Slow Sunday Stitching - March 14, 2021

 Wow, after a tough few weeks, my crafting mojo has roared back with a vengeance!  Work is a bit better, too.  Though still very very busy. 

So in the order finished this week.

I got the rest of the applique block done, the basting removed, the block washed.   Here it is, still damp.  I'll give it a nice press before I put it away in the 'orphan' block box.  I enjoyed doing this enough that I do believe it's residency there may be short lived.  But I am NOT starting another long term project at this time, so it will be safe there until I set up an applique paper cut quilt project in the (hopefully not too distant) future.

ETA: After a good press

 

Next up, I finished the stitching on the Just Nan design, "I Can Drive a Stick" that I started during the last #24HoursOfCrossStitch.  This I got it to FFO (Fully Finished Object) status as a stand up flat fold.  I do think I'll add some black chenille trim to finish off the edges.  Or maybe some mini pompoms.

And remember my sister's Muppet?  All done but the lining, which is my job for today.

First, though, I'm going to check out the rest of the SSS crew (link to current round up).

Slow Sunday Stitching - March 7, 2021

Work has not gotten any better, and won't for at least a couple more months.   What was a supply crisis two weeks ago is now an accounting crisis.  Even knowing it was coming is not helping anyone cope.  And nobody likes being blamed for things WAY outside anyone's control.  100 degree Fahrenheit temperature swing in 7 days !!!!!   from  -18 to 71 !!!!   

Stitching is keeping me sane(ish), though I'm thinking about retirement more and more seriously as the days grind on.  I am slowly working on a cute Halloween piece by Just Nan that I started back in January during #24HoursOfCrossStitch.  It's about 2/3 of the way done and will be finished as a flat fold.

On Friday I finished up just shy of 10 hours on my pictorial - my son's USMC Seal.   I got a page finish on Page 6 (pages are outlined in green).  Next time it comes up, I will mark the grid on both the paper pattern and the fabric for Page 7. 

 What else - three more inches on the Sock Yarn Blanket.  And I got around the third quarter on the paper-cut applique block #1. It's not perfect.  I can see a few places where I went 'off the line' a bit which left a flat spot, but overall, I am pleased with the way it looks. The last set of 'stair-steps' is on deck for the week; getting straight lines and 90 degree corners is harder than you think!

I am hoping that actual spring holds off just a bit because I am in no shape to start working in the garden yet!  I actually need to get back to work (yes, on a Sunday, sigh), but I'll try to see if I can get around to look at all the SSS crew later in the week.  (link to current round up)

Slow Sunday Stitching - Feb 21, 2021

 I work for a midwest utility company.  As you can probably imagine, the week has been rather ... fraught.

Behold the entire amount of crafting I have been able to accomplish during the "Winter Event 2021" as the state regulatory body is calling it. 

A few measly inches of applique.  Yep, that's it.

And the industry will be digging out from under this for ages (pardon the pun).   Retirement is looking better by the day!

Linking up very late with the SSS crew.

Slow Sunday Stitching - February 14, 2021

 Happy (snowy) Valentine's Day from Kansas.  Minus 15 degrees F /  minus 26 C is forecast for tonight, but this time next week, we should be back to seasonal weather just below freezing.   I can't wait.   Spring seems to be months away, but it will come.

Very busy work week this week, we are testing a new account reconciliation software.  So we are having to do each account twice - once in the old system and once in the new to parallel and prove out the new system.   I've been so tired that about all I can do is sit and read.  I'm just VERY grateful that I don't have to drive in this winter mess.  I did get another three inches on the sock yarn blanket.  Mindless garter stitch was still possible LOL.

I also did get a very small amount of work done on the applique block as my #LunchHourCrafting; around the base angles between corner two and three, and the first 'petal' on corner three.

And I went well over ten hours on Dutch Beauty.   There are still three large flowers and two parrots to do on this motif, but it's at a good stopping spot with the lower flowers and almost all the foliage done.  There's still about a dozen stitches of center stem to go, but I will put that in when I do the center flower.

I'll lay it all out when I do the changeover post in a bit.  In the mean time, check out the rest of the SSS crew (link to the current round up).

Slow Sunday Stitching - February 7, 2021

It's winter here in Kansas.  The forecast is for high temperatures in the teens: 19 to 21 F (around -6 C) and nighttime lows around -6 F (-21 C) later this week.   My poor Thanksgiving cactus is quite confused.  I moved it to the other side of the bay window and it has set flowers for the first time.   There are close to a dozen buds of various sizes and they look like they are going to be the palest of pink/white.  Quite lovely and I don't mind at all that it is four months late!

Also 'blooming' is my cutwork applique quilt block.  I'm a bit past the halfway point around the outside as the entire second quadrant is done and I'm about to start the straight 'base' between the second and third corner.

I put in six inches on the sock yarn blanket this week, in part due to an hour long "state of the company" annual video meeting where only the presenters were 'on screen'.  Side 2 of Round 8.   No photo because it's just more garter stitch - endless 20 stitches of garter stitch, turn, 20 stitches of garter, attach.  Repeat ad infinitum.

Dutch Beauty is at around 8 hours in this round.  This week I finished the bottom border for this page and got SO CLOSE to finishing the vase for the big fritillaria bouquet on the left side of the bottom row. 

I'll try to get the handles done after I check out the rest of the SSS crew (link to the current round up).  And I'll be over here trying to stay warm......  And watching my Chiefs in the Superbowl AGAIN!

Slow Sunday Stitching - January 31, 2021

 Rainy the last couple of days here in Kansas and it's cold and cloudy today.  It was a great weekend to hibernate craft, so that is all I did!

I'm at about three hours into Dutch Beauty this rotation round.   Working on page P/16.  I've put in the three small motifs (squirrel, plant and basket) between the lily vase on page O/15 and the big vase of flowers that flank the main center motif on the bottom row.   I'm now working on the bottom border for this page before I start on the vase of fritterlaria and parrots that are perching on it.

This is good 'audiobook' stitching since it's so repetitive. 

I also put in some time on the newly discovered needleturn applique block.  I got up to the tip of the second quadrant.  I really do enjoy applique, but finding yet another UFO was not fun.  I may do a paper-cuts quilt at some point.  Or it just may go into the Christmas Sampler with all the other odd and orphan red and green blocks. 

You can't really see it in the photo, but this one was done with freezer paper cut out, then ironed on.  Then the turn line was traced with a mechanical pencil for a narrow, accurate line and the freezer paper was removed.   Then the two layers were basted about a half inch in from the turn line (you can see the basting).  Cut a little, stitch, cut more.  Fun technique if you like handwork as much as I do. 

On the knitting front, got to the second corner of round 8 on the sock yarn blanket.   I'll do that corner while I catch up with the rest of the SSS crew (link to current round up).

ETA:  Kathy asked us about our favorite hoop in the link up.  Mine are the Hardwicke Manor embroidery hoops (from Access Commodities).  I have three: one is 5/8 inch deep and 6 inches across.  The others are 5/16 inch deep;  6 and 4 inches across.  All are from Threadneedle Street in Washington state.  Link to these hoops on their website.

Here's the littlest hoop on the cutwork napkin a while back.  They are very nicely finished with the adjustment screw being a heavy brass and the thumbscrew has a slot to really tighten down with a small screwdriver.  

It really is never ending!

 I've joked around about the 'never ending' parade of old WIPs, now UFOs.  I have found boxes and bins in the basement with my own projects as far back as the mid 1970s (the Kitten pillowcases).  I've inherited my mom's UFOs (the cutwork napkins).  I've inherited my grandmother's unstarted projects (the cutwork dresser scarves) and my great aunt's UFO (Aunt Lottie's garden).

Here's another one of mine!  This is from a workshop on needleturn applique, using one of the patterns from "Baltimore Beauties and Beyond" by Elly Sienkewicz .   That workshop was from an area quilt store that went out of business in the mid 1990s!  It was tucked into the book, discovered when I was packing books for the upcoming move up to the new library / study that I am trying to put together in the upstairs bedroom.

THANK you, former me, for thread basting instead of pin basting and NOT leaving the needle in the work.  No rust spots.  

At some point, I will have gone through every box and bin in this house and will have unearthed everything.  Right?

This will be slotted into my 'travel and desk' project list.  Now that the grey socks are done, there's room for it there.  

I do want to do a Baltimore Album quilt, but I didn't really want to start it yet!