Slow Stitching Progress!

Well, after a trip to town, I was able to finish up Santa # 1.  He really makes me smile and I am so glad to have started this journey!  Santa # 1 was released in 1984.

Santa #2 got started this week!  He was released in 1989.  I have finished the border and started stitching on Santa!  He's a bit more complicated and there are more stitches so he may take a bit longer.

Hand quilting is still happening on my trailing vines.  I am adding some extra stitches in the final strip.  After I stitched what I had originally marked there were some places that were just to large to be left unquilted so more straight lines were added and I am adding those stitches!  I still need to go out and look for binding fabric and make a label,  just haven't had the time.

 Tom has been tearing out our old  fence and rebuilding a new fence and he seems to alway need my help.  We work well together, however after a few days I begin to miss my relaxing sewing.  I have been crossstitching in our front room and we recently purchased an Improved Meyer Lemon tree.  It is living there till there till the chance of a frost it over.   It just started to bloom and gives out a very light scent that is just heavenly!  The blooms are small, but so pretty and I have always wanted to grow one! No wonder I just want to stitch!

Slow Stitching Sunday

Today is Sunday and I love linking up to Slow Stitching Sunday over at Kathy's Quilts and see what others are hand stitching.  It's so much fun to see everyones projects and their progress week to week.  In a world where things seem to be so fast paced, it's nice to take the time for oneself.  Hand work has alway been a passion of mine and it's such a relaxing thing to do!  Today, I will be working on Santa # 1's face.  Not too many stitches left, however I discovered I don't have the thread for his cheeks so he won't be finished today.

But, there is always another project that needs some stitches.  I am nearing the end of hand quilting my trailing vines.  The last strip is all that is left and I started it a few days ago.  I am really excited to have some finishes, it's been a while. With hand work they don't seem to happen very often, but when they do they are well worth the wait, in my opinion.  I realized this week however, that I don't have any fabric to finish the binding on this quilt, so I will start my search this week.  I wish I had thought ahead on this one, and done a knife edge finish instead of a binding, but it's too late to go in that direction.   So, the search will begin.

My 12 Santa Journey -

My first Santa is loved for his simplicity!  He was released in 1984 by Prairie Schooler and I fell in love with him the moment I saw him.  I feel I am making good progress and I am enjoying listening to some You tube videos on cross stitching while I stitch.  It's always wonderful to learn tips and the different techniques crafters use.  One surprise for me is that some stitchers use a hoop and some do not, a bit like hand quilting.  I am basically using the stab stitch rather than the sewing stitch on this Santa but who knows what the future will hold.  Although I am still putting in some hand quilting stitches on my trailing vines it's nice to pick up this project too!  I am stitching him on 18ct aida. Here's my progress so far!

Mystery Quilt 2020

Well, I am doing my first mystery quilt!  Making a mystery quilt is something that has never called my name.  But when Kathleen Tracy of Sentimental Quilter presented one, I knew it was time.  She is know for her small quilts and traditional patterns so I figured this would be a perfect one to join.   It's also a scrappy quilt, so it may make a bit of a dent in my bin of small scraps.  I finished up January's block this week.  They were  a lot of fun, nothing to difficult, but it is making me wonder where we are heading.  I love the slow pace  she has set as we have a month to finish each of the six clues!

1984 Prairie Schooler Santa

I feel pretty good about this week.  I made all my cheddarback blocks although they were a bit demanding.  You can see them on my last blog post.  It's so nice when you have had years of learning to help you succeed.   I think quite often we don't realize the knowledge we have under our belts.   I also found a little time to start my 1984 Santa.  I posted last Sunday about how I had purchased this crossstitch chart back in the early 80's, but I didn't realize till a comment from that post pointed out that's almost a 40 year old pattern.  So, I did the math and yes 1984 was 36 years ago.  Wow!  I still love the pattern and am excited about my 12 Santa journey this year!   I watched some videos on crossstitching as I pretty much only know what I learned from doing a little kit many years ago.  I found some great videos done by Jan Hicks that are fun to listen to while I stitch and very informative. Here's what I have accomplished thus far.

Hopefully it will be completed by the end of January!

Cheddarback quilt January blocks

It's cold here in Texas this am, after some balmy temps this week.  Yesterday we had the backdoor open enjoying some fresh air and this morning we woke to some snow on the ground.  Personally, I could do without it!  Our first snow in four years so I guess I shouldn't complain.

I spent a lot of time this week working on the January blocks for Cheddarback and found them quite challenging.  I definitely could pull from the variety of techniques quilters use to accomplish making a block.  I didn't sew any by hand but did use sewing seam to seam like hand piecers do and also used paper piecing to accomplish accuracy working with such tiny triangles.  I really don't mind paper piecing but it seems to take a lot more time and I always feel it wastes alot of fabric, but it does make some blocks doable.  I am pleased that I was able to make all of the blocks.

Happy New Year!

Well, I have made it!  For a lot of decades, it seemed like 2020 was so far off in the future.  It's the year I become a full fledged senior citizen.  I would see that year so often when planning our retirement.  Wow and now it has officially arrived.

I have seen a lot of bloggers listing their finishes for 2019 and posting their lists of what they want to do in 2020.  I have no idea when my projects will be completed.  I like just plodding along and doing what I feel like doing.  I do have to admit that I am alittle excited about finishing my trailing vines. The quilting stitches are really creating such a wonderful texture.  But, I must be patient, those slow stitches take time.  I try to enjoy some slow stitches daily, but sometimes I'm too tired or I am busy with other things.  I marked the diagonal lines on strip number 8 of 11 strips in the quilt, so I am making good progress.  I need to make a label and get some fabric for the binding, but I'll wait till the quilting is done to face all that.

Isn't the texture lovely?  I have a rock wall in my home that I use to showcase my quilts.  It's a great way for me to add some color to my home as the seasons change.  I can't wait to see my trialing vines on the wall.  Right now, I have my ocean waves draped there and it will stay up until after Valentine's Day.  I think my trailing vines would be perfect for spring!

I will admit, as much as I love making quilts, I will spend more time in 2020 knitting and crossstitching and making small projects. I have purchased 12 of The Prairie Schooler Santas that I want to crossstitch.  I bought my first pattern back in the early 1980's I think it is about time I started stitching them up!

 I will continue to work on the Sentimental Stitches Cheddarback quilt. There are three more months of downloads after January.   Once completed, it will be added to the waiting to be quilted tops. I also have started making blocks for Kathleen Tracey's mystery quilt.  It's a small 30 inch quilt and my first go at a mystery.  I have alot of small scraps that I hope will work for this one.  These tops will get done one by one as fall and winter arrive each year.  My daughter in law said to me the other day it must be nice to be retired and enjoying each day the way you do.  I think, she is absolutely right, just plodding along enjoying life.

Sew Many Stitches!

It's often hard to show progress on a hand quilted quilt.  The process is not fast, and in the case of my trailing vines quilt there aren't different blocks to showcase. The quilting design doesn't change much,
so each strip is pretty much a repeat of the it's previous strip. But I must say, I love quilting quilts like this.   Each quilting session allows me to just the enjoy the many stitches this quilt is calling for.

I am linking up with Kathy's quilt. She is asking her fellow slow stitchers to share a favorite Christmas decoration that we have stitched.  I made this Thimbleberries wreath pattern years ago.  I love pulling it out each year, it reminds me how I first started my quilting journey.  Like most I just plunged in not knowing alot and this piece reminds me how far I have come in my journey.