TRAVEL DIARY: Jupiter, Florida

Loggerhead Marine Life Center

It has been six long months since I have had an opportunity to travel. I just needed this so bad for my mental health. It was even more important with the wildfires here in California and Oregon. The last 6 weeks with social unrest, covid, unusually high temperatures, and unhealthy air quality, this trip was a welcome change. This trip was business and pleasure.

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CROSS STITCH DIARY: September Starts and Finishes

Finishes!!!!

Singing in the Rain Stitchalong with Flamingo Toes

Stitchalong with Beverly @ Flamingo Toes

I was very excited to finish this Stitch-A-long on time. This is my second finish this year. Being new to cross stitching in this modern age, I am learning the expected etiquette. So this was 28 count and I used Kimberly’s aurfil floss colors. This was my first time to use aurifil floss. I will get better with providing the information everyone expects.

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Quilt Diary: What’s Under My Needle to wrap up August

I’m going for shorter post today and just going to talk about what I have been working on this week.  Like most of you, I have very productive weeks and not so much other weeks.  This is a middle of the road week.  Continue reading “Quilt Diary: What’s Under My Needle to wrap up August”

Cross Stitch Diary: First Finish!

August the last month of Summer has arrived in full force.  While all of us are still sheltering in place here in California, stitching has become a way to pass the time.  I have been learning a ton about the world of cross stitch.  There are many things that are the same, but more things are different with cross stitch.

I have enjoyed learning to work with evenweave cloth and can’t believe, I prefer it over aida cloth.  It is still easier to count with aida, but laguna and other evenweave are actually easier to stitch.  I am still finding my identity in this new cross stitch world. Continue reading “Cross Stitch Diary: First Finish!”

Quilt Diary: Going on a Picnic and other Sew-a-long Updates

It is hard to believe that we are now in the last week of July.  Where did the month go?  I kept thinking I was going to post every week. LOL!  That never happened.  Realistically the writing gets done, it is the photography that is lagging behind.  This time around I thought I could do a follow-up on all of my Sew-a-Longs.

It feels weird not participating in the 100 days 100 blocks this year as I have done it the last two summers.  I still have 2018 and 2019 to assemble.  Plus it is not a new pattern this year.  It takes a lot of effort to do a block every day although 100 days is easier than 365 days.  For 2020, I am sticking with some easier sew-a-longs so I can get caught up.  Is that an oxymoron? Continue reading “Quilt Diary: Going on a Picnic and other Sew-a-long Updates”

Quilt Diary: 2020 Q2 Finishes & Q3 Goals

The second quarter of 2020 has flown by even though we are in quarantine.  It seems like a life time ago that we didn’t have to wear masks in public.  It is a strange time in history and I don’t see it changing.  I have checked the WHO lately or some of the other scientific sites to see how close we are to a vaccination.  When I checked last it was 18 months out.  Crazy world.  I would much rather hibernate in my quilting world.  I feel very grateful that we have the internet and can shop and touch base with other quilters via social media.  Video online classes – that seemed ridiculous until now right?  With all that, I must say I have a very high expectation in my finishes and so I am trying not to beat myself up. Continue reading “Quilt Diary: 2020 Q2 Finishes & Q3 Goals”

Cross Stitch Diary: Jolly July

Welcome back to the second edition of the Cross Stitch Diary.  July is the month that many crafters begin making things for Christmas time because it takes us so long to finish.  I am taking it a little easy here on the Cross Stitch side since I have a few in the works for the quilting side. Continue reading “Cross Stitch Diary: Jolly July”

Quilt Diary: Online Quilt Festivals?

I just attended my first Online Quilt Festival with Mancuso.  They ran a Facebook Live all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  Everything was based in the Eastern Time Zone which was a problem for me but I know they were doing the best they could.  I had planned on spending time on Friday checking everything out before my class on Saturday.  The day ended up getting away from me and I didn’t actually do any of the normal things.  Hopefully someone out there can give more details on how it works.

My class today was good.  I actually stayed up better.  How much of that was because I was in my own sewing studio and didn’t have to borrow something I forgot and how much of that I wasn’t walking around the classroom looking at everyone’s stuff, I can’t say for sure.  Zoom sure did allow everyone to see what the teacher is doing without peeking over a shoulder here or a head there.  Overall, I thought it went very well.  I took the Hunter’s Star class with Quilt Maven Dave Sirota.  I took a class using his technique a few years ago but I felt more stuck this time.  I just wish I didn’t have to get up at 5:30am my time to do.  Still, well worth it.img_4623

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Cross Stitch Diary: Let’s Begin

I have officially started multiple cross stitch projects so I will be doing at least a Cross Stitch Diary once a month depending on what is happening.  Here we go! Continue reading “Cross Stitch Diary: Let’s Begin”

Quilt Diary: June Projects Update

My boss has been in town this week (and next) as well as getting a visitor Monday night who will be staying indefinitely.  His name is Jannes and he is from Germany.  He was supposed to get his Canadian Visa by now and because of COVID-19 that hasn’t happened.  He is hoping to be in Canada within the next two weeks.  So we shall see.  With so much going on, I have barely touched my project list this week.

On to updating you on all things quilty! Continue reading “Quilt Diary: June Projects Update”