Greetings from lovely HOT HOT HOT South Texas, and I mean HOT! Quilting here since May has been SLOW SLOW SLOW with not one quilt finished since May! It has been like hanging from a tree waiting for the bear to quit biting at my feet so I can climb down and start my life again! Enough of this! I THINK that by the middle of September I may be able to get back to my quilting and OH am I ever wanting BOREDOM in my life again. I am sure that Clay does too as we both just hate those UFR health issues that seem to come more and more as we get older!
Here is an update on what little quilting has been going on in my Studio in the last month! I have been working on RSC 2017 Challenge – a 4 patch quilt. I wanted some mindless sewing but yet work on a quilt project. I have completed the following for my RSC 2017 project – 28 blocks of purple and white; 28 blocks of blue and white; and now working towards the teal and white blocks, but only 5 blocks finished. I am not going to do black or neutrals. So maybe I will have all completed by October (what a dreamer I am)! I am going to put this project away as I am tired of mindless work and want to do something different. I have no idea how I am going to set all of the blocks – guess that will be done when I am completely finished driving myself nuts with mindless work!
I did complete one block for Ms Potts and have two ready to appliqué. There are 2 other blocks that I have not worked on and will probably change the blocks as I do not like the pattern so those are definitely on the back burner, in fact they may just go into the fire!
Today I am going to start prepping some embroidery work (if I get off the computer). I have a BOM that I purchased from Kathy Schmitz in 2013??? I completed the January Block and had started working on the February Block, but never finished it. I am in the mood for embroidery so today I am going to prep another block just to have it ready to work on in the evenings and hopefully it would be nice to have both completed by next Wednesday before surgery.
I want to prep Section 5 of Stonefields but that may take me a day or so to do that as it means selecting fabric and cutting out the freezer paper. I also want to try Sashiko but of course I have been wanting to do that since 2014 so I am hoping that I will find the time to work on that technique before the end of 2017! Where has the time gone? I have found out that being a one-handed quilter just doesn’t cut it! LOL
As you can see I am like a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter time by preparing my projects to work on in the evening time during the winter evenings IF we have a winter (for South Texas that may be NEVER!). We have had nothing but 100+ and high humidity along with horrible heat indexes. I have had to give up my early morning walking and now I am doing a Stationary Bike inside – which is fine with me until we have “cooler” weather!
In 2018 there are two quilt shows that I hope to be ready to enter, New Braunfels and Austin Shows. I was unable to enter the San Antonio Show this year due to those lovely UFRs, darn! At least I will be able to attend the show and see what South Texas quilters are working on.
My Carpel Tunnel Surgery on left hand has been delayed until 31 August, so now I have about 7 days to really relax and quilt, as long as no one finds out! Phones off the hook and the gate lock!!! LOL We went through a tough month again but it turned out fine Clay missed the bullet. I wish I had his immune system! So healthy!
Were you aware that there are ONLY 132 days until we have an opportunity to start a new year – 1 January 2018! I remember in 1992 how much I wanted that year to be over with and was so happy to bring in 1993 – it ended up being one of the best years of my life!
Vacations to the Gulf Coast are scheduled for the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas! We have rented a Cottage with 2 bedrooms and a full kitchen and living room at Fulton Beach and are looking forward to the Holiday Getaways! I am sure there will be a short get away in October to ABH (anywhere but home) to celebrate being through with Doctors for 2017!
If I am lucky enough to complete some of my little short goals between now and 31 August, I will do one more update, if not, it will probably be in mid-September or a little later when I will do another post. Until then, happy stitching, keep cool or warm (if you live in Iceland) and see you in September! (I think my Scorpio humor is showing today!!!!)
Chopin - A Passionate Quilter From Texas 
Your blocks are looking great, maybe the 4-patch blocks could become an leader/ender project and continue into 2018. Enjoy your week before surgery! Blessings.
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I think I will have some more ‘mindless’ sewing days ahead! I am loving the last two days!
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I love blue and white quilts. On my to do list. So pretty
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Thank you Lori – this will be an interesting quilt when finished!
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and beautiful
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Thank you Lori!
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Making the RSC work for you is perfectly fine. Angela’s goal is to have us USE our scraps (and you are doing just that!!)
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Well, the purple were from scraps, then I pulled some fat quarters and other blues. Now the teal fabric is from the stash. I am finding out I will never use up all of my fabric!
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I love the flow of your 4 patch quilt. Some quilts just make you happy when you look at them and this is one that does.
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Thank you Peggy! I will have fun with the setting for sure.
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I have a Kathy Schmitz embroidery project started and got bored with it rather quickly. I am not sure when I will get back to it. It is a different one than you are working on.
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I guess I will see, I wanted to work on it last night, but somehow I did not!!! Why plan?
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It may be hot there, but your RSC blocks look very cool! I would have to change the Ms Potts Pot–looks like a shard instead of a vase. I guess that’s the charm of the vintage quilts– I think they wanted to make us wonder–lol! Have fun with your cute embroideries–hope the surgery goes great and you are back to stitching pain free in no time.
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Thank you. I am working on one and wondering why I am doing this, think it is time to stop on that project and put the blocks together and call it a day on that quilt. If you think this one wonky the other two are horrible. Surgery on the right hand fixed problems, so am sure that the left hand will be much better. Thx for commenting.
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There is nothing wrong with gathering your nuts for winter! Especially in the north, where I live! Ha, ha! But let’s not rush 2018 in…I am not done with 2017 yet! Ha, ha! I like your embroidery projects…I’ve never seen those patterns! Sounds like you have great plans for the holidays…cool! Good luck with your next surgery!
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Oh send me some cold weather! I hate the thought of wishing time away, maybe I just want “issues” to go away and stay away from the Doctors – they can make one sicker! LOL. I really do like your Pat Sloan’s Kitchen project! Love the colors! Thx for commenting.
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Your blocks are gorgeous and so perfectly pointed. Your embroidery is exquisite too…one handed, too hot, frazzled, whatever; you are doing great work very much admired by me!
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Why thank you Jocelyn, I often wonder if other quilters who are retired get tired of the “life’s little interruptions”. It seems like we have been on the roller coaster for 3 years and maybe the 3’s will go away soon! I really became bored when recuperating from the right hand, hopefully things will be that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it will be a faster recovery time – no thump surgery this time! Thx for commenting.
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glad to hear from you again. Good Luck on the upcoming surgery. I like the embroidery projects.
I am still trying to clean up projects that was left unfinished.
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I am trying to get the bad 3 years behind us!!!! Then I may be able to catch up! Hope you did not have too hot a summer. We were going to AZ for a few weeks but have changed plans as you can see. Hope all is well.
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Boy, that’s a bit of a bummer getting the surgery postponed so that the interruption time is stretched out more. I hope it goes well next week. Are you right handed? It’s the left hand getting done this time, correct? So hopefully you’ll be able to do more entertaining things through this recuperation. Love the embroideries 🙂
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I did the right hand on 12 June – so that is over and I am right handed! What fun that was. This might be a little easier as they do not have to release the thumb. I had a trigger thumb on the right hand – hope that never happens again!
Thx for commenting. I am in the mood for embroidery – really anything.
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I’ve been enjoying seeing what everyone is working on in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I may just have to join in next year. Your embroidery blocks are absolutely adorable. You do beautiful embroidery work. I hope you get your cool weather soon. I dread cooler weather here because it means nine months of gray skies on the way here in the Pacific Northwest. Happy stitching! Andrea
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Well, with Harvey think the 100 plus degree weather is over with. The downside is that Harvey wiped away our Xmas and Thanksgiving plans. We were to stay at Fulton Beach and Rockport Texas area. I feel for those people. A friend had a house that was right in the eye of the storm. It may not be there anymore.
I have enjoyed the RSC Challenge but next year I will have a pattern to do in the RSC Colors.
Thank you for the nice comment on my work. I am so looking forward to October when I should be back to having 2 good hands! LOL
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Hi,
Love your blue scrappy quilt. It all flows beautifully. Your embroidery blocks are really cute. Have an awesome day!
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Thank you so much – you the same and enjoy stitching!
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The 4-patches in rainbow colors look great. Sometimes simple is best! It’s always nice to have some pretty embroidery to work on. Good luck on your surgery and hope you and yours are as down there in southern Texas!
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Thank you! We were lucky just some limbs down and 5″ of rain. Will be glad when September is over with!
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It sounds like you are going to be busy for the rest of the year. I like your RSC quilt. I am glad you are not in the area of south Texas which has been under Harvey’s path or the flood areas. It’s a horrible thing.
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Well…… looks my 2017 will start in mid October if I am lucky. Thx for the comment.
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I am reading this after all the flooding in Texas ad I am hoping you are safe and dry. I do hope that your carpel tunnel surgery goes well. My only advice is to complete the post-surgery therapy despite any pain or discomfort. I had wrist surgery when I was just a teen and again in my 20s. If I hadn’t followed the therapy program I would not be able to do any of the crafts that I really love. Hugs, prayers and best wishes.
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We are safe and sound as we live about 30 miles Southeast of San Antonio on the road to Victoria. The eye of the storm moved to the Northeast and spared SA. We have a few downed small limbs from the wind, but nothing like has happened to the Texas Coastline.
I am so looking forward to getting my hand done tomorrow – then I will start to get over with this “lovely doctor summer” We are counting down and I am really counting down to getting back to quilting! I agree, the post operative therapy, etc is the most important. My right hand is doing great and glad that I have had this done! At least it is not another back surgery – they take about 3 to 6 months to get over! Take care and thank you for commenting and the advice.
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All of your blocks look great! Take a break from mindless sewing as it really can be quite sleep inducing! Thank you for sharing this week!
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Sorry for the late response. Thx for commenting. I am back to mindless then in early October the serious stuff starts again after 4 months of very little.
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You have been busy! The blocks are looking great!
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Thx for commenting. I will get busier now that the cast is off the left hand and I am through with CT surgeries! So far behind.
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