Friday

 Not much progress on the cross stitch. I did not get any stitching time yesterday. After walking the dog and grabbing a shower after a leisurely morning wake up and scrolling, we did our normal Thursday visit of my FIL. We headed from there to his house with a lunch date included. We waited quite a while on the window of time for the color designer to meet us, but picked colors for the house painting on the outside. That should be able to happen now on the 9th. It was to be last week on the 20th, but this appointment got delayed and when they called Greg Sunday the 18th he relayed we never picked colors.... All set to go now. 

By the time we got home it was after 5. Both kids were late... so I popped to the store to grab a couple things to make a stir fry. Mushrooms were out at my last shop and Emily used the snow peas so I needed more. I love the rice at our Japanese Habachi grill and really wanted that Saturday night. I made some Sunday but it was more a chinese fried rice version. Some research led me to this sauce, so I found it at various places and got some last night. At home, I took the top off and it smells just like the sauce they use at the grill! Yea! I had some leftover rice so gave it a shot. Added a little water - tbsp or two. Some oil in the pan heated up, then smushed the rice into one layer to cook for a minute, stirred and smushed for another minute a couple of times. Added powder ginger and garlic powder and the sauce with a chopped up scallion and a scrambled egg. OMG! I am a happy camper. I can make it at home whenever I want now! I used it for the veggies and the chicken as well and it was yummy. Must get more of this stuff =)

My little bit of progress on the cross stitch. 

I had hoped to get my blue quilt top quilted this week. No progress so far.  We have a chilly weekend on tap. Maybe I can make progress on it this weekend. Right now, my toes are cold so must go find my slippers.

Mid week of chaos in the country.

 I am appalled that the US government is murdering and using chemical warfare against it's own citizens for using their constitutional rights to protest the illegal acts of this government. There is never justification to use chemical warfare against peaceful protesters who are documenting injustices. I hear they are taking photo's of people and license plates to build a database of US citizens who are against the tactics of this regime. This is against the law and all those in power who are allowing this to happen need to be removed and tried in a court of law immediately.

Onto more positive things. A sunset this week - they cleared the trees from the lots across the road in the shot and have already poured cement for 2 houses to be built. Right on the road that will eventually (if the county ever moves it along) be a 4 lane divided highway instead of the 2 lanes it is now. On either end of this segment - it is 4 lanes with a divided highway - sidewalk on one side and multi use path on the other.

I got all four of the purple hexagons completed. They join the stack. I believe there are 24 there now, so time to make them into pairs. I do have more of the hexagons prepped so can keep working on them this week.

I added a few stitches into the cross stitch. I started some of the 1/2 stitches in blue and green. The inside of the quilt has the light colors added as well. I'll get to the colorful leaf pattern soon I think.

Must set the phone and computer down and take a deep breath and stitch something instead.

FYI - they cancelled the senior trip to NYC,PA and DC that was to leave this afternoon through Monday night. The extremely cold weather and the potential for a noreaster on Sunday to Monday (their bus ride home would be all day Monday) led to the decision. Most of the kids don't have winter coats down here, so that might have factored into the picture - as well as a bus off the road in cold temps. They are all disappointed but he is trying to reschedule. Any of the 3 dates will conflict with existing events, so we will see what happens. Honestly, with all the crazy things happening in the country, I am ok with this delay.

A ufo to a top stage.

 

This made it to a top stage yesterday.  I need to measure it but I think it is around 84x68 maybe?

The goal was to get it completed this month. We have 6 more days to the month. We will see...

Slow Sunday

I did not do much slow stitching this week. I hope to change that by setting a goal of stitching up one hexagon QAYG at lunchtime each day this week. That should help get progress on this project again. I have added a purple one the last two days.

Only a few strands have been added to the cross stitch. This is the right side of the photo I am following. The other page is more of the wagon. I did pick up the two flosses that I didn't have for this pattern, so I should be all set on floss for this one now.

After a day in the hot sun working the obstacle course for the littles at girl scout camp, I had a bit of a headache and needed lots of sleep. I guess the age thing is catching up to me!  After lots of liquids and Advil this morning, I managed to figure out meals for the week and went shopping. That leaves me the rest of the afternoon to play with the sewing machine and maybe start organizing a little of my sewing space with my new shelving. I'll plan to add some more threads to the cross stitch this evening.

Linking up with Kathy and the other Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Saturday RSC

 This guy was waiting for his boy to get home last night. He went up to Gainesville with friends for dinner.... and to either celebrate or commiserate the UF acceptance postings. There was a bit of both  - mine got in, his buddies did not. They have a back up plan, so we will see how things shake out. Mine was very happy to get in as this was his 2nd choice after Dartmouth (which was a rejection letter in December). 

The UFO progress without the dog! I hope to press and add the borders later tonight, if I'm not wiped out from volunteering at girl scout camp for a littles encampment today. Projected temps in the 80's and sunshine. Must bring my hat and sunblock!

A few more houses were added as I was piecing the border above. Six is a nice number I think.

I'm thankful to have one more Saturday in blue, as I'd like to really add a star 16 patch block or two and a chicken block or two. We will see how that goes next week.

Linking up with the RSC. 

Friday

I've been listening to audio books. I've been listening to the Hope Holloway series Coconut Keys on audible. Really good series. I do like this author and have listened to a few of her series in the last month or two. Great storyteller and keeps things moving well.

Then took a break and listened to 'The Intruder' by Freida McFadden. Really good and a bit unexpected towards the end.

I have not been doing hand work this week ..... stupid addicting phone game of Yarn Fever! I'm stuck at level 22 (a super hard one) and have no credits. So... I'll be there for a while as I do not spend actual money on games.  

The dog had a vet visit this week - normal yearly shots and check up to get his script for Simparica for the year. We have to dope him up to go... and he was still a handful for the staff. They did the best they could. He seems fine but is over 90 pounds.... so the chunker is switching to a weight control food. He is a lazy slug and not active at all.... which fits into our household well!

I did manage to piece the first border and made some technical adjustments and tweaked a few cuts to kinda get it to fit. Looking from a distance.... it looks good! That's what I'm going with. It needs a good press. Then the instructions say a small 1.5 inch border then an outer border. I think the inner will be the white and the outer.... will have to be the print as the blue is gone! I did add a blue house with the scraps (will show tomorrow). 

Saturday I volunteered to help at a littles encampment at Camp Wildwood with Girl Scouts. This is the the K-5th grade kids. The main person who runs everything... is recovering from the flu so will not be there. I said I'd help if they needed it so I'm on for the afternoon and will arrive mid morning in case they need help in kitchen for lunch. Flu and COVID are raging right now down here (but you really don't hear about it). We are going to be different from the rest of the country and will be unseasonable high temps - 80 on Saturday and 86 on Sunday. 

Hoping all in the freezing cold path stay warm, have heat and water and plenty of hand stitching prepped!

Relaxing Sunday

I got a lot of machine stitching in on Saturday. I was able to piece the inner part of a really old quilt top. It still needs the pieced borders, maybe tomorrow. Today was more of a sit around and rest day.

I prepped a few more hexagon this week.

I've been adding more stitches into the cross stitch. This is November from the book 'A Quilt for all Seasons'. 

We had a second cold front go through Florida and the temps will be down in the freezing zone again tonight. I'll have to cover things up again for overnight. Then I'll settle in and watch some more tv while adding stitches to this and the hexagons.

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers. 

 

RSC Houses

I got a few minutes this week and got to dig into the drawers of pre cuts.... to realize I have 2.5 and 1.5 but not really much 2 inch! Guess I'll need to remedy that as this house block from Bonnie Hunter (free patterns on her website) uses 2 inch strips. I'll be making a few more of these blocks today instead of heading to the guard competition in Orlando. It would have been a 15-16 hour day and I don't think I was up to it today. I did drop Em to school this morning for 8AM. Pick up is 11PMish. She had enough chaperones, so I didn't feel too bad backing out. 

I also trimmed up all the blocks this week on the old UFO so they should be ready to sew into rows and a top today as well. My old book doesn't have the unfinished sizes listed of the blocks..... so I did some calculations and hopefully it is good. I started this back in the late 1990's... if you can believe that! The strips were cut and the nine patches were stitched. It was time to pull it out and dust it off. 

Linking up with the RSC.

 

Thursday perspective

 I normally keep my thoughts positive and 'non political'. However, what is happening right now in this country is atrocious and I honestly can't believe it is happening right here, in 2026! It feels like 1930's Germany, and I've read enough history to SEE what is repeating. Not sure exactly what I can do but if I see injustice, I will point it out in person. I have an event in Orlando with the school this weekend and I am hoping that we do not see the ICE treatment that is happening in the northern states. 

Back to happier things. Aidan and the Academic Team got knocked out of the regional tournament on the first round yesterday. They had a long lunch and then were back at school for the end of the day. He did want to try Tennis again, so I scheduled a Dr appt for clearance to go back today. 

The perspective part - progress on cross stitch. I figured I'd show the pattern and where I am on it. I did start in the middle as they recommend. Doing that quilt border was a nice easy start into the project. I had to search through floss to find the bottom color outlined by green in the quilt at the bottom, and the color I started on in the quilt area. Lets just say, it took a while to find those 2 flosses! I kinda hate that page divide area, so decided to start working on that for the wagon as well. Now to find the rectangular hoop for it and see how that works, since the circle one is just too small for my liking on this project.

We visited my FIL and he is doing fine. Hubby is walking Bear. At the dr's with Aidan and then walking in Sams, I kept popping a tendon? in my right foot behind the heel. Silly me, kept doing it and now I know it's there. I've got the foot support on it and sneakers on in the house. Will try to keep off it today and see if that helps.

Time to go visit the machine and see about building some houses. I wrote down the info for Bonnie Hunters Happy Scrappy House Block on her free patterns page. Off to go pull fabrics from the overflowing scrap bins and see what I can build!

Tuesday already.

Monday was a long day! We left the house at 6:15 and got home after 1:30 PM. The procedure went well, and my FIL is back to his room at the Assisted Living facility. They were great there, coordinating getting the antibiotics sent there (instead of where they sent them to the old pharmacy near his house an hour away!) They were going to check on him every 2 hours and make sure he had dinner tonight - brought up if he didn't want to walk down to the dining room.  We got to the hospital well before 8AM and they got him processed and ready..... to wait all prepped for a couple of hours before they brought him back around 10:30 for the procedure. Done for another year.

I was mostly on my phone but did get these 4 hexagons stitched up while waiting. Shout out to the nurses in pre-op - they were awesome!

After we got home and relaxed a bit, I did head out to Publix to get a script and a couple things needed for meal options - roasted veggie and hot italian sausage over penne (Monday) and chicken enchiladas for Tuesday. I just needed the flour burritos for that.

I was relaxing with some stitching on the cross stitch...after searching twice through the bag of floss for a specific number that I had but could not find. It was the next one I wanted to stitch with...and I did manage to find it. I'll have to search again for the other number I need to start stitching inside that quilt border after. It's sideways, sorry about that! I need to try the rectangle hoop on this and see if that works better.

Saturday and Sunday I did find the strips cut out for the alternate block - and got them cut and made into the 31 blocks I need. I noticed the book instructions (from 1990s) does not list the unfinished or finished block sizes..... in a beginner book! I can calculate what the finished size should be on the nine patch.... and will check all their sizes and cut the alternate block to match when squaring it up. Me now making this.... wished I used a cream instead of the stark white as it would go better with the print. I'll put it together and see how it looks as a top.

 

The other fun that happened yesterday.... Emily got home from school and right after, I got a call from Aidan. He needed a pick up at school with someone to drive his car home. Seems the first try out for tennis and running a lap..... got him feeling light headed and he passed out! The medic on site would not let him drive home. Took a bit for his color to come back. So... Emily went with as Greg's back was aching from the morning hospital chairs. Got him picked up and he came home with me. Em drove his car back. Seems he always wondered what it was like to pass out.... well, he found out it is kinda dreamlike and surreal, with a fuzzy tv screen interference when you wake up out of it. He's my kid... I've passed out multiple times. It is not a fun experience. He was joking as they were trying to get his color back. He needs a medical clearance to go back. I'll try and get him in with his current pediatrician to get the ok to go back... then will swap him to an 'adult' one for next month when he turns 18. Always something happening at my house! After a great nights sleep (did not sleep well Sunday as I knew I had to be up early Monday) it is off to work I go!

 

Slow Sunday

 Someone turned 60 today in my household (it's not me - hubby is 6 years older than me)! His Mom is coming up for a lunch out at a local restaurant. 

I'll be adding some stitches to the new cross stitch I started this year. It is the November design from Paula Vaughn's Quilts for all Seasons.

I'll also be glue basting a bunch of units for my Brimfield Awakening EPP I cut out earlier in the week. 

I'll take both with me tomorrow as I'll have waiting time at the hospital with my FIL as he has a procedure. Hubby's back is hurting, so I'll go with and handle the waiting inside so he can go to the car comfy seats if needed. He has to be there for 8AM... so we need to go pick him up for 7AM and bring him there. A very early start for a Monday. 

Another option- the QAYG hexagons I prepped last week as well. Plenty of options to keep my hands busy as I wait. I need to find our masks to wear while there. I know flu is running rampant and I did get my flu shot back in September. I managed flights over the holidays fine, but figure hospitals are even more of a germ area and don't want to be down for a week with the bad variant that is prevalent now.

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Blue UFO/RSC

 I do plan to join the RSC 2026 again this year. I will continue on with some old projects like the chickens and alternate BITA blocks. I'd like to add a couple of new things to the mix. I made house blocks years ago and gifted that quilt away (my daughter was not happy but it went to a good home with one of my girl scouts) so I will plan to make another one of some sort this year. I also liked the 16 patch star blocks, and have lots of cream bits leftover from my flowering snowball cut offs so will use those to make the stars in RSC colors of blocks this year. So, that is the plan before I go see what everyone else is making!

These are the 'leftover collections' I hope to be adding to this year.

The chicken blocks. 

The alternate BITA blocks so far.

The 16 patch blocks with 2.5 inch squares.

These were the houses I made - free pattern from Bonnie Hunters Quiltville blog. Might do another like this? We will see.

I did just go search to find a UFO in blues that I cut out ahem.... over 25 years ago! I think it might be time to finish this one off. It took a bit to find... and I might have found 3 other projects along the way. It looks like the nine patches are all sewn (I wonder if they match the correct size? My seam allowance was way off back then.) I'll be reading the instructions and figuring out how to make the alternate blocks. It looks like a more difficult way from what I expected but we will give it a try and see how it goes. 

It is called Sunrise Surprise and I'm not sure why I chose the colors I did but we will sew it up and see how it turns out this month!

This is the book that the pattern is in. One of the first I purchased back in 1992 when I graduated from college and started playing with a sewing machine. I did the four patch baby quilt and you know that friendship one still calls to me. I guess some likes never change over the years!

Currently my sewing table is being used by hubby to build some new shelving storage units. I hope to get it set up again tomorrow to sew and will start making those alternate blocks and see how this one goes together. 

Brimfield Awakening

 

This one was started and then sat, and sat and sat. The issue was I started without a plan and the colors were not 'matching' what I had in my mind and were not working.

With that in mind, I pulled the baggie of Liberty fabric cast offs I picked up 20 years ago at a guild meeting. Just enough to make either the tall or small house. I cut out a bunch but they are multiples of the same fabrics. I did a couple peels as well. 

I was not feeling it for this project. It was also hard to hold the template and cut around... I looked over and saw the rotating 10 inch cutting mat I got on a daily deal at MSQC last month. OMG! This thing rocks. Love it for this purpose.

I then opened one of the 4 charm packs that I had tucked with this project. Not solids like the originals but read as solids in a variety of colors. 

I remembered I needed twice as many small houses than the tall or fat houses this time.

I have quite a bit of the houses cut. I'll need to do more peels, but will wait and see what colors I want to use as I make the little sections - 2 small houses and one fat house go together and then a peel goes underneath. The tall houses connect 4 of those sections together for a circle in the pattern.

All prepped with their papers. Now do I use the glue stick or tack them with thread? So many decisions.

I was able to add in some of the other reds to the border of the quilt. I was missing a few of the DMC floss colors needed for this pattern and stopped at Michaels after work yesterday before hitting Sams Club for those pesky TP and Kleenex that were running out! I miss when floss was 20 cents each! Good thing I have a good slew of them from the other months I have done out of this book - August, September and January the 3/4 done one.

 

I had this photo marked as one of my favorites for the possible patterns I wanted to make next. I went with November, and was able to find all but 2 of the needed floss. I'll work around it until I am able to get those two at some point. 738 and 814..... just so I have it noted somewhere.
 

August, which needs to get reframed as the original fell and broke.

September.

Hexagons QAYG prep

 

I had enough clips to prep 16 hexagons yesterday.  I have one more in teal from a previous set. I was lucky and had all the batting cut already and most of the cream backing. When I decided to do cream for one set, I pulled larger pieces in red, blue, yellow and green for some pop on those. I liked having some color on the back of the quilt in other rows. These quilt as you go blocks will eventually be part of the last 2 rows I want to add to my existing quilt I finished a few years ago. I have 2 strips read to add to the quilt but will wait and add all 4 at the same time.... hopefully in the next few months. If I can stitch one or two a day, they should be done fairly quickly. It takes longer to prep them than to stitch them. I pulled a 10 inch stack of fabrics and actually cut into it to make these. I decided, time to use things up and move things out! 

This is the original quilt. It wanted to be a bit wider than the 66x88 it is. Adding 4 rows should make it 88x88 I believe. The link to more info on this one is here which is one of the tabs up above.

Cross stitch

 A little progress on the November design quilt.

After work yesterday, Grandma stopped up to fill out some paperwork Greg printed so we could witness her signing it. Her younger brother passed away Sunday.  She filled out paperwork to donate his body to the local med school in Ohio. Greg e-mailed it back to them and confirmed they have all they need. 

After she left, I hit Aldi after clearing out the fridge.

Lazy dinner of frozen meat ravioli with Rao marinara sauce. I have things for salads for my lunches now. The kids did not request anything saying they'd find things for lunches starting tomorrow for school. I did get more bread for pb&j as their default. Emily made pasta as her lunch around 3pm. I picked up the mini wonton freezer bags she likes. That was her dinner around 8pm. When you wake up at 11 you have a strange eating schedule!

I also did a few hexagons, so will need to prep more of those. I have plenty of clips now for them.! I'll also cut some charms for brimfield later today. The pantry needs work so that is on tap for clearing and organizing.  

I need a Sams club run but might do that tomorrow afternoon.  Depends if I want roaster chicken for dinner tonight or a clean pantry.

End of the weekend.

 It was a very long day of travel on Saturday. We started out with temps in the single digits when we woke up. We finished the puzzle we were working on at my parents and then headed out around 2:30 PM for the trip to the airport about 2 hours away with a ferry ride. We found out on the ferry that our flight was delayed an hour... so instead of waiting at the airport before security (has to be within 2 hours of the flight to go through TSA there), we wandered around the Sams club up the road! Dinner was under $9 and we each got a $1 pretzel for the plane ride! They had winter coats marked down, and for $27, Aidan found one he liked so we got it. 

We headed to the airport and got through security - both my bags were flagged this time and one of Aidans. Mine were for the 4 bars of chocolate stacked together and the other bag had 2 bamboo knitting needles that needed inspection in the other bag. Completely forgot they were in there! Aidan was stopped for the small summer sausage he got in his Yankee Exchange gift from my family exchange.

The flight was uneventful and we landed in Sanford around 10:30PM. It was raining and there was a huge puddle at the back of the car.... which got both kids sneakers soaked putting the luggage in. I did pull forward but the damage was done. It was a very dark and foggy drive home and we arrived a bit after midnight. The dog was very happy, as were the cats. 

I got up mid morning  and the dog did get a nice long walk closer to lunchtime. Today was taking down the Christmas stuff and packing it away. Boy that took a while! The tree is down, ornaments tucked away as well as all the other Christmas decorations. Aidan took down the outside lights. I did toss a few things including one of the ornament boxes. It had seen better days. The snow globes are all tucked away.... except the big one. That was a casualty as I was putting the big box up high and it fell. Big crash and there was sparkly water and glass everywhere in Greg's new office! Oops. I think I got it all cleaned up and didn't damage any of his servers he is building in there. There is a stack of 4 boxes that need to get moved into storage with the tree bag, but that can happen another day! 

I did change out the quilts as well. The new header is hanging on my kitchen/living room wall. 

The snowmen are in the living room

The umbrellas are in my office room. I will add more quilts in there since I have more hangers.

The baskets are in the dining room - I did not turn on the light which is why it is dark.

Greg just got back from Chili's with dinner. After I eat, I'm taking a bubble bath and then curling up with some stitching on my November Cross Stitch.

Winter Raverly 2026 Challenge

Same list, different season! I did take a few off that were finishes but there is still plenty of things on the list.  Nothing new added. There were three finishes from last quarter. 

This little quilt of 2.5 inch square charms were hand quilted.

The Dr Seuss ABC quilt for Emily's band director.

Harmony finally got finished as well with some circular machine quilting.

It was so nice to check things off the list. I have a feeling 2026 will be a much better sewing year with finishes. 

The list of UFO's -

 1.) I know I have at least one more cut somewhere to fill that open spot for a 7x6 setting. *** found the parts in a baggie!  These are hand pieced.... and might need a little fixing along the way on some of those middle joins. From Inklingo lemoyne stars.  The blocks are 4.5 inches.

 

2.)  I think it's a 6.5 inch cut center of greys and 2.5 inch strips. Finishes 10 inches. 

3.) Midget Applique quilt from Sentimental Stitches. I need to add more flowers and leaves and the vines... and the last border. Hand pieced and hand appliqued. Started January 2015 as a car line project. One block a week.

4.) triangle pyramids. started June 2024. I need to find these!

5.) Midget block collection - I started these in Vermont in 2010! I have a light blue for sashing.

6.) Erin's Butterfly - I made the wings in 2021.  Need to add one more set of wings... thinking 9 is a nice number? These have been machine stitched onto the background. Need to add body and antenna to each. Also need to add 1 block in another color.

7.) Flying Snowballs - hand pieced shoo fly and flowering snowball blocks in blue, purple and green from 2025. Will plan to machine piece them together into a top about 84x84.

8.) mostly cut out and some 9 patches are made. Hehe... from the first quilting book I had and made a quilt from. Introduction to Quilting 101 - the basics by Sharon Hultgren. I think this was Sunrise Surprise! The four patch from this book is at my Mom's hanging over a crib still! This might get morphed into a donation quilt of some sort to get it done.

9.) I forgot I had this. It is a cute birdhouse wall hanging but is foundation pieced, which I dislike. Maybe I can deal with it enough to get this done? Or rework it?

10,) This is a kit I purchased mid-90s - butterfly's. I think all the parts are there and I did start arranging them.

11.) Quilters Patch. A sew along that I completely did not meet my goals on in 2022. One block is done.

12.) Alternate BITA blocks from RSC 2025 collection

** I need to get a photo of these

13.) 16 patch blocks from 2.5 inch squares

** I need to get a photo of these.

14.) chicken blocks... these have not had much love this year.

15.) Bittersweet Briar - pattern in Kim Deihl's book and kit of fabric.

16) Brimfield Awakening EPP. I did start this and have the first fabric thread basted in purple!

17.) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - On Ringo Lake - maybe step #2?

18) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - Grassy Creek (2020) Think I am on step #4.

19.) 30's log cabin tulip quilt.

Quilt Tops: 

20.) Birds in the Air block collection - this is now a top and loaded onto the quilting frame at a 90x90 size.

 21) Ella Maria Deacon Blocks. Hand pieced, machine stitched together into a top. Patterns from Sentimental Stitches.

 I need to measure and see if it is happy with it's size or now. All my quilts seem to have a mind of their own!

22) Vermont Quilt Festival Booth Hop from either 2008 or 2009.  it is 71x71.

23.) Y2K Joann's BOM - quilt top

24.) 1857 Quilt Along Top - This one is in the hoop for hand quilting as of December 2024. ** Might unpin this one so it doesn't rust and do something smaller first with the big BITA on the frame...

25.) Spring Hexagons - not sure if this wants to be bigger or not.... 

26.) Triple Irish Chain - green. 80x80 I think. I did find both fabrics extra with it... Might need a green or cream border first or both... Made in the early 2000's. circular feathers in open spaces.

27.) Hexagon flowers on a black background. These are a stack of blocks I hand pieced a few years ago then hand appliqued to the black background a couple years after that!  

28.) String of Beads is a top. I do want to add green circles to the meeting points of the green peels I think as well. The yellow ones really helped the colored parts of the peel flowers. I need a new photo of this one as I did get it to a top on 10/5/25. I promise!