All the best people are!

I have finally finished my We're All Mad Here cross-stitch.  I bought this pattern on Etsy.  I love the wide-eyed crazy of this cat.  I found it difficult to stitch on the black aida of course.  I have poor vision anyway but this was a real challenge.  I usually stitch in hand but this required me to use a hoop.  I kept a white flour sack towel on my lap while I stitched but found that I really needed to have natural light. I had to look through the stitches to be able to stitch properly.  If you look closely at the smile below you can see how the black stitches really make the smile standout versus just leaving the background fabric.   I admit, I was tempted to just leave it and be finished! 

 

A few projects to catch up

Keeping up with the Saturday Sampler.

This is a quilt that Red asked for years and years ago.  I made a mistake when I started cutting the appliqued circles in quarters so it has been in timeout for a long time!  I started working on it on day when my DH was using my cutting table and my ironing table for his project.  This was at hand and so I worked on it.  I think it needs borders to make it a little larger and then I'll quilt it.

This is a cross stitch I'm working on.  Boy is working on black difficult!  I already have vision issues so this has been a real challenge.  I don't know if I'll do another black cloth stitchery!

 And finally this is a quilt kit that I've had for a very long time.  When the kit was packaged they didnt take into account how one of the fabrics ran so I replaced it with this dark plank fabric. I think I'll add one more border before calling it finished.

 

Finally!

 It's a top!  My goal for my two week vacation was to get this to a top and here it is!

More little blocks

This was a doozy!

 Up to eleven!

 

Finished my wagon

I can't remember when I started stitching this.  Very Little House on the Prairie, isn't it?

 

Pretty Freaking Proud of this!

Sashed!

 

Sashing

I started this BOM in 2009 and it was a bit above my skill level.  I put it in timeout until a few years ago when I went to town finishing the blocks. (I finished the blocks in 2018.)  It went back into timeout because of the sashing.  Not a fan of sashing for some reason.  Anyway my 2021 Word of the Year is  Sashing.  I have a box of blocks for multiple quilts that need to be sashed so last night I finally started working on it (with help from Lucy!).  I actually got further than this photo shows-the second row is on and I started sashing the third row. I got really frustrated with block number 7 so I ripped it apart last night and I'll try to remake it tonight.  I was losing too many points on that block! I can really tell how much I have grown as a quilter!  I'm looking forward to finishing this quilt-I think it is my oldest UFO! I just saw a tip on Fb to sew a strip of the cornerstones onto a block of sashing and then cut.  I have already cut the sashing and cornerstones on my Accuquilt but will definitely try this technique on the next Sashing quilt.

 

I am such a Lemming

I saw on Sisters Choice blog about the Little Blocks 365 and could not resist signing up.  I'm six weeks behind but I don't care.  All of the blocks are 3.5 inches and are paperpieced!  I've been wanting to get proficient at paperpiecing-I think I've actually completed one whole block-and there is a world of gorgeous patterns out there.  This also pushed ahead of my Sashing project this weekend but I loved every minute of it.  I am using my Civil War repro scraps and will be cutting into some other pieces to increase variety of colors.  I hope I can get caught up and keep up!
 

Time for Tea

Several years ago I made a table runner to go on my china hutch when I display my Grandmama's china.  I love the pink and grey together. I think I made it in 2016.  I've long wanted to make a wallhanging to go with it as I have a quilt hanger adjacent to the china hutch. This was the year to do it!  The teapot is a Lori Holt pattern and the teacups are from a free mini quilt from Kate Spain. (note: I really need to make that mini quilt!  It is so cute!)

I couldn't decide if I wanted the teacups on top or bottom.  I also changed out the steam to the light grey you see here.  

This steam looked like smoke!

And here is a poor picture of it on the wall.  The grey isn't really this dark but I was unable to get a good photo.  I quilted it with a diamond grid and I'm pleased with it. 

 

More mischief

Here are my finished Christmas Mischief elves. I finished my red one after Christmas.  I planned to sew on some green pompoms but I ended up binding it in red and now I think I should get red pompoms.  And how do you sew those onto binding anyway?  Guess I'll find out eventually or just call it done.

This little pink elf was for my friend Susie.  It's six inches instead of the called for 12 and I also gave her the little stand.  Now I can make her mini quilts for her stand!
 

January One

 My sister helped my mom purge closets while she was here over Christmas.  Mom had three or four yards of this Star Wars fabric and gave it to me-and I saw a fractured star quilt on Fb.  So I figured out how to make the star and went to town.  I did not plan to start this quilt-I wanted to get busy with my sashing project-but here I am.  I used my Accuquilt dies for the HST and both the small and large squares.  I *really* wish I had a die for the Tri-Recs.  I've been having to use a ruler!