Sunday, December 31, 2023

Stash Report Week #52 and 15 Minutes

 For the first time since I’ve started tracking, I stitched on my hexagon project day of the year!

I rummaged through my stash to find a few more yards to give away to meet my goal for the year of using twice what I purchase.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 7 1/2 yards

IN YTD: 67 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 134 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 67 1/4 yards OUT

I have three shelves with plenty of fabric and an entire bolt to dye, so I hope I can use a similar amount next year.  I definitely did more hand stitching in 2023 than in years past, so of course my finished projects decreased, and that’s fine.

I need to write up a post on goals, etc. for 2024, but at least they’re down on paper!

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

2023 350 Blocks Challenge

 I had quite a drop in block numbers for 2023 compared to past years.  Hand stitching just doesn’t “produce” in quite the same way, and that’s really okay.  The total for 2023 is 1122.

It will be interesting to see what happens in 2024.  I have no grandiose plans for tiny triangle blocks like in 2022, but I do have a box of 1” scraps I really should make a plan for, as it is now too full to close!

The numbers for past years:
In 2022: 2185
In 2021: 762
In 2020: 1431
In 2019: 1760
In 2018: 1677
In 2017: 1125
In 2016: 1007
In 2015: 1400
In 2014: 794
In 2013: 1057
In 2012, north of 180

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

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Year End

I ought to have a lovely wrap up for 2023.

- I made 16 patch blocks that turned into a scrappy baby quilt, a teal baby quilt, a picnic quilt, a wedding quilt, and a gift for a friend’s child.  I have lots of 2.5” bricks, but very few squares left.

-I made almost 300 box blocks that will all grow into quilts in 2024.

-I finished the stars and flowers for my hand pieced hexagon quilt, assembled them, and finished one side.

-

Here’s where I leave the year:
Lots of box blocks to turn into quilts.  This will be the first.
I have turned the corner on my hexie quilt.  The goal for 2024 is to finish the remaining three sides and prep for quilting.

 Next year, I’ll use my 2.5” bricks for flowers (it will make sense later) and my 1.5” scraps for more 16 patches.

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

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Stash Report Week #52 and 15 Minutes

 I have devoted much more than 15 minutes a day this week to get to this point.  I’m excited to attach another piece!
I finished a small quilt this week but bought two fat quarters from a quilt shop I visited for the first time.  That doesn’t really help my numbers as I would like!  Will I use/give away/finish 7 yards of projects/fabric?  I don’t know.

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

IN YTD: 67 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 127 yards
YTD Total: 60 1/4 yards OUT

The sickness (not Covid, maybe flu like, not gastrointestinal) has now reached four family members, so our Christmas is getting more and more low key, just what we need!  May you and yours be blessed and rested this Christmas.

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

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Laying Low

 Alas, Christmas will not be with my family this year (except the older kids and I, with masks, maybe) as a fever and cough is working its way through the little people.  I need some sleep after BJ was quite restless last night, so I’m working slowly on slow things!

This bottom edge is proving to be much more work than the sides.  At least I’m attaching the various pieces, and next week I hope to get them attached to the main body.
I finished the little 16 patch quilt with lots of cross hatching, and it’s folded away for giving.  I will apparently need to pull it out again to take a photo.

My second and third New York Beauty blocks are done, but I am not pleased with them.  I made lots of clumsy mistakes.

I do absolutely love my last Bojagi window curtain.  I love them all, but this one, with all kinds of shades of my favorite colors, looks like sea glass in the sun.

A Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate, and to those of you who don’t, Happy Holidays!  May your holidays be everything you need and nothing you don’t!

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

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Stash Report, Mid December, and 15 Minutes Report

 I finished my bojagi panel and gave Miss G a fat quarter to play with (ahem, destroy), so I am slowly inching toward my goal for the year.  The final 16 patch quilt will be bound this week, so I’ll have another 3 or so yards out next week.

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

IN YTD: 66 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 124 1/4 yards
YTD Total: 57 1/2 yards OUT

I’ve worked on my hexagons all week, so it’s finally time to assemble this large section.  Due to the design, there’s a lot more to fill in on the top and bottom than the sides.  My enthusiasm for this part of the quilt is definitely lacking, but I also know if I set it aside, I will find 1000 reasons to not get back to it.  So I will keep going!

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

Saturday, December 16, 2023

The goal for today is finish my other projects so I can get my machine ready to quilt this little baby quilt.  After it’s finished, all my 16 patches will be in quilts!
But first, I need to sew the final two sections onto this block.  My cutting in the narrow round was not so lovely; I struggled a lot to piece this.

I have one seam to sew down, then it’s just finishing the edges and my final window Bojagi will be complete.  I’m most looking forward to pressing and hanging this one.
For some unknown reason, my kids started waking up about 4 am.  I do not approve!  But I should sew before the “not enough sleep tiredness” sets in.

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

P.S. Visit the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for inspiration as you make quilty plans for next year!

 

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Stash Report Week #49 and 15 Minutes

 I finished a large baby quilt this week and also destashed a bit.  I picked out some fabrics I’m never going to use and will donate them.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 9 1/4 yards

IN YTD: 66 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 122 3/4 yards
YTD Total: 56 yards OUT

I have another small 16 patch quilt and a bojagi panel to finish, so I’m inching closer to my goal of using twice what I purchased this year.  I am trying hard to ignore sales and pretty fabrics, knowing full well I have plans to order fabric from Vicki in the new year.

I have worked on my hexagons every day this week.  One night I almost skipped, but I knew I didn’t want to report a missed day, so I pulled them out and stitched.

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

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Some finished, something new

I started a new project, using my collection of V and Co. ombré fabrics.  It’s past time I did something with them!  I find it hard to maintain the intense concentration needed, but it’s a good exercise for my brain, so I’ll continue.  I hope I can make one a week until I have enough for an interesting quilt.  My oldest daughters have two art teachers that “need” (deserve) a quilt, and I can’t make an ordinary quilt for either of them.

I finished the baby quilt this week, washed and dried it, and delivered it the next day.  It’s a good thing too, as it sounds like I delivered it on her last day!

We’ve had overcast skies lately, leading to some magnificent sunsets.
I have dropped the ball, so to speak, on Christmas gifts and baking this year, which means I have lots to do in the next two weeks!

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

 

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

November Block Count

 Short, late, sweet…

I made 44 new blocks (17 box blocks and 27 16 patches), bringing my total to 1069 for the year!

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

Monday, December 4, 2023

December Goals

 November goals…

1. Trim scraps, work on hexagon filler pieces, make black/gray 16 patches, and maybe cut box blocks in colors I didn’t get to.  All as planned, including a large stack of black and grey blocks.

2.  Finish the quilt for a friend with cancer. Done and dusted,

3.  Finish the wedding quilt.  Also done.

4.  Start a project that stretches my creativity (New York Beauty, optical illusion, or ramie jogakbo).  Started a New York Beauty quilt.

December goals are generally to just keep going.
1.  Trim scraps, work on hexagon filler pieces, finish two quilts with the remaining 16 patches, sew up the box blocks.

2. Finish my window Bojagi.

3. Make 4 New York Beauty blocks.

4.  Noodle around plans for the new year.  What excitement do you have planned?

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

Stash Report Week #48 and 15 Minutes

 I worked on my hexagons every day this week.  The next section is ready to add, so that will be the coming week's mission.

I bought another white remnant at Hobby Lobby.  My neutral stash is quite depleted, so I'm trying to fill back in a bit.  I need to use 20 yards by the end of the year, and I'm not sure that's going to be possible!

IN this week: 3/4 yards
OUT this week: 0 yards

IN YTD: 66 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 113 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 46 3/4 yards OUT

I did finish off one more spool of thread, for a total of 22 for the year.  As I've tried to be more conscientious about use of materials, it's funny how I've used less thread.

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

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Busy Days

My twinkle stars quilt is all washed and wrapped up for giving today.  As far as I can tell, the fabrics behaved and didn’t bleed, which is a relief.
In between taking the 8th grader for high school testing and the wedding this afternoon, I’m hoping to quilt more of my 16 patch baby quilt.  I would like to finish it before the baby arrives, which I think is any day, so I need to keep moving!  I dyed the backing, and while I really like it, the dye did not quite behave as expected, and I’m not sure if that’s the cold temperatures in the house or my lazy mixing.  Oh, well.



I’ll get to work now!  (And hopefully I return to visit some other lovely bloggers!)

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

 

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Stash Report Week #47 and 15 Minutes

 The 15 minutes a day continue.  I attached a filler piece to the entirely wrong place, so I ripped and restitched for several days!  I’m stitched for 334 days.

On the stash report front, I finished a quilt, but I also ordered a bolt of fabric for dyeing.  I found the fabric I currently like for backings or dyeing experiments, so a whole bolt saves me on shipping and waiting each time I’m ready for a backing.

IN this week: 21 yards
OUT this week: 12 yards

IN YTD: 66 yards
OUT YTD: 113 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 47 1/2 yards OUT

I need to use another 18 1/2 yards in the next month (gulp) to get back to my original goal of using twice what I purchase this year.  I have two quilts ready-ish to finish, but they won’t add up to 18 yards.  I’d best get back to sewing!

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

Saturday, November 25, 2023

After Thanksgiving….

Having an extra seven people in the house for four days is always lovely, and we are always glad when it’s over.  The laundry is mostly done, the extra beds and bedding (lots of quilts!) are put away, and we’re all quietly ignoring each other.  I see I’m not the only one who loves family and loves when they leave (also our linkup for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge)!

My quiet escape has been assembling 16 patches.  I finished 24 black and grey 16 patches, then made an extra teal to have enough for this layout:

 I have three more rows to assembly for this quilt, and then I have a few random blocks to mix in with some browns for the final 16 patch quilt of the year.  The many 16 patch quilts this year have been so handy.  This teal and black one is for a teacher expecting her first, and the gender is a surprise.

The binding is done on the twinkle star blocks, but I have it folded up until I wash and prep it for the wedding.  It just wouldn’t do to soil it!

I also sorted my 2” scraps in grey and black to cut a tottering pile of box blocks.  While I might not have as many as I did for teal, these are certainly a close second!

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

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Stash Report Week #40-something and 15 Minutes

 My stash report is unchanged as I finished nothing this week.

I’ve worked on my hexagons every day this week, so I’ll be attaching another side piece again this week.  Woohoo!

This week I will finish the binding on the wedding quilt.  It’s been a difficult quilt to complete for lots of internal reasons.  Clearly my anxiety expressed itself during the quilting, as I broke no less than 6 needles - 3 in about 10 minutes.  I’ll be relieved when it’s finished.

 Company is coming, so it’s time to get ready!

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

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Busy Weekend

The eldest has a college scholarship competition this morning, so I’ll be brief.

I have the quilting and trimming done.  I think I broke 6 needles by moving the quilt too fast.  Ah.  It’s lovely done.  This afternoon I hope to add the binding and spend Thanksgiving week stitching it down.
My gray and black squares are slowly coming together.  I need to pull my bojagi back out now that the quilt is off the machine!

 I hope your Thanksgiving (if you celebrate) is as lovely as you dreamed and you get to enjoy whatever you need, company or quiet, chaos or rest.  We’ll have 12 kids under our roof for a few days, so I’ll have more chaos than quiet, but I do love to see family!

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

Linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Stash Report Week #46 and 15 Minutes

 The hexagons still see daily progress, although today I realized I assembled them incorrectly, so I have an hour or two of work to redo.  Alas.

With three aprons and a lap quilt finished this week, I get to count stash out and nothing in.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 11 yards

IN YTD: 45 yards
OUT YTD: 101 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 56 1/2 yards OUT

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

Saturday, November 11, 2023

A November Saturday

 I could do with an end to time changes.  They are so challenging with kids!

This week, I made three wee aprons for my classroom.  The first one was too small, so the next two are the largest size, which still may not be big enough for my older kids.  I guess I’ll make them adult-sized aprons, and these will work for my littles.  I have all the grades from PreK to 4th, so I see plenty of growing!


I finished the flower quilt.  No colors ran, and I already have it delivered.  She was quite happy to receive it, which always makes me happy.



The twinkler star quilt is basted and bobbins are wound, so next week will be a quilting week.  I have three weeks until the wedding!


I started the last bojagi panel for my windows.  It will not look anything like the other three, but each time I learn something, so I don’t mind.  I had to take down all my stained glass as one of my suction cups gave up and broke a piece.  I don’t know if it’s the temperature changes, but I don’t to repair anymore for a while!


Finally, my black and grey squares are slowly developing into 16 patches.  They won’t see much progress next week, but I’d like to make all my 16 patches into another quilt before the end of the year.  One of the middle school teachers is expecting in December, and I like to have a quilt ready to give.

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

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

September and October UFO Report

 I don’t think I wrote a summary for September, so I’ll comment on September and October here.

September 1: 8
Started: 1 project
Finished: 0 projects
October 31: 9 projects

1. Double wedding ring
2. Brown pillow
3. ABC appliqué 
4. Hand pieced hexagons
5. Pink hexagons
6. Boxes
7. 16 patches
8. Twinkle Star
9. Flower quilt

I added the flower quilt for my friend with cancer and finished nothing over the last two months.  Oops.  The twinkle star quilt is a large project, and it’s taken a lot of time.

I am making the last set of 16 patches, so soon that project can come off my list!

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

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

November Goals

 October goals were not too complicated, but I still found them challenging.

1. Definitely finish the 16 patch picnic quilt.  Done.

2. Assembly the star quilt and baste for quilting. Not basted, but ready to baste.

3. A friend has cancer.  She needs a quilt.  I finished this at the beginning of November.  So close!

4.  If all that is DONE, I would like to start on my large jogakbo, an illusion quilt,  or a New York Beauty quilt.  Something challenging.  Ha!  I did start my last window jogakbo, but nothing larger.  I need the star quilt done first, I think.

November goals are…
1. Trim scraps, work on hexagon filler pieces, make black/gray 16 patches, and maybe cut box blocks in colors I didn’t get to.

2.  Finish the quilt for a friend with cancer.

3.  Finish the wedding quilt.

4.  Start a project that stretches my creativity (New York Beauty, optical illusion, or ramie jogakbo).

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

Monday, November 6, 2023

October Block Count

 I made 63 blocks this month: 12 16-patches, the remaining 20 star blocks, and 31 blocks and rows for my flower quilt.  That brings my total to 1095 for the year.

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

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Stash Report Week #44 and 15 Minutes

 On the stash front, I bought two remnants of white fabrics from Hobby Lobby.  I am out of fabric for my 16 patches and still have plenty of grey and black squares to use up!

I finished quilting my flowers quilt, so once the binding is finished I’ll have another set of yardage out.  Now that we’re nearing the end of the year, I need to make sure I keep my stash numbers where I want them.  My original goal was to use twice what I buy, and I want to stick to that!

IN this week: 3/4 yard
OUT this week: 0 yards

IN YTD: 45 yards
OUT YTD: 90 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 45 1/2 yards OUT

I finished and attached my first filler piece for my hexagon quilt.  Last night at a bachelorette party, I finished basting most of the hexagons for the next one.  It’s a fiddly business, but I like it better than attaching all the big pieces together!  It’s amazing what 15 minutes a day over the last five or so years has accomplished.  I still have my perfect record for the year.

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

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Saturday Sewing

 My goal today is finishing the quilting on this quilt:

I’m 60-80% done, so this should be doable.  My friend has her second treatment this week, so I need to wrap it up!

My twinkler stars are in two pieces, pinned and waiting for the above quilt to make space for them.

I made the first filler section and attached it.  The edge is straight, but the folded quilt had more hexagons behind it to make it look uneven.  Oops.
I made 12 brown 16 patches last month, so this month I’ll work on black and gray.

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

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Stash Report Week #43 and 15 Minutes

 Nothing finished, so no stash changes.  I do have a flimsy ready to baste and quilt, so there will be changes again soon!

On the hand piecing front, I put the last stitches in the main part of my hexagon quilt!  I have a few hundred hexagons to straighten out the edges, but the end is abruptly closer.  I think I have 8 smaller and 4 rather large triangle-ish pieces to make.  They will take a while, but it’s nice to be back to basting and assembling individual hexagons.

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

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Cold Weather Sewing

My recovery is sooo slow.  Unfortunately, my migraines are back in full force, so I’ve had a nasty headache everyday for the last two weeks.  I’m over it.

I almost have my flimsy.  Almost.  My major goal for today is to get these borders on!  This is for my friend with cancer.  She’s already had her first treatment, so I want to keep moving.
These may not be from my scraps, but they are all entirely from stash, and I have my 90 blocks sewn into twosies and foursies.  This is for my my best friend from high school.  She’s getting married in December, and today is the first anniversary of her dad’s death, so it’s a good day to work on this and send her good thoughts and prayers.
My tan and brown 2.5” squares are finally turning into blocks.  I won’t make it to box blocks this month, but at least these will be done!
My big accomplishment for the week is completing the body of my hexagon quilt.  You can see the front and back of it below.  I have the edges sketched out, so it’s now time to start making filler sections.  I’m thrilled.  That also means it’s time for me to consider what the backing should be.


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

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Stash Report Week #42 and 15 Minutes

 I just keep stitching.  I have the last bit of one star and two more flowers to stitch on my hexagon quilt before I get to work on straightening the edges.  294 days straight of hand sewing!

The binding on the picnic quilt is all done!  I’m relieved to have a finish.  I’m back at my goal of using twice what I purchase this year.  I have a backing already for the next big quilt but I’m not so sure about the smaller one.  I hope to find pieces I can make work!  I have a bag to make for my SiL also, and I think that might be a good small project for the week.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 8 1/4 yards

IN YTD: 44 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 90 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 46 1/4 yards OUT

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

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Waylaid

 I’m not dead yet.  Last Friday night, once I was in bed, what I thought was a cold turned into a raging fever.  Fun times.

I did finally catch Covid after all this time.  The AC in my classroom has been broken for two weeks, and I suspect the lack of circulating air may have contributed.  Alas.  While I can breathe, etc., the fatigue has continues to be quite awful.

I am slowly working on the binding for my 16 patches in green, yellow, and red.  While it is nothing like my usual color choices, I do like it.
I’ve hardly touched my brown squares for 16 patches and I haven’t pulled any scraps for brown box blocks.
I’m adding corners to half of my thinker star blocks and then sewing them into pairs.
Since I haven’t reported in three weeks, it seems like I’ve done a lot, but most of this was done in the previous two weeks!  I also started a quilt for a friend with cancer.  Because when I don’t know what to do or how to help, I make a quilt.

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

Monday, October 9, 2023

October Goals

 September Goals:

1. Scraps: trim, continue hexagon assembly, finish teal boxes, and finish the 16 patch quilt.  The 16 patch quilt is basted.  Everything else is done.

2. Finish my yeouijumun.  Finished for now.  I will add bakjwi, but that will be a later project.

3.  Work on the star quilt.  I have six blocks left.

4.  Mending.  Done.

5.  The Assistant cut out a pinafore and I should sew it up.  It won’t take long, just a bit of concentration.  Done.  She doesn’t love it, but I learned plenty.

October Goals:

My head is too full of anxiety, I’m trying to not add anything to my list but instead complete a few things.
1. Scraps: trim, hexagon assembly, brown/tan16 patches, maybe some box blocks.  Definitely finish the 16 patch picnic quilt.

2. Assembly the star quilt and baste for quilting.

3. A friend has cancer.  She needs a quilt.

4.  If all that is DONE, I would like to start on my large jogakbo, an illusion quilt,  or a New York Beauty quilt.  Something challenging.

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

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Stash Report Week #40 and 15 Minutes

 Alas, the stash report is dull and unchanged this week.  I do have my “picnic blanket” basted, so maybe by next Sunday?

I unfortunately have a sick child and a week full of medical appointments again, so we shall see.

I have faithfully hand stitched every day this year.  The hexagon quilt has a one row and one star left to attach before I need to cut and prep for the edges.    Isn’t it funny how things can move simultaneously faster and slower than we thought they would?  I didn’t think I would have the top so close to complete after the first week or two of assembly, but when I first started assembly, I really thought I would complete it in a few short weeks.  Ha!

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


Monday, October 2, 2023

September Block Count

 I made 99 blocks this month!  These included 17 box blocks, 5 16 patches, 7 “sections” for a bojagi, and 70 star blocks.

This brings my total to 952 blocks for the year.

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

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Stash Report Week #39 and 15 Minutes

 I finished a bojagi curtain panel this week, which is good, as I purchased fabric to finish it as well as start a quilt for a friend recently diagnosed with cancer.  I have exhausted 90% of my neutrals, so I didn’t have anything to use.

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

IN YTD: 44 1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 82 1/4 yards
YTD Total: 38 yards OUT

I have a quilt ready to baste, and a large quilt to assembly in the next few weeks, so I’m still headed in the right direction.  I used up two spools of thread for a total of 18 used for the year.  I feel a need to clear the project list a bit to help clear some brain space.  This year doesn’t appear to be calming down any time soon.

On the 15 minutes front, I spent a depressing week ripping out an entire star.  Somehow I flipped the quilt and attached the star to the top.  So rip, rip, rip, and stitch all over again.  I’m finally past it, so I feel less frustrated, but ripping out a large motif is definitely demoralizing.

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

Saturday, September 30, 2023

This and That

I have a finished flimsy for the week!  While it’s not aqua, it is all scraps and stash!  The binding is already gathered from my 2.5” strips of yellow, and the backing will be a green fabric I ordered earlier this year and was all wrong for what I wanted.  It will be perfect for this.  Today I’ll cut the binding.
I will also finish my last lonely aqua box block.

I started a new (small) project, sashiko patterns on the canvas bag I use as a purse.  I’m testing it on the back first, and then I’ll add to the other sides.  It’s hard to use a palm thimble on this bag (I should perhaps have made my first attempt on a plain piece of fabric).

I have made a dozen of so jumeoni (pouches), most in the last few weeks.  I’ve used my favorite fabric combinations, so I’ll do something else for a bit, hence the sashiko.
Our weekend seems to be full of things to do, so I’m off to the next thing!

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

 

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Stash Report Week #38-39 and 15 Minutes

 I have finished no quilts, only used some silk scraps, so the stash report remains unchanged.

Between my jumeoni and the hexagon quilt assembly, I still do plenty of hand stitching every day.  I think I need to tweak this goal next year.  Clearly, just doing handwork is a fine habit, so how should I adjust this?  As the hexagon quilt gets bigger, the trouble is that it is no longer portable for trips, and I’d like to keep this goal attainable daily.


I’m going to a musical in a bit, so I need to move along to the next task!

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

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Life, Full

Another full week, another sick kid (repeat, bless her), and more scraps to enjoy.

I’m afraid I don’t have many turquoise scraps this week, unfortunately, just a lonely box block.

I have been using scraps, including random strips of a black gradient from Vicki for a new bojagi for my window.  It will be quite unlike the others, but that’s fine.  I enjoy them all.
I (and the kids) have 3 cubic yards of soil and compost to move into garden beds.  Fortunately, Q is 13 and has nothing better to do, so I can assign him a certain number of loads of dirt each day, and he can do it independently.
I’m also painting the (unfinished) stairway to our (unfinished) basement.  Our house is about 20 shades of tan, and we’re ready to add a little color.  It will take me three coats, I suspect, so I’ll be at this for a few weeks.
But I did sew.  Lots of twinkle star and then I played with some 16 patches.  These are most of my remaining 16 patch blocks from the year.  I already made three more red blocks (from my stash, since I ran out of scraps) and have sewed most of the rows.  I do see one I sewed in the wrong order, so there will be some ripping done today.

 On to the next thing - homework with the sophomore.

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

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Snippets

My box blocks are the leader and enders between my star blocks, so I have a handful of teal scraps sewn for the week.

My handwork (besides the usual hexagon assembly) has been a flurry of jumeoni (pouches or pockets).  BJ wanted one to carry change at church, so I had to find a bit of orange in my silk scraps.

Of course, once I finished one, I wanted to make a few more, so I made one with pink silk scraps.
And then I made a gwi jumeoni (triangle ear pouch) in blue silk.  I have trouble making the two ears the same size!
With seven children and thirteen nieces and nephews, I’m sure I can find a good home at Christmas for any extra pouches I make.

I have a pile of blacks and gray scraps on my ironing board as I ponder the next jogakbo for my windows.  I have two finished, but the other two panels are still red curtains.  I’m sure it looks a bit peculiar to our (rare) visitors!

No one missed school last week, so I think we’re near the end of this round of allergies and colds!

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

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Stash Report Week #36 and 15 Minutes

 With a twin sized quilt finished and a cathedral window piece done minus minor decorations, I am counting some stash and scraps out this week.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 13 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 40 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 81 1/4 yards
YTD Total: 40 1/2 yards OUT

I like to think I won’t order any new fabric for the rest of the year until I make a few decisions on the hexagon quilt (order a backing from Vicki or dye my own?), a larger cathedral windows piece (how large do I want it to be?) and another ombré quilt (what colors and how large?).  I have plenty to finish: box blocks, 16 patch blocks, a wedding quilt, and an apron.  I really should focus on what I have for a few months!

I did work on hand sewing every day, both the hexagon quilt and my Korean sewing, so I have worked on hand sewing every day this year.

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

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Week’s End

 What a week.  I caught the cold or had severe allergies that turned into a bit of bronchitis, an ear infection, and to wrap it all up, a ruptured eardrum.  Thus, most of my week was spent sitting in my sewing room doing things that required little energy.  I’m doing better, almost done with my antibiotic, and I took the dog for a (short) walk for the first time all week.

After the quilting wrapped up (quickly, in spite of everything), the binding was a fantastic thing to keep me resting my body.  It’s been washed (twice) to deal with a pesky bleeding pink and is now quite cuddly and lovely.  I need to get it up to my sister for a friend’s child who went off to college.

I used all of my purple and pink 16 patches as well as most of my turquoise ones.  A few were too green for this quilt, so I set those aside.  The 2.5” scrap box still has plenty of fabric, even after all these 16-patches!

I was happy to find this quilt laid quite flat for quilting.  Sometimes I am lazy and end up with less than perfect quilts, and I pay for it in the quilting, but the straight lines for stabilizing had very few puckers.  Yay!

The backing is scrappy.  I don’t always love scrappy backings, but I really wanted to use the piece of turquoise and purple from an ice dyeing experiment, and there was ample pink to finish the backing.  The entire quilt finished about 74”x92”.  It’s sashed and bound with some fairy frost, so it has some fun sparkle.
I am almost done with my last yellow box block from last month, so here’s my pile of turquoise ready to go.
from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

August Block Count

 I thought I wrote this, but it seems to be lost somewhere or I never wrote it at all… August was a quiet block month, with only 42 16-patch...