Stitching Wrap Up for October

For a month with rather low expectations, I am pleased with what I achieved.

The main aim was to get the three Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts well on the way, with at least one over the the finish line.

I ended up with two finishes.

The third is ready to quilt.

Other than that, I finished my beanie.

I made a little needle book for travelling.

And, I traced the stitcheries for two projects.  I have had these two kits for well over ten years, waiting patiently for their time to shine.  This will be their time.

I also completed a further seven corner to corner crochet squares.  It really makes a difference when you get to attend your stitching days. There are only four more squares required to make a blanket for Wrap With Love.

I didn’t get around to completing the bowl cosies, but there is no rush for them and there wasn’t a block issued by Betty.

15 MINUTES A DAY

October = 26/31

YTD = 249/304. = 81.91%

All in all, a good month.

Stitching Round Up for September

As I have previously mentioned, not a great deal of stitching took place in September.  There was too much else going on.  All good things, I may add.

RAINBOW SCRAP CHALLENGE

The first thing I stitched was the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.

Completed just in time for the last Saturday of the month.

Then it was the Betty Block. 

The next item to go through the sewing machine was a spur of the moment make.  I made four bowl cosies and have another four half made.  

These were to sell on a trading table at the Radiation Bus morning tea.  More on that later.

MAIN MONTHLY GOAL

Finally, my one monthly wish was to complete the little Aeroplane Quilt.   I’m so happy with how this one turned out.  I think it is one of my favourites.  

USE ELLY MAY

Elly May did get used to quilt the Aeroplane Quilt.

CROCHET

In addition, I completed a further three crocheted squares.  Not a great result, but better than none.

KNITTING

My alpaca jumper is still on pause.  I have to psyche myself up to work out how to proceed with it and this wasn’t the month for it.

I did start my new oatmeal beanie……twice….  I made a boo boo first time around, so ripped it back and started again.  It should be finished, but it is close.  I’m up to shaping the crown.  I had bought two 50g balls of wool and as I was working away I realised that it would not be enough.  Add to that, I had bought the last two balls in the shop where I purchased it.  Fortunately, I was able to buy another ball at Spotlight.  I’m presuming it is not the same dye lot, but that doesn’t matter in the least for this.  

15 MINUTES A DAY

September = 22/30

YTD - 223/273 = 81.68%

And that’s about all I did, other than a little secret stitching, which I can’t share as yet.

Here’s hoping next month is somewhat more productive.  I think I will at least have a bit more time on my hands.

My Wishes For September

It seems a bit silly adding this post now, as we are already over half way through the month.

I will also clarify that to date I have done very little on the stitching front.  I think that last month being so productive has left me a little flat.

MY MAIN MONTHLY GOAL

I did have grand plans for this, but the month is getting on, and I won’t be in my sewing room for a little while yet, so I’m going to keep it to something that I think should be achievable. I want to complete the little Aeroplane Quilt.  It should only take a day or so.  There, it’s now out there, so it should get done……fingers crossed.

RAINBOW SCRAP CHALLENGE

The colour this month is purple.  I should be able to manage this.

BETTY’S BLOCK

I have the fabric and the pattern, so that will be done and sent off.

I’m not aiming to do any more patchwork this month.

USE ELLY MAY

See my Main Monthly Wish.

CROCHET

About the only thing I have been doing is crocheting my Corner to Corner Squares. They are mindless, and ideal to take along to my stitching days.  Mind you, I have only been home for one week to go along.

KNITTING

My jumper is not going all that well.  I think my tension may be a tad out and I will have to make some minor adjustments to make it work.  I can see what I need to do, but my brain has not been engaged sufficiently to sit down and write it all down.  It is on pause for the moment.

I do need to knit another oatmeal coloured beanie for me, as the last one was too large.  That will be my aim for this month.  Once I get going it won’t take too long.

15 MINUTES A DAY

I started off well, just doing a bit of crochet, but seem to have petered off.  I’ll try to lift my game.  Getting my blog up to date has been the priority over the last few days.  

OTHER GOALS

1.    Try a new recipe - I’ve already managed that.

2.    Read a book - probably won’t happen, but I may surprise myself.

3.    Have a fun day out - already achieved.

4.    Have a caravan trip - this was not to happen.  The van was washed and put to bed…….and then taken out again.  Details to follow.

5.    Keep my blog posts up to date.  Wish me luck.

We’ll see at the end of the month how I fared.

A Stitching Wrap Up of August

This is rather late, but I wanted to get our trip posted first up.

Let’s see how I went with my wishes for the month…..

My main wish was to have the Batik Fish Quilt finished.  I’m very happy to report that it was done.  A full post coming soon.

Then I finished off the Strippy Rainbow Quilt.

Elly May was used on both of these quilts, as well as Jo’s.

In amongst all that, I helped a friend with a baby quilt.  She purchased the kit about 20 years ago and was finally wanting to make it as a gift.  I helped her cut it out, she then pieced it.  An afternoon at our house saw it quilted with a cute butterfly pantograph.  Then I showed her how to add the binding.  

Once that was done, she used all the scraps to make two cushion fronts, which I also quilted for her.  I didn’t get a chance to see the two completed before gifting but they would have been lovely.  She is an experienced seamstress, so did precise stitching and the cute Peter Rabbit fabrics hadn’t dated at all.  A lovely gift to give.

The next thing to work on was the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.

Of course, Betty’s blocks had to be made as well.

My Corner to Corner crochet squares progressed nicely, with ten squares being completed.

My knitting didn’t fare so well, with no progress being made.

An August Escape was a driver during the month, with four quilts being prepped.

The Jelly Roll Quilt, which was pieced at Baradine.

The Aeroplane Quilt, which was appliqued and pieced at Baradine.

A Farmyard Quilt, that still has to be pieced.  I did work out the layout on the design curtain, but have since cut a golden yellow for the sashings instead of the blue.  It won’t take long to make, once I get to it.  There is no rush.  It may even be next year at Scrub Stitchin’.

Finally an easy strippy quilt, which will also get stitched at some stage.  No rush.

So, all in all, not a bad month.

The other thing that I did during the month was donate a pile of quilts to the domestic violence support organisation here in town.

15 MINUES A DAY

I stitched on 30 of the 31 days.  The best for the year.

YTD = 201/243 - 82.72%

While piecing the Batik Fish Quilt I managed to empty lots of bobbins and a couple of spools of thread.  It was great to be able to use up some odds and ends that were darker colours, as most quilts require something lighter.

Now, even though it is half way through the next month, I will get down my wishes for September.

My Wishes for August

​Here we are in the next month already.  The last month of winter.  I really don’t know where this year is going.  Anyway, time to think about what I would like to get up to this month.

Let’s start with the stitching wishes.

MY MAIN MONTHLY WISH

As usual, I would like to use this to push myself to get something out of the way.  This time it is the Batik Fish Quilt.  I started this back at the start of 2024, so it is well and truly due to be completed.  I put the blocks out on the design curtain at the end of last month, so there is no excuse.  I really want to take this for show and tell at the end of the month.

RAINBOW SCRAP CHALLENGE

The nominated colour this month is yellow.  Yay!  I have yellow blocks prepped. No colour substitution required this month.  Also, I only need to make one crumb block, as I already have two made.  

BETTY’S GROUP PROJECTS

I have the Rainbow Strip Quilt ready to quilt.  I hope to have that done soon.  I want to take this for show and tell as well.

There will also be a new block to make this month.

USING ELLY MAY

This will be the Rainbow Strip Quilt and hopefully the Batik Fish Quilt.  Any extras will be a bonus.

KNITTING AND CROCHET

I really need to get a wriggle on with my alpaca jumper.  This month I aim to have the front and back finished, including the neckline.  That will just leave the sleeves to finish.  It should be doable.

While I’m at my stitching days I will probably work on the C2C crochet squares.  They are a nice, no brain required project.  Ideal while chatting away.  I need 28 of these, so if I make four a month I’ll have them done in seven months.  I don’t really think it will take that long.

AN AUGUST ESCAPE RETREAT AT BARADINE

This smaller, shorter retreat is happening on the last weekend of the month, so I need to prep some projects to work on:

1. I have a jelly roll that is earmarked for a quilt, that requires no prepping beforehand.  

2. There is still some of the solid fat quarters that I used in a recent quilt, so I hope to prep a smaller donation quilt with those leftovers.

3. I have some novelty print that I want to use on a kid’s quilt, so need to find a pattern and get it cut out.

4. I will probably prep another kid’s quilt as well.  

I don’t expect to get them all done, but if they are prepped I have choices and they will be prepped to work on later at home.

15 MINUTES A DAY

This is also an aim.

NON STITCHING WISHES

1. Try a new recipe.  I have one earmarked and hope to try some others as well.  I seem to be on a roll.

2. Read or listen to a book.  We’ll see how I go with this wish.  I’m not doing so well.

3. Have a fun day out. I’m sure that will happen.

4. Use our caravan.  Yes, we are going to Baradine.

5. Catch up on my blog posts.  I still have to finish our Queensland trip from June and everything since.    However, now that I have discovered an app in which I can add my photos on my iPad it is much more likely to happen.

I look forward to checking back in at the end of the month.

Stitching Wrap Up for July

It’s amazing what you can achieve when you are not travelling all over the countryside, although I did have some fun days out.  Let’s see how I went.

Firstly, my Main Monthly Wish was to complete the Simply Serene Quilt.  I’m pleased that it was done well before the deadline.  

Then it was Rainbow Scrap Challenge time.  That too was achieved easily.

The other main thing was to complete the Corner to Corner Rug for Wrap With Love.  Another one ticked off the list.

Then it was time to play.

I did make some good progress with my knitted alpaca jumper and have exceeded my wish of having it knitted up to the armholes.  I’m well on my way up the back. It is knitting up quicker than I expected.  I just need to get back to it. Yes, it will look wonky until it gets blocked at the end.

At the Wrap With Love Knit In Day I started another C2C Rug, this time making 10 inch squares to sew together at the end.  I’m using lots of variagated yarn.  It works well with the C2C stitch, as there are no lines, just a nice all over mottled effect.  There will be plain blocks in the rug as well.  I have four blocks completed so far.  There is no time frame for this one and it is a nice and easy thing to take along to my stitching days.

Betty sent out her July block details for us to make.  It was a challenge, but the completed block has been posted back to her.

Meanwhile, the rainbow strips needed to be pieced together into a quilt top.  I took the very simple option of just adding black sashing between the strips.  Not terribly creative, but still effective.  It is now in the quilting queue.  I hope to have it completed before our Zoom get together next Saturday.  It should be quite achievable.

Finally, I quilted and bound the quilt for my friend in Queensland.  

Oh, and at the last minute on the 31st I pulled out the batik fish blocks ready to advance that project.  It is about time to get it finished.

15 MINUTES A DAY

I did rather well this month.

July = 28/31

Year to date = 171/212  = 80.66%

Not too bad.

As it turns out, most of my stitching has been donation projects, being the Simply Serene Quilt, both C2C rugs, the rainbow strip quilt, Betty’s block and probably the Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts when they are completed.  That is a good feeling.