Full Stop

 I  made some additional progress on the new quilt top out of the Parts Department. Built a couple of 12" blocks out of 6" parts and then sashed the blocks with scrap strips to mimic the Chinese Coins columns I intend to put between and on either side of these three columns.

But now I seem to be suffering from a flare of carpal tunnel syndrome. I tried a bit of needlework...

And had to quit due to the shooting pain up my forearm. This was meant to be my ATC for week 50 of the #52tagshannemade project. My hope of having a complete set of ATC's by the end of the year has evaporated. I am determined to fulfill the final prompts eventually, it just won't happen this year, darn it. There won't be much, if any, progress on quilts in the immediate future either. Both arms are acting up actually, the left less than my dominant right side, but enough to keep me from using either to the extent I normally would. {sigh} This is NOT FUN. 😒 I am feeling more like the Grinch this Christmas than Sally-Mae Who (or whatever her name is). 

May your holidays be brighter than mine this year! ❤️

Scrap Happy in December

 How is it possible that we are halfway through the month of December already?! Having just finished up what's absolutely necessary in preparation for Christmas I turned my attention to busting some scraps. 

First I sewed up these 3" (finished) half-square triangle units.

And then I sewed up another batch. 

 There are over 100. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them yet. 

The destruction wrought by a spate of tornadoes through the central US over the weekend spurred me to get out blocks from my Parts Department to see what I could pull together for a potential donation quilt.

 Pondered them overnight, dug out some parts I'd made that I could turn into a few more 12" (finished) blocks, and arrived at this point:

I'm thinking I will build this quilt in a strippy format (vertical columns). These pieced blocks will be the focal columns and I'll use the leftover 6" Chinese Coins strips friends in my local guild made for the four alternate columns. It remains to be seen how well that will work.

I now have blocks for these three columns but still have to decide what to do about sashing them. 

 It will definitely be fabric I already have on hand. I have fabric that's been donated from another quilter's stash I can probably use for a back... but let's not get ahead of ourselves! 

This scrappy link party is hosted by Kate in Australia and Gun in Sweden with participants all around the globe. Everyone posts in their own time zone on the 15th of each month if/when they have something to share. There will be inspiring projects in an assortment of mediums. 😊

Kate, Gun, Eva, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, Jill,
Claire, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen, Bekki, Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L,
Vera, Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Bear, Preeti, Edith, Debbierose

And if I don't get back here again before the year is over, I hope all my readers have a safe and happy holiday season! 🎁

Christmas Sewing Finished

At least for the time being. I'm not planning to do any more than these 14 potholders but you never know!

 I actually made 16 potholders, one more set than I really need.

No doubt I will find someone or somewhere to gift them. 😉

I'm having trouble with my new eyeglasses. (They're not that new anymore - got them about six months ago.) We've changed out the nose pads, installed something called a nose bridge, and still my nose feels like it's been bruised at the end of a day wearing them. I cannot function without my glasses. Well, maybe at very close range but that's all. I'll be calling the vision clinic to order up the new prescription for my old frames in the morning. 

I have fallen behind on the #52tags project. I know, I haven't been sharing most of my ATC's for that project here. They go on Instagram when I've completed one and remember to post it. Probably won't be doing much on Instagram after this year. I'm just not a social media kind of gal. I have been thinking about a year-long project for next year though. One piece a month probably, like the Bead Journal Project I did for a few years. I do like journaling through my textile work one way or another. I intend to get caught up with my ATC's for #52tagshannemade but holiday preparations get the higher priority at this time of year. 😊

Scrap Happy in November

 Honestly, if it weren't for this link party hosted by Kate and Gun I might not update this blog for weeks at a time! I way behind on reading the posts of others too. Oh well. I'm doing the best I can. 😌

I have begun a few more potholders since my last post. 

Most will become gifts for the holiday season so I won't show more of them yet.

These are turning out to be a great way to use up some of my older yardage. At the same time, they create more scraps to use in future blocks.  The only new material that goes into them is the heat reflective layer that goes between the two layers of scrap batting. 

The new scraps - and a lot of old ones - are going into more blocks for the Parts Department.

Not that the Parts Dept. is in any real need of them. 😉

 The greater need is for me to put them to good use somehow!

Some of the blocks added to the Parts Dept. recently were made entirely of batik scraps. All of these blocks will finish at 6" square (in spite of how large they might appear). The potholders finish at 8" square.

 Hopefully one of these days I'll have the well-being to begin a larger project.

Below is the current link list for those who usually participate in our Scrap Happy Day postings on the 15th of each month. They may or may not have a scrappy project to share every time but their blogs are inspiring nevertheless. 😊

Kate, Gun, Eva, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, Jill,
Claire, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule,
Gwen, Bekki, Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L,
Vera, Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Bear,
Carol, Preeti, Edith, Debbierose and Esther

Beginning With Endings

Here at the beginning of November I have finally put the last stitches in the binding of my batik Crowns quilt and laundered it.

 It's just under 60" square and will be donated to our local hospice organization. I have also finally laundered Sticks and Stumps, which is headed for the foster care program.

It's about 51"wide x 60" long. 

It was quite an ordeal to get these photos. The wooden clamps were only hanging from push pins for all these years. They finally fell out and wouldn't stay put. So I had James come in and put actual nails in the wall. The goal was to place the nails to allow for any of the most common width quilts I make to be hung. That involved some figuring, which neither of us was particularly suited for at the time.  What's done is done now and I'll do my best to make it work. 

The big question now is, what will I start next? (And how soon?!)