewn and chosen by you! Once again this year, there is the SAHRR group and you can join along with me!  Only thing for me--I had to construct the middle (starting) block! Luckily, I still have a couple of orphan blocks that can be used.  

It officially began January 10th and each Monday thereafter for six rounds, a different blogger would offer their suggestions for the next round.  Below is the list of bloggers who contributed. 

Here is the orphan I decided to use.  The first go around was chosen as something curved—oh bother!  Watched several videos to decide what to do—there were suggestions for drunkard path—too involved for me.  I wanted something quick—landed on video by Rob Appell’s way to create free form curves—perfect!!

Next go round will be more difficult; am sure some math will be involved!

Second round—triangles!  Yes, math involved!  I found some aged friends blocks.  These were made while we lived in Venezuela as our group formed a sewing guild. Each member signed their name as a keepsake—I thought these make great triangles!! And surprise!  They fit!!

• Anja @ Anja Quilts
• Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
• Texas Quilt GAl
• Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
• Gail @ Quilting Gail (it’s Gail who hosts this fun)
• Chris @ Chrisknitssews

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!!