Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas

Well, what can I say – it is Tuesday again and I have made some progress!  YEA! The weather is nice today but we really need more rain!  Life has settled down for Clay and I, well OK, for me.  He has been working on modifying the new Hustler Fast Track lawn mower and checking out Termites.  Today they are spraying foam into the wall were the nice Termites were making a home.  Looks like it will be another 3 weeks before he will be replacing the entire wall with new siding.  ME?  I am now a full time quilter who needs to do a monthly house cleaning – maybe later in the week or this week-end – the mood has to hit me these days!  (Really not dirty – just needs a monthly dusting)!  My goals for this last week (even with the 3 days lost) are listed below.

Goals for 19-25 January 2021:

• • Applique Projects:  SAG Medallion and Jacobean Holidays – √. Progress on SAG – Jacobean is still in the cue!
  • Cross Stitch:  Start with Minnie Mouse project – √ – No comment!
  • Longarm Quilting:  Load a quilt and quilt it for PHD 2012 goal.   √ – Not Yet – have 5 more days to complete!
  • Sewing:  Continue on with OMIGOSH blocks. √ – 14 Blocks Completed
  • Knitting:  Start on a Dish Cloth – √ Started
  • EXTRA’s:
    • •  Jen’s Monthly Color Challenge √
      • Quilting Gails – Stay At Home Round Robin (Weekly) √ 

STATUS of Projects:

SAG is almost half way completed!  One more  Daisey and  26  more leaves to go and it will be finished – it is a mirror image of the first half!

This is the quilt that I will be loading and quilting for Gail’s PHD 2021 challenge.

OMIGOSH is halfway completed!  I have decided to do a total of 30 blocks and there will be 1 to 3 borders (undecided on this) to add.  I have 8 blocks already cut out and ready for sewing, and 8 more blocks to cut up and put in baggies.  Then I will do some serious damage to the next 16 blocks and would love to be finished next week, but don’t hold your breath because I must get a quilt completed by Sunday!

I did start a dish cloth but not a lot of progress yet.

Jen’s 2021 Monthly Color Challenge Blocks.  I am making the 6″ blocks for this year’s challenge (2 each) and catching up with 2020 challenge that I was unable to do. These blocks are simple and very easy and are fun to do between driving myself nuts with OMIGOSH blocks!

Stay At Home Round Robin.  I am working on 2 different Round Robins.  This one will hopefully be a full quilt using all (with some exceptions) of the borders given.  For this week, I am thinking that I am going to change the 2nd border. 

I made this Feathered  Star in or around 2013.  I have studied it to see if I could make a full size quilt with it, but do not believe that it will do the Star justice, so I will do a piano key border and make it a nice wall hanging.

Goals for 26 January – 1 February 2021:

• • Applique Projects:
    • •  SAG Medallion – Continue on with the 2nd half
      • Jacobean Holidays – 4 Blocks remaining
  • Cross Stitch:   Minnie Mouse project
  • Longarm Quilting:  Load a quilt and quilt it for PHD 2012 goal.
  • Sewing:  Continue on with OMIGOSH blocks.
  • Knitting:  Continue on Dish Cloth
  • Stay At Home Round Robin (Weekly)
    • Complete Round 2 for Kay’s Quilt (Sashiko Medallion)
    • Feathered Star Wall Hanging
  • Cut 10″ squares for The Arrowhead Block as I need to put the 4′ table away   I can put the fabric back in the stash bin and out of the way!

We all know that it is a pipe dream to have all the above done by next week, but I will be working on my projects full time now so there is hope!  Appears that all unforeseen requirements are out of the way for now.  Have a wonderful week!

Hugs, Nanette

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021; Stay At Home Round Robin

UPDATE – SEE BELOW. →→→……………………………………………………………………………………..↓

SURPRISE ALL!  This is a quick down and fast post for Jen’s Monthly Color Challenge!

I was going to join in the fun last year (2020 Monthly Color Challenge) but did not make it – so I am now participating in both the 2020 and 2021 Monthly Color Challenge.

Here is my 2020 January Block:

For 2021 I am making 2 of the 6″ blocks.  Nice to work on simple blocks during the month!  Only 1 little goof and I have no idea how it happened – Anyone see it?

After I posted the blocks for 2021, I realized I had done something incorrectly. This picture shows where I made the error.

So being the stupid perfectionist, I just had to figure out what I had done and found the answer.  When I squared each block down to 3 1/2″, I did not pay attention too the outer seams.  Big mistake!   So I remade them.

Think I should have named my Blog “The Forever Obsessive Quilter”!  LOL

Hugs, Nanette

Linking up to Jen’s 2021 Monthly Challenge Linky Party

WOW – 3 weeks into the New Year!  I hope everyone is enjoying the New Year!   I am just now beginning to.   We have a new lawn mower and the Termite Treatment is almost complete.  A return visit tomorrow to foam the outer wall where Clay found the Termites.

I have one more week to get a quilt quilted.  I have selected one that will be possible to get done in a day!!  Tomorrow is ‘load the quilt day’ for PHD 2021 goal!

I have made some stride on Stars Around the Garden Medallion!  BUT I had to rip out 2 of the stems and re-applique them as they just did not look smooth enough,  so if not for that I would be half way through!  I need to do 3 flowers and will be on to the 2nd half!

Let’s see!  I have started a knitting a dish cloth – I love to knit during the winter time.  Right now I am enjoying just doing whatever each day.  I am working from my UFO list.  Believe me – my list is large enough that I have plenty of items to chose from and never get bored!

Last year I purchased some fabrics to participate in Jen’s 2020 Color Challenge but was not able to participate, so today I am now working on 2020 and 2021’s Color Challenge.  More on this one in another post.   It is not a difficult project and feels good to make a nice 12” block rather than those 2 inch 9 patch blocks for OMIGOSH!

Speaking 0f OMIGOSH, I have now decided to make a total of 30 blocks.  So far I have 14 blocks complete and 8 cut out and ready to sew.  This means I only have 8 more blocks to cut out and sew!  There will be 5 blocks across and 6 blocks down.  Because there is a border (or 2) on the quilt, I am not sure of the final measurements.   Looking like a light at the end of the quilting tunnel for me.

OK you might remember I purchased a few Cross Stitch books and all the goodies that go with that hobby!  Well, I have not been able to even touch that project, but maybe this next week.

I hope that everyone has a great week.  I am looking forward to a 100% quilting time!

Hugs, Nanette 

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piercers to share and motivate one another.  We pot every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.  

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Connie, Bella, Gretchen, Daisey ,Connie, Monica, Sherrie.

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021; Stay At Home Round Robin

I decided in late December that I needed something to spark my desire to continue on with quilting or sell it all and do NOTHING or do something really different after such a horrible 15 months of BAD for Clay and I.  Well, I did not sell all my books and fabrics, it was just a bad day!

I have been watching the resurgence of Counted Cross Stitching becoming popular again, so I decided that I would give it a try.   I am glad I did.  I sought the advice from a couple of great cross stitchers and a lady at Herrschners as to the best way to approach this new hobby.  I was provided with a couple of on-line shops to purchase the Aida Cloth or Linen and other supplies, which proved to be extremely useful sites.  They are Stitcher and Everything Cross Stitch.

The first order of business was to order a pre-printed Kitty Cat Kit from Amazon (for beginners).    When I received it I realized that I did not want a pre-printed kit from China and returned it, as the thread and cloth were horrible.  Next step was to find some good books to guide me through the technique.   I looked for books on Amazon and found some great buys on used books.  The 2001 was a big bargain – used for $6.00.  The Readers Digest book was about $16.00.

I placed an order for another book that was recommended to me from Jaydee.  This is a fantastic book if and when I become proficient in Counted Cross Stitch!  Blackbird Designs is a great place for quilting and cross stitch advocates. If not guess Jaydee will get it for Christmas next year!  LOL

Next step was to order samples of different cross stitch cloth to work with and  a couple of little patterns to play with while learning.  I ordered a yard of Aida cloth from Amazon – another big mistake on that one – more China stuff – and it was returned.  That is when I went to the 3 on line places to purchase some better Aida cloth and needles.  I am pleased with this purchase.

I visited one of the other shops and came away with this little project!   I also purchased a Minnie Mouse Kit which will be a great way to learn the craft  – small and easy.  What I did not pay attention to when I ordered it was the fact it came from China.   I threw everything away in this package except for the pattern and the little hoop which you use as a frame when finished! The cloth was like hard paper!

I am blessed to have an extensive collection of DMC embroidery thread that was made in France before another company bought them out, so I did not need to purchase any embroidery thread.

There was another little kit, but that one will be gifted so I do not want to show it.  (Notice DongGuan, China – no thank you!

I purchased this little pattern to practice on.  Great Challenge!

We love the Southwest so this is on my list to make some day!

So now I am ready to play with Counted Cross Stitch in the evenings along with my work on Stars Around the Garden (SAG) Medallion – I am just about half of the way finished with it.  3 Flowers and a 2 stems and then I will do a mirror image of this and will be able to put my quilt together!  Yea!  

If life will just start calming down now 2021 is looking good for me to have a lot of fun with UFOs and Hand work.  I do want to sell my Z44 hand quilter frame, but it would have to be someone local.  I will probably advertise it in the local paper.  It has never been used.  I do not believe they sell it anymore.

Another tip – I read where the gold needles are better to work with so I went shopping for John James gold plated.  Most of the shops do not have the Number 28 Tapestery JJ Gold, but Everything Cross Stitch does have Sizes 22, 24, and 26 so I scooped them up!  Hopefully they are as good as they say they are!

I must get to work now on OMIGOSH goal for the week, so have a great week-end!

Hugs, Nanette

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021. 

Yesterday Kathy and I scheduled a Face Time visit and sew along.  She worked on embroidery and I worked on my hand quilting project!  It was so neat to be able to visit with another quilter face to face while we worked on individual projects.  I am open to anyone else who is interested in doing a Face Time QAL.

I am playing with some pre-printed blocks to practice my hand quilting.  I finished the inner circle while visiting with Kathy!

I purchased 12 of these blocks (2 different patterns) and thought I would sew them together and hand quilt, but appears I forgot that I needed to sew them together before I started quilting – Hum must have been a Senior Moment when I loaded this one block in my lap frame!   Shame on me!  But no worries I have plenty left over – maybe I will make 2 different quilts!  Who knows what I will do with them!

OMIGOSH is still waiting and I am going to have a quiet day for sewing and plan on getting them started.  I would love to have the next 4 days to finish the 12 blocks so I can work on another UFO for a change of pace!

Closing out 2020 –  The Medicare problem has now been resolved and the package is in the hands of Clays Secondary Insurance.  As soon as they finish I have the 3rd package going to our Tertiary Insurance and hopefully by the end of April we should have recouped the majority of that $$$.

Starting 2021 – We started off the year with a great positive bang by paying off the Navigator.  We paid it off in 3 years interest free!  YEA.  Then the fun started – you know how it goes – Fast Trac lawn mower motor went belly up!  We thought – OK – we can handle that.  So the first week of January was to order a new one.  On to week 2 of January 2021 another issue.   Tuesday Clay checked into a problem with a spot on the siding (outside) of the Music Room – BINGO – TERMITES!  The good thing is that it can be fixed – but not for free or low cost!  NOPE  – this is how to drain your savings!  Next Thursday our Exterminator will come and treat the house (they feel it is isolated) and Studio.     This will mean we get to try out the Best Western in our little town of 1200 people next week for one night!  Guess I can consider that it will be a mini vacation!   I certainly hope that there is not a 3rd week of surprises!  I remain positive as this is just life and I can handle it better than what we went through last year.

On a few words of how exercise can really help in our mind set for each day!  As all know, I walk each morning for 30 minutes and can do 1.5 miles in that time.  Some days are harder (I am 76)  but I still do my exercise and have done this my entire life!  I downloaded an App in October 2017 that allows me to track my steps (this was before I purchased an Apple Watch).  Here is my tally of steps since that month in 2017!

Using the Watch and this Pedometer keeps me challenged and motivates me to continue each day to meet my goals.

Have a great week-end – Holiday Week-End!

Hugs, Nanette

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021. 

Greetings from a wonderful winter time in South Texas.  I have lost an entire week as far as my projects go.  BUT, I am finished with Medicare, the package was delivered to the Secondary Insurance yesterday (by hand) and hopefully will be processed within a month.  Then on to the Tertiary Insurance and it will take them 2 months.  Hey – may have some $$ by the end of April 2021 over a year later!

Here were my goals for this last week

To-Do’s from 4 January to 11 January:

• 
  Complete 12 blocks for OMIGOSH.  The only accomplishment here is that all pieces for the blocks are ready for sewing. ⇓ NOT DONE

• Continue working on SAG Medallion.  I have been working on leaves and progressing working on the applique in the evening!  I have added 4 more leaves on the bottom right and would like to finish this half by Thursday..

• Load my a quilt  in the Longarm and get it quilted this month! ⇓ Not Done 

I had good excuses that caused the wipe out of fun with quilting – Medicare, purchasing a new Lawn Mower,  Doctor Appointment, more Medicare, and 2 days spent preparing the Part B packages for the Secondary and Tertiary Insurances.

Life is still good, and I only had 2 unhappy days this week.  So I did achieve staying Happy the rest of the week!  Today is a day to just go slow, enjoy the winter time, and sew blocks!

Have a great week!  Maybe next week there will be some new little goals.

Hugs, Nanette

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021. 

Greetings from South Texas where we are having a nice winter for a change.  We need rain badly, but there is some coming this week-end, along with more cold fronts.  So much better than the 100+ this summer!

This is a great New Year for me with tons of UFOs projects to complete!  I will be working on all of my COPs this year instead of starting any new quilts.  I am trying desperately to not put myself under any stress in completing them because I want to enjoy the procerss

I will also participate in the RSC Challenge this year, but may not start until later in the month.  I have 3 different patterns that I would like to do with this Challenge.  But can decide next week or so on that.

I will be selecting from my 2021 list for my To-Do Tuesdays Challenges.

My goals for 28 December 2020 – 4 January 2021 were:

• Be Happy and enjoy the day!    √ Done
• List all of the UFOs that have been started but not completed!   √ Done
• Do a Post on my 2021 quilting projects! √ Done
• Cut out fabric for 12 OMIGOSH blocks – ready for sewing!   All blocks in zip lock bags ready for sewing! √ Done
• Order Cross Stitch book and supplies! √ Done

To-Do’s from 4 January to 11 January:

• Complete 12 blocks for OMIGOSH.

• Continue working on SAG Medallion.

• Load my first applique quilt in the Longarm and get it quilted this month!

I am looking forward to achieving these 3 goals for the week.  I want to enjoy the process, not beat the clock!

Have a great week!

Hugs, Nanette

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021. 

Greetings and here we are in 2021 and things are wonderful compared to the last year!  I set my Goals (COPs) in a different manner this year.  Instead of monthly finishes, I am working from a “to do” list of unfinished projects and will do weekly shorter goals.  I believe that this will be less stressful than having an entire month to do something.  I believe I work better under shorter deadlines! I participate in To-Do-Tuesdayshosted by Roseanne!

Quilting Projects will continue to be one (1) per month maybe two (2) if things go well.  It would be great to reduce the quilt tops hanging on the rack!

Here is where I am on Stars Around the Garden (SAG) since last posting.

I am getting back in the swing of things and life seems simple now – I love it!

Today I will be working on OMIGOSH.   I have working on another 12 blocks and hope to have them done by Tuesday.

Hugs, Nanette

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piercers to share and motivate one another.  We pot every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.  

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Connie, Bella, Gretchen, Daisey ,Connie, Monica, Sherrie.

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days, Quilting Patch Linky Party To-Do-Tuesdays;PHD in 2021.