Monday Meanderings - 9 - 23 - 2024

I had a great week visiting in North Carolina.  As usual I brought way more projects to work on than there was time.  I was very happy to finish two projects and move another project ahead.  Here's the skinny on my goals for last week. 

9/16/24

✅Keep stitching on the ornaments — a little done. Need to focus a little more as there are 4 to make. 

✅Drive to Sharon’s for a quilting get together — great time! 

√Put double border on purple floral top — one border on, need to evaluate 2nd. 

✅Put facing on Sea Side Village — done, better picture to come.

✅Cut out and make happy blocks, lay out and sew the top — finished top. Need backing. 

√Finish the panel top — good start, need to evaluate border and size of top. 

This little quilt is actually done but I forgot to take a picture.  I chose to face it rather than bind it as I didn't want the binding to take away from the picture.  I'll try to get a new picture this coming week to share next Monday. I sure hope it isn't crooked like it looks in the picture. 

This top took me way more time to finish than it should have. I was sewing the blocks together when I realized one of the blocks had slits through the frame.  I never noticed that while laying out the top but ugh. I had to use some of Sharon's fabric to finish it. (Not that she minded -- she has a lot of fabric also!)  It's hanging in the "to-be-quilted" closet.  I have several tops before I'll get to this one.  I've told myself to quit making so many happy block quilts.  Except I have two more groupings of blocks in different sizes. I'll have to add more blocks. Sigh. 

The panel top got to this stage late afternoon of the last day.  I have a brown border planned for it but I didn't want to work on it when I was tired. (That's when I start making mistakes -- when I'm really tired.) Pat thought it would make a good quilt to hang in our entry way.  I'm donating this one to the guild to send it off where it is needed.  But somewhere I have another panel so I could make another one. If I can find it.  The starburst top and bottom is from a Villa Rosa card called October Sky and was published in 2021.  I had to add to the panel to bring it to the size of the starburst. Hopefully it will be a finished top this week. 

On January 1, 2023 I participated in a Merry Mayhem mystery quilt.  I finished the main part a long time ago.  While looking through my closet I saw this hanging with the necessary fabrics  and decided it was time to finish it.

 

I got the light purple border on Sunday afternoon.  I have been tired from driving and not sleeping as well as I usually do at Sharons. So most of the day I unpacked, did a little shopping for dog things and then sat around most of the afternoon. The first border was finished before dinner.  And, now I'm trying to decide if I need the second border.  It would be repeating the dark purple squares.  If I don't add another border, the dark purple will be the binding.  I forget the size it is now -- maybe 55 x 66". Or that might be before the first border.  The pattern says to add a 4.5" border on all sides.  That seems huge to me for lap quilt.  Do you have an opinion? I'm inclined to say no border.  And it definitely won't be 4.5".  Maybe a smaller one.  

Here are my goals for this week.  We have a couple of days of watching grands as both parents have to be out of town for work.  It doesn't happen all that often so we don't mind doing it. We'll see if I can get through all of these goals -- mostly after we are home. 

9/23/24

Keep stitching on the ornaments 

Evaluate purple floral top, does it need 2nd border

Finish the panel with border 

Pull out Halloween top to see what to do to finish

Quilt one or two of my quilts

I was able to stitch every day this past week. Yesterday after I got home (5 hour drive!) I made a point of knitting for 15 minutes except I was at it for over 45! I was happy to start another of the little winter hats I make to donate. 

15 Minutes of Stitching:

W/ending 9/22  — 266 days in to 2024. 

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/Sept = 21/22
• 15 minute days/2024 = 256/266 days
• Success rate = 96.2%

Just before I left I ordered one of Connecting Threads Stash and Save specials.  It was called Chambray Tonals Landscape Fall Quarter Sampler of 24 fat quarters.  The price with shipping and tax came to $43.94 which is less than $1.83 per fat quarter or & 7.32 a yard. It came while I was gone. Oooooh! Aahhh! Today I washed the lights.  I'll get to the darks one of these days. These are going to be great blenders.

Lights.

Darks.

I like that they give a card showing all the colors and their names if I ever want to buy yardage.  I'm looking forward to using some of these soon. I've got to make some acorns to go with the maple leaves I made a while ago. They will be in a lottery at retreat.  Maybe some of these fabrics will work. 

Tonight I was watching a tv show and putting online puzzles together instead writing my blog.  So, I'm ending here.  Please take some time to look at some of the bloggers who link up with Stitching Stuff at Life in Pieces, Oh Scrap at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework, Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, and Monday Musing at Songbird Designs.  

When I went to post on Stitching Stuff she headlined her blog as Week 38 of 2024. Time is flying by!  I hope you have a great week planned. Before we know it December will be pushing into January 2025. Yikes! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie