May Wrap Up: PHD in 2023

In 2020, 2021, and 2022 my focus was on finishing up UFOs.  I limited my new projects to just 2 or at most 3 each year.  Last year work was really overwhelming, so much so that I lost interest in pretty much everything other than reading and binging on Netflix.  Since I retired at the end of last year, I decided to open up my new project list to more than just 2.  I also joined a guild, which has also added to my new project list. Honestly, I didn't expect that.  At any rate, I can safely say that the first half of 2023 has been all about new projects as my PHD report shows. 

I have finished two of my new starts, both related to the guild which was my donation blocks and a name tag.  

We are supposed to make a pin cushion for the June meeting.  I'm probably going to pass on that one as my newest project has a deadline of early July. I'll need to focus my efforts on that project or it won't be ready.  The only UFOs that have seen any progress are both Bonnie Hunter patterns, Chilhowie and Wild & Goosey.  

Chilhowie is the 2022 Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt along. It's my current leaders and enders project.  Block 4 was finished and block 5 is under construction during May.  I'm more than half way done with the blocks.  

Wild & Goosey is slowly growing.  The goal is to make at least 4 of the 3.5" blocks each month.  Three orange blocks were completed this month.  Dark/bright blue is the color for June.  I can't use really dark blue because it blends in too much with the black, so bright blue it is for this month.  

There has been progress on the new projects this month. 

 

The pinwheels for border 6 of the Stay at Home Round Robin quilt started in January are all finished (Quilting Gail).  I've started assembling these blocks into border strips.  I'm really happy with how this project has come together, just not with the amount of time it's taken for me to get it to this stage.  

Blocks 4 and 5 for Diatom were finished in May. Block 11 came out last week. This is a Quilting Jetgirl pattern and quilt along. I'm hoping to finish blocks 6 and 7 before block 12 comes out next Friday.  This has been such a fun project and I'm really happy with how my fabric choices are working out.  

The one new start in May is for a blog hop to show off the quilts in Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs new book Just Two Charm Pack Quilts. 

 

Electric Quilt is sponsoring a giveaway of this book (closes on June 4th). The link includes a link to all the quilts in the book. I've picked the pattern to make for the blog hop. I'm making my own charm pack since precuts don't usually make their way into my fabric carts. Thankfully my stash is more than sufficient to provide enough squares for 2 charm packs.  I've started cutting my charm pack, just three fabrics left and then the piecing can start. 

That's my progress for May. I'm going to shift my focus to finishing after June. Once I get the SAHRR to finished flimsy, I'll have three quilts that need backs and prepping for quilting. My focus for July will be to get those quilts sent out for quilting.  

Linking up with Quilting Gail for the May PHD report.  

To Do List for the Week of 5/30/2023

Since I was traveling last week, it was hard to put together a to do list, so I didn't make one.  The one from two weeks ago was pretty simple. 

To Do List for 5/16/2023

1. Prep projects for Texas Trip ✔

2. Enjoy hanging out with Grad Girl ✔

I made really good progress on the pinwheel blocks while I was in Texas and a little progress on Diatom.  But I definitely prepped more than I was able to work on.  But I'd rather be over prepared than to run out of stitching stuff to do.  Hanging out with Grad Girl was a lot of fun.  It was just nice to spend the evening together laughing and talking.

Now that I've had a few days back in my sewing room, making a to do list was easier. 

To Do List for 5/30/2023

1.  SAHRR (Quilting Gail): Assemble last pieced border

I finished the last pinwheel yesterday.  Then had a go at balancing the light and dark blocks across the borders.  I'm pretty happy with this layout.  Since this picture was taken, I've cut the background strips and pinned the first border strip. It's waiting at the sewing machine to be stitched.  

2. Just Two Charm Pack Blog Hop (Meadow Mist Designs): Finish pressing and cutting fabrics

I'm almost finished with the pressing and cutting of my blocks.  I don't have a lot of charm packs, I never know what to do with them, so I don't buy them often. That being the case I've gone the route of making my own charm pack from stash, something Cheryl does cover in the book.  

3. Diatom (Quilting Jetgirl): Assemble block 6, cut block 7

I finished block 5 yesterday.  Block 6 was already cut as part of the trip prep activities.  Block 12 comes out next week, so I'm still way behind.  Now that the windmill blocks are done, hopefully I can dedicate more time to catching up on this project. 

4. Wild and Goosey (Bonnie Hunter): 1 orange block

A new color will come out later this week, but I'll finish one more orange to tie up May. 

5. Chilhowie (Bonnie Hunter): Leaders and enders project. 

So that's my list for this week.  Linking up with The Quilt Schmilt: For the Love of Fabric for this week's To Do Tuesday.  

Almost Never Ending Pinwheels

I've had a weekend to recover from my trip last week.  My machine is set back up and I spent most of yesterday playing in the sewing room.  While I was in Texas, I finished off another 5 pinwheel blocks.

That brought the total up to 28, just 4 more left to make.  I put these up on the design wall with the others. 

I've been putting the pinwheels up as I've finished them. Looking at this photo, I'll need to do a bit of rearranging to better distribute the light and dark blocks.  Three of the last four pinwheels are in pieces at the sewing machine. I've picked out the fabric for the last block, but haven't cut the triangles from it yet. That should happen today.   I'd like to get these last borders assembled, I've another project with a July deadline that I need to put up on the design wall.  So fingers crossed I can finish the last pieced border on this project by the end of the week.  

Linking up with Monday Design Wall and Patchwork & Quilts linky parties again this week.  

Stitching Stuff: Week 20 of 2023

It certainly seemed like a long week.  I spent the first part of it in Texas, than a day in Oklahoma City before I finally made it home on Thursday.  There were 3 driving days in there and that impacted my stitching time this week. 

• 15 minute days/week = 5/7 days
• 15 minute days/May = 23/27 days
• 15 minute days/2023 = 122/147
• Success rate = 82.99%

So not the best week, but still not bad.  There are no travel plans for the next month or so.  Hopefully that means lots of stitching time for me.  I really need to get busy on a blog hop project and get back to finishing up some quilts.  

How did you do at fitting in some stitching time as the weather has gotten warmer and sunnier?  

Week 72 Photo Challenge: Something Breaking

I detoured to Oklahoma City on my way back from Texas to spend some time with my Mom.  I finally made it home late Thursday.  Yesterday was spent unpacking and doing a bit of laundry.  It was late afternoon before I remembered this week's photo challenge. 

I really tried to get pictures of the "breaking" in progress. That didn't work out so well, this was the best I could manage. 

Kate: Breaking Bits

I like that rainbow on the CD. So maybe not the best photo to meet the challenge, but it's what I ended up with.  I'll have to see how My Guy and Grad Girl take it.  They don't see any photos but their own till I finish the post. That's been part of the fun.  

My Guy went after a slightly different take on "breaking". 

My Guy: The Breaking of the Day

I think he pretty much nailed it this week. Definitely the prettiest photo of the bunch.  

Grad Girl had to work the last part of the week to make up for the time she took off earlier in the week, so of course her image comes from the lab. 

Grad Girl: Breaking Plates

This is a thin layer chromatography plate.  She uses this technique as a quick way to determine how well her reactions worked.  If you look closely you'll see a white blur at the end of the plate in her fingers, that's silica breaking off from the plate.  So she did get an action photo of the breaking. 

The "Something Breaking" is the last card in the photo prompt deck.  This has been such a fun challenge for us, both in getting the photos and in seeing everyone's reaction to them. Some weeks we did really well, some weeks we were a little lame.  But that's been part of the fun.  Grad Girl has especially enjoyed the challenge because it's been one thing we can do as a family long distance.  She wasn't ready for the challenge to end, so she found the add on deck.  Now we have another 72 cards to play with.  My Guy drew the first card from the new deck. 

  

My Guy is already thinking of umbrella shaped plants. Next week's post should be interesting.  (Watch us all wimp out and end up with photos of just simple umbrellas!)