September Block Count

 School settling in was supposed to provide me with more time, not less, but my block count is somewhat lacking in proof of this.  My migraines have been particularly persistent this month, which lends itself more to lounging on the couch in the afternoon rather than sewing.

Still, I did finished the last four Modern Vintage blocks and even finished the entire quilt.  I also finished 8 farm quilt blocks.

And that’s it, 12 new blocks.  My total for 2021 is now 599 blocks.  I hope October will be more plentiful!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #39 and 15 Minutes

 Changes everywhere!  I ordered some Halloween fabric and a fall fabric for more masks.  We’re trying different elastic and nose pieces in the quest for durable, comfortable masks.  I finished three masks for my sister and one for PK.  More masks will follow next week.

I also did a quick sort of my stash and found two Michael Miller fairy frosts that are white with silver glitter.  They are incredibly stiff and uncomfortable, so I always pass them over.  Someone else can make a non quilt project from them.

IN this week: 2 3/4 yards 

OUT this week: 3 1/2 yards

IN YTD: 60 yards

OUT YTD: 101 1/4 yards

YTD Total: 41 1/4 yards OUT

I worked on my hand stitching every day this week for a total of 256 of 268 days.  The large orange hexagon is done (that makes 10!).

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z. 

Dilly-Dallying

 Wasting time through dithering might be an apt description for my week.  Having my easier scrap projects finished for the year, I feel a little lost in the sewing room.  I find a really enjoy the order imposed by the assigned colors in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I did chop up the dregs of my 2.5” scrap box into bricks and squares, so I have a sketchy plan for the squares.  Sadly, I don’t feel particularly enthusiastic about it, or maybe I don’t have a goal or organized plan for it yet, so I’ve dilly-dallied over making headway beyond cutting.  I did sew a few onto the 4.5” squares, so I did something, just not much.

Two more farm blocks are finished.  While one isn’t orange, it was the next one I found interesting to make.  DH is from Texas and considered a good pair of cowboy boots a must.  I love flowers, so here are a few new flowers for the garden!

I suspect in October that I will sew the smaller (6” finished) blocks into four patches so I can get a better idea of my layout, how far I am, where I want things, etc.  Two of my boys like to rearrange blocks for me!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #38 and 15 Minutes

 I finished a quilt!  The Modern Vintage quilt is all done, washed, and ready to give away.  I may still hit 50 yards out for the year.  That’s only halfway to my goal, but I did have a slower start to the year than I dreamed of in December.

IN this week: 0 yards

OUT this week: 6 1/4 yards

IN YTD: 57 1/4 yards

OUT YTD: 97 3/4 yards

YTD Total: 40 1/2 yards

Hand stitching went well this week.  The large orange star is coming along nicely.  These get a bit bulky to carry around, so every time I finish one, I’m relieved that they survived.  249/261 days for 2021.  How are there only 104 days left in 2021?

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Farm Blocks

 To see my finished Modern Vintage quilt, here’s the post.

I finished three farm blocks this week.  We do grow carrots.  Just this week we saw a kaleidoscope of butterflies (yellow, not orange, but close enough) as we were walking.  Finally, I made another pumpkin.  Growing pumpkins and thereby taking over the entire garden was something I was notorious for as a child.  We grew butternut squash this year, but I think pumpkins may make an appearance next year.

I have spent many hours this week processing peaches.  This morning, the last ones are in the canner, and then I’ll be ready to pick apples tomorrow with friends.  Sometimes I wonder why I do all the work, but I do like to know what’s in my food and I love filling the basement shelves with food I’ve put up.

Hopefully I’ll have time later today to do some more orange sewing.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z. 

Finished Quilt: Modern Rainbows

 I finished this quilt a few days ago, washed it, and… got swallowed up by the chaos of another school week.  Three days of canning, homeschool, kids in normal school, you know, all the things.

This tidy little quilt is only roughly 50” by 60”.  These blocks were made as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I imagine it will be nice to throw in the back of the car, or snuggle on the couch, or bring outside with a cup of coffee.

The backing was something I dyed this summer.  Next time, I’ll work on less white space, but I still like the way it turned out.  My cuts of fabric in my stash are getting smaller, making backings challenging.  I don’t particularly enjoy piecing together more fabric for the backing when I’m honestly ready to finish a quilt!  I bought a roll of 60” wide fabric and hope to learn a little more about dying in the coming years.

The quilt was (semi-)anonymously dropped off today with a lovely, inspiring woman.  If she pays attention to what I post on Instagram, she’ll know who left it.  We shall see.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z. 

Stash Report Week #37 and 15 Minutes

 I’m a little late posting.  It occurred to me to write the post on Sunday, but I just didn’t get it done.  I did make three masks during the week, for a total of 32 for the masks.  Since I’m now making triple ply masks, the masks do chew up plenty of fabric, and I’ve decided it’s time to invest in better nose wires, as the pipe cleaners don’t survive more than  a few dozen washes.

IN this week: 0 yards

OUT this week: 1/2 yard

IN YTD: 57 1/4 yards (16 purchased)

OUT YTD: 91 1/2 yards

YTD Total: 34 1/4 yards OUT

On Friday, I was too tired by evening to knock out any hand stitching, so I missed one say.  I’m now to 242 of 254 days in 2021.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Orange You Glad…

 Five COVID samples for research this week, but everyone is well on the way to recovering from a cold and no one stayed home sick.  I’ll take it!

Friday afternoon, I quickly quilting my Modern Vintage flimsy.  I was mentally berating myself for meandering again, but then I reminded myself that this is not the time or the setup to worry about challenging myself with a more complicated pattern.  Extended concentration time is not in my possession right now, so meandering is just fine!  I’ll take better pictures once I have the binding on.

I finished three blocks this week.  I accidentally made my pumpkin a row too short, so it’s a bit squatter than intended, but that’s okay.  (And it is square, but I clearly didn’t lay it down on the floor tidily!). I’m enjoying the orange fabrics (even if I only have two) for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #36 and 15 Minutes

 No stash changes.  I did use the last inches on another spool of thread, for 17 used for the year.

On the hand stitching front, I stitched every day this week.  That brings my total to 236 days of 247 for 2021.   I so appreciate Kate having this challenge; my hexagon project would still be a “someday” project without it!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Rainy Day

 I’m moving slow this morning.  We’re having a good, soaking rain for the first time in months, so I’m enjoying the view, cooler temperatures, and cloudy lighting.  This week was long and chaotic.  Miss G turned up sick after school Monday, so there was a scramble of COVID testing and the younger kids home from school on Tuesday while we waited her test results (negative!).  Then, Thursday night JoJo started cold symptoms, so he stayed home Friday (he has trouble “managing his nose”).  Today, since he now has a cough, DH took him for a COVID test.  It makes me wonder how many tests we will have as a family before the school year is over.  Navigating this for nine people (4 vaccinated, 5 too young but in a vaccine study) across two schools is complicated, to say the least.

I whipped out my final Modern Vintage blocks and played with layouts.  I really did try to scramble them. I just don’t like scrambled rainbows.  When I didn’t want to cut fabric or make color decisions on my farm blocks, I sewed together the entire flimsy.  I dyed the backing earlier this summer, so I’m ready to baste this lovely flimsy next week!

My first farm block is cut, so it will show up next week.  I’ve been basting my orange hexagons while in the interminable car line each afternoon (after a year off from such obligations, I don’t have much tolerance for nonsense).

That’s it!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

August-September UFO List

 I’ve lost track of myself.  Since I’m reporting on my August results, maybe this should be the August list… but I already titled a post August UFO Report.  What have I done?  But onward.

1. Double wedding ring

2. Pillow

3. ABC appliqué 

4. Hand hexagons

5. Modern Vintage

6. Split Star

7. Farm quilt

8. Pink hexagons

August 1: 8 projects

Started: 2

Finished: 2

August 31: 8 projects

I started and finished two scrap quilts.  That’s it!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

September Goals

 August was another “brief” month for goals:

1. Scraps: trim, make blocks in teal: another round on turquoise hexagons, cut the last Modern Vintage, and some farm blocks. Four hexagon flowers now have a brown round, the last Modern Vintage blocks were cut (and 3 sewn), and just three paltry farm blocks.

2. Make two small quilts from scraps.  Delightfully done.

3.  More masks.  More and more.  Sigh.  Done.

September might see more sewing, although the emotional/mental exhaustion is still dominant.

1. Scraps: trim, make blocks in orange: hexagons, Modern Vintage blocks done, and farm blocks.  I’d also like to finish the Modern Vintage quilt and cut the rest of my 2.5” scraps into squares, blocks, and triangles.  They aren’t nice enough fabrics to sort into something organized, so I’ll make a kitchen sink type.

2.  Masks.

3.  Do the first sewing for the Macaron Mystery.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.