Ready for a new year with a new project

I've been thinking a lot about what daily project I will do when I finish my current one, even though I have 72 days left on it. I've come up with many ideas, way to many and I want to do them all. I've never started any of my daily projects at the beginning of the year, probably because it felt more like a resolution and I'm a failure at those. These are projects I really want to do, so I've picked one to start tomorrow and have spent a couple of afternoons getting everything ready. This time I'm using a striped linen fabric and since I discovered that there wasn't enough of it half way thru cutting the squares, I've added a grey fabric. Each piece will have either a red circle appliqued on or a red circle stitched on it. I have all the squares cut, 1/3 of the red circles cut and everything assembled in a box ready for tomorrow. The circles have been cut from a variety of my hand dyed fabrics; silk, cotton, rayon, organza, velvet and cheesecloth. I have also graphed out where the grey fabrics will go. I am also planning a weekly stitching project that will use some of my antique table linens. The linens are currently in dye baths. In March when my current daily stitching ends I've got one planned to take it's place starting on my birthday. And if all of those weren't enough I've got an idea for a monthly one also. I think some of this is an avoidance tactic, I really need to start and finish the queen size quilt I've been commissioned to do.

I've also gone back to the blue/orange piece that was started a while ago and have been adding some hand stitching.

Daily stitching #286 - #293

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year. I'll do my usual watching the New Year come in in other countries on tv and go to bed early. This post is now linked up with "Off the Wall Fridays".

Home from our Christmas trip to the woods

We drove over the mountains and through the woods to my daughter's house in Washington to spend Christmas with family. We has a wonderful time. Here I am the first morning checking out the pond.

The day after Christmas we drove into Tacoma and visited the Museum of Glass, always one of my favorite stops. I took yet another picture of the glass ceiling, I take some every time we walk across the bridge.

There was an exhibit of work by Lino Tagliapietra that was amazing. The next group of pictures are some of my favorite pieces from the collection.

I did my daily stitching first thing every morning, I was the first one up so it was easy to do while it was quiet. I forgot to take a picture of the individual pieces before I sewed another row of 19 on. There are now 15 rows.

I had some leftover dye that I poured over ice covered fabric before we left, look how great it came out.

As much as I enjoy spending time with my family, it's always so nice to be back home. This post is linked to "OFF the Wall Friday", go check out some other great blogs.

More gifts and knitting for myself

We've bought headlights(small lights to wear on your head) for all the grandchildren that we will be spending Christmas with. So I've made a small personalized bag for each of them as gift wrap and for them to keep their lights in.

Since I'm done with making gifts, I'm working on a pair of socks for myself.

Daily stitching #274 - #281

I will probably not be posting again before Christmas, so I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Stitching, stuffing, knitting, but no quilting

This year for the first time in several years we are going to brave the weather and drive to spend Christmas with some of our family. So instead of doing all my shopping on Amazon and having them deliver, I've been making a few of the gifts. The youngest is getting "Gertie the Garter snake".

The pattern for Gertie came form a magazine back in 1991, I made one then for our oldest grand daughter(now 26) and I think I have made one for each of the grand kids. It had been awhile since I've made one and I forgot how long it takes to stuff a snake and how large it is, as you can see it makes my sewing machine look small. I'm also knitting a scarf that has a really cool drop stitch pattern and knit a pair of plain black wool socks (boring) as requested by one of my sons.

Daily stitching "267 - # 273.

This post is now linked up to "Off the Wall Fridays"

Friends,applique and daily stitching

Last night my friends Lisa and Kathleen had an opening reception for their show "Textiles x Two" at the Meridian City Hall's gallery. This is a beautiful gallery space and they each had an entire wall for their work. Both do beautiful work and it was a delight to see some new work in the mix. Good job ladies. If you are anywhere near Meridian, ID, go see the show. It will be up for the month of December.

Lisa on the right and Kathleen on the left, in front of one of Kathleen's pieces. I've taken the blue and orange pieces off the design wall and have started working on them. Yesterday I hand appliqued the little blue pieces to the orange fabric, by little I mean 1/2" x 3/4". Today I plan on appliqueing the orange pieces onto the blue, they are a bit bigger.

My daily stitching has reached another milestone, below are #262 - #266, only 99 to go. Which also means my birthday is less than 100 days away. While I've been stitching I've been thinking of what to do next birthday year. I love the stitching and the size has been just right, but I'm thinking of how I would add color, both in the stitching and the fabric. I've got some ideas, but I'm not real excited about any of them yet.

Yesterdays #266 gave me another 19 to sew in a row and attach to the rest of the group.

I've linked this to Off the Wall Friday ,go check it out.