No sewing for days

Yes this had to be changed. We were not gettting enough hot water.

We got the book out on it and it was ten years old. The last heating element was installed in 2014. We live with a well so the water is very hard water. It was getting limed up and it just needed to be changed. 

My husbnad is disabled, but insisted he change it. I went and bought it and paid to have it delivered. 

I had to clean put a closet to get to the cabinet it is stored in. The closet needed a good clean out anyway. I had some old computer componnents and also a ton of old pillows. Which all of that will get recycled or sent to the thrift store. 

It was a long day because he is weak and he had to take breaks. But it is in place. The pipes had a leak, but he got that fixed. So today we will put the closet back together.

So that explains the no sewing. I had to go to the hardware store for plumbing pieces and I do most of the lifting, but it saved us about $400 in labor doing it ourselves. 

I would have prefered one of the boys to help, but they both were working. We just have to get the old tank hauled off now. 

I do plan on trying to finish picking up after the closet gets put back together and get some more sewing done. 

Hope you all had a more productive day than I had, but I have hot water again. Chris

27 days till Spring

I can't wait. This was lillies from last year. 

This has been a really gray Winter. We all are dealing with having to turn on light and staying inside. 

It has been cold. Not so much snow, just really cold. 

The last few days I haven't done much as far as sewing. I have the last few blocks constructed and need to machine quilt them for the evewntual finish of the next quilt. 

I am going to change gears and start getting back out quilts that are close to completion. Working through until finished. I then need to do major cutting. I need some leaders and enders pieces cut so I can work on another finish. 

I see on Instagram all the quilt festivals going on and the new colors of fabrics. Makes me want to get my brights out and start sewing. 

Hope you are counting the days with me. Spring is around the corner. Chris 

What other crafts do you do?

Besides quilting what are some other crafts you do?

I have several I like to do, but not enough hours in the day to complete them all. 

I do X stitch. I have done cross stitch since the 80's. Many years went by and notr a stitch was done. In the last 6 months I have completed a couple stitchings, but not got them fully finished. I am waiting to get the kitchen painted for a couple of them. 

This is done on 18 count aida I tea  and coffee dyed. I dried the fabric in the sun all scrunched up to get the vintage look. 

I knit also and a small amount of crochet. 

At this point in m y life I am using up stash. yarns and threads I hve had for a long time. As long as the thread doesn't break easily I am using it up. The colors are not faded and the floss has been stored in a closed container. I think it is all in the storage. 

I do have to use magnifying lenses to aid in the stitching, but that is ok. Not attractive, but it works. 

So do you have other projects that you pick up off and on and do?

I need also to make three sets of Raggedy Ann's and Andy's for my Granddaughters.
Not that they will play with them, but they can place them on their beds. I plan on some cross stitch pillows for their beds also. 

Something they can have that BGrandma made for them. I guess I am to sentimental.

I have the need to create. Hope you do. Chris

Getting closer

I have these baskets cut full of 2.5 inch strips. They are the size I use in making these16-patches for the blocks I have been working on. I need some different colors for the pan I had used out of. 

I have almost 36 blocks sewn and quilted in a QAYG method. I need 48 blocks for a twin size. These are 2.5 inch squares sewn into the 16-patch block with 2 inch strips sewn around the 16-patches. Simple but colorful.

I did straight line quilting on these blocks in a setting of three lines. It holds the block secure and a little more masculine looking than other things I could have done.

My husband has a twin adjustable bed and he likes the looks of these blocks. 

I need a new quilt for my bed. The binding is starting to fray. Really just need to replace the binding. It is queen sized.

I should make another queen size for my son's bed and a king size for my step son's bed. I think I have an idea for both of the quilts, but still trying to decide which one I will do first. 

Of course I have many more in the works. I hope I live long enough to get them all done. 

Hope you are getting all your sewing goals met. Spring is coming. The Canada Geese are flocking around us. Chris