Going forward into 2026

 Here we are, already 6 days into the New Year and I am behind... still? already? so soon? Since I create my own schedule, I am in control of my tasks, activities and leisure time.  A bit of a new glitch in my well organized days.. my husband is undergoing immunotherapy sessions, every 3 weeks at the local cancer clinic to help his body fight the skin cancer cells that seem to have a full invasion of his head, neck, arms, legs and the worst is his hands.  Every 3 weeks isn't too bad except the previous week he has to have blood work done and a meeting with the oncologist.  They are to be commended on how involved the nurses and doctors are in his overall wellbeing and health.   But, of course, I do the driving and make sure I am at all the appointments because having 4 ears for listening is better than 2. 

My normal routine adopted from Stephanie of our Heartstrings group, is first week of the month is all about binding, labels and cleaning up the sewing studio including putting fabric away from projects and binding, tidying up and everything in its place.  

The second week is for the monthly challenges I have decided to participate in.  This year I am keen to follow Connie Kresin from Free Motion by the River.  She is doing both a colour and block monthly challenge.  I will also attempt to get back into making string blocks using the Rainbow scrap challenge colour.  Lots of scraps to choose from and also need to think about some scrappy log cabins.  

Week three is for fun and starting something new and so many ideas, it is hard to pick one.  I like to cut a few kits during this time to have on hand for Zoom and/or in person sewing days/evenings. 

The fourth week is for quilting the tops I have created.   

During the last week of December, for some reason, I kept getting distracted with other activities including making a quilt for our newborn great granddaughter, Lily.  When I looked at the 3 quilt tops I had waiting on hangers and then at the huge pile of leftover batting, it was time to make some 'Frankenbats' which means joining the leftover pieces to a size large enough for the quilt tops.  That actually took far longer than I had planned on.

I need to add in time to make/work on all of the various projects that arrived in the Advent boxes I subscribed to in December.  Fun to open all the gifts but now there is a list of small projects to complete.  

The first part of December was decorating the house.  A slow process and I have tried to reduce the decorating but I have a lot of table toppers, runners and quilts to place around the home and many of the tree decorations are from the 70's plus ones made by the kids and grandchildren.   

 This wall hanging was made for me many years ago by Ree in Alaska, a member of the Quilter's funtalk group.  Fond memories of when we had swaps between the members.  Postage was a lot cheaper and we all seemed to have lots of time to have fun.  

I dug out the box of Christmas fabrics and was pleasantly surprised that I had some of it very well organized with ideas, patterns, and suggestions for placemats, mug rugs, coasters and pillowcases. 

I also found fabrics perfect for making some insulated bowls and cut out a few with my GO cutter and got them stitched up quickly.  

 One project that I began to work on was a panel of front doors from Missouri Star in the Advent box of 2024.  These are some of the trees that had to be made. I am close to having the table topper or wall hanging finished although there are lots of leftover houses and still more doors that could be used.  I will offer these up to friends on Facebook that might be interested.  

My next project that I started... just because I wanted to figure out the pattern, was a copy of Cathy's quilt that she donated to Quilts of Valour.  I really liked the scrappy block in the quilt so decided to figure out how to make it.  

I played around with 3.5"x 6.5" fabrics, adding a 2" strip along one side.  The centers are 3".  I have no idea what this pattern is called or if she even used a pattern to make this.  I will admit that I might have to use some different blacks (why are they all so different?) because cutting those strips used up a lot of my black. 

I have lots of blocks made and separated them by colour... sort of. 

I have made a few blocks.  This was originally just going to be a test of the block but I pulled out all my scraps of Canadian themed fabrics and started sewing.  

I am now laying out blocks to sit by the sewing machine and have them handy to work on.  

And, a baby was born.  Almost a Christmas baby. And a quilt got made.  This pattern is Waverly and was the December block stitch a long with Running Doe/villa Rosa.  Simple to make and I pulled out as many pink fabrics that I could find in my stash.   I did make the blocks smaller and fewer than the pattern called for as a baby doesn't need a huge quilt.  

Quilting of tops began a few days ago and one of these is a log cabin made by Cathy for Quilts of Valour and another leader and ender #2 using Bonnie Hunter's pattern.   Both are waiting for binding. 

I am working on these economy blocks very slowly.  They are very old and were in my house in Mesa and came home tome this summer.  I used to work on them at the end of the season, after getting house in order for leaving and I would do a bit of sewing on these when all else was done in the last week of being in the Valley of the sun.

This is the leftover pile of battings, ready to be joined into making larger pieces for the quilts I make.

Some of the Christmas mug rugs made after Christmas, before I organized and sorted the Christmas fabrics to put away for the next 11 months. 

One more quilt top waiting for binding.  I had cut this kit to make five and dime blocks from well aged florals (vintage?).  

The worst part of Christmas is the clean up, decorating away, and safely storing in such a way that when the end of November rolls around, it will be easy for me to remember how I decorated.  

A belated Merry Christmas to all my friends, hopefully your have some fun new tools to use or books to read and a very healthy Happy New Year.  I started off okay with acing my treadmill test at the cardiologist yesterday.  Playing tennis three times a week must be a health activity!