Quilts and Crosses

It has been a busy couple of months finishing up my first semseter of nurse practitioner school, taking care of the winter house prep, and working on my crafts. I have had a lot of great things going on. Sometimes it is hard to see through the stress, but being able to write something like this reminds me that there is a lot of enjoyment between the difficult moments.

This week I finished my first large quilt which I put together from beginning to end. I learned so much while I was doing it. Now I'm looking forward to the next one!!

This picture doesn't include the binding, but that is done. It is black. I am looking forward to snuggling underneath it with a bood book over the holidays.

I also got back my Snail Trail quilt. This one went out to a long arm quilter for finishing because I am still trying to figure out free motion quilting and I wasn't ready to mess the one that goes on my bed up that much!

I am so excited about how it came out. It is really special going to bed every night under a quilt I made.

I did start the new quilt. This is the fabric selection I am using:

It is Boundless Rhapsody Prints Awaken. I have cut all the pieces, but will hold off on posting that so the final layout is more of a surprise.

I started the next letter for the Black & White project. The letter... "G". There isn't much to it, but here it is:

I also was able to get a bunch done on the Fun and Fancy Free project by Summer House Stitche Workes during the stitching day this past weekend. We had about 14 people show up. My friend Mindy arranged it and Gail helped put it together. First the group pic:

And of course, people brought delightful food:

And this is where the project is at currently:

It was so wonderful getting together with my stitching friends, meeting a few new people, sharing tiips and just enjoying the sunshine through the windows. We met at a new crafting space called Make and More which is just getting started...what a great idea this place is!! The owner bought an old church and had it renovated to allow crafting groups a place to gather and do the things that make us so happy. Brilliant!

So now the day is coming to an end. Time to study for my last exam while stitching. Yes!

A Finish and More Framing

Yesterday I completed another letter in my art deco alphabet series. I started rthsi booger in June. But much has happened since then. I was thrilled to put in the last stitch...

Ta da....the letter "H". I am officially half-way done with the letters. I have "G" set up for the next bit, but decided to work some on my Fun and Fancy Free project...

I am lucky that I can stitch while I listen to my pathophysiology lectures. So relaxing :-).

I also picked up the last of the framing the other day. I love this project. Mom got it for me a long while back when she was at one of the national parks in the US Southwest. What a great find!

I can't believe I found a frame so perfect for it.

I feel so good about being able to enjoy so many more of the projects I completed. Some even found their way to friend's homes for their enjoyment. Time to get back to stitching!

So Many Framed Projects!!!

This past weekend I stopped by my shop to pick up 15 of 16 projects I dropped for framing. I stitched a bit too. Overall I give the weekend an A+ just for that. And here they are...

Boy does that feel good!! The projects were completed over about 10 years. It was amazing to get them all at the same time.

It Slipped My Mind

As usual, there is so much going on that I lose track of things. I completed a project and then forgot that I had done so...gasp! Back in August, a month ago now, I finished Trouvez l'Intrus. It was a fun project! The title translates to "find the intruder" or in the US vernacular "which of these things is not like the other." I was surprised at how quickly it worked up.

I finally remembered because I decided to visit A Stitcher's Garden to say hi and drop off some projects for framing...15 projects! For some reason I decided to bring the entire box of completed projects with me. There are still over 20 hanging out in the box waiting for something to happen. I hope the framing person, Jackie, doesn't hate me. Oddly, another person came in just after Jan, the owner, had finished writing up all of my framing orders to have another 4 or more done. It must be the full moon.

I'm still plugging along on the letter H. I didn't get a progress photo this week however. I have been so busy because I decided to go back to school for my Family Nurse Practitioner degree. It is the super part time program and I'm happily doing only 2 classes at a time because the union I belong to only pays for about that many credits per year. It is an acceptable course load and allows me to still get in a hike or two on the weekend and some stitching! I am glad for that.

Sailing Away

It seems like ages ago (actually 1 month) that I finished the letter "E" in the art deco alphabet collection:

I started the letter H:

And mad pretty good progress on it while I was on the plane to my vacation vin paradise!! Last week I was on a cruise in the Caribbean. It was amazing. I had such a good time that I booked another trip!

How could it get better than that?! Hanging out with a wild booby in the Bahamas....or

Kayaking in Jamaica?

So, of course, the way that I decided to commemorate this trip was to stitch up a little project. One for each of me and my friend who joined me:

So happy!!

Finish and Work on a New Skill

This week was busy, but I carved out some time to work on my stitching. I was able to complete "Here Lies Thy Needle". I had a mixed relationship with this project, but ultimately now that it is complete I really love it

I have no idea what I will do with this yet...so it will sit in the completed project box for a while. Someday I will do something with the pile!

I also started learning how to machine quilt this week. This is the first time I have tried freehand quilting. My first efforts are a little rickety, but I expect I will improve as I work my way through the quilt.

I am taking a little time working on my Art Deco alphabet saga for a bit. I am working on the letter E currently The colors are subtle and interesting. I am hoping to make a lot of progress today between the Sunday errands.

Just Trying to Survive...

It was quite a dangerous day today. First there was the stabbing...I received the sharp end of the stick, as it were, when I was trying to fix my siding today (which I gave up on) using a 4x4 and got a good 3mm splinter. Then, I was tutoring and in my excitement to teach about pancreatic issues, a bloody mess occured due to a nasty paper cut. Finally, while I was stitching, my cat was possessed by the spirit of a cougar...an angry, angry cougar. Fortunately, no tendons were damaged. I did, however, sustain a tiny little bite and a couple of irritating scratches which became quite inflamed for about 15 minutes. I decided it was best to maintain my distance and nap for a bit.

Yesterday I stopped by the stitching shop and had a visit with a few of the ladies with whom I stitch. I picked out the rest of the threads for the Art Deco alphabet and was able to show off my completed letter R...

I am thrilled to have completed this one. I really enjoyed working with the natural coloration of the threads. For this project I decided to use a pile of the Silkweaver Solos I had in my stash (mind you this project was started in 2007, I think) and a single color hand-dyed thread for the whole letter. Mostly this is because I feel that the letters are lovely and, indeed, should be stitched in a single color to show off their form, but that there is no way I would ever be able to stitch 26 100x100 projects in black on white fabric. If that isn't a sure way for someone to commit harikari...well, it pretty much is. So forget that. This particular letter, as you may note, appears to be stitched in two different colors of green. Mai non, I just pulled out some of the darker portions of the thread for the leaves. Aren't I quite the sneaky one??!!

I was planning on starting the letter E next, but based on the converation at the shop I think it might be best if I start on the letter O. It was determined by the group that is is a rather creepy letter as there are a bunch of eyeballs on it. I was thinking that if I was to save it for last I would never finish the project because that letter is possibly cursed and that it would result in an untimely death, thus leaving the project uncompleted. Maybe it is best if I just get it done!

I also am working to wrap up Thy Needle which appears to have become like Mindy's chicken project (Free Bird by Plum Street Sampler)...lots of frogging. I made some good progress, but ended up pulling out an end motif when I realized I was off by two stitches and that it would be noticeable. If it isn't going to be noticeble this stuff just gets left... the world isn't perfect and really, it is just stitching people! This is my progress as of earlier today...

I actually have completed a bit more than this, but I take the photo when it occurs to me.

With that I shall now sign off. I had the flu recently and it has quite wiped me out. I am hoping tomorrow I shall awake refreshed and ready for a full work day. Be Well!

Two Steps Forward...

I think my new motto will be "two steps forward, stand your ground till the nonsense passes, keep going". It's been a good year so far. I passed the first of my three certification exams for my Wound, Ostomy and Continence certification (CWOCN). I am really enjoying the work I do and have learned so much in almost a year of this. I decided to go back to school part-time in the fall to work towards a Nurse Practitioner license. I am starting the process of getting a few things fixed around my new house. I have been able to even take time to relax and work on some projects.

My quilting journey is definitely enjoyable, but I am still making time to cross stitch. Sadly, no photos since the lion (which Matt enjoyed as a late Xmas gift). I have made significant progress on my Letter R for the Black and White art deco project (which is nowhere near black and white) and on my Thy Needle project. Hopefully I will have a new pic to post in the near future of a stitching finish.

I went out to another stitching night at A Stitcher's Garden and had a great time. I even stopped by yesterday for a few hour to stitch with Gail, Sue, and Jan. Maybe I should study?

This morning I finished the quilt top for the project I'm working on for my bed. I started preparing the sandwich, but don't really have anywhere in the house big enough to lay it out for pin basting. So I pinned around a middle block and will do my usual method of winging it with things like this. I'm sure it will come out just fine. I gave myself plenty of room and just need to pace myself...but not this week since the next exam is Wednesday. Here is the photo of the quilt top...

The photo does not do the colors justice. The fabric in the upper left corner of the photo is the back of the backing. It is so shiny and gorgeous. I think I will be using teal thread for the quilting so it will show on the white. I haven't quite decided yet.

In the meantime, time to take another two steps by studing a bit more for my exam.

All the best!

New Year! Good Year?

Welcome to 2019! My goal for this year is to not take any classes for credit for work . Not that I don't love learning, but I would like to live a little poutside my work hours for a bit! And I would like to take some classes in stitching and quilting!

In the first week of this new year I put together a full quilt top. This is my first ever big quilt. I still need to sandwich, baste, quilt and bind it...no small feat. I'm pretty excited about this.

I saw this pattern online and figured out how to assemble it without a pattern. I'm feeling pretty good about how it looks. I learned so much assembling this. My next quilt top should be even better! I have one that I am planning to complete for my bed, but I wanted to try something else first so I don't mess up too much on the one I will be sleeping with every night.

I also finished up the last of the Zodiac sign projects which I bought from Thailand.

I find it amusing that the Thai company did Zodiac signs. It came out pretty good.

I am in the middle of studying for some certification exams, so I won't be able to stitch a lot during the first quarter of the year. But I am planning to start another letter in the art deco alphabet (Black & White) and finish Thy Needle.

Happy New Year!