Week 10 of 2020: Stitching Stuff

Spring is slowly trying to drive out the winter weather.  It's been warmer this week. But you still don't want to leave the house without you winter coat in the mornings.  I'm feeling a lot better after having the flu the week before, but still tired.  I seem to be spending my computer and stitching time sleeping in the recliner.  I've had to struggle to get in my stitching time most evenings.  Have you been able to find some stitching time this week?  

Though it's been a struggle to stay awake long enough to get in a bit of stitching time, it's not been a bad week.  

15 minute days/week = 6/7 days
15 minute days/March = 6/7 days
15 minute days/2020 = 59/67 days
Success rate = 88.06%

I did miss one night. The headache that came home with me wouldn't go away. So I just read for the evening before calling it an early night.  My goal is to keep my success rate over 85%, so I'm doing OK on that front.  

How are you doing at finding 15 minutes of stitching time a day?  

1. Julie in GA 2. maggie f 3. Chrisknits 4. karen 5. Marti

6. So Much Slow Stitching 7. DawnyK 8. Jennifer in Indy 9. Angie in SoCal 10. Quilting Gail

11. Loulee (Manxgirl) 12. Amanda 13. katie z. 14. Andree at Quilting & Learning 15. Christina's Handicrafts

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PHD In 2020: The March Update

This year is supposed to be the year of finishes. To help with the motivation, I've joined up with Quilting Gail's PHD in 2020. 

Unfortunately, there's not much of an update since the mid-February report.  

No finishes, but still no new starts for 2020. At least I'm not losing ground.  

There has been a bit of progress.  The excess batting and backing has been trimmed off Twinkle Stars.

A darker orange was found to replace the yellow orange in the original fabric pull for the binding. 

So now I just need to cut the binding strips and get them sewn together.  There should be a finish this month.  

Winter Quilt Along should be the next finish. I was supposed to be traveling this week, so asked Trudy not to send the quilt back till later this week.  It should be back sometime early next week.  Maybe I'll finish two quilts this month?  Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to dream a little.  

Next up to be finished is the Mosaic Mystery Quilt.  I've got the dark purple strips cut for the second border. 

But haven't started sewing them on yet.  Mosaic Mystery isn't on the UFO list, it's one of the mystery quilts started last year that didn't finish till after the start of this year.  I'd still like to get it finished off before this year's Meadow Mist Mystery starts up. I really enjoy Cheryl's mysteries, so did plan to join in with that mystery stitch along this year.  Hopefully, I'll have a few finishes before it starts so I'm not going backward.  

All good progress, just no finishes yet.  So my UFO list looks exactly as it did the middle of February. 

Hopefully by the end of March there will be some updates.  Linking up with Quilting Gail for the March 2020 PHD update and with Dreamworthy Quilts for the 2020 UFO challenge.  

To Do Tuesday #9 and the March One Monthly Goal

It's March!  I was about to ask where did February go, but I know what happened there. A week long business trip and a week with the flu ate up the end of the month.  The business trip for this week was canceled based on the recommendation of my doctor. So I'm home this week. I have one other business trip and maybe some plans for spring break.  But I should be home more this month than the last two. 

I'd been diagnosed with the flu when I laid out last week's list, so I kept it pretty short and simple. 

Weekly To Do List (02/25/2020)
1. Butterfly Medallion Embroidery - get in a few stitches ✔
2. Twinkle Stars - Pick out the fabrics for the binding ✔

I was able to check off both items on last week's list.  It's not much, but sometimes the to do list has to match the circumstances.  I'm happy to have gotten any progress out of last week.  

So what's the plan for this week?  No business trips this week, so I'll have the evenings to do a bit of stitching.  

Weekly To Do List (03/03/202
1. Twinkle Stars - Cut and assemble binding strips, finish quilt label

The Scientist in Training needs to give me a message for her friend before I can print the label on fabric. 

2. Mosaic Mystery - Add the next three borders

3.  Frolic - Finish four dark blue blocks

Frolic, 2019 Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

So that's the list for this week. That should be pretty doable. The last "to do" item for this post is to decide on the March One Monthly Goal. 

My goal for March is to finish Twinkle Stars.  

Twinkle Stars A Tutorial by Angela Feldbush of Soscrappy

All it needs now is the binding and the label.  That should be doable this month. 

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts for the March One Monthly Goal and with Home Sewn by Us for the Weekly to Do List.  

The Monday After - Almost Back to Normal

It wasn't a wonderful week on the stitching front, I didn't get back into the sewing room till Saturday.  But there was a bit of progress on a few projects over the weekend.  

The sashing strips for Frolic are the current leader and enders project.  A few of those, along with a couple of the darker blue blocks have been added to the collection on the design wall.  

 Frolic, 2019 Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

I may start assembling the rows this week as work on the rest of the blocks continues.  Just three more dark blue and five light blue blocks left, plus lots of sashing strips.  
The first round of borders for Mosaic Mystery are done.  

Mosaic Mystery Quilt from Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs

The next round will be a narrow dark purple.  That should happen this week.  


Twinkle Stars has been trimmed for binding and the fabrics selected.  The plan is to make a rainbow binding that matches up with the rainbow border.  

I'm wondering if the orange is too light. I may replace that fabric with something just a little bit darker.   The label is mostly done, I just need the Scientist in Training to give me the message she wants to add since this quilt is going to one of her writing buddies.  

So bits of progress on a few projects.  Hopefully I'll be back to normal this week and can move things along a little quicker.  Linking up the usual Monday show and tells over at LoveLaughQuilt's Monday Making and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts' Monday Design Wall.  

Week 9 of 2020: Stitching, Stash, and Slow Stitching Stuff

I'm about 70% back to normal after a week of having the flu.  I'm still coughing to the point my chest is sore and my energy levels haven't returned to normal yet. But I'm doing much better than I was for most of the week.  Hopefully your stitching efforts this week were much more productive than mine.  

I didn't really feel really bad till Monday night when the high fever kicked in. Hand stitching was doable most of the week, except for the one day that my head hurt so bad, not much of anything got done.  Still, it wasn't as bad on the stitching front as it could have been.

15 minute days/week = 6/7 days
15 minute days/February = 24/29 days
15 minute days/2020 =  53/60 days
Success rate = 88.33%

My stitching time goal is to stay over 85%, so far so good on that front. You can scroll to the bottom of the post to link up and share how you did at fitting in a bit of sewing time last week or you can read on for the stash and slow stitching reports.  

I'm tracking my stash usage, but only post on how that's going on a monthly basis. 

February = 6.29 yards out
2020 =  13.02 yards out
Nothing in for 2020

I'm happy with the stash management effort to date.  Linking up with Quiltpaintcreate for the weekly stash report.  

Even though I didn't do a lot of stitching each day, there was enough effort put out to finish off the grape leaf motif that starts the next row of stitching in the medallion project I've been working on.  

Now I'm ready to start on another butterfly.  I'm going to try to work on this embroidery project at least once or twice a week.  I made some changes to the area around my recliner that makes it easier to pull this project out when I want something for my hands to do.  Linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday. 

How was your stitchy week?  You can link up below to share how well you did at getting in a few minutes to stitch each day. 

1. Julie in GA 2. Marti 3. karen 4. Chrisknits 5. di 6. Angie in SoCal

7. Quilting & Learning - What a Combo! 8. DawnyK 9. Loulee (Manxgirl) 10. Meloney 11. Amanda 12. Quilting Gail

13. Carol Andrews 14. Deana 15. Shasta @ High Road 16. Christina's Handicrafts

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