Linking Up with Hibiscus Stitches

I'm linking up with Hibiscus Stitches this morning. It's Piece Yourself Together week and I'm excited to say that I've made good progress since last link up. At that point, I was finishing #3 of 12 hexie flowers for border #3 of Mosaics. I've since finished the rest of the hexies, got them stitched together, pressed, papers removed, and glued to the background border. Yes! I am in the process of appliqueing them down with only one final hexie border to go! YIPPEE!!! Then on to the diamond borders.

As for my daughter's hobo mitts, they are finished, blocked, and mailed out yesterday. Here are some photos of my progress.

Pattern Developing

Thumb Gusset Shaping
Up on Left

 

Hey Look! A Thumb!

Ready to Start
the Fingers!

Finger Holes
Complete!

Blocked & Ready
to Mail!

(OK, I give up. That last row of pictures will stay staggered! Blogger has me whooped!)

Since that project is finished, it's only right to start another. This is called Rocio and it is by Joji. You can find the pattern on Ravelry by clicking on the link. It will fulfill the requirement to use a lace weight yarn for my senior year at Loopy Academy. It think it will be beautiful. The Malabrigo yarn I'm using is SO SOFT and the color (Zinc) is gorgeous shades of gray. I'm on Row 4 and I've only ripped it out twice so far .... Wish me luck!

So on this gloomy, drizzly day all I can say is .... Let's Sew!

It's All About Mosaics!

Last night marked FNSI #2 for 2018 and I wasn't about to let it slip by.

I worked some more on my Mosaics hexies. That pretty one at the bottom is the one I put together last night while watching the men ice skate in Pyeong Chang. I'm enjoying the Olympics and the bonus sewing time it affords me!

 I also managed to start knitting those hobo mitts that I promised my daughter. Below is the ribbed cuff and the beautiful Socks That Rock yarn (colorway Under the Boardwalk) will be used with the blue yarn in Mosaic pattern. If you recognize that blue yarn, it's because it's what's left from that cute baby sweater (Nouveau ne). The mitts are called Phalangees and both patterns can be found on Ravelry. 

I'm looking forward to making progress on these mitts. I'll be learning how to do this Mosaic stitching. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Once again I'd like to thank Wendy, our FNSI hostess. I look forward to this monthly event and checking out what all my friends have been working on. You should check out Sugarlane Designs link and see for yourself. There were 32 of us sewing last night!

Keep on sewing!

PYT!!

And here it is again, another opportunity to link up with Anthea at Hibiscus Stitches. Piece Yourself Together is where you can focus on your English Paper Piecing projects and see what others have been up to lately as well.

 All my lovely hexies batched up for the next seven groupings.

 Last night during guild meeting's business portion, I managed to almost complete one whole group! This is the front side and ....

 here's the back. Sew much fun!

Today I finished off this hexy plus another. That makes 3 out of 12 done or 1/4 done. Woot! Woot! Since I've already completed border #2 of Mosaics, I'm anxious to knock out borders 3 & 4!

Last night at guild meeting, I was responsible for bringing a snack to share because it's my birth month. Here's a picture of the brownies I made and decorated. I think I confused some of my friends with the icing flavor. I put in some almond extract. Delicious to me. Perhaps not so much to others. Oh well ...

Keep on sewing!

Very Busy With Nothing Finished ...

Well, here we are quickly approaching the middle of February. Time for an update. I feel like I've been busy but I'm not too sure I have much to show for it. So let's see what we've got now.

#7 - Augusta

#8 - Aunt

First up is Farmer's Wife 1930s Sampler quilt. I posted #1-5 HERE and I was in the middle of #6 - April while at retreat. You can see me working on it HERE but I don't know where my picture of the completed April has gone. I'll search and keep you posted. I've done a few more blocks since then which is good, right? I must confess that Ava was done in a previous attempt at this quilt. However, the other three I recently completed. It looks like there is an upcoming stretch where I've already done them. Yay!

#9 - Autumn

#10 - Ava

#11 - Bea starts the B names and I've actually already done her too EXCEPT there's a slight error that will be corrected before I post her. *Red face*

I have to say that I'm really liking what I see as these are getting done.  Already trying to visualize how I'm going to finish this up. I need to stay focused though. 10 are done and only 89 to go! *Snicker*

This past weekend I was able to spend a couple of days with friends sewing. Seemed like a good time to work some more on Bonnie Hunter's On Ringo Lake. What started off looking like this mess:

Turned into this mess! I believe this block is sometimes referred to as Birds in the Air. That's 48 of them laying there with skazillions more to go. Pretty sure this will be a retreat project. Can't really see myself working diligently on this project at home. It's pretty intense.

In the meantime, Loopy Academy kicked off on the 1st of this month. I'm working on Senior Year, 2nd Semester. One of the projects has to be a sweater or a vest. I decided to work on Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Baby Nouveau-ne. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. I've admired it for a while and thought it challenging enough to be fun but easy enough for Olympics watching too. This picture was actually taken the day before yesterday.

Last night I got one sleeve fully knitted and I'm halfway done with the second. I can't wait to finish it up, weave in the loose ends, and block it. It is going to be so cute! I've got several girly sweaters in my Grandma's Hope Chest so I thought I'd add a blue boy's one to the lot. (I'm going to use some of the leftover yarn from this project with a multi-color yarn to make some Hobo Mitts for my daughter -- at her request. Of course, by the time they're done it will be spring but she'll have them for next winter!)

As an aside, I'm almost done with the 2nd border of Mosaics and will be stitching up more hexies for the third border very soon. This is also a terrific Olympics watching project. Pictures coming soon!

Keep on sewing & knitting!

APQ UFO #9 and Loopy Academy Assignments

I am feeling pretty good about January's Projects. Here's an update:

APQ UFO # 12 was the 10-Minute Block Quilt. Top was completed and has moved on to the Ready To Be Quilted pile. Ta! Da!

February's assignment is UFO #9. Yay! It's a Float Month for me! Which suits me fine because I've been really cooking along on Mosaic! This month I made enough hexies for border #1 and border #2. Border #1 has been appliqued down and border #2 is awaiting the same treatment. Then on to border #3! Woo! Hoo!

Border #1 in the applique process

Border #2 ready for applique

 I'm thinking that my APQ UFO Challenge this month will be to make significant progress on Mosaic!

Block #1 Addie

Block #2 Aimee

I've also been busy trying to keep up with Farmer's Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt Challenge. I started this project a couple of years ago and it fell to the wayside. Angie from GnomeAngel.com has graciously decided to PUSH us again to the finish line. We are supposed to sew 2 blocks per week and, since there are 99 blocks, we should have it together by the end of the year. Marti Michell has templates for these blocks and Angie has the dimensions of the fabric pieces to paper piece. Whichever way you decide to go, there are very good tutorials. You can find the tutorials HERE! There's also a Facebook group if you need inspiration or help.

Block #4 Ann

Block #5 Anne

That being said, I am doing a mix of techniques. Some patterns just seem better suited for one way over the other. Case in point, block #3 Alice, I first used From Marti Michell templates. UGH! What a nightmare! I completely screwed up color placement, I completely messed up orientation placement, and then it also ended up being closer to 7" square instead of the 6-1/2" square it was supposed to be.

Dorked Up #3 Alice

Keeper #3 Alice

Check out how the color placement is totally dorked up! Haha! The one on the left is outtahere! 51 pieces in #3 Alice. Wouldn't you know I'd get to do two of them! Shaking my head ....

In the meantime, I'm working on #7 Augusta. Only 33 pieces and I'm paper-piecing again.

#7 August - In Progress

And wouldn't you know, The Loopy Ewe posted the requirements for Loopy Academy Senior Year, 2nd Semester this morning. I've been busy pattern searching and will be ordering yarn soon. It'll be perfect for Winter Olympic watching!

Keep on sewing (or knitting)!