P.P.P

Pandemic project progress...try saying that fast 3 times! One of my least favourite pass times is auditioning fabrics. I take forever choosing, removing, trying again, walking away and returning to the same dilemma. Honestly, if I didn't just give in at times and settle with my choices despite not being happy, I would never get any quilts pieced. So, here are blocks 4 and 5 of the B.O.M pieced after much huffing , puffing and grrrrring.

Here is how they will be pieced together.

I have not yet added lace or doilies ( doilys) ? But I have pinned some lace on the 2nd block. I haven't got much lace in my stash and I really don't wish to cut into my grandmothers' doilies but I do have some crocheted ones from an Op Shop .

What am I doing here? ...

Well, I decided to needle turn hexies to the border squares instead of circles. ( Each block should have these attached but I am leaving it until I can make several at once).  I basted a few hexies ready to use when, thankfully, I decided to revisit the size of the finished squares. Ooops! My hexies were waaay too big. So, not wanting to order one pack of smaller hexie papers online , I decided to improvise and cut the used and new ones I had. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! 

Have you improvised much during lockdown? 

Angel Blessings.

CATCHING UP

There has been no doubt that it is winter this week! Icey winds, heavy rain, and dark skies have seen the barometric pressure drop and created perfect stitching days. Unfortunately, my body does not take kindly to such weather and some days I am unable to stitch due to the pain medication which seems to effect my eyes or I am far too weary.  Sometimes I stitch regardless but my stitches are not as good and I end up unpicking or just leaving them as they are. So, here are the BOM blocks.

                  
               3 of July's ( one more to go).

I have nearly caught up despite joining months after it started. Yey!  One complete and one half done for August.

I have taken an interest in a thing called "Scrumbling" so I ordered a book online which I thought may help. It is not what I expected but it does have a few ideas and instructions which shall be useful. Silly me! I thought I could play around with scraps of yarn...then I remembered I gave it all away for charity knitting when I had a big clean up! Dah! 

I do have yarn to play with, just not scraps so I may have to order some different textured yarns online or wait until shops reopen here.  If you want to see what " scrumbling" is, take a peek on You Tube. There are heaps of lovely things there.

Another book from my pile has been read. It wasn't until I was half way through that I realised it is a sequal to "The Lavendar Farmer" which I haven't read. It isn't important to this book and now I know what happens to the main character I feel there is no point in reading it .

Enjoy these quiet times, keep safe, and keep smiling. 

Angel Blessings.

WEEKLY POST

This past week has been another slow one. Fatigue has visited me the last 3 days which means I haven't done much stitching but I did stitch a bit beforehand .

June's stitcheries are finished and the little circular one is the last of May's.

I decided to do the bouquet bow with fill -in  back stitches instead of satin stitch.  I just had enough of the purple thread and ended up with a mere 4" left ! Soooo lucky.

With a bit of luck I can start stitching July's this afternoon but it will take a bit to get in the zone. I am hoping to visit all your blogs soon. I only seem to post once a week and I tend to look at your blogs weekly too. I am sorry if I have missed some of your posts as I know some of you post more often.

Keep safe and well.

Angel Blessings.

SLOW STITCHING

I have been enjoying some more stitching of , what I call, my pandemic project. I am piecing block 3 which is the BOM for March but I am having difficulties choosing the colours for the 2 thin strips on the bottom. Thus no pics yet.  However, I did complete the last stitchery for May

I have one of June's stitcheries in my hoop.

July's are traced.

I am so over this new blogger! I think I will try to get the old one back. 

Angel Blessings.

STILL STITCHING

Oh dear! Blogger has changed everything on me. It took me ages to work out how to do a

new post and I just hope I remember how I got here. Today I cut fabric to piece block 2 of the BOM. It has taken me days to figure out which fabrics to use. So much auditioning, a day or 2 stepping away and coming back. So, here is block 2 ready to be pieced.

Well, that wasn't painless! The pic landed in the middle of the writing at first. Let's see what happens next. 

I have finished April's stitcheries.

One of May's is done.

Now to work out how to publish this. All the icons have changed and they keep disappearing. I must be in the twilight zone.

Angel Blessings

" I STITCH"

Thank goodness for " I Stitch" BOM. I am so pleased that I eventually succumbed as it has proven to be good therapy for me. Each day I hear my holiday neighbours coming and going several times a day despite there only being 4 reasons to go out during lockdown. I wonder where they go as I am not permitted to visit my daughter and grandsons only 15 minutes away, nor my parents only 10 minutes away unless dropping off their shopping or care giving. Obviously there are different rules for holiday people who relocated for lockdown despite being told not to. Our numbers of Covid 19 cases are rising here and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out a likey reason. Bah humbug!  

So, I have been enjoying some stitching.  I have pieced part of the 1st block but need to cut some squares and circles for the top and left side.

The stitcheries for March have been finished.

April's well on the way.

I have been rummaging through my  fabric remnants I keep for applique trying to find pieces suitable for those squares and circles I mentioned. Maybe I will have at least one block finished soon. 

As they say ,( whoever"they" are)....keep stitching and carry on.

Angel Blessings.

PANDEMIC FASHION TREND

A new fashion trend has emerged since masks are now compulsory here.  Disposable masks are very popular as they can be disposed of after one wear but that will certainly add to the budget and environmental issues. Wear and wash ones are all over the internet to purchase although long delays may be a problem. I was surprised to see people wearing some beautiful and amusing home made masks when I was shopping on Wednesday.  I decided to make my own with ties as the ones with elastic tend to slip over my eyes every time I look down . After much internet searching I finally found, what I consider, to be the easiest tutorial which is Missouri Star Quilters'  You tube tutorial. As I was only using fabric in my stash , the only problem was finding matching fabric for the ties as it requires 40" lengths by 2 1/2". I discovered some black homespun in a drawer for my first mask.

I had a few lovely comments from people in the supermarket. 

My daughter ordered some online from a local girl  but wouldn't receive them in time so I made 2 for her . I texted pics of various fabrics to her and she chose these.

That pink looking one is actually lilac and the ties were made from strips left over from my angel quilt joined lengthways. I was lucky to find a length of the white and blue floral in a drawer to make the ties on the blue one. They fit really well.

I remember reading that Parisian women carried beautiful gas mask boxes during the war instead of all being the same.

Much stitching has been happening here.  I finished the January stitcheries for the BOM.

February's also done.

I started one of March's.

The April ones have been traced.

I really need to start piecing the first 2 blocks or else I will end up with a box of stitcheries stashed away. I am trying really hard to not to that again.

I finished this book last night. It is a different style of book for me but it was quite enjoyable. The chapters are brief, the story slowly unfolds about the main character at a lovely pace and the end completely surprised me. I did guess something else though. Not telling! 

Angel Blessings.