Word for this Year - 2023 - JOY

 My word I choose and used last year was Resilient and it was perfect with all the inevitabilities going on.  A small tribute to a friend of many years who had RE words one year as her word of the year.  I smile when I hear an appropriate "re word" and think of Trudy.   As this new year approached, I knew Joy would be my word and true compass as I navigate life.  

My Hopes for this year are:

1. To continue the many necessary repairs and give attention to the other areas of neglect from the past 18 years since husbands' disability was first diagnosed and as I coped taking care of him, his health, budget with being  mindful of only the most urgent repairs as funds were extremely limited.  Can you believe his Medical bills from his heart transplant (2018) were paid in full just 2 weeks before he moved out in September 2022 and all the others are at zero.  [Yeah Janie!, great coping skills and budgeting].  
2. Budget wise my FICA score is great and I've created Excel spread sheets to assist in managing all my accounts, bills, debts, expenses and the ultimate bottom line and to live within my means. 
3. Declutter all my excesses in 2023.  Clothing, home goods, equipment, creativity supplies, and many other areas with too much..  I truly have enough and feel so blessed (I'm not bragging, just being realistic).  
4. Creativity managed in daily increments is what I hope to realize too.  

• No more putting UFOs off to handle another day but slowly implement their progresses into my daily routines with monthly achievements.  
• Am thankful that I still enjoy cooking occasionally yet am finding it difficult to navigate easily.  Even in this arena I have too much.  cookbooks,  equipment, food stores, etc...  Learning how to best cope- budget wise, maintain a healthy assortment of foods for nourishment all without waste or eating the same dish for 5 meals!
• I have inventoried many of my supplies and I plan to continue that while also establishing  appropriate storage in logical, useable areas.  Considering the art supplies, Accuquilt dies, Books, Quilting goods, even yard tools and garage set-up with how my mind works to retrieve items as  needed and stored sensibly.  Allowing myself a pat on the back here. okay a brag: Hoot hoot! as I  was able to get my Kia into the garage before the first snow storm in December of 2022.  No small feat as a vehicle wasn't in the garage since 2017!  I sorted, cleaned, gave and threw away so much and it took about 6 weeks as I also was heading into Winter and the yard chores to do solo!

So these are just some of my introspections as I reflect and I wish everyone a very

Happy New Year! 

Hello - Still here

 Hello

Many of my followers may have been concerned with my disappearance and diminished postings in the past several years as my priorities shifted.  

I’m healthier, thank goodness.

I’m no longer have husband living here, thank goodness.

Managing MY home (legal separation paperwork so it's truly mine) and years of neglect dealing with disabilities, again grateful and thank goodness. 

Did I know or see this coming- NO - however that is one consistent element of life. “CHANGE”

Am still settling in a “new to me life” as I assimilate. Most important lately is that question -  what do I want?  No more concessions, adaptions, excuses or divisions,   Just me. I’ll return with more hopefully soon as life has handed me many hurtles this past year and realistically my Mom just signed into Hospice two weeks ago.  But my ongoing Mantra is:

 "People over things,  E.V.E.R.Y.T.I.M.E!”

One thing that I haul about as needed and the current project:

Plan on turning those Santa Earrings into a scissor fob and a zipper pull for this project bag.

I just had to include one picture  (will be back to edit post as this is another first for me by creating this on my i phone).  

TTFN - J

Another WIP be Gone for 2021 - STAR SPANGLED BIRTHDAY and a giveaway

Star Spangled Birthday
stitched area is 8" x 4" 

Toot toot!  

                            Whoop whoop another finish that is totally done.  

The design is Star Spangled Birthday by From Nancy's Needle and I loved it the first time I saw it.  The stats are being listed for my own reference only and changes I personalized being asterisked for easy notation.  It was basically stitched as designed with the called for threads on 18 count sandstone zweigart mono canvas.

The Watercolors by Caron numbers threads used are:   008 Nerfertiti, 016 Bark, 138 Winter Wheat, 160 Night Sky, 165 Granite, 255 Cornflower Blue,  and 257 Spearmint.  

DMC#5 weight colors were: Ecru, 498 Dark Red Border*, 321 Flag and Bunting*, 823 Navy - Bunting*.  

The Kreinik #12 weight Tapestry Braids used are: TR279 - Dark Multi darker windows on Left home *, 3202 Cats Eye for the Lighted windows.  

Gold Rush #18 used were *GD109C darker windows on Right Home*, GD45C Red, GD136C Navy and then added extra sparkle in the self designed fireworks using an assortment of sparkly threads like, *razzle dazzle Orange, an unknown *Green Sparkle I got through a thrifted mermaid item while visiting Mom in Florida, also unknown maker of two colors of a *Hot Pink Sparkle and an *Aqua sparkle. 

Many fibers were used and am glad I changed it up along the way.   The border colors only used the Rainbow gallery sparkly Blue in it and then I changed the called for Nefertiti red toned to a deeper toned DMC instead with out the sparkle*.  The *patriotic items were brightened up with a truer red as well as the windowed glass bits*.   Also made were changes to the design of the street lamps with a more to my liking simplified lamps and attempted successfully I think, a "truer to my memory" images of actual fireworks going off then the illustrated patterned lightning strike effect printed and designed.    Am so glad as I progress with my hobbies that I'm at liberty (yep- pun intended!) to change and stitch projects my way.  

Also was able to bring it to Aaron Brothers (Michaels) with 2 coupons, a 60% off and with an additional 25% off to get it framed with  the 2  mats and the selected frame which complements it perfectly.  That white pickled finish on the frame has hints of gold brushed through it letting it highlight the light affect of all those threads.  SO in honor of this finish... I did mention a giveaway:

To share in my self-finishing glory and joy,  I'm hosting a giveaway of this gently used chart to the continental US only.  My regrets to my other followers though for this exception but due to expense of international mailings it's unfortunate but too costly.  The winner will be drawn and announced here in November and I'll try contact you if I'm able to.  I plan to mail this out on my Birthday, November 10 to celebrate.   To enter, leave a comment on this post and share what you are most thankful for.  That's it.  Good Luck!

It was a fun stitch and only took me about 3 months to do and that's with sending it out to be framed too,  LOL.   But I work at a snails pace sometimes.  

  

TTFN,

Jane

Giveaway closed,   Sorry there were no entrants, so I will be letting this go in another manner.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm in for WIPs-B_GONE 2021

After the most recent finish I know that finishing projects feels fantastic so I've joined up with this link Leanne started to see how many more finishes I can accomplish by the end of the year.   Crossing my fingers that it'll be plenty.

Devoted quilter

A few of my WIPS are: 

HST drawn for ends of the spools for the Edyta Sitar Spool pattern for my idea of "99 Spools of thread on the BED" Quilt:

Current Needlepoint is getting close to the finish, (am hoping to finish the stitching on this Sunday):

36 Patch blocks continuing to be made- 

A couple of wall hangings made into tops that need finishing-

Cross stitch starts- Full Moon by the drawn thread, Fairy Garden by Blackbird designs, another shepherd's Bush that I've kitted and oh there are so many more.   VBG!

Homemade goods created like table runners, teapot cozy, table top quilt*lets, pincushions, bags, etc... and I'm not considering the foods I'm pickling, canning, freezing and regular meals cooked and stored for later too.....lol

You get the drift.  There are plenty of projects and now that the gardens are getting closed up and autumn is here, my "plate-spinning" demands should be slowing down.   

Yet I have miles to go....

Thankful, Grateful and Blessed

 A finish finally after many humps and yikes along the way.   Not sure why my craft is giving me hiccups along their progression and am still trying to know the why of it all, but alas this one is done!    

My attempt at "Ruler work"ed into the quilt design:

Placed it on one pepper plant that must have given us over 50 plus peppers!
Tried a new to us recipe from the family freezer for sausage stuffed mini peppers
in Marinara and it's a keeper.

Small sampling of the quilting behind the motifs after echo stitching:

A detail pic and hint of the binding finish:

Full project finally finished:

Used a couple of different threads for those wheat stalks inserted in the hat brim - am happy with it.

Feeble attempt of an art shot on the flowered boxes on the deck:

Thankful Grateful  and Blessed  that it's done.

TTFN,  Jane

Time out is over with a new perspective and breath of air

I found some more of that binding  so repairs can be made on the Pilgrim hat.  While tidying up I also ran across some other time outs while I contemplated where they needed to go and what done next.  

It went to time out!

 I was stitching my binding on the Pilgrim hat wall hanging and S.N.I.P.

What?!(*&%%#!?>?!

While trimming the corners so it could lie nicely I accidently cut through the edge of the binding.  Exasperatingly, I set it aside.  I have gardens and plantings to attend too.  I'm having a fit and am in a snit!

Jane

April's Focus - No Foolin' this time

I started late on the RSC this year and played catch up with some of the colors already assigned to January and February.  Though not unique as I've seen squared blocks all over blog land, its something I've been wanting to start... so I did.  

36 Patch Units:    6 so far.

2 for each month:  January through March  (Pink, Yellow, Green were the recommended colors).  I'm using my scraps but in a different lineup as I pulled from my solids the RSC color and am sewing my 2 -1/2" scraps onto that color. 

 Looks like Spring or Easter candy so far.   Depending on the colors coming later on, I may use that color for a different project as I'm truly loving the softness and Springtime feel of this so far.  AND I'm using some scraps, a WIN, WIN for sure.  Will ponder the size as it goes on.

OMG for April and am linking up with Elm Tree Quilts too with my plan for April being this Pilgrim Hat I previously showed here but failed to finish.  The quilting is next and the rulers to play around with it have just arrived.   That is one of my April's goals.  

Another April goal is to make a Frida Kahlo Tea Pot Cozy.  I may go traditional or perhaps push my limits but not as graphic perhaps as her art.   No picture of that unless you wanted to see my lil' red Le Crueset tea pot .  lol 

Am also continuing with those spool blocks.  Trying to come up with different Spool ends for each of those 99 colored spools.  Wish me luck as that project is lingering and I want to so more progress with it and all of my UFOs!  

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your Easter is beautiful!  My Co-vid Vaccine #2 is Saturday and I hope my reaction to it is nonexistent.  The first vaccine  I had a temporal headache and was chilled to the bone, can you say Tylenol and two quilts to the rescue.   TTFN. 

Small finish and happy

Though she be small, she be fierce!   

A finish and one more kit done.  The good Lord knows I have plenty of kits in and my reason for acquiring them was for my retirement anyhow, that was my explanation.  lol   Now that I've been retired for 15 years I figure it's time to get  some finished and put to use.  

I figured the weight was close to 5 pounds since it's rather large and filled with sand, but my son weighed it when he stopped by for a visit and it's just shy of 3 pounds.  lol,  Still quite hefty.   Also I need to get some more sand as therre is only 1/2 cup left in my Folgers container.  I keep some on hand through the year since someone in the family has nut allergies and it's safer for pin cushion filling than the walnuts.  Since Spring is here I'll be heading to a local sand pit for more to process.

I sewed drawer stabilizer to the backing for stability on surfaces and then also created a tube of fabric for a binder clips area just in case.  

TTFN

Jane

Thanks for stopping by.   I did start some 36 patch block units to align with the  Rainbow Scrap challenge that SoScrappy does.   Am hoping to stay with it this year even though I'm climbing on board late.   

February 2021 OMG

 It's too late to link up with Elm Street Quilts however, I plan to finish January's leftover Pilgrim  wall  hanging as well as the Sewing machine pincushion photo below, and get the Kim Diehl BOM finished from last year that needs layering quilting and finishing (photo will be shared later).  

Bernina 440 stitched embroidery with the  metallic thread, no problem except the wonkiness from the user artistic license placing that spool of thread on the top. 
Which will stay as it is and how when I was starting out (age  7) the spool on top would "dance" with me going as fast as I could bringing up fond memories.   LOL

Below are a few of the tools I use for tracking the needles.  

This first tool - the Needle Tracker lets me know which needle is in the machine as there used to be (esp. pre co-vid times) elongated times that I endured no machine sewing.   I keep this just beneath my sewing machine, handy but not in the way.  

The next is a needle wallet to store some unique needles I use.  Like Joan Shay's appli-bond, titanium and those chrome needles I just received from Schmetz.   I store this on top of my needle container shared in my last post.

This last tool is placed on the same needle storage box in the top drawer and is for lightly used needles that still have more life left in them.  It even has blank spaces that I can customize the type and write on or off for special notations.  I call this my needle parking garage.

Thought I'd share a glimpse of how I organize some of those parts of my hobby not yet shared.  

TTFN,

Jane