Quilt math

I have been thinking more about my question from last week, whether I can even get through all of the flowers for this quilt this year (I dare not aspire to finishing the quilt top, since I don't even know what fabric I'm using for the white hexagons in between, and they will be so much work...). I've got 30.5 weeks left this year, and 53 flowers still to finish, so I should aim to finish at least 2 per week whenever possible (understanding that there will be at least 4 weeks when I don't meet that in full or in part). Oof!!

In bad news, this past week was not an exemplary week along those lines - I made progress on the red flower (see?) but that's it. 

In good news, I am about to go on big vacation #2 for the year, and will have time in the airport/on planes to sew. Need to make sure my little sewing light is all charged up. :D

Full flowers: 11/64 (4 started)

- Catherine 

Quilting in the land of the midnight sun

I have returned from vacation, to a destination in the north! Not the same place as last year, but still SO MUCH SUNLIGHT. Thank goodness for blackout curtains. 

I was delighted to discover (on an afternoon when Evil Twin was napping, so no pressure to be speedy in my browsing, even better!) a quilt store in one of the little towns we were in, including some fabric swatches with designs from local artists (mostly fish) and a fish applique! It's like the local culture is strongly linked to fish or something. :P

I also did get in some sewing on the trip up, and have had several hours to sew this week while watching some season finales and webinars. Making progress, see!? 

My first post that I can find about these hexagons was January 13, when I had 3 and a bit done. Will I be able to finish them this year??

Full flowers: 11/64 done (4 started)

- Catherine

Knock knock

This week I made no progress on the mystery cross-stitch, as Mom decided that we should play cards instead of doing arts and crafts. Despite not remembering that she has ever played the game before, her instincts remain on point; she knocked in the final game, collecting only 4 points, but that was all she needed! Next time...

I did make a bit of progress on the flowers watching some training videos and cycling recaps. The final seams of the hexagons are so tedious, because there's so much fabric to deal with. I need to figure out how to focus only on the exact parts I'm sewing together and not try to gather the rest up in my hands, because that is going to become impossible once I start assembling the flowers into larger groups. Something to work on. Anyway, here's what's changed since the last photo - I completed blue, added one more purple seam, and forged a tiny green connection.

We go on vacation next week, so I hope to have some time at the airport to sew more. We'll see!

Full flowers: 9/64 done (4 started)

- Catherine

Yay for webinars

This week I was catching up on some webinars for work, so was able to get in a bit of sewing on the flowers - yellow is almost done and blue is in the running for next to finish! The fact that I didn't just finish the ones that were already more progressed is either due to the fact that the single seams (constructing the strips) are much easier than the multi-seams (sewing the strips together) or a general reflection of my chaotic brain and inability to power through boring tasks, or both. Sigh.

I also got some work done on my mystery cross-stitch on Tuesday! It's so tiny!!

Full flowers: 8/64 done (5 started)

- Catherine

Q is for quilt

I find it entertaining and useful to make an alphabet-based to-do list for weekend activities/chores/errands, etc. It is very handy to be working on so many quilts for this purpose! 

Here is my progress on mystery cross-stitch from last week:

And here is my progress on the quilt flowers! I finished the orange one while zooming with my book club today; knowing that I was planning to blog was a good motivation to do it! Creating the strips is much easier than sewing the strips together, so it might look impressive but all the hard work is still ahead on these. :P

It's so fun to see all your projects and violets, Margie! And thanks for the encouragement. :) I agree, make the same mistake bottom left (or top left?) and no one will ever know. 

Full flowers: 8/64 done (4 started)

- Catherine

It's taking soooooo long!

Well, I have to report that I am missing a magical being to work on my projects while I sleep.  After reading all those fairy tales growing up, this seemed like a more common occurrence than it's turning out to be.

The biggest problem is a lack of free time.  I'm taking Spanish 2, so my Monday and Wednesday evenings are lost por hablo español.  I've added another committee at church, which has monthly meetings and stuff to do in between meetings.  Jeff and I exercise after work every other day, and then it's time to make dinner when we're done.  If we're not exercising, then we walk for about an hour after dinner.  Just not enough time!  I need a time turner!

There have been some trips lately, but I haven't made as much progress as I would like.  Here's where things stand - I have five more colors to go on the stripey shawl.  

I've started the decreases on the waist for Catherine's sweater.  This is the slowest project by far.  I have made more progress since this picture.

I'm almost done with the first ball of yarn for Jeff's scarf.  This is usually my TV project, but we haven't been watching much TV lately.  It's over 2 ft long.  No current picture for that one.

Nothing else has been started.  I did, however, decide to participate in a knit-along, where a bunch of people will all knit these cute new socks "together" online.  They've got short legs, so I think they'll go quickly.  Plus, I always need to use up sock yarn!  

Other excitement... Ginny got sick before my trip to Minnesota.  She had mastitis, probably from excessive licking?  It was not fun.  Jeff and The Boy did a great job medicating her while I was gone.

Smallest gave me some African Violets last summer and they are finally blooming!

Oh!  I have a cross stitch dilemma!  (speaking of cross stitch, I think you need to pick up some 0.5 power reading glasses for your new project!) I have been working on the border and realized I messed up!  I have already ripped out parts of the side twice, and the error is up at the top right corner.  I do NOT want to rip it out again, so I think the answer is to make a corresponding mistake at the bottom left corner?

I think that's all I know at the moment.  I only have one trip this month, to see Smallest in her end of the year performance.  She has been auditioning for companies this spring and has two apprentice offers, so I think she will take one of those over taking another trainee position.  It's either Minneapolis, MN or Manassas, VA!  If we go by the strange coincidence that everyone seems to be 1000 miles away, it's Minneapolis, but we'll have to wait and see.

You're making great progress on all your things!  I am impressed!

A cross-stitch mystery

This Tuesday I got started on one of my cross-stitch projects (where there aren't colors listed; I mentioned this in section 3 from my last post). The fabric I picked is so small in gauge that I had to take my glasses off & hold it right up to my face to know where the needle goes. It's kind of weird when the needle comes up right toward your eyeball! :O But, it's coming along well so far. Can you guess what it's going to be? 

I also had a training where I only needed about 5% of the information given, so made a little progress on the purple hexagon. My first trip this month is in two days, so I'll hope to finish these two and start some others! Having a needle close to my eye (for the cross-stitch) definitely doesn't seem like a safe plane activity...

Full flowers: still 7/64 done (2 started)

- Catherine