Welcome to the deep freeze in South Texas. I am enjoying this winter and so glad to be retired!!!! So far the month is going fairly well (as soon as I quit coughing) and the only unforeseen requirement that came up was a phone call from my house cleaner who quit for a full-time job! Yesterday Clay and I took care of this week’s work. Think I am going to continue to find a replacement! Wish I were 55 again!!!
My goal has been for the last two months was to have all of Aunt Bea’s Parlor blocks traced and ready to work on this month! Well, I have met that goal yesterday only to have to start over because AGAIN because I did not listen to that stupid Little Quilt Fairy in my head who was telling me that I had selected (again) the wrong background fabric for this quilt. So after finishing the tracing all 20 blocks yesterday I looked at them and had a sinking feeling that I should have listed to the Little Quilt Fairy! In order to prove her correct and me wrong, I took a piece of the background fabric, put the needle and thread test to it and knew immediately that I, AGAIN, have screwed up!
This is why I am NOT starting anything of importance until 1 February 2018! This is when my quilting New Year will begin. I attribute the last 7 months as a learning curve for anyone over the age of 70! Do not have hand surgery EVER if you are a quilter over that age, and DO NOT get the H3N2 Flu! You will become one extremely frustrated quilter!!!
Now to the fix. As I tracing each pattern, I realized that the blocks at 5″ were not going to be fun to embroidery and this project may die on the vine. So I spent the time to call Canon to seek advice on how to enlarge pattern through the software. (I was advised that the one I purchased last year is a cheap model – no wonder I miss my Canon 480 and 490 printers). The young man was very helpful and I learned a lot from him in a short time! Great support.
This afternoon I have scanned in all the blocks, resized them, printed out paper copies, and copies onto my pre-cut freezer paper. YEA! Ready to go, but wait which background fabric will I use (I asked myself) I had already purchased 7 yards of the “wrong” background fabric (it will be used in other projects) specifically for this project and I do not have a lot of plain ‘white’ background fabric – plenty of muslin – but I did not want to use that! So it was between ordering white Bella Solid, Kona Cotton White, or Kona Premium Cotton White. At this point in life I did not feel like taking the time to shop for the best price for the fabric so I called the Fat Quarter Shop and ordered a bolt of it! In the future, if I need a good plain white for background for my embroidery projects I have plenty of Beige, White, and Snow of Kona Cotton fabric! Heck, I am becoming a regular fabric store! LOL.
Tomorrow I will take the time to work on my 2018 projects and UFO’s from 2017 and try to become more organized (if my body will cooperate). I hope my brain will be up to all that hard work! I have joined a few QALs – Squared Away BOM, a new one Stars Over Baltimore , to assist me in attaining some of my goals for 2018 I am using One Monthly Goal and 6 & 6 in 2018, and the APQ 2018 UFO Challenge! Good luck to me huh?
I am still going to try to meet January goals of ‘looking’ at Mountmellick (do not trust myself to start this one yet), finishing the 42 Mini Dresden’s, complete tracing for Aunt Bea’s Parlor, and Regatta. I have a neat idea going for the Regatta, but the way things are going it may not turn out but worth the time to play with it, after all I have 2 full weeks – 14 days to finish SOMETHING!
Have a wonderful evening and enjoy stitching!
Chopin - A Passionate Quilter From Texas 
I wish a quilt fairy would come clean up my sewing room. I had guests today and they went into my sewing room. You have to play dodgem. with all the stuff that is on the floor.
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Mostly the QF tries to tell me I am heading into the wrong direction with color or even trying to make a certain quilt!!!!! The cleaning is on me! Darn
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I don’t know what Kona Premium is like, I’ve never seen it anyway. Hopefully it won’t be more tightly wove than regular Kona. Good luck with accomplishing something tomorrow.
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Well, knowing my stretch of luck Gretchen it will be the wrong stuff. Since it was not cut it can go back UGH! Today (Thursday) going to do Regatta! Heck or high water!!!
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“after all I have 2 full weeks – 14 days to finish SOMETHING!” she says.
I have worked on several different blocks from different quilts and completed nothing even though I spent countless hours DOING something this month. I actually have spent time this month organizing and preparing to work on several ufos for this year. Suddenly I want to work on all of them at once.
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Well, I was forced to slow down so now I have to catch up on planning, then I will be where you are – how many can I start today! LOL Thx for commenting.
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Oh Nanette, I feel your pain! (Only mine is knitting this time!) I don hope the quilting fairy comes for a good long visit!
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She had better, or rather, I had better get by head and brain going together – Things are getting better!
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Sorry you are having a hard time starting the new year. With hand issues I am at a a stopping point for a while. Can’t see a hand surgeon until April. I am learning to be patient. I am sewing in tiny steps but no big jobs. Take care and it will work out.
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APRIL???? Oh Jaydee. I just got off that stupid train!! I am so sorry!
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Hi Nanette,
I think you should blame all of this on the fact that it is January! It has nothing to do with age, or surgery or the flu. This month I have read SO many posts about people just being off, not wanting to sew, making mistakes, etc. So be kind to yourself, relish the fact that you have 7 yards of fabric that you have to find a project for (later in the year) and move on. I’ll celebrate the New Year with you on February 1st!! Who says we can celebrate the first of every month like it’s a new year?!! And don’t you worry about Regatta!! No rush, no deadline, no stress allowed. Remember?! ~smile~ Roseanne
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I know you are correct in you analysis!! It is really just life! I think that we all go through some type of burn out, days when we are not really into what we think we should be doing. There are really 2 2018 goals for me! 1. Lose 10 pounds, 2. Take each day as given! Today I will play with my Regatta as Ms Bea is on the back burner for a day or two. Thx for commenting and support! Bloggers are such a great means of support to each other!
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I like your style…calling up and ordering a bolt! Serious quilting going to occur. Hand surgery and the bad flu are not easy to overcome so yes, give yourself time to feel back on par. My hubby is still coughing so I don’t know.
I see you have a few projects to keep you busy just like me. And I am wondering if I am up to it but not because of illness, just my skill level. But I will keep trying.
Continued fret-free and happy stitching to you.
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Thank you! I am almost back to 100% Halls Cough drops are really making the bucks off of me this year! LOL. Your skill level will approve the more you work on different techniques! I promise!
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So sorry 2018 is not off to a great start for you. I do hope the bolt of fabric arrives and gives you renewed energy to tackle this project. Be sure to put the other incorrect fabrics far, far away!
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It is getting so much better, this is why I said I would really get serious 1 Feb. I should be at least 100% or better than the last year! I am hoping the Kona Cotton Premium is going to be a good embroidery fabric, if not the bolt goes back! The other fabric is being used in a pieced project (RSC 2018 Squared Away) and looks great. I am thinking the 20 blocks I did with it should go in the trash can. I will be more careful on embroidery projects. I like to use Moda Crackle for a lot, but this project requires WHITE. Thank you for commenting!
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I hear ya on the wrong fabric. I have built my stash that way. LOL I went to the $35 expense from Missouri Star Quilt Co (or maybe FQS?? I can’t recall…) to buy a Bella Solids swatch thing. Man was that money well spent! Whether I’m shopping online or heading to the quilt shop, I now know ahead of time exactly which solid I need. Of course it’s very helpful for online shopping, but it saves me enormous time in the shop from trying to decide. Unlike you, I’m still working (ugh) and just don’t have time to dawdle as much as I’d like in Scrappy Quilter during my lunch hours. Glad you’re feeling better. If you are ever in a pinch for fabric or just want to check my swatch panel, give me a call (Kay has my number if you don’t have it anymore). You’re welcome to see if I have what you need.
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Thank you so much Becky that is very nice of you to offer. I too did what you did when I started changing my stash from WalMart to the better fabrics, I purchased a complete swatch package of Moda marbles (of which I loved at that time – still have that lovely stash) and all of Kona’s. The problem is that they have just recently come out with the Premium. I talk with them today at the FQS and they said it is just a little better thread count than the regular Kona. I misunderstood and thought they would have the bolt here today – Lucky me – I called them because I saw where they were going to send it through USPS. WRONG – Caught it just in time – it will go tonight through UPS ground – should get it by Tuesday. Our mail lady will NOT deliver to our house up on the hill here – it would take her .02 of a mile further than she has to drive! UGH. You are blessed because they will delivery to your door. We have worked with Amazon and receive all deliveries now through UPS! Whew. One of these days we need to get together. I will get the number and she has mine. I have samples of Kona, Moda Marbles,1895 Kaufman Batiks, Aurifil thread, Clover silk thread, and Robin-Anton Textile thread samples. Anytime you need to find something let me know. Have a great week-end – the rain is great.
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Boy am I lucky I had both of my hand surgeries last year when I was only 64!! Mine were a piece of cake and I recovered quickly.
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I had them done in 1998 and I was still working, so it must be the age….OR it is the hard winter we are having and Arthur is visiting me – LOL. Glad yours worked out well. Thank you for commenting.
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