Thursday, May 24, 2012

Lots of thinking

Well I suppose the flaming bagel wasn't a sign of the Apocalypse after all, as it is Thursday and we are all still here. You are here, aren't you? Good. Thanks for all your kind comments. I'm thinking I may get a toaster oven. I'm still evaluating the options. Did I mention that I was toasting the bagel at home so I could use my own cream cheese and save a few pennies. Another vivid example of why I'm not a thrifty person.

So I'm in a state of flux as I can't decide what I want to start next. Not that I should be starting something new, I should liberate a project from its plastic tomb, I mean box or bag, and work on something that is already started. I have a bajillion ideas bouncing around in my brain. My chicken quilt is almost finished, and for me this is the time I lose focus, as my attention span is about a nanosecond in length. Visions of quilts I saw on BQF are dancing in my head (its just like Christmas). And, I did a quick look-see of my stash of precuts and there are at least 10 quilts that I could make. With the 3 day weekend beckoning me to sew sew sew I need to make some kind of plan, I think.... maybe.... we'll see....

Meanwhile, back in my basement lair, sewing area, I did a little stacking and whacking. First I cut fabric for my BFF Stephie. She's recovering from shoulder surgery and I think she can push fabric through the machine. Then I got out some of my Phillip Jacobs fabric and pinned it. Remember this one...


I pinned this 3 different times since first I thought I'll do the square and do 4 repeats, then I thought I'll do something with 8 repeats as it turned out I had more fabric than I thought, and then I thought I'll do the hexagon which is 6 repeats. Can you tell there was a lot of thinking but decision making was sorely lacking. So I stopped after the third go round and whacked it and these are some of the blocks I'm seeing.


I think (there's that word again) this would make a great one block wonder with the hexagons melding into one another. But this will require real thinking and decision making and time spent on the design wall to ponder possibilities. And I'm not up to that much work. Soooooo.... this came in the mail on Monday.


Willie's Quaker Band Sampler from Monasterium Designs. I've looked at this one for over a year and just about 2 weeks ago I ordered it and I LOVE it! I'm using 32 count cream linen and it will measure about 30" in length and be about 6" in width.


There are 4 pages to the design and I'm about 2/3 of the way done with the first page. It is stitching up quickly. Now I did change all the flosses. I was surprised that the ones called for are very pale. I redid the palette in deeper shades. You need 2 shades of several colors, mine are gold, olive, taupe, rose, blue-green and marigold. I'm stitching most of the alphabet in a deep gold - DMC 781 - and I'm doing the C and the N - my boys initials in DMC 731. I've gotten a lot of stitching done the last 2 days as the weather has been perfect for sitting on my screen porch. And I find that when I can't make decisions about other projects, cross stitch is my go to activity since most of the decisions have already been made for me. I like that cross stitching gives my mind time to wander (although that may not be a good thing).

So in the end I still don't know exactly what quilt project I'll work on next. Stay tuned... film at 11... or whenever.

If you are starting your holiday weekend tomorrow, be safe and have lots of fun!

Happy stitching-
carol fun





14 comments:

  1. Yep, yep, yep. You could be my mothers other daughter. She is still working on the alphabet too. :0).

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  2. My goodness - that's a monsterously sized Quaker Carol! Your color pallet is wonderful.

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  3. Your hexagons are gorgeous! Fantastic work on the fussy cutting, how big are the hexagons, by the way?
    Love your colour choices of the Quaker Band Sampler =)

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  4. I "think" you should go with the stack and whack. They are gorgeous and it's almost half done!! lol. Otherwise I'd vote for releasing something out of it's plastic tomb and letting it have a breath of fresh air. It's been biding it's time patiently waiting to be a 'star' -- at least that's what mine are telling me. Have fun with whatever you decide to do.

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  5. See, this is a lesson in reading posts out of order. I read your first sentence and thought, "What in the world? Did I miss something? I must have missed something. What did I miss? Oh shoot, I forgot to buy tape yesterday." I've been up since 3 am because I wanted to see hubby off as he went to help the neighbors today. 3 am is today, isn't it? Thinking I will need a nap! That cross stitch pattern is gorgeous and just so you know, I blame you for the fact that I can't stop searching for new cross stitch patterns. I received one the other day and hubby laughed, "And when do you think your going to have the time to stitch that?" My answer? "Carol made me do it".

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  6. Great post! Hmmmm "lair, stacking and whacking" sounds all mid-evil like.

    Ok, let me know when you are hitting the screened in porch, I'll be over with some tea and goodies and my crochet, too.

    Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.. Blessings always to you and yours and for all those who serve and have served to keep us all free. :)

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  7. That's such a pretty sampler pattern! I haven't done any cross stitch in a long time, but seeing that is making me want to do some!

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  8. Gosh, it's just amazing what you can do with that fabric. I love these blocks as much as the others you did a while ago.

    Wonderful sampler too - I don't think that I've seen a quaker pattern that was long like that.

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  9. I sure like that fabric and the way it looks having been whacked.

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  10. You're so funny! And I totally followed every word because that's how my brain works! I start so many different projects.....get them to wear I see that IF I finished it would turn out the way I wanted...then my eyes wander and I get the excitement of starting something completely different. Then I have to MAKE myself finish what I started {sometimes}. ;)

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  11. You have had some week Carol. I hope your Memorial Day is nice and quiet and stitch filled. :o)

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  12. You sure do know how to whack a fabric!! Love it! And what a great stitching design - looking forward to seeing more of this one.

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  13. I've done a few stack and whacks and have fabric for another (bought it ages and ages and ages ago and then it got "put away" and it never got made, but someday!). I spent most of Memorial weekend doing hand applique on the border for a quilt. I love hand work.

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  14. Ruminating by starting a new project--I love the way your mind works--but I totally understand it, lol! Sometimes things just must percolate for awhile...

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