April Goals

In March, I hoped to...
1.  Spend 15 minutes a day or half a block hand quilting.  The big goal is to get the quilt off the frame!  Yes!  I’ve only missed 4 days so far this year.  The quilt is off the frame, bound, and the alternate block quilting is planned and begun.

2.  Scraps: Trim.  Teal sewing (my favorite!): courtyard steps, Garden Party, and the long lasting 16 patches.  Maybe the new leader and ender.  No new leader and ender.  It’s just not floating my boat right now.  I did trim, sew up my blocks, and work on the 16 patches.

3.  Temperature Quilt: finish three rows and sew them together.  Three rows done!

4.  Make four more items of clothes.  Clothes sewing season has begun!  Easter clothes are done.  I still have a bucket of garment sewing, but I’ve turned to mask making.

In April, I hope, hope, hope to...
1.  Spend 15 minutes a day or (dare I say) one block a day hand quilting.  We’re home, it’s off the frame so my back is less bothered, and I need work to keep me off screens.

2.  Scraps of unknown color: trim, courtyard steps, Garden Party posies, and maybe more 16 patch sewing?

3.  Temperature Quilt: finish another row and sew them together.

4.  Fox quilt.  I dunno.  Cut, sew, make something that gets me off the screens!

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

Stash Report Week #13

This week, I ordered some fabric from Vicki Welsh.  Fortunately, part of it was for the girls’ curtain in their new room, and they already ran away with that fabric, so I’m not counting it!

I also finished a total of 7 masks, which I’m counting this week.

IN this week: 2 1/4 yards
OUT this week: 2 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 3 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 42 yards
YTD Total: 38 3/4 yards

ETA: Oops!  I forgot to tally my hand stitching for the week.  I worked on the Irish chain quit every day, for a total of 84/88 days.  I finished the binding and quilting two of the blank diamonds.  My plan is certainly not the most complicated or elegant, but I made it and it looks pretty good.

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

Empty Calendar Pages

I delivered eggs Tuesday and ran into Atwood’s to search for chicks and seeds.  Alas, no chicks, despite a phone call.  Someone was misinformed.  Since then, and before then, I’ve been at home.  The at home bit is fine, but not knowing what’s ahead for schooling (from home, with someone else’s homework and assignments) is knocking me for a loop.  We have kids in 8, 6, 4, 1, and PreK, and all of them will need computer access Monday for work.  PK and BJ need watching at the same time.  In addition, my husband is a teacher, and is expected to be available to students all day via internet.  Our “interwebs” are prone to fail without warning, so I am not looking forward to the adjustment period of next week.  Needless to say, I’ve spent a few days without the will to sew (a sure sign of anxiety and depression for me).  I’ll get my head back in the game soon, and I will find a way for my introverted self to recover.

I did finish 3 masks today, for a total of 7 so far. Most are to be donated, but I’m also making some for the family.  It would be better for us to wear masks when we clean out chicken coops, barns, and turn compost when it’s dusty, so now I’m finally getting them made.  I keep tweaking the designs, and maybe by the end I’ll have something I really like.  Q is a fan of his mask, so he wore it all day!

Here and there I’ve sewn together a few 16 patches, but it’s been so long since I worked on this that I lost track of the plan.  I need some time for sorting, and then maybe I’ll get these done!

Finally, the Garden Party posies are moving right along.  I may assemble some blocks into rows, just to keep the chaos in my corner from getting too out of hand.  I am grateful these little blocks work up quickly and require very little attention, as it is calming to finish them and see my tidy little pile grow.

Miss B is organizing a project of her own in yellow and black, with what appears to be a touch of red.

I am strongly considering a new project.  I need something to give me focus, and I don’t feel my scrappy sewing so far this year fits the bill.  I order some fabric from Vicki Welsh, and I think I may start a fox quilt in (mostly) oranges for BJ, who’s house color is orange and his stuffed animal is a fox.  I may at least dream about it!

Now, go visit all the teal projects!

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

P.S.  I hope you are all doing well, finding the groceries you need, and that your families are safe and well too.  I recognize I am fortunate that my husband has job security and we won’t have to worry about income.  I am grateful.  It is still hard.

Stash Report Week #12

The last Easter skirt is done (minus a snap).  I love how fast the fabric gets used, but I don’t love the fiddliness of garment sewing.  There are at least three more skirts requested, so I’m not done quite yet, but the last ones aren’t for Easter, so I’m putting them aside for now.

I am going to count my masks later this week, once I know how many I get finished.  I will tell you, with all this quarantine nonsense, that I will be fabric shopping.  I need some kind of bribe to deal with DH working from home (in my bedroom, while I’m schooling 5 kids and wrangling 2 more).  He “returns” to work tomorrow, to plan distance learning, and I already don’t like it!

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 2 1/4 yards

IN YTD: 1 yard
OUT YTD: 39 1/4 yards
YTD Total: 38 1/4 yards OUT

If I can finish a stack of masks, I might meet my goal for the year!

On the hand quilting front, I did work at least 15 minutes a day.  I have managed 77/81 days for 2020.  The chain blocks are complete, the binding is half on (machine side, waiting for hand side), and I still don’t have a plan for the plain blocks!

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

The Quiet Life

... is not what I’m living.  My older kids are expressing their anxiety by being as inflexible as concrete slabs.  (I can’t fault them, but it is tiring.). This makes it doubly challenging for me to get to my sewing, as DH is a teacher, so he’s working on how to teach the last 9 weeks remotely, so I spend a fair amount of time with seven fractious kids.  Today is National Quilting Day, so I’m going to find a way to get some sewing in!

I have managed to add a few posies to my collection and finished the Assistant’s skirt for Easter.  Of course, Easter looks like it will be celebrated at home this year, but we can still dress up!  I’m glad I already did some Easter basket shopping, as I’m pretty sure it’s no longer safe (in our area) to shop at all if avoidable.

Today, I embarked on a new sewing project.  A friend contacted me, asking if I would help sew fabric masks for nurses.  We can debate their efficacy (yes, I know they must be disinfected and are not anything like N95 respirators), but a nurse friend had specifically said they are desperate for anything, so I’m willing to chip in.  I need to find a way to add a little channel to add a pipe cleaner or something to make it tightly fitting at the nose, but at least I have something.  I’m also going to hunt in my sewing supplies for some cord stops, as that would be nicer than ties.

I love Angela’s houses, and maybe I should start something like that to represent each day of this isolation.  We’ve started a family journal to record thoughts, fears, and news as it develops.  It’s just so strange.

This is my weekly Rainbow Scrap Challenge post!

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

Stash Report Week #11

Oops... not going anywhere (and not having much time to myself) with our isolation has made it difficult to sit down and blog.

I finished one more skirt, with one left.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 2 yards

IN YTD:  1 yard
OUT YTD: 37 yards
YTD Total: 36 yards OUT

I did miss a day of hand sewing, so my number is 70/74 days for the year.  I’m currently recovering from bronchitis after a serious (for me) allergy attack.  Hopefully today I’ll have a chance to do more than my 15 minutes of hand quilting!

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

Social Distancing and Sewing

I’m an introvert, so all this social distancing is right up my line.  Spring Break began Friday, I always keep my deep pantry well-stocked, and we are cancelling any planned excursions.  It is a strange thing to read about the empty shelves and lack of toilet paper, diapers, and wipes in our stores.  I’m not quite clear how we’re going to manage school in a week, as our schools seem to think they can manage despite gatherings over 250 being banned.

In the meantime, I’ve had a massive allergy attack from seven years of dust and all the pollen that has filled the air.  There’s too much to do in the garden to stay inside, but I plan to “let” the kids help me with outside chores this week.

Sewing has been hit and miss.  I explained to the big kids last night that everyone old enough to help needs to assist in EVERYONE getting a break from obligations, since I can’t exactly drive away from the house and go to a store like I sometimes do.  I am moving along on my Irish Chain quilt, although I did miss a day or two.  I finished one skirt.  I hope to finish one last courtyard step block today.

I hope all of you stay safe and well and have many happy hours of sewing ahead of you!  I do still need to find time to visit all the other blogs this weekend.

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

Stash Report Week #10

The beginning of the week was productive, so I knocked out a vest and a skirt.  I enjoy weeks where I can report stash busting every week!  Also, I’m really pleased to note I have yet to purchase fabric in 2020.  I have plenty of projects to finish with what I have on hand, so the plan is to keep rolling on no purchases.

IN this week: 0 yards

OUT this week: 2 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 1 yard

OUT YTD: 35 yards

YTD  Total: 34 yards OUT

Oops!  I forgot to add my hand quilting report.  I’m up to 64/67 days for 2020.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Tired...

I have thought often of sewing this week, but, alas, this has been another trying week.  It’s the season of life I’m in.  Our house is currently in upheaval as we try to shift the big girls to their own room.  This involves my husband giving up his office, and as he has (self-confessed) hoarder tendencies, there are quite a few boxes of things to rehome, throw away, or give away.  He’s doing great!  Miss G has a few issues that we are working on, but she needs to not have access to her sisters or their things, so we have to shift rooms.  The dust, chaos, and things are wearing on me.  DH will take the kids out for a while at lunch, and I’m going to sew and listen to calming music when they are gone.

I did finish another row of my temperature quilt and sewed both together.  As several of you so kind reassured me (really, sincerely, thank you), it looks much better after the first row.

This represents my very scanty collection of teal scraps remaining from my butterflies last year.  One block.  I’ll be making a few tan ones next week, time permitting.

I’m happy to have a few posies for Garden Party on the wall too.

Ooh, I forgot that I did finish another vest and a skirt.  (I promise I will take a picture eventually.  I have two left to go!)

Meanwhile, I haven’t finished the post and the kids are at the park.  I need to sew!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

February Block Count

Ladies, it has been challenging to sit down and commit to writing my blog posts to wrap up February and roll into March.  This should be the last one; my block count.

I’ve been tracking my blocks since Shelly began the 350 block challenge.  Some years and some months are a little more productive than others.  So far, 2020 is on the slower end as I’m working hard to wrap up projects from last year.  Still, I had a few things.

9 courtyard steps
14 Garden Party posies
1 Garden Mosaic
24 Temperature blocks (which I’m only counting when the entire row is done)
... for a total of 48 blocks for the month of February and 181 blocks for 2020.

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

March Goals

In February, I hoped to...
1.  Spend 15 minutes or half a block a day hand quilting.  If I can get 6 of 7 days a week, I will be content.  Currently, I have quilted 57/60 days!

2.  Scraps in orange: trim, courtyard steps, make some Garden Party posies, and finish Garden Mosaic.  Once Garden Mosaic is done, I can move on to a new leader and ender.  No new leader and ender yet, but goals met.  Garden Mosaic is finished.

3.  Start the temperature quilt.  One row done.

4.  My sister finished her amazing embroidery, so now I need to quilt and bind the placemats.  Done!

In March, I hope to...
1.  Spend 15 minutes a day or half a block hand quilting.  The big goal is to get the quilt off the frame!

2.  Scraps: Trim.  Teal sewing (my favorite!): courtyard steps, Garden Party, and the long lasting 16 patches.  Maybe the new leader and ender.

3.  Temperature Quilt: finish three rows and sew them together.

4.  Make four more items of clothes.  Clothes sewing season has begun!

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

Stash Report Week #9 and 15 Minutes

It was a great week for stashbusting.  The baby got well and despite busy days, I managed to finish three vests.  They are finally, after all these years, getting easier and faster to sew.

My goal is 40 yards out for the year, so I’m well on my way, even if I buy some fabric later.  We are in the throes of a great bedroom upheaval right now, due to some behavior issues, so I have no desire to add more things to keep track of while we try to clean out the office for a bedroom.  Shopping is not a current temptation!

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 2 yards

IN YTD: 1 yard
OUT YTD: 32 1/4 yards
YTD Total: 31 1/4 yards OUT

On the hand quilting front, I managed to sneak in some quilting every day.  I have high hopes of having the quilt off the frame before March 20.  Woohoo!  This brings my total for the year to 57/60 days.

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