Stitching Suff: Week 49 of 2021

Week 49?  That means there are only 3 more weeks in 2021. Hard to believe we are that close to the end of another year.  But for now let's focus on this week for my sanity's sake.  Week 49 was pretty good for me on the stitching front.  

• 15 minute days/week 49 = 5/7 days
• 15 minute days/Nov = 19/30 days
• 15 minute days/Dec = 2/4 days
• 15 minute days/2021 = 262/338 days
• Success rate = 77.51%

I lost one day of stitching time to a late work night and the second to the reaction from the COVID booster shot. I didn't have any reaction to the first two doses other than a really sore arm. That wasn't true for the booster. Thankfully the headache, chills and body aches didn't last for much longer than about 12 hours, it still wasn't fun.  

The Scientist in Training has been spending some time before bed destressing from finishing up her last assignments and getting ready for finals week by getting in a bit of hand stitching.  This is her latest finish.

 

She did a beautiful job on this piece.  She wants me to help her make this into a pillow.  We'll do that over the holiday.  Hard to believe she's only been embroidering for not quite a year. She asked me to teach her some basic stitches right after Christmas last year.  She's definitely exceeded her mother's skill set.  

Are you having much luck fitting in stitching time with the count down to the holiday? 

Photo Challenge: Week 23 Fire

All of us had busy weeks which pretty much sucked the creativity out of our schedules.  We didn't finish last week's challenge till this morning (there are advantages to making the rules). This week's challenge follows water and air from the previous two weeks. 

Fire isn't easy to find this time of year, it's a regular occurrence in the spring when the ranchers burn off their fields.  So we had to create our own fire.  

Kate: To Light the Dark

Using what I had to hand, candles seemed a safe way to get a fire photo.  I like that the candles just barely show up and all the negative space in this shot.  

My Guy also used what was to hand.  

My Guy: We Have Ignition

My Guy captured some really cool match stick shots in the kitchen this morning.  

The Scientist in Training went in a very different direction, she explored the something burnt side of the challenge. 

Scientist in Training: Burned Brain

Finals are next week, but she had several important assignments due this week. So she's feeling a bit burned out, but still has a full weekend of studying ahead of her as she has two final exams first thing Monday morning. She sent me three photos, none of which I was comfortable with as a parent. Been there, done that, and hate that the stress levels haven't changed and maybe are even just a bit worse now.  She was out on a late evening drive, I'm sure with the radio cranked.  It's one of her de-stress tactics.  (She assured me she was parked before taking the photos).  

The challenge for next week almost seems like a repeat in a way. 

 

We've had water as a challenge just a couple of weeks ago.  We'll have to see how we can come up with something unexpected this week. 

PHD in 2021: November Progress

I actually spent some time in my sewing room in November,  so I made some good progress on my PHD in 2021. 

There weren't any new finishes, but I'm close to one.  The Bonnie Hunter 2021 mystery kicked off in November, so that's added to the list. Both mysteries on my list won't finish till 2022, so they won't count towards my PHD in 2021. 

I'm not going to get anywhere close to 12 finishes this year.  I had hoped for at least 8, but work had other ideas. I readjusted my attitude in October and now I'm going to be happy with any progress in the sewing room. I did pretty well on that front in November (the week of vacation at Thanksgiving helped).  

Cabins and Fans is prepped and packaged to send out for quilting.

 I probably won't get it to the post office till tomorrow. At this point I doubt it's back in time to finish this year, but it will make a quick finish for next year.  

The last two borders for Unity are progressing a bit faster than the one for step 7. 

Not quite three quarters of the way finished with the top border.  I may get this to finished flimsy stage by the end of the year. Just depends on how much sewing time I can manage during vacation.  

The 2021 Meadow Mist Design Mystery, Macaron, is moving along.  

I was caught up till the December clue came out yesterday.  That feels really good.  

The 2021 Bonnie Hunter Mystery, Rhododendron, started in November.  

I'm only making half the blocks this year.  I did that last year and was able to mostly keep up.  I lack one more set of 4 HSTs to finish last week's clue.  Clue 2 comes out today.  Hopefully, I'll have some time to get going on that this weekend. 

Scrappy Butterflies is back on the active list since Cabins and Fans has moved off.  

I didn't make very much progress on this project in November, but I have hopes of doing more with it in December.  

A much better month for progress than October was.  I'll have more time off in December, so I have hope of making a bit more progress.  We'll see have to see how that pans out.  

Linking up with Quilting Gail for the November PHD update.  

December One Monthly Goal

I didn't quite finish my November One Monthly Goal.  That goal was to prep and send out Cabins and Fans for quilting. The prep work got done, but during the packaging process I realized that the right sized batting wasn't in my stash. So I had to order some. That came on Tuesday, but I was at work so there wasn't time to get the project shipped out in time to meet the end of the month deadline.  That's OK that will happen tomorrow.  

So that leaves me to contemplate what's my December One Monthly Goal? 

The first half of December is going to be really busy. I have a business trip and a family trip that's going to take up all of next week.  But after that I just have one more week of work before I'm on vacation till the new year.  Christmas week is always busy with lots of odds and ends, but I should have lots of stitching time the last week of the month.  

Looking over what's on the to do list for next year, I have two graduation quilts to finish for the Scientist in Training's college mentors before May of 2022.  Cabins and Fans is going to the teacher that the SIT was the teaching assistant for. This teacher has been a great cheer leader for the SIT for most of her college time. That quilt will just need to be labeled and bound. That's definitely doable before May of next year.  

The second quilt is going to the SIT's undergraduate research advisor.  He took a chance on a first semester freshman and gave her the opportunity to find out if research suited her or not.  I have the pattern and the fabric pulled, but if I don't get started on it soon, it won't be finished by May. 

The pattern is Potions by Flying Parrot Quilts.  The blocks look a bit complicated, but I don't think they will be too bad. I do need to get started on those to make a May deadline  So that's my goal for December, to make a few Potion blocks before the end of the month.  

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts for the December One Monthly Goal.  

To Do Tuesday For the Week of November 30 2021

Being off work is really conductive to finding time to sew.  I checked off every item on my to do list for the week. 

To Do List for 11/23/2021

• Cabins and Fans: Prep for quilting, pack for shipping ✔
• Macaron Mystery: Make flying geese for steps 4 and 5 ✔
• Rhododendron Mystery: Start step 1 ✔
• Unity: Make flying geese for step 8 ✔

It was a really productive week. I definitely needed a large dose of sanity stitching.  I'm hoping to keep up the momentum this week.  

To Do List for 11/30/2021

Cabins and Fans: Mail out for quilting

I was so happy to finish all the prep work on this project. But was then a bit dejected to find that I didn't have the right size batting for the project.  So I had to order some. The only good thing is that it was on sale at Jo Ann's, so I stocked up a bit.  The batting is supposed to be delivered today. 

Scrappy Butterflies: Make framed 9 patch blocks

 Scrappy Butterflies
Block is available in EQ 8 Block Library, setting self designed

Now that Cabins and Fans is ready to go out for quilting, I can roll the next UFO to finish back onto the To Do List. It's been patiently waiting on the small design wall since the end of September.  I try to keep a spot on the to do list filled with an older UFO. It would be nice to get this one to finished quilt top by the end of the year.  

Macaron Mystery: Start clue 6

Macaron Mystery by Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs

Steps 4 and 5 were finished over the weekend.  So I'll be ready to make a start on step 6 when it comes out on Thursday.  

Rhododendron Mystery: Finish clue 1, start clue 2

Rhododendron Mystery: Bonnie Hunter 2021 Mystery quilt along

One thing about this year's mystery, I'll be able to correctly spell rhododendron by the end in January.  It's quite a word isn't it?  I'm only making half the blocks to start. I did that last year and didn't do too badly at keeping up with the mystery. I only need 2 more sets of 4 HSTs to finish clue 1.  

Unity: Continue making flying geese as leaders and enders

 Unity, 2020 Bonnie Hunter Sew-In-Place Quilt Along

Just a few more blocks and the top border for step 8 will be finished.  Steps 6 and 7 took me most of this year to finish. I'm hoping that won't be the case for step 8.  

That's my list for this week.  Work is still busy, but I'm going to try to keep up the momentum from last week.  Next week I have a business trip that will take up most of the week and the Scientist and I have plans for that following weekend. So next week's list will probably be a good deal shorter.  

Linking up over at Texas Quilt Gal for To Do Tuesday.  Good luck with your to do list this week.