Marching Along!

It comes to something when my non quiltie friends start pointing out that I haven’t blogged in a while…

I’m still here! It has now been more than a year since I flew home from Southern California. My days are full. I am more convinced than ever that I love to travel and don’t like paper work 😟

So, what have I been doing since we last spoke?

I have been teaching. I have taught more than 40 Zoom workshops since my first one in September last year, and a fair number of lectures, and LOTS of meetings. I learn something new almost every time. Number one tip? Stay calm…

Here’s a peek into my Zoom classroom just before I’m ready to connect and start an English Paper Piecing workshop for the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo last week.

At least I start the class all neat and tidy!

I have been sewing…

I’m trying to come up with some new classes. A beginner’s learn to quilt class keeps being suggested. I made a quilt. An updated version of a traditional sampler quilt with eight blocks in lovely bright colors.And a closer view, basking in the sunlight coming in through the windows of my upstairs sewing room.It’s all very well making the quilt. Now I have to write the pattern and some handouts…

I attended QuiltCon Together. I paid for the whole lecture pass and made good use of it. It left me with lots to think about and a need to attend in person next year. I have blocked the dates out on my calendar!

While I was watching all 40 or so lectures I stitched. All the things…

I made a series of bowls using the Bowls 2 pattern from Paper Pieces

I don’t know what I will use them for but they were fun to make!

Then I made a pincushion using a kit from Local Farm Girl.The covered buttons and crushed walnut shells for stuffing were included in the package… I might have added a few extra embroidery stitches 😀

Next up was Dorset Feather Stitchery, inspired by a vintage (that’s used!) book by Olivia Pass I bought on line.

I’m definitely seeing a new embroidery class from this one?

And last but not least…

How about some felt raccoons and their very own tree stump? This one was a kit from Heidi Boyd.

Definitely all the things?

After all those lectures I just needed to get back to my sewing machine and stitch.

I had done a major overhaul of my fabric drawers and found all sorts of things, including a half jelly roll of neutrals that I thought looked like they needed using…

A little touch of blue and a lot of stitches later…

I did so enjoy all the hand embellishment…

I’m thinking Melting Pot One and Two?

But wait, there’s more!!

I cut a lot of my smaller pieces of solid fabrics into strips and squares.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this but it seemed like a good idea at the time…

They are 2″ squares sewn together randomly. I hung the pieced top in front of the window for today’s featured image at the top of this post.

And then I made a jacket!

If you follow my Instagram feed you have seen it already. I used a fat quarter bundle of Entwine by Giucy Giuce. They are very loose weave textural fabrics. I was scared to cut into them so I added Fusi Knit stabilizer first. I used the Contemporary Kimono pattern from Indygo Junction. I made each pattern piece as a mini quilt and bound the edges for a neat finish. I really tried hard.

BUT I am just not kimono shape. I have never had so much feed back on Instagram. Lots of great suggestions but let’s just say I am going to get a long dowel and hang it on the wall…

I have another jacket pattern waiting for me to try. It has narrower shoulders and flares out into a swing shape… we’ll see?

When we run out of recorded programs to watch we have been entertained by reruns of Columbo on the Peacock network.

“One more thing”

Crimson Tate really is one of the best quilt shops. Heather ran a Champion Quilter challenge during QuiltCon and we all know Catherine loves a challenge. Of course I entered (it really wasn’t very difficult)  and I won a medal (everyone got one!)

It came with my order of five yards of  Carrie Bloomston Wish fabric, along with stickers…

If you like the front, what about the back?I am hoping to go to Indiana in June and you know it will include a detour to Massachusetts Avenue in downtown Indianapolis… even if I have a drive an extra 50 miles out of my way…

Which brings me to the very last thing for today.

By now you have seen the pop up for my newsletter. I haven’t actually written one yet but it is on my list. If you sign up you will get a welcome email with a copy of a bonus embroidery pattern I did to go with my Butterfly book. I intend using the newsletter to keep you up to date with my schedule. In these Zoom days everyone can attend everything, no travel, no need to dress up, so it seems more relevant than ever to let you know where and what I’m teaching incase you want to join the fun. I’ll try and add some fun extras for my subscribers, maybe even a giveaway every so often. I can certainly promise there will not be a newsletter overload in your in box… You get the idea?

Until next time, Happy Stitching!!