September OMG Complete

I finished sewing all 7 columns together on my Lakeview Terrace quilt.  I found the tutorial of Missouri Star Quilt Co.

We have been trying for two months to pulling our camper into the driveway in order to protect the equipment from thieves.  We tried a few different tuggers.  These are motorized dollies you can attach to the trailer and manually pull it.  There is an incline on the driveway and we just could not get them to work.

Ray bought a winch and installed a stake in the ground and welded the winch to it.  He’s had one trial run and gotten everything to work the way he hoped.  Tomorrow we are going to test it out again to make sure we have a handle on.  The winch was covered by the metal box that normally goes on the generator.  We had a vinyl tarp in the garage.  We took a few measurements, cut the vinyl to the measurements and I boxed the corners on my 301.  I was happy it sewed through everything.

There will be a box over the tarp to prevent a trip hazard.  I texted Patty and sent her pictures.  I told her I was channeling my inner patty!  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Im almost done with my next cross stitch project.  I just lack the tutu.  I’ll add that once I decide how to finish it.  I may finish it and keep it in a ziploc to protect the 3D aspect of it.

I’m in search of my next cross stitch.  I may just generalize it to hand work or small project as I have lots of little things I just don’t get to but would like to.  I won a cute little wool project from Carole at  Quilting Adventures.  That seems to be the forerunner in my mind right now.

Linking up with Patti at Elm Street Quilts for the finish linkup for September OMG.

Stitching and Stitching

I finished the stitching of my cute little dragonfly.  I did a little research on finishing it into a (pin) pillow and have to choose fabric to get that done.  This was a good starter piece because it helped remind me about chart reading and “special” stitches.

As soon as I completed that I sought out my next project and jumped right in.  I had been in a thrift store and the little kit was only  $1.99.  It has specialty threads in it that I wanted to learn to use.  I bought it at the time when my vision was at a bad place.  I wondered if I’d be able to stitch at the time and was unable to do so.  I put it away.

I picked it up a week ago and have made great progress.  I remember the frustration I felt when I first worked on it.  I have run into a tough part where I’m stitching white in single strand thread.  In addition to my lighting I may have to only stitch in the daytime as well in order to see it.  I decided to skip to the last of the color parts and then I’ll have to fill in with the white which may make it easier to see where I’m going.

This activity has greatly reduced my screen time too.  I have to start thinking about what’s next.

So lest you think I’m not quilting I have some progress there too.  There is now a double wide design board.  It’s amazing.  I lay out my Lakeview Terrace to get the color placement arranged.  I was surprised that I could see with my naked eye a spot that appeared washed out.  I moved that block to the edge where it wasn’t as noticeable.  When I took a picture I spotted another area and moved that to the edge as well.

Here is the final layout.  I just need to sew the columns together after I press them first to get finger pressed seams more firmly in place.

Hope you’re having a productive week in whatever you do.

Cross Stitching

I cross stitched starting way back in 1985 when I first moved to Texas.  I took on big projects because I didn’t know better.  I enjoyed it and bonded with my mother-in-law over the activity.  The supplies for different projects became her favorite gift to me on different occasions.  She passed suddenly in 1989.  I took over all of her unfinished projects and finished them.  Some of them led to me making accompanying pieces.  

I took solace in the work while I was bed ridden for the first trimester of my first pregnancy.  I had many completed pieces by the time I delivered my son.  Now with a child I did most of my stitching at lunchtime with coworkers. 

I had quite the collection of projects by now.  I had also found quilting.  I know I continued to stitch after my kids were born but it was less and less.  It’s not that I didn’t love it, it was just expensive with my family additions to worry about and a quilt, to me, was cheaper and easier to finish.

Fast forward to maybe 2014 and I see Jill at Darling Jill Quilts is cross stitching.  By now I have done a poor job of managing my diabetes and developed retinopathy.  As a result I had lots of laser surgery and was developing cataracts.  I was receiving other treatments but my eyesight was terrible.  In 2017 I had the cataracts removed.  I saw a cute little cross stitch kit at the thrift store and bought it.  I tried working on it but ended up with a knotted mess and set it aside.

When I had the cataract removal I moved to a new retinalogist.  He  gave me the same treatments as the previous doctor and got things better but then switched treatments.  About a year ago I started using a Dexcom glucose monitor.  My sugars have been the best ever since being diagnosed.  My eyesight is the best it’s ever been.

This year I saw Patty at Patty the Quilt Lady cross stitching and Judy at Patchworktimes cross stitching.  I bought another little kit in anticipation of trying my hand at cross stitching again.  Judy mentioned a light she tried and I ordered one.  It has 5 different strength lenses in it.  I’m using the 2.0 and have been able to accomplish a lot.  I’m still struggling with the best distance to hold my work but that’s trial and error.  I can only stitch an hour or so then have to take a break.

All the x’s were completed tonight.  Now I have to do the back stitching.  Dragonflies hold a special place for me so I’ll finish it in a way that I can keep it close at hand.  I need to find that other kit and go to work on it next!

Remember that an investment in your physical health is just as important as investing in your financial health.  It’s easier to keep your health than regain it!  Please take care of yourselves.

Lakeview Terrace Progress

I pressed all the blocks from my OMG quilt and played with the layout a little.  I’ll try to get it up on the design wall to make a decision.

They are both a zig zag look but one is vertical and the other is horizontal.  Would love any feedback.

September 2021 OMG

Normally I already know what my goal will be before the previous month is out.  This time I thought I’d pick the next scrappy quilt I had under waythen changed my mind.  I didn’t have anything else in mind so not sure what I was thinking.  I’m just going to go with the original idea which is my scrappy Lakeview Terrace by Missouri StarQuilt Co.

I finished making my blocks on Saturday.  They need to be pressed and laid out.  At this point I’m not planning to add a border.  Here is my work in progress.

I look forward to getting them pressed and up on the design wall.  

Linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts for September OMG.

Are you playing along?