Sister's Choice Quilts

A Peaceful Day of Sewing

I spent a peaceful day sewing yesterday and completed the eight star centers for my Log Cabin alternate blocks for the Designer Mystery 2023 sew-along.

It was so lovely to get all your supportive email messages in sympathy for my "quiet firing" as Cynthia called it. Have you heard of "ghosting"? It's an expression used in dating when a guy asks you out and things seem great, but he stops calling you and doesn't return your calls or texts. I sort of feel like that. Would anyone have contacted me if I hadn't asked what the heck happened to all my future work assignments? It is a very weird way to run a company and to treat someone who you had told previously was doing great work and was a valued member of "the team". 

Oh well, water under the bridge. I need to move on.

I am so pleased with how pretty this Log Cabin alternate block is. I made one up to see what it would look like and love it. For the next seven, I will make them all at one time, going one round and pressing, etc.

It looks so good with the sampler blocks and brings out all the colors beautifully. The other alternate block is in contrast, very low volume. I like how they work together. Maybe I'll finish them today!

Thanks again for all your kind comments. They made me feel a lot better.

 

The Good News Is, I'll Have More Time On My Hands

If you read my blog regularly, you may recall me mentioning that the company I work for has been using AI more and giving their freelance writers less work. Whelp, they pretty much pulled the plug on me last week. All my work assignments just disappeared from the company spreadsheet we use to see what our upcoming projects are. No phone call, no email. They just removed my work assignments. 

When I emailed my boss in a panic, she ominously replied "I'll call you in a moment". Which she did. It turns out the company won't be using us freelancers much in the future because they are "cutting back". And she said the cutbacks included her. Her last day is August 30. She's worked for and supported this company for 10 years, and made all of us who reported to her feel like we were a team.

She was great to work with. The company itself clearly has some issues regarding the way they treat their employees. They didn't even exactly "fire" me. They just took away my work and said there wouldn't be more. I feel very disrespected and unvalued. At least the new AI robots won't get hurt feelings like the real people they used to employ.

So, I will be broke but will have more time to sew, train my new puppy, read books, and blog regularly.

Speaking of said puppy, here are a couple of pictures. In the first photo, he was sleeping in his crate with his head on his own little stuffed puppy. He uses it as a pillow.

In the next shot, you can see the setup we have rigged in our foyer. It is a really large space, with room for a crate and puppy playpen. Archie is great about using it. He can keep an eye on us from that central spot, which he likes. We get him out about every two hours for a walk or a play session.

Besides feeling extremely sorry for myself this weekend, I did some sewing-related puttering. I brought out my Designer Mystery 2023 project to see where I was with it. I had finished the 12 monthly blocks and five of the alternate blocks. I have eight more alternate blocks to make in a log cabin design which is going to take some time. Here is my layout minus the missing blocks I have yet to make. 

I'll keep you posted on those log cabin blocks!

Hope you all had a better weekend than I did.

 

 

Why Can't I Get Anything Done?

Why can't I get anything done? Ahem. This naughty boy would be the reason. He actually is fairly mellow, compared to other dogs I have owned, but he is a puppy, and therefore, a handful. He demands a lot of attention, that is for sure. He is a total sweetheart, and we love him, but he has a lot to learn!

I have a Halloween block of the month I joined and I need to make up this month's blocks, so wish me luck. Love these fabrics, but have kind of lost focus on what the final project is.

Here are the backings for several quilts I need to send out to the quilters. I need to focus on that task too. I think I have four quilts that need quilting and it isn't serving me well to let them sit.

At any rate, my life right now seems to be in a loop of puppy care, grandchild care, and trying to get through each day with a dinner at the end of it.

Please forgive me if my content isn't as scintillating as I would like it to be!

I do seem to keep coming up with good dinners, in spite of everything else going on, and this quiche recipe was one we enjoyed a lot last night. Southwestern Bacon Quiche, with bacon, chiles, and pepper jack cheese. It looked just like the picture and tasted delicious. 

Hope to sign in later this week with some quilty content, but my life is 24/7 puppy training right now. Thank goodness, it seems like we got a good one!

 

 

 

 

Dithering

I've been in a very dithery mood this week. Nothing holds my attention for long. I find myself torn between sewing a bit, reading a bit, going on an errand, and fretting about things that need to be done... I am sure you have all been there and can relate. I have a lot of irons in the fire and feel scattered.

This Summer Memories basket quilt is going slowly. The units are adorable, but for some reason, I just can't seem to grasp the exact number of half-square triangles I need to make for each of the weekly blocks. Every single week I underestimate the number I need. The segment above is adorable, but I need to make twice as many red half-square triangles to complete the block. I don't know what is wrong with me. My mind is so fragmented lately.

Remember Corey Yoder's Sunny Days sew-along? It is going strong and I have let mine languish. Corey has started coming out with her monthly block patterns which use red and blue fabrics. You should take a look at her YouTube videos, they are fun and instructional. It is an easy project if you aren't an experienced quilter, and is interesting enough to capture the interest of people with more advanced skills. Are any of you sewing along with her?

We are beginning to suspect that Eva has some serious Cinderella talents going on that we haven't been aware of. Her step-sister came out the front door yesterday morning and found this little friend settled in below Eva's bedroom window. Hello. It didn't even leap up and run away, just sat there while Sydney took its photo. It looks like it is thinking "What? I am resting here. Move along." 

Are you dithering this week? Or are you focused and plowing through your projects?

Spring Things

On a scale of totally crappy weeks, this one is near the top, but spring is in the air, so I am feeling hopeful for better things to come.

Sara and Eva are off to Southern California on a Spring Break adventure, and the photos they are sending me seem to indicate they are having fun.

I sure am missing them though.

I did a bit of sewing, and my husband and I took a drive to a local winery that is known for its fabulous Easter tulip and other bulb displays and we were not disappointed. The photo at the top of the post is one I took with my camera, and it looked just like that. The colors were incredible and the scent of the hyacinths was so strong! It really put me in the frame of mind to think that spring and other good things are on the way.

Those are tulips if you can believe it.

These are the last three Sewcialites blocks I have made. Only one more and we are done!

After our excursion to the winery to see the spring bulb display, we came home and made lamb chops with balsamic cherry tomatoes. That was a spring dinner for sure. What a treat.

Hope it feels like spring is finally on its way wherever you are. Be grateful for the people in your life who support you and love you.  Happy Easter and have a great weekend!

 

 

Do You Have Project Overload?

Do you have project overload? I've been thinking about how many concurrent quilting projects I have going on at the moment, and it's a lot. I know many of you are disciplined and just take on one quilting project at time. You work on it until it is finished without getting distracted by something new and shiny. Once the top is pieced you probably even prepare your binding and put it somewhere you can find it. I admire your focus, orderliness, and discipline.

I am not that person. I get so excited about new projects that I often can't seem to help but start something even if I have others that I am working on at the moment. At this point in time, I have seven projects I am working on. I have many many more projects that I have not yet started or have started and set aside. I may get to them, maybe I won't. These seven projects are ongoing, and I work on them steadily, some more than others. These projects are (in the order I am paying attention to them):
1) Peace and Healing
2) Midnight Moon
3) Moda BlockHeads 4
4) Cozy Up
5) Flea Market
6) Red Sampler
7) Cider

Peace and Healing is on the larger design wall. I am in the process of sewing the rows together, so I anticipate that one will be a finish fairly soon. To the left is Cozy Up, which is a smaller size quilt and should not take long to wrap up once I get the next round of blocks made. Everything else is in the tall project bin unit from Ikea in the first photo.

Am I overwhelmed? Well, maybe a little. I'd say I am more frustrated that life gets in my way and I don't have as much time to sew as I would like to. But what made me think about the topic of project overload is a terrific YouTube video by the great Pat Sloan. I highly recommend that you take a few minutes and watch it. Pat discusses project overload and has some terrific tips on how to control it, or at least manage your feelings about it. 

She suggests first and foremost, making a list of your current projects. She talks about deadlines (a baby shower or graduation gift for example) and making that a priority. She suggests making some of your larger projects a smaller size- turning a quilt size project into a table topper (which I have done many times!). She even mentions that if you aren't loving something you started as much as you hoped, to set it aside temporarily or forever. Best of all, she has some tips on how to get caught up on the projects you do love and want to finish.

I have been thinking about this a lot over the weekend, and would also add that if a project you are working on is seasonal (say a Halloween or Christmas quilt) and you hope to use it in the near future, that you move that project to the head of the queue.

I'd love to have you readers chime in on this subject. What kind of quilter are you? Disciplined or schizophrenic? If you have multiple projects going on, does it make you feel overwhelmed? How do you prioritize your projects? Please do share your thoughts and tips!

 

 

 

 

 

Concept Vs. Execution

I have received some quilts back from my quilter this week and look forward to sharing them with you. This one was made with Fig Tree fabrics and features a Pattern Basket Bird Block in the center of the runner.  I love the springy feel of the fabrics and love the quilting design my quilter chose.

This will be a fun spring table runner.

Did you have a great Halloween? Our family Halloween party has been on hiatus since the Covid pandemic. At this point, I don't know if it will happen again in the future. It may be a casualty of our times. Sad, but time will tell.

We had a fabulous Halloween in our own little neighborhood. We typically gather at my son in-law's house for the occasion. He serves his wine to the adults who are interested, and of course, candy to the kids. Eva was Cruella DeVille this year, and her friend Addie was a white wolf. So here's the thing. Addie was disappointed that her concept of a white wolf was not widely recognized. "Are you a dog?". "Are you a cat?" were questions she was repeatedly asked. "No, I am a white wolf", she patiently explained. This is an example of a creative concept that did not pan out as the artist intended. Poor girl. She was annoyed, but not devastated. She will be back next year with a new idea that, with luck, will be better understood and appreciated.

Eva was Cruella DeVille, which at least was readily recognized. 

Oh my gosh, this kid is cute. 

In our area, Halloween is a big deal. Many people who are not residents of our neighborhood are bussed in to take part in our trick or treating activities. Most people set up deck chairs and sit outside their homes to disperse the trick-or-treat goodies. The man across the street from my son-in-law had an interesting gimmick. He had a table set up with a display of sacks of candy. As kids approached, he said "Here's the deal. You can pick one piece of candy from my candy bowl, or...If you have a Butterfinger candy bar, you can trade it to me for a sack that has many pieces of candy." You should have seen those kids rummaging through their trick or treat bags for a Butterfinger to trade for an entire sack of goodies. Good deal all around right? The guy got a ton of his favorite Butterfingers and the kids thought they scored with their trade for a sack full of lollipops, Tootisie rolls and Bazooka bubblegum.

Crazy times around here. Hope you had a happy Halloween@

End of an Era

Remy
Dec. 17, 2007 - Oct. 11, 2021

We lost a treasured member of the family yesterday. Technically, Remy wasn't even our dog. He belonged to my daughter Sara and her husband Ryan, but spent a great deal of time with us at our home. He was one of the best little dogs on the planet for sure. His good behavior was always a big contrast to his friend Ozzie's. We'd often ask Ozzie, "Why can't you be a good boy like Remy?", but Ozzie marches to his own drummer. Even though their personalities were very different, they were a pack.

This picture was taken on the day when Ozzie and Remy first met. Ozzie liked him on the spot, which was unusual. Remy wasn't sure what to make of Ozzie at first, but they soon became good friends. And stayed friends for over 13 years.

You might recall me posting a few months back about the possibility of Remy having canine dementia. He would have episodes of acute anxiety when nothing seemed to help to calm him down. In the photo above, my husband is trying to comfort Remy and Ozzie is sitting at his feet looking on with concern. As time passed, Remy's episodes worsened, despite being on medication.

He loved his walks, his treats, and very short car rides. Always ready to see what would happen next, his curiosity was still tempered with caution. He was the best boy ever, and it is going to be very very hard not to have him around. Goodbye, Rem, we'll miss you.

 

Easing Back Into Things

Well hello there. I am easing back into things. Rejoining the land of the living. Call it what you will, but I have been out of commission and am struggling to get back to normal.

The doctor says my eyes are healing perfectly and all is well. I had some sort of allergic reaction to something and my right eyelid swelled up pretty spectacularly. My vision was never constant. Sometimes super blurry, other times just ok. None of the "I can see the individual leaves on the trees" stuff that many cataract patients claim. The main thing I noticed besides not being able to see very well at all was that my world had suddenly gotten super bright. Too bright. Dracula at dawn bright. Wearing sunglasses indoors bright.

Day by day things are getting better. With luck and time, I will be able to see great again. I am counting on it. I'll keep you posted.

I am SO anxious to get back into my sewing room. My big summer plans and goals have gone right out the window. I even had an email this weekend from a lovely lady in North Carolina who quilts for me, asking if I was still sewing. Now that hurt.

Even while I was laid up, I managed to do a bit of shopping. Here are two new Halloween-themed bundles I picked up. No idea what I will do with them. 

Pumpkins and Blossoms by Fig Tree

Kitty Corn by Urban Chiks.

 

Hope you are all well. Looking forward to sharing more with you this week.

 

A Little Setback

Sorry readers. I've had a little setback from my recent eye surgery. I am not able to see well enough to sew or even type very effectively.

With luck, I will be back in business in a day or so.