I Like Thursday: Ends and Beginnings

Let's see if I have time to whip out this week's I Like Thursday post.  

I tested negative for covid.  Yay! 

We're moving back into the kitchen!  Obviously that floor needs to be done;  the work starts on Friday.  All that's left is a few minor tweaks.  Loading everything back in the cabinets is taking a while since the layout has changed.

I Like Thursday: Tantalizingly Close

Only one photo this week, but it goes with one massive like:  we have a kitchen sink and dishwasher.  Once the tiling is done the stove will be back up and running.  Look!  Doors with handles!  Finished trim!

There's still two cabinets that need to be replaced and the rest of the trim to go up.  The floor needs to be refinished.  After a month of nearly no work the end is in sight.

Happy dance!

Leaf Edges

My mother has asked for a sweatshirt appliqued with leaves (like this one I made years ago).  I haven't found a sweatshirt small enough for her, so I'm currently doing a practice run on an extra sweatshirt I have right now.  So far I'm having mixed results.

The leaves on the original sweatshirt were raw-edged applique that I glued then zig-zag stitched to the sweatshirt.  This was great for the the spiky leaves and sharp corners.  However, I set the zig-zag stitch too narrow and most of the leaves have partially peeled off (this photo was right after I completed it).  Given that the sweatshirt has been heavily used in the last 15 years, it still did pretty well.

Another Swirly Dresden

Years ago I found a really cool swirly dresden plate paper pieced pattern and used it to embellish a sweatshirt.  Loved the result, but turns out the sweatshirt was too big.  Not that I mind having a bulky sweatshirt, especially in winter, but was really loose.  The sleeves were too long as well; the cuffs were always in the way when cooking or washing my hands.  

I bought a couple of blank sweatshirts over the winter, because my mom wanted a version of my leaf sweatshirt.  (Hmm.. I appear to have made that before I started blogging - I'll have to dig up a photo.)  Turns out both sweatshirts were too big for her, but one of them fit me better than the oversized one.  I decided to make a new color wheel.

I Like Thursday: Looking Up

This summer have been a crap shoot.  Joining LeeAnna's group of bloggers for I Like Thursday has made me stop and focus on the good things.  

I'm not sure if things are generally looking up, or if I'm looking up to see bottom.  The summer "fun" continues!

Despite the hot weather and lack of rain the Peppermint Stick zinnia seeds my sister gave me have started to bloom.  They really are pretty and I hope to see more of them in the yard.

We then got a half inch of pouring rain on Monday night.  I think my entire garden sighed in relief.

Hexie Crumble

Hexie Crumble is finished and labeled.  I started this quilt in 2015.  I had just finished Shattered Kites and needed another crumb quilt to work on.  Quilt-as-you-go hexies had been featured on another blog and I thought: that would go great with crumbs!

I also was wishing for a portable project - something I could stuff in a bag and work on a bit at a time, like my knitting friends.  The idea was to make a stack of these hexies and hand stitch them together.  Timing is everything; the hexies were finished during the pandemic and I stitched everything at home.  It was a nice idea!

Each quilt-as-you-go crumb hexagon is finished with 2" sides.  Initially I made my own cardboard pattern.  Eventually it wore out so I made a pair of plexiglass templates and kept going.  Every time I finished a quilting project I'd sew up some more crumbs, cut some more backings and flannel for batting and create more hexies.  I averaged 20 hexagons at a time.

I Like Thursday: Birthday Bounty and Battling Bad Luck

Thursday already?  The week started out so well.  So let's focus on that for this week's I Like Thursday, shall we?  

Although unable to attend Family Weekend, I at least spent some quality time with my sister.  Sunday morning was cool and sunny - a beautiful time to go kayaking.  I have not seen the water so low in the pond.  We desperately need some rain. 

August OMG - I Can Only Pick One?

July was a month of no motivation.  My goal was simply to survive the month.  But in the last week or so, my quilting mojo started to reawaken.  Last weekend it hit in a storm - you can see the aftermath.  There's eight different projects going on there.

1. dress  2. crumbs  3. selvedge blocks  4. strings  5. color wheel sweatshirt
6. next baby quilt  7. baby quilt after that  8. leafy sweatshirt