There and Back Again

The last two weeks were spent on an extended road trip from Central Texas to Monterey, California.  We had not planned on a long trip this year, but the stars aligned in such a way that it was meant to happen.  Hubby was suffering from a major case of cabin fever after rehabbing from knee surgery that included some setbacks.  The second week in August was coming up and in our area, that means lots of noise and traffic congestion for the annual motor boat races.  And a relative had taken a tumble resulting in a broken leg and we wanted to see her (it had been 12 years).  So, off we went.

Needless to say, no sewing machine work happened, but I did invest quite a bit of time working on my Edyta Sitar project.  The second row of rosettes is now anchored to the center.  I will need A LOT more neutral hexies, but I’m ready to start placing the outer row of rosettes.  I love it when I can begin to see real progress on a project.

Other than the pounds I gained largely due to this and other indulgencies…..

This is the only souvenir to come home with me.  I'll look pretty classy while walking the doggies in my pink Pebble Beach hat!

Monterey has some fabulous scenery.  

I think you could make just about anything grow there if you stick it in the dirt and give it some water.  These were in a planter by the parking lot and I love the way the fresh colors play together.

This will be a very busy week on the home front.  Not only will we be in recovery mode from the trip, but I will be prepping for our Guild’s annual retreat next week.  

Hot Weather Equals Quilting Weather

It would be an exaggeration to say we’ve been sheltering in place the last few weeks, but it has certainly been hot enough for us to limit activities during the hottest part of the day.  I’ve been using the time to push forward on my ongoing projects.

I’ve started playing around with the layout of the second row of rosettes in my Handful of Scraps quilt. 

I’ll need many more neutral hexagons and that has been my focus in the evenings while Bob watches dance, Alaska and Ninja Warrior programs on television.

I’ve also been working on bow tie units and blocks.  The units in the container are made with darker fabrics and will be used in the border.  I estimate I’ve made about half of what I need for the border.

I’m very grateful to my quilting buddies who have generously saved scraps for me.  I find a new pile almost every Tuesday when I join the group.

One Stitch at a Time

This was the scene last night as I tuned into Bonnie Hunter’s Quilt-Cam. 

And, this is the current state of that project.  It doesn't look a lot different from my last post, but I believe all the rosettes are done and it will be time to start joining them to the center after I complete this outer row of neutrals.

My basket of bow tie units now has enough in it to finish making the 20 center blocks I have planned.  My version of this pattern will be smaller than the original which was published in Quilters Newsletter in 2000.  It had 42 center blocks.  If I’ve calculated correctly, I need to make 216 additional units in dark fabrics for a border.  Time to start cutting up more scraps.

I only finished five anti-ouch pouches this month, but I did respond to the coordinator’s plea for more fabric by filling a large shopping bag with yardage from my stash. 

Today I am especially grateful for air conditioning.  One of our two units went out for 24 hours…not good news in July in Central Texas. Thankfully, the second, smaller unit, did not fail and we were able to schedule a repairman who got everything up and running.  

Finally, some significant progress to post on my hexagon quilt.  I still have one rosette to go, but the center rosettes have now been added to the diamond blocks.  I’m beginning to see a tiny speck of light at the end of a very long tunnel!

Once a month a friend opens the fabric shop that is attached to her retreat house to the entire quilting community. The day includes show and share, a look at upcoming retreats and classes, and lunch.   Usually there’s a conflict on that Saturday, and I miss out.  This time, however, I was able to go and brought home these lovelies.  Hubby has gotten to a point in his recovery where I’m comfortable leaving him at home for longer periods and I really enjoyed the break.  

Summer has set in with a vengeance.  Good weather to stay inside and quilt.

A Little Catch Up Blogging

I’ve been absent from the blog for a while, but not the sewing room.  In fact, as I’ve stayed close to home while hubby recuperates from knee surgery, I’ve enjoyed some bonus stitching time.

First up, I completed 15 anti-ouch pouches in June and delivered them to the Guild meeting last week.

Three more rosettes are done.  I think I need one more rosette and a bazillion neutral hexies. (But who’s counting?)

I ran short on hexagon papers, so some punching was in order.  A friend loaned me her Fiskars punch and I find it much easier on the hands than my old one which has stopped giving me clean cuts.

Another friend kindly gifted me with a bag of scraps.  I’ve divvied it up with my scrapaholic friend and have been happily processing my share.

And I’ve made another 72 bow tie blocks.

As Bob’s recovery progresses, I’ve started getting out and about more.  I’m looking forward to sewing with my Tuesday pals tomorrow.  I'm tempted to take handwork because it's easy to tote and ready to go.  I want to rest my hand a couple of days, though, so it will probably be something else.

A Finish and a Win

Since my husband's knee surgery last Monday, my time has pretty much been spent helping him with his recovery.  He's doing really well, but it's been a challenge for both of us.  One of the ways I try to stay calm is working on my hexagon project.  Here are rosettes numbers 27 and 28.

I finished this wall quilt which dates back to a workshop with Karen Combs in April 2016. All it needed was the binding and I finally decided to check it off my list.  Since I wasn’t in love with it anyway, I decided to attempt a machine binding.  This time I tried glue basting the corners and that did help.  It’s far from perfect. I still need to figure out how wide to cut it versus how big a seam to use attaching it.

Also, to my surprise, I won Annie’s Sew30SewFUN May 2017 Challenge.  I now have a very nice gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop.  I’m going to resist the urge to shop immediately, though, and look for something that especially tickles my fancy.  Annie will be continuing the challenge another month, if you are interested in jumping aboard.

Here is number 26 out of the 32 rosettes needed for the Edyta Sitar project I’ve been working on.  I think I have fabrics paired for the remaining ones and then I will be ready to start thinking about how to arrange them around the center diamonds. 

Annie's Sew30SewFUN challenge for May is wrapping up.  I’m pleased that I was able to use it as a means to get my sewing rhythm back.  Hopefully that will continue.