To Everything there is a Season.

I work on several projects at the same time.  

I have been blaming my attention span and kind of getting down on myself for not having more finished projects. 

However, as I'm unpacking can see some sense to why I have so many projects. The song "Turn, Turn, Turn. (To Everything There is a Season)" starts playing in my head..

I like to keep my hands busy all the time. I want to be productive and have something tangible to show for my time. Since life happens outside of my sewing room, I have projects that do not require the sewing machine.

I always have a project ready to take along on road trips.  I'm not able to hand piece or quilt in the car. There's too much bumping around for me to get consistent even stitches to my satisfaction. So I switch out my tiny sewing needle for something a bit bigger.

At the moment my car project is knitting.  I blogged about this baby afghan when I started it back in July 2019 The end justifies the means...? I've only been working on it here and there, but I'm going to have to give it more attention because baby will be here in February!!

I also have a project for when we're sitting in the living room watching t.v.

I was working on a rug before the move (started in July 2018! Rag rugs... scraps... new-techniques??

Ha! started in 2018?!?  with as much t.v. we've watched I should have had at least two of these made up by now!

At the time I stopped working on this rug, I probably had a more pressing project that had a deadline. The reason I didn't go back to this project was probably more of an unconscious decision. As I unpacked this from the box I was grateful that I hadn't gone further.

See how much it's bowling?

When I was working on it I was not aware this was happening.

When forced flat there is definitely something wrong going on...

The outside rounds had a tighter tension that caused the bowling. It could have been due to life stress at the time or caused by working on the floor and holding the edge up as I worked. Whatever the reason, I knew I couldn't/wouldn't continue the progress with it so obviously wrong.

I unstitched many rounds until it was lying perfectly flat again and started restitching.

That is a lot of fabric twine to restitch.

This is the progress as of today.  There's still a bit of twine to catch up to where it was before.

But at least it's lying flat!!

I also have hand piecing projects to take to Sit and Sews. My son's Double Wedding Ring is the project I take. 

So, let's see... I guess the Bonnie Hunter 2019 mystery is my main project right now. 

The Starflower and the bonus triangle 9-patch are near at hand for "leader/ender" sewing.

Knitting for road trips.

Rug making for while watching t.v.

A hand pieced Double Wedding Ring for Sit and Sews.

There are many more projects, but presently these are the ones I'm working on most. And they are a good examples of why the song comes to mind...

"To Everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose, under Heaven."

And a New Year starts.

And now it is the year 2020!

Happy New Year to you!

I don't have much to report on the quilting side. Today, I did manage to cut more pieces for clue #3 on Bonnie Hunter's 2019 mystery quilt Frolic. But I didn't sew any of the pieces together. 

I am a little sad about that. Every New Year Day, I try to do those things that I want to be doing for the rest of the year, just in case there's something to that old superstition.

But anyway, having more pieces cut will make it easier to chain piece tomorrow.

Keeping my blog updated is another thing I want to continue through the new year.
(This update won't be posted until the 2nd, but at least I started composing on the 1st!)

Because I need something to talk about, I guess I will admit that on the side I have started another top.

For years, I've been wanting to make a top with the Orange Peel/leaf shape. 

Lucky for me, one of the first books I unpacked was Petal Play

All the projects in this book look great for scrap stash busting.
At the moment, the Starflower Quilt appealed to me most.

It is more of a controlled scrappy because the background is one color and the petal shapes are one color, but the star points are different.

I have cut out all the background.

I am committed to this project.

I will cut the star points as I go.

Because the points are assemble in the flip and stitch flying geese method, it creates those extra triangles that scrap quilters like me just can't throw away.
So I stitch those "bonus" triangles as well before trimming and decided to stitch together a bonus 9-patch block.

Though the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt is the priority project right now,
this Starflower Quilt will be my "leader and ender" project (a term coined by Bonnie Hunter.)

I giggle because I took a picture to show you I make mistakes and how the seam ripper is at the ready. ( I actually have three seam rippers, just in case one gets misplaced.)

Just a few stitches had to be taken out.

And all is well again 😄

Happy New Year!!

Still on a roll!

Someone must have wished me luck yesterday! The Essential Triangle Tool I was looking for!

I'll admit I did said a quick prayer to the patron saint of lost things, St. Anthony.  He almost never fails me.

 I took a class called "Geese on a String" at Mountain Quiltfest 2019 with instructor Bonnie Hunter this past May. I blogged about it - Mountain Quiltfest 2019.
I purchased the ruler straight from Bonnie herself 😊.

After class, I packed everything up nicely into this plastic bag.

Unfortunately, I never got back to working on it. It's another UFO, but I am determined to return to it!

With the Essential Triangle Tool located, I became determined to complete clue #3.

Clue #s 1,2, & 3 safely stored in a box.

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical that my 1/4 inch seam would be compatible with the Essential Triangle Tool. I also changed the presser foot on my machine to the quilter's 1/4" guide. I was certain I'd have to do a few sample half square triangles until I found the perfect seam.

But it was nearly perfect on the first try!!

I only need to clip one dog ear. That's it! No trimming necessary!

the first two sets for Clue #4.
Yes! I'm still on a roll!
Wishing you progress on whatever you are working on too.  See you soon!