The First Week of the New Year

The start of a new year always seems to bring on some refreshed enthusiasm for stitching goals as well as other plans.  This year has been no different.

My goal for January is to make the Scrub Stitchin’ Bag.  I have made a start, but haven’t progressed very far as yet.  As I said earlier, I am going to use needle turn appliqué, which I am not comfortable with.  I need to do a little practice piece first.

So, what do you do?  Some practice, or take an avoidance option?  Anyone who knows me knows that I will take the avoidance option.  There were plenty of options available to me.

The other main start that I have undertaken this January is to join in on the Just 2 Charm Packs Quilt Along.  The task for 2 January was to cut out the quilt.  Being me, I decided to use a slightly different piecing method. The pattern has the block pieced in rows, but I wanted to make units, which I could then join together as a nine patch using the webbing method.  Therefore, my cutting was a little different to the pattern.

The next process isn’t listed until 16 January and is to piece ten of the twenty blocks.  Well, maybe I got carried away (avoidance) and have already pieced those ten.  The next ten will take a bit more planning, as I don’t want to have duplicates of the first ten, which were put together somewhat randomly.  They aren’t due intil the end of the month, so plenty of time.

We had a couple of Chookshed Stitchers Zoom sessions this week, during which I had finished the stitched saying on the Scrub Stitchin’ Bag.  There weren’t many on at this stage, but we did end up with sixteen on the screen later in the day.

I wanted something else, nice and easy, to work on while chatting away.  Another Spike Granny Square was the result.

That done, what else could I do as avoidance?  Why not the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks?  This month in the colour green.  It didn’t take long to whip them up.

Now what?

The Laundry Basket Quilts Spring Mystery needed the light mauve hexy flower appliquéd onto each of the four larger sections of the quilt.  The pieced hexies have been waiting for a few months.  That task is now done, despite not being on the radar for January.  This quilt needs lots of stems and leaves to be appliquéd next.  That will NOT be needle turn, but my trusty machine blanket stitch. Quite a bit of prep is required.

I think I am starting to run out of avoidance options……well, no, I can think of more, but I really should put my big girl pants on and play with my needle turn appliqué.  I’m sure once I have a go I will wonder what the heck I was worried about.  

Wish me luck.