Happy (almost) New Year!

  

2020...Bah Humbug!

2019 was sad and stressful, 2020 was sad and depressing, 2021 has got to be better....right? Please say yes.

The holiday was nice, my niece and her family were here Christmas Eve. Christmas day was very quiet. My mom and I had leftovers and played cards.

Gotta show off my mom's tree. 

Always pretty. My mom say's she doesn't decorate as much as she used to but she could not  prove it if you looked around her house. Lots of decorations. Very festive. 

I've made more progress on my blackwork project. The last row is 1/3 finished so I should be able to finish it before New Year's Eve.

I'm trying to decide if I want to participate in a 2021 sew-along. I should work on one of the three cross stitch projects I've started. I have a feeling I will participate in a monthly blackwork sew-along, then maybe I can do both (don't hold your breath).

I have been working on my Sunny Lane project...it doesn't require any brain power. Lots of chain piecing.

 

 

Bella was helpful as always.

 

I hope you all have a very happy New Year!

There was real sewing done this week!

Cause I got a new baby!

It is a Baby Lock Presto II. It has everything on my wish list except a knee lift. But I got a really good deal on the machine and so far I am very happy with it. Do you see how bright the light is? It has TWO led lights! Somebody must have finally smacked the sewing machine manufactures upside the head - add more lights! The bed of the machine is nice and wide also. Although I did order an extra large Sew Steady table for quilting, for general piecing I won't need it.

While I was playing / testing with the in-store machine I pieced this little runner. I quilted it at home using the walking foot. Funny how you get used to things a certain way...my Bernina walking foot is a wide toe with clear plastic center. The new one is for straight stitching only, it is narrow and all metal. With the clear plastic I had to use my eyes to stay in the ditch, with the new walking foot I have to align the foot appropriately...time will tell which I like better.

I did more in the ditch quilting and some free motion quilting on the little patriotic runner. FMQ was a breeze! If you click on the picture you can see the stars I quilted better.

It has 100 built in stitches and 4 alphabets. I used one of the decorative stitches to quilt this little hexie topper.

There was also lots of slow stitching with binding and blackwork (finished another row).

And (doin a happy dance) I emptied another scrap bin. One more to go.

I found the deeper into the bin I got the more scraps went into these giveaway / donation bags.

If you want scraps I will happily send you some.

I hope you all have a safe and very Merry Christmas!

Not a Single Stitch

   

On the sewing machine. I have been catching up on my blackwork. I think I'm still behind about 10 weeks. 

I'm also still working on cutting up and sorting scraps. 

I have a 5 drawer tower that had holiday fabrics in it. I went through it, cleared out the non-holiday fabrics, refold fabric that had been stuffed into it, and cut up everything that was less than a fat quarter. My holiday fabric is now neatly organized in 3 drawers.

I also emptied another bin that was mostly 2.5 inch strips that had been dumped into it along with a few other scraps. They are now folded, sorted by color and in these bins:

The bin I'm going through now is mostly crumbs. I don't like crumbs. I also don't feel like cutting things into small squares. So...if it isn't at least 2.5 x 5 it will probably go in the garbage. I KNOW! I'm horrified also, but I have so many scraps that I really don't need to be keeping the itty-bitty stuff. Even the not so itty-bitty stuff. Maybe I'll stuff them in baggies and take them to the next guild meeting (whenever that might be).

Another gadget that I am loving is this True Sharp rotary blade sharpener. I got this, in it's unopened package, at an estate sale a few years ago for almost nothing - they are expensive, but it has been the best sharpener I've ever had. For as expensive as rotary blades are, I think this gadget would be worth the actual retail price.

This not very helpful cat got a hair cut today. She is lucky she didn't get a new bobbed tail.

I did some Christmas shopping this past week. At one of my stops I looked down and saw this...

I

I just had to take a picture. ;o)

Barely Sewing

   

I'm just not in the mood. I am still cutting up scraps. I've emptied one large bin and started on another small one. I did find a couple of odd blocks / scraps that I played with / sewed into mug rugs / small table toppers.

Don't ask, don't know. Just sewed them together. The green will be the back.

Only one of these was completely framed. I finished framing the other two and will back them with the yellow gingham.

I cut these out when I was experimenting with the lollipops in Violet's Bakery a few years ago. Sewed them together and will back them with the fabrics above them.

So if we have Christmas in July doesn't it make sense to make a patriotic runner in December?

I have partially cut out this mini from some of my larger scraps. Who knows when it will actually get sewn but since I cut it out I did add it to my work in process spreadsheet.

While I haven't been doing much sewing I have been making a lot of progress on my blackwork sampler.

I've finished five rows since the last time I showed my progress. I'm still very behind but I'm determined to finish this 2020 stitch along in 2020. I haven't decided it I'm going to participate in the 2021 stitch along or finish a few of other cross stitch work in process projects.

I have been listening to audio books while I've been cutting up all the scraps and stitching. Thank goodness for my library card and Overboard. Never fails, 3000+ audio books to chose from and I can never find anything to listen to (kinda like nothing to wear with a closet full of clothes).