Some sewing time, some tennis time and lots of reading time

 

We made a decision to head south for a few weeks to our 'other' home and enjoy some sunshine, friendship and fresh oranges and grapefruit.  

The weather here is typical winter temperatures and of course, some days of rain but it is nicer than being at home in the Pacific Northwest and certainly not as cold or as snowy and wet. 

I love being here for lots of reasons but one great thing is our little library and I had new to me authors I wanted to check out and got lucky with quite a few of them so reading time while sitting in the afternoon sunshine feels like I am on a vacation. 

Once the rain and cooler temperatures came, no outside time for reading or tennis so time to head into my sewing room. Before I left home, I had made some Rainbow scrap challenge string blocks using my bright greens and also got my Patterns by Jen January block done. On the ironing board is my Patterns by Jen blocks for 2023 and on the design wall is my Meadowland mystery January steps completed.

I also made a quilt for a special person in my life who is fighting breast cancer.  I used some really well aged fabric that was Quilt for a Cure and was happy that I had those in my stash.  The positive side of a well stocked fabric cupboard.

A closer look at the center of the mystery quilt from Meadowland.  I made a mistake in the outer border and use the wrong fabric so a little frog stitching was done and it was corrected.

This was the view just before we left... a taste of what was going to come that we missed. 

My Heartstrings group chose fat quarters for the January challenge and I decided to pull out the fat quarters that I had set aside for either 16 patch blocks or another pattern and they were perfect to use as a leaders and enders project while I worked on other projects.  Crazy assortment of fabrics but will make a colourful quilt for a donation to one of the many organizations I donate to.

Patterns by Jen January blocks.  Two blocks made with reversed lights and darks.

While in my sewing room here in the valley of the sun, I pulled out some fabrics that are at least 1 yard in length and used a 3 yard pattern called Connections from Fabric Cafe.  The brown and blue are both dark and probably should have found a medium fabric for one of them, but the blocks are made and the top is assembled. 

Since green is the RSC colour for January, I pulled out all my green scraps that I have here and made a variety of blocks.  I may have got carried away but still have another couple of ideas that could also be made each month in the chosen colour.  These are garlic knot blocks. 

And, some L shaped blocks.  This is a good block to make as two strips of fabric, one background and one green, make two blocks with very little waste. 

A lesson learned from making these blocks.  I saw the block being made at one of our modern guild Saturday Sew ins and Debbie pointed me in the direction of a video called Bundles and Bows.  I should have watched the video again as I made a mistake in piecing some of the blocks.  I was carefully matching up the points heading out from the center and then realized, after looking at the picture, the points are supposed to float.  Oh well... blocks are made and I will remember for next month and do them correctly.  It would really help to have my 3.5" ruler for the cutting involved in the first and second step and will dig out mine when I am back at the other home.  

These rail fence blocks will get used in Meadowland's newest pattern Wharf Street. I probably made too many blocks (34) but was good to use up all kinds of 2.5" strips.  I may make some 3 colour quilts instead of all twelve months of colours ... which would give me 4 quilts from the rail fence blocks.

As I went down a rabbit hole yesterday, looking at ideas and following links posted by quilters in their blogs, I saw this idea for a Criss Cross star and copied the directions and then made some 12" size.  I will need 30 blocks for a finished quilt so 2 or 3 blocks each month will give me all the colours in my finished quilt top.  Another great block for using up those small chunks of leftover fabrics.

You now know what I have been doing when it rains in Arizona.  If I have a cup of tea, a good book and my fabric stash plus loads of ideas and inspiration, being bored isn't an option.  There is still a week left in this month so may go back to working on 3 yard quilt tops for donation.  And, in case you think I am on vacation, let me assure you that there are still meals to shop for and prepare, toilets and floors that need cleaning and laundry is constantly calling my name.  Our house here is small and it is easy to get the housework done quickly although all the windows are calling out to me to be cleaned - one day. 

 

Welcome 2024 and Happy New Year

 My word for 2024 is Reduce.  I am thinking about all the ways we can reduce in good ways.  Reduce the amount of 'stuff' we put in trash and recycling, a lot of which is packaging so, buying less means reducing in a simple way.  In terms of quilting, reducing the amount of supplies including fabric and notions that come into my two homes.  Reducing the time I spend on the internet (which probably means less shopping? or less inspiration to add to my growing list of projects to make), reducing intake of foods that I know are processed or high in sugar and/or salt for a healthier body.  There are so many ways to reduce in our lives that will create more calm and peacefulness, less stress and anxiety.  For me, maybe this will be the year I reduce the UFO's in project bags by either getting them finished or letting them go to someone else that might be thrilled or just put the fabrics back into my stash?  I am also reducing the number of blogs I subscribe to as well as the number of shops that send me an email once, twice a week or daily, trying to get me to buy what they are offering.  Less time reading email means more time either creating or reading a good book.

I really think we can enjoy a simpler life by just reducing our consumption of goods that create clutter in each of the rooms in our house including my quilting supplies but also including my bookcase, desk, kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room.  

Well, great intentions but lets see how it goes.  I have 360 days to work towards this goal. 

I haven't accomplished much to show you since the end of December but, I have organized and tidied and the house has all signs of Christmas gone although I did leave up a few wall hangings and decor items that look like winter/snow because what else can you decorate with in January?  

Some of my organization that I have accomplished this year.  On the right in this picture are a stack of Frankenbatts... all my leftover batting pieced together and I ended up with 4 new full size batting pieces ready for the next quilting session.  The basket on the left contains all my packaged kits or blocks for quilts that are made and ready to be put together.  Sort of a grab and go idea when I head to a sew in or looking for my next projects.

I have no idea why this picture is blurry but it is my organization of a variety of projects in different stages.  Under the table on the right is all my row x row projects... ugh, true UFO's.  Other containers hold a variety of fat quarters paired up ready for either a 16 patch or Carolyn block quilt.  And, there are more quilt kits from mystery boxes from 2023.  My white board has been reorganized and I changed up the titles of my groups. 

I belong to a group called Heartstrings and each month a precut is chosen to work on .  January is fat quarters and under my table, I had a container full of pairs of fabric, ready to be worked with.  I decided to make St. Louis 16 patch blocks.  I also dug out a container of leftover blocks from previous projects so those can get added in. 

Almost finished with making the blocks.  Just a few left to stitch .

This is a variety of leftover strips put together.  Because I cut my fat quarters in 4" strips, there is an extra strip in each block set so am trying various combinations.   On the right is a special quilt that I am making for someone very dear to me who is beginning her journey to fight breast cancer.  I am playing with some ideas with that one.  The ironing board as more of the odd strips ready to be matched up for the mix and match blocks but want to wait until I have all my blocks made before I decide which ones go best with each other.

This will be the first 16 patch quilt top that I will put together and a second one will be made as well although I didn't count so I might have to pull out a couple more fat quarters to get enough for the next one.  Then I will play with all the leftovers and make a crazy 16 patch. 

At the end of December, I had started to play with these bricks.The pattern is called Blue Moon and it is a little different than a regular brick quilt with rectangles and squares.  This is now on a hanger in the pending section of my sewing studio...pending layering, quilting and binding.

In the next week I am hoping to 

1. Finish the cancer quilt

2. Quilt one or two of my blue quilts and get them bound

3. Finish up the 16 patches into quilt tops (flimsies)

4. Stitch the January Patterns by Jen

5. Decide on and make my Rainbow Scrap challenge blocks for January (bright green)

6. Get January's clues for the mystery quilt completed.