Rainy Days and Mondays....

Today is dark and dreary, it's raining hard, and it's Monday. Ugh. I figure the only way to combat all that is to just hole up in my studio and sew, sew, sew!! Doesn't that sound like the perfect answer to such a  day?! Hubby is out now for the rest of the day, at his "Monday afternoon job", supper is planned and Oliver is napping (what else is new?) so I am going to spend a blissful afternoon at my machine. If I can get decent photos on this dark day, I'll be back a little later today with a tutorial for a quick and easy gift idea that you might like to try, so check back later. Until then - here's what I accomplished this weekend - well, mostly yesterday, as I taught a class on Saturday, so that pretty much shot the day.
I've been chipping away at making the many half square triangles I need for Jamestown Landing... I know, I know, I told you I have other projects I need to get to,  (they're still waiting...) but I just can't tear myself away from these beautiful (favourite) blues..... So I now have  57 Broken Dishes units together. Slow progress... but at least it is progress.... What does the tortoise say... Slow and steady wins the race...
Later today I hope to finish off the placemats I showed a few days ago, so you'll see them tomorrow, with my quick and easy method of finishing and turning.
And today is my oldest brother's birthday.. it's a big one.... you know - one of those that end in zero.... so I think I'll make him a batch of Nut Brittle... Happy Birthday Wayne!! Love you!!

Peace,
Linda

"Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859

Thanglin' along....

It's high time I got back to sewing. My machine has been feelin' neglected, I'm sure. Now that the dreary grey shorter days of November are here, I'm settling in to my studio and the pile of projects awaiting me there.  I have three more classes to teach this month and several projects I want to make some progress on... Today I'll show you the one I have been slowly chipping away at...
You may remember that last May I was lucky enough to take a class with renowned quilter Bonnie Hunter. She calls the quilt "Jamestown Landing" and the directions are in her book String Fling. I knew at the time that the project would be set aside for a while, and even now, I have other more pressing things to get to, but I have been chipping away at "components" for this quilt. It requires 840 half square triangles, and you know me - I love using Thangles. So I've been "Thangling".. lol   I think I have about 310 made- so only 530 more to go!! It's pretty mindless sewing, doesn't require extreme concentration so it's great when you've got lots going on and you can just take a break for short periods of time here and there, sit down and do some straightforward sewing. I usually chain 5 pairs of strips together at a time,  which yields 30 hst's.

Next the hst's are sewn together in pairs,

then two of these are joined to make the "Broken Dishes" unit. I need 210 BD units. Yes. I have a long. way. to. go.

I have about 40 Broken Dishes units made - so only 170 more to go..... sigh....

In my next "Jamestown Landing post", I'll show you the stars that are formed with these units. But I want to make lots more hst's first, as I want a good mix of fabrics before I start putting stars together, so it might be a while before you see more progress on this particular project. I do have several other smaller projects I'll be sharing first... Stay tuned. Are you sewing today?

Peace,
Linda

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.”  ~ Winston Churchill