Weeks 77 and 78 Photo Challenges: Rocks and Opposites

Last week's post for the family photo challenge just didn't happen.  Grad Girl was traveling and so were we.  With the 4th of July holiday there was just so much going on, I decided to just post both last week's and this week's challenge together.  Week 77's challenge seemed pretty simple. 

My photo for this week is probably the least imaginative of the set.  

Kate: Trilobite

This "fossil" was a gift from my first office mate when I started working after grad school.  Bob was a really brilliant guy, but jumped from hobby to hobby.  He worked for weeks to figure out what materials would make the most realistic reproductions of the fossils he had collected when he was into paleontology.  Most of us had these on our desks by the time he moved on to his next passion. 

My Guy went with a completely different meaning of the word "rock". 

My Guy: Set It To 10

 

My Guy doesn't play electric guitar much these days, but he can, when he gets the urge, really crank it up and jam.  

Grad Girl also went with different interpretation. 

Grad Girl: We Went to Jared's

In our community, "He went to Jared's" has a completely different meaning. It's not jewelry, it's custard ice cream.  This is what they call a concrete, custard mixed with fudge sauce. My favorite is custard mixed with caramel.  If we were celebrating the end of school, Mother's Day, birthdays, this is the place we go for a special treat.   

The challenge for week 78 really had me stumped. 

I just had a hard time visualizing a photo with opposites.  I finally went to my sewing room and contemplated my options there and finally came up with an obvious subject, color. 

Kate: Classic Complementary Colors

I could have used fabric, but that's harder to come up with an interesting photo, at least it is for me. 

My Guy went with a nature theme.  

My Guy: Like Water Over Rocks

Liquid versus solid is another classic opposite.  

Grad Girl's subject matter is similar to mine. 

Grad Girl: Finished and Not

She spent a lot of her vacation time working on the embroidery on the left while we hung out in the sewing room. She hasn't had a chance to start on the new project yet.  

Grad Girl choose a new card for this week's challenge. 

 

Hmm, I wonder what we'll each come up with for this week.  

2023 Quilting Ambitions Q2 Check In

Way back in December of last year I posted about my 2023 quilting goals and linked up with Quilting Jetgirls 2023 Planning Party.  We are a little more than halfway through the year, so it's time to take a look at how those plans are going and to link up with the 2023 Q2 Check In.  

2023 Ambition #1: Finish some quilts, make progress on some quilts and start some quilts. 

I've moved a few projects along this year, but no finishes yet. Back in December this year's plan included 4 new projects, but I ended up adding a 5th.  Not much progress on the older UFOs, but there has been some good progress on projects started in 2021 and 2022.  I still have a little over 5 months to get in a few finishes.  I've done a much better job of starting new stuff than I have finishing off the old stuff so far this year. 

2023 Ambition #2: Acquire a new skill. 

My plan was to learn to quilt my own projects now that I'm retired. I've not done anything on this front as yet.  

2023 Ambition #3: Stitch 15 minutes a day and post associated linky party.

So far there have been 25 linky Stitching Stuff linky parties with an average of 12.6 link ups so far in 2023.  I've managed to stitch 85% of the days in 2023, which is much better than I did last year. My goal for 2023 is to stitch at least 75% of the time.  

2023 Ambition #4: Sewing room clean up.  

• Press, cut and sort scraps: progress
• Organize yardage: no progress

I did really well during first quarter at taking a half day on Sunday to work on the sewing room clean up.  I've not done so well at during the 2nd quarter.  Something to refocus on for July, August and September. 

So I need to refocus my efforts for the later half of the year if I'm going to achieve all my quilty goals for 2023.  

June Wrap Up: PHD in 2023

We are already half way through the first week in July.  So it's definitely time to check out how my PHD report is faring and link up with Quilting Gail for the June version of the PHD Report. I managed to stitch a bit every day last month, so several projects have progressed, but sadly there were no finishes.  

Wild and Goosey (Bonnie Hunter) didn't advance much this month, but I finished a few blocks.  

 Wild and Goosey was my 2019 Rainbow Scrap Project. The goal this year is to just make a few blocks each month. Each block is only 3.5" unfinished, so it's going to take a lot to finish this project. 

Chilhowie (Bonnie Hunter) is still my leaders and enders project. 

I made some progress on block 6 in June.  

My Stay at Home Round Robin (Quilting Gail) is finally a finished quilt top. 

I'm really happy with how this project worked out. I have three finished quilt tops that need backings and clean up before they can be quilted.  I'm hoping to get back finishing stuff later this month. 

There was steady progress on Diatom (Quilting Jetgirl) this month. 

I finished off 3 and half blocks during June.  Hopefully I can finish the final three this month and then get the quilt assembled. I really like how this project has come together. 

The priority project for June has been to finish my quit for the Meadow Mist Designs blog hop for the book, Just Two Charm Pack Quilts.  The blog hop will start on Monday July 24th, so I've got a couple of weeks to move my project to some type of finished state.  No photos till the hop starts.  But I've moved from cut pieces to assembled rows. I just need to finish the quilt assembly. 

Here's my June report: 

  

It hasn't changed at all from May.  I still have a little less than 6 months to work in a few finishes. Fingers crossed I can make that happen!

Happy Independence Day

 

Stitching Stuff: Week 25 of 2023

 

It was one very hot and humid week. If the rest of summer is going to be like this, there will be a lot of sewing room time.  For the first time all year I had a perfect month on the stitching time front. 

• 15 minute days/week = 6/7 days
• 15 minute days/June = 30/30 days
• 15 minute days/July = 0/1 days
• 15 minute days/2023 = 156/182 days
• Success rate = 85.71%

July didn't get off to the best start because I didn't get any stitching time in.  Grad Girl showed up yesterday and we did a lot of visiting with family. I'll get back to the sewing room once we get out of visiting mode.  

Did you get your stitching time in this week? 

1. Julie in GA 2. DonnaleeQ 3. katie z. 4. Gretchen

5. Melisa- Pinker n' Punkin Quilting 6. Jennifer in Indy 7. Amanda 8. Quilting Gail

9. Frederique 10. Dq 11. Karen

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