Happy New Year

 

Happy New Year every one!  A very quiet night here in the valley, I think I heard one firework all night.  I don't follow a lot of the traditions of bringing the New Year, just one - open the door to let the old year out and bring the new year in.  Hey, we are 50 degrees, so some refreshing air into the house was a blessing in itself.  2022 was a rough year for me and I am glad it is over - new hope for 2023.

My big finish for the end of the year, well not a finish but next on our Guild color challenge.  Dark Green was the new 'crayon' color for the month.  The new Doxie with Moxie is done and joined his pals in the project tote.

The top made from the scrappy whites in the bag and color scraps from gifted baggies is ready for it's borders.  I have the scrappy white inner border ready and will pull color scraps for the last border as I reorganize a couple of fabric totes for the year.  It's 50" x 62" right now, so it does need borders to bring up to single bed size.

I need to sort those totes as I want to make a couple of projects in this issue (vol 3 no.11) amd I know there is 'in my stash' useable for them.

I haven't really thought of a 'year's motto' to work 2023 (I did so bad on last year's),  but I know I have a LOT of quilts that need quilting.  So while in the reorg and sorting, I will pull for borders (if needed for a finish), backing, bindings - and get things moved to the finish line.  I will quilt myself, quilt by check, or even pass on tops for someone else to play with, BUT those totes need to be emptied this year.

I, also, have some commission work that will be coming in now so that will be my NEW play.

Blessings for the New Year,

Sharon

Happy Holidays

 

Happy Solstice

 

Winter Solstice blew in here a few days early I think.  Luckily the last storm was minimal in the valley, but the mountains got clobbered.  And we brace ourselves for the next Polar storm as the Holiday nears.

 Since I will certainly be staying indoors while Old Man Winter throws his fit, I'll be working on a project for the first HOP of the New Year.  I'd rather be playing with some blue scraps than turning blue outside - but I will be shoveling snow.

 The scrap project to use up those bits of whites is slowly going up on the 'wall'.  All the blocks are made, it's just the tedious task of putting rows together.  Almost done.  Certainly a scrappy border has to set this one off.  AND NO - I didn't use up those whites!

And we are all feeling a little blue as my partner in scraps - MOE - passed away yesterday morning.  Bella and I were with him in his final minutes - she giving him little 'mama cat' chirps and me petting him/telling him what a good kitty he had been.  I will miss finding him in a box of scraps laid out to work on. 

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Scrap Happy

 

I am in my happy place.  To work those scrappy whites/muslins, I had to dig for something to work with them.  There is always a baggy of scraps - always!  I have found a box of baggy scraps that I haven't touched yet.  Mostly sandwich size baggies.  The fun is in the sorting, most need pressing as they have been squashed for so long, and then we assess for block to maximize the use. 

 I decided these kinds of bits will work with almost any 'cabin' block.  There are a number of style log cabin blocks. so fun play to chose fabric bits to fit the style.  Some scraps are feeding my barrel system.  So far 8 baggies are emptied - the large bag of lites isn't going down very fast, but using the smallest bits up first.  Some of the larger lite pieces are getting set aside for another project down the line.

It is cold, windy, and wet so this is a good project to play with indoors, I have my hibernation projects set up.  Yes, I hibernate thru the winter.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon