October Block Count

It turns out there were plenty of black, grey, and brown scraps for Garden Mosaic blocks, so there are plenty of new blocks this month!

7 Great Granny Squared
144 Garden Mosaic
2 Lepidoptera
7 Tiny Tuesday blocks
and 36 rows for a quilt
for a total of 196 new blocks, making it 1693 blocks for the year!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #43

No changes this week, but I am making very nice process on making a few flimsies.  Take, for example, my rainbow sampler blocks.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

The End of (Tiny) Things

This week, I had a good time creating or finding new blocks for my remaining Tiny Tuesday blocks.  The Assistant suggested an egg, so I made a teal one with a brown background.  Next, Spunky informed me I needed a caterpillar, so I made a bright green one on green leaves.  I know it blends in too much, but that’s what caterpillars do.  I may add a little black to it... or I may not.  Next up was a chicken.  I had to take someone else’s idea, thanks to Mr. Googlepants, and draft my own for a 4.5” block.  Last up was the green ”T” block that, with strategically placed black dots, may become a dog. That’s it.  Now it’s time to play with sashing ideas!

Next up, I made good but incomplete progress on my Garden Mosaic blocks.  I finished 80 blocks, but didn’t finish any black ones.  I guess I’ll tackle those next week.  I still haven’t decided what to do about these blocks.  I suspect I’ll make four smaller quilts, as I don’t need a large one, but I still have time.

On the health front, I consulted a midwife friend, who had some excellent suggestions that I’ll be taking back to my doctor.  I have hope that we’re finally making progress and, given the right medicine, I may finally feel more like myself again!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #42

I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the reality that there are ten weeks left to the year.  I have been on low power mode for so much of the year that I feel a little cheated on 2019.  Ah, well.

I finished a quilt this week.  It was a quick one, no planning of colors, mostly using scraps, simple quilting, quick wash, and done.  It feels good to have a nice quilt done.  I was pleased that, other than cutting 10 or so strips from stash fabrics, the entire rest of the quilt came from the 2.5” bin.  I had a mini mission to use up this box in 2019, and while it’s not empty yet, I made good progress.

After the hiccup of two bundles of fabric this summer, my numbers are recovering well.  I’m over halfway to my goal of 30 yards out for the year.  I have tentative hopes of finishing two quilts from my Great Granny Squared blocks as well as my Lepidoptera quilt, the sum of which will easily bring me to 30 yards out for the year.  Somehow, the thread has also been vanishing rapidly, so my total used is 19 spools.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 6 1/2 yards

IN YTD: 76 yards
OUT YTD: 91 3/4 yards
YTD Total: 15 3/4 yards OUT

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

A Long Road

I had “scheduled” dark brown triangle sewing for this week, but a number of things, quilty and otherwise, took up my time this week.  We had a partially rained out pumpkin patch trip, some unproductive physical therapy, the daily headache of varying degrees, and a few boxes of onions to dehydrate.

I finished the quilt for my friend.  The quilting is just stitch in the ditch along each row, so it was the work of a few hours.  I soaked the backing twice, and it turned the bathtub a different color each time!  (Thanks again, Vicki, for directions!). It’s washed and dried without incident, so I’ll deliver it this weekend.

I basted my lovely Irish chain and even began the quilting.  If (big, giant IF) I quilt a “chain” square a day, I can have it off the frame in a little over two months.  I still have no idea what I’m putting in the light diamonds, but I’m open to suggestions.  My hand can’t stand quilting for long, even since I broke it, so this is a long term project.  I love it, so it’s all good.  This is taking up space in our living room and my DH has fabulously not said a word.  I was afraid to have it as a temptation in the playroom, and I’m hoping seeing it daily will keep me engaged.

Two more Tiny Tuesday blocks, in yellow and orange, made it to the wall.  I have tentative plans for 2 more, which leaves me looking for ideas for the last three.  We’re almost there!  I have plans for my sashing, but only time will tell if I have the right fabrics.  I need time to spread out my collection of gradients to see.

I finished 64 Garden Mosaic blocks, in brown, but never turned on the iron.  This coming week, the iron will be required before I can make any more progress.  Maybe today, Saturday, I’ll get to it!

In the prolonged saga of health news, I’m at a standstill.  It looks like a daily headache is in the cards for me for the foreseeable future, as it’s probably due to postpartum hormone drops (in addition to lack of sleep, allergies, stress...).  Physical therapy has done what it can for my other problems, so I think I have to wait out a recovery period of six months or so before I find a new OBGYN who will take my concerns seriously and not just say “give it time.”  Yes, I’ll give it time, but I also know this is not normal so... there you go.  I sew instead of lifting or pulling weeds!

I’m hopefully (after a walk) going to see everyone else’s lovely blocks this weekend as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

I Might Be a Little Tired...

...but you already knew that.  There are really no new health developments: I still have a low grade headache 90% of the time, I still can’t lift heavy things, and I’m slowly healing.  I’m doing “all the things” I can, so there you go.  A certain two month old has decided to cut two teeth (gulp) and staying up in the night.

It’s a good thing “all the things” includes sitting down to sew instead of doing too much housework.

Oh, the triangles I stitched together this week!  I haven’t pressed any of them, but I have nearly all my grey, black, and brown triangles sewn for Garden Mosaic.  I only have half a stack left!  Anticipation is beginning to run high for the assembly stage.  Will all my scraps work nicely together, or will I find handfuls that don’t go with the rest?

In between other things, I made all the rows for the new quilt and sewed together most of them.  The

recipient told me her favorite color used to be red, but now she’s leaning towards teal, hence the colors I chose.  I considered red fabrics for the back, but instead found a funky purple and red batik.  I think I’ll soak it after I piece it to take care of bleeding issues but still avoid manhandling a heavy wet quilt.

My main mission this week focused on my Lepidoptera blocks.  Of course I cut the first one back to front, putting dark where light should be and vice versa.  It’s still lovely.  The tan one had less variation in shade, making it a tad muddy looking.  I still like it, and it was one of the fastest to sew up as all the colored strips were 1.5”.  This leaves me with two last butterflies to make, a brilliant fuschia and an emerald green.  I fervently hope that, when the time comes to add the various filler bits, my butterflies are all close enough to the correct size that assembly isn’t too complicated.

Are you already dreaming and scheming about next year’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts?  I think I need to use my ombre scraps in something delightful, and I still have too many 2” strips.  Things that make me go, “hmmm...”

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

P.S.  Saturday means time to visit the Rainbow Scrap Challenge beauties!

Stash Report Week #40

I’ve resisted shopping for fabric, so at least I haven’t “damaged” my numbers.  There are no finishes, but there are several hopeful developments.  My Irish chain is a flimsy with batting cut and backing pieced.  I finished my Great Granny Squared blocks, and they will make two lap quilts.  Additionally,  the quilt I planned for a family friend is cut, rows planned, and 24 rows sewn.  All in all, it was a good week!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Autumn Weather, Autumn Shades

The last two days have been blissfully chilly, requiring jackets and rain boots and open windows.  It was a perfect beginning to a month of black, brown, and grey sewing.

I’m still muddling through “all the headaches,” but I am getting better, not worse, so I spent some afternoons sewing this week.  My PT added “epidural headache” to my list, but since she worked on it and this didn’t require new medicine, I’m glad to understand another piece to the puzzle.  All the scary medicine is over for now, and even the sinus headache Friday afternoon didn’t stop me!

First up, I finished another 60+ Garden Mosaic blocks.  I have less than 300 to go, and since I spent Thursday evening and Friday morning cutting my brown and black ones, I may have less than 200 at the end of the month.  Then I must decide if I’m making the giant quilt.  I don’t need another giant quilt.  Do I donate it to some fundraiser for church?  Give it away?  Make several smaller quilts?  I don’t know yet.

Please excuse the lighting,  It was bedtime, and this was my rare opportunity!

The two remaining seams on my Irish Chain quilt, made from fabric dyed by Vicki Welsh, took me all week.  I wanted to press each large section first, and that felt too daunting a task for much of the week.  Now I only need to press the final seams and decide how I’m going to quilt this beauty, which is certainly going on my bed.

Thursday and Friday were particularly good days for progress on my Great Granny Squared blocks.  The last one, still under my needle, will bring my total to 50.  I do believe I’ll make these into two lap quilts, which will end up about 72” square each by the time I add sashing, which will take care of two quilts for teachers.  Don’t worry; I have no intention of finishing them before Christmas, unless I feel so much better than I do now.

I did start a new quilt this week.  A woman in our parish was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and she’s close enough to our family that quilt would be appropriate.  I’m sewing together squares and bricks into rows.  I only had to cut a few new strips of teal from my stash; all the rest came from my 2.5” scrap bin!  There won’t be much pinning, and it works well in between other blocks, so it’s a low-stress, no-hurry kind of project.  I refuse to set goals for how fast it’s going to go, so it will be done when it’s done.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

P.S. Be sure to see all the other beautiful projects this weekend!

September Block Count

Against all odds, the block count for September turned out to be pretty cushy!

I had 187 new blocks:

• 5 Great Granny Squared
• 104 Garden Mosaic
• 2 Lepidoptera 
• 4 Tiny Tuesday
• 72 Irish Chain

This brings my total to 1497 for the year.  Woohoo!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

October UFO List

September 1: 10
Started: 1
Finished: 1
September 30: 10

1. Pillow
2. Scrappy DWR
3. ABC appliqué
4. King sized 16 patch
5. Hand pieced hexagons
6. Great Granny Squared
7. Garden Mosaic
8. Lepidoptera
9. Tiny Tuesday
10. Irish Chain

The list is still the same, as I added and finished the stocking last month.  I don't see the list shrinking this month either, but maybe before the end of the year!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

October Goals

In September, as I had hoped to...

1.  Make a purple stocking for my “12 Things” project.  Done!

2.  Finish piecing my Irish Chain quilt, my as yet incomplete “12 Things” project from August.  I might even try to baste it, but that depends on whether or not I’m hand quilting it.  That decision is still ahead of me.  I’m leaning towards a hand finish, as I could pull out my quilting frame, which has long stood empty.  Will my little people, particularly Miss G, damage the quilt if I have it in the frame?  That is the great question.  One seam short of a flimsy

3.  Scraps: This month is purple, so I need to trim the scrap bucket and make lots of blocks for Garden Mosaic, Great Granny Squared, Lepidoptera, Tiny Tuesday, and 16 patches.  No 16-patches, but otherwise I made good progress.

In October, as recovery still goes slowly, I hope to...

1. For my 12 Things project: Make progress on the Irish Chain.  I need to either baste or load it on the frame.  I could do something else, but I think it would be wiser to stick with the old project and keep it going.

2. Scraps: This month is black or brown, so I'll trim, make Garden Mosaic blocks, Great Granny Squared, Lepidoptera, and Tiny Tuesday.

3.  A teal and red quilt for someone recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.