Proverbial Quilt Quilting Progress

If truth be told, I would like to crosshatch this quilt! It is my favourite for the look and feel, but there are too many 'bits' like the letters that would break up the cross hatching. So my plan is to outline the letters with a dark-ish blue (EZ12) and the do some straight-ish katha-ish lines using a variegated blue threat (EZM97). So far, ok.

I look forward to getting stuck into this in the school hols which start at the end of the week. I have been tired for a week despite sleeping really well. Had my first Saturday afternoon sleep in month last Saturday and then I realised, it was nearly the end of term. It feels like the time we have been back since lockdown has flown by. But the last three weeks, have been mad with one thing after another and they've all been things that not been resolved quickly. I am hoping for a simpler Term 3.

Days 23 and 24 | Still locked down

Meeting, meeting, school work, gingerbread making, school work.

Sewing and reading.

Day 14 | Same, Same.

Run, school work, quilt, school work, quilt.

Just the Usual | Days 10 and 11

Quilt making, reading, exercising. Just the usual.

The Proverbial Quilt | Day 9

I feel I have been very unproductive today. I think I woke up too early, 5:20-something, and that’s thrown my whole day off.

I started with a run. I got to 4km, but not how I thought I would. I thought I would get there running further, to the roundabout, on the road I have been running on for the last week. I turned at the roundabout and as I got closer to home, I was waiting for the 4km to buzz on my Garmin, but it didn’t. I had to run another 50 metres or so past the house! When it buzzed, I stopped and walked the 50 back home again. All I can think now is that 5km will go forever and I will need to add another long flat road, or perhaps add a block lap in. Or I might just call it done at 4km.

Anyway, then did Metafit later in the morning. Then sat outside and read some more of my kindle book The Giver of Stars. I just finished reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek earlier in the week which is also about horse librarians. The Troublesome Creek book has more to it than my current read. Bowlaway might be my next purchase.

I forgot. I also went to the local dairy this morning to buy milk ... and an ice cream for pudding - since I was there. They have a one out and one in thing going on. I was fourth in line and had maybe a 10 minute wait. There were about six bottles of milk left at 11am, I don’t know what time they opened, but am very grateful they are. I reckon I have at least another four days before I will brave a supermarket visit. The chemist, a few shops down, had a queue of about 10 people. So also on my grateful list today is good health. It would suck to be ill at this time. It must be adding lots of stress to life.

Made a couple of words for my quilt and then had a siesta.

The Proverbial Quilt | Day 7

I had to think then, what day is it? Day 7 already.

It's been a beautiful sunny day. The washing got dried and I sat outside in the sun for an hour to finish I book I started in January. I am very grateful for this weather. It would be a whole different story, if we were in Level 4 in mid-winter.

I've fallen into a bit of a pattern of working on this quilt mid morning until lunchtime while I listen to National Radio. I got a little bit fancy this morning with some cutting on the bias. I also cut six Ts at once, so they are just a bit wonky across the top! I prefer proper bias or straight lines. Nothing in between.

I am just over half way in terms of the letters/words I need.

Last night I did Night Circuit via zoom. It started late, so was dark by the time it finished. I got bitten to death by little mozzies. And ... I thought the neighbour's dog was going to come through the fence and attack me! I have never heard it growl before. No more outside evening classes for me. I am moving into the hallway.

FWSG | Day 4 and The Proverbial Quilt | Day 5

I forgot to record yesterday so I am merging Day 4 and Day 5.

Yesterday started with my little run. Man, it was hard! The data from my Garmin confirms it was hard. My average heart rate was approx 15 beats per minutes higher and my high heart rate was higher too. Maybe on days when it feels hard, I will run as far as I can and then just walk. I think also I won't run every day just Monday - Friday.

I took a couple of photos of my Free Wheeling Single Girl to show progress. It was a beautiful sunny morning. It's a little wrinkly after living folded in the hot water cupboard for a couple of weeks!

After my scrambled egg on hashbrowns lunch, I had a siesta (maybe that's why the running was hard - I was tired) and spent the rest of the day watching movies on Netflix.

Last night at sunset it looked like the forest had been strung with Xmas lights the way the orange sun set was hitting the top of some of the trees.

This morning my run felt better. It was hard, but not as hard as yesterday. I saw 10 walkers this morning, two dogs with walkers/runners, and two runners. There was a lot of on and off the footpath for me. I like running on the road. It was not as quiet on the roads as Sunday morning. I then checked in with my school email and google classroom. Even though it's the hols, a couple of learners are doing some work and like to ask questions. Then I did a group exercise class via Zoom at 9.30am. I have spent the rest of the day, making words and letters for my proverbial quilt.

The proverbial quilt is very economical in terms of fabric. You don't get much waste. I am making words as I go, rather than 13 x A, 5 x B, etc. 

Upside Down and Back to Front

Well, not quite. But things did not go as I thought they would. I should have been prepared for that given my day job.

It started well enough. I cut some strips of fabric.

I then could not work out which way round or up the fabric had to go to paper-piece the letter. So I found a Fons and Porter video on youtube that showed me back to front was right. It was at this point that I realised I needed to make my paper copies in reverse.

Anyway, I ploughed on because I had met my daily quota of  Year 13 English marking by 5.30pm so I could finally have a play. I wasn't going to let a little thing like my pattern not being right stop me! I probably should have.

After a bit of sewing, ironing, a bit more sewing and ironing and then some more, I ended up with a C for the first word in my Proverbial Quilt. It does look like a C, but it does look proportionally better in reverse which is why I will now send all my paper pieces through the copier to reverse them.

My Proverbial Quilt

Since I don't have enough half completed projects on the go, I decided to start another one. I have been thinking about this one for a while since I saw the Denyse Schmidt pattern while reading about quilts with words, so at least my ten-things-on-the-go-at-once is planned!

I have decided to cut in to my stash of Prince Charming by Tula Pink which came out 18 months ago.

And I bought some tiny gingham linen in navy and red for the background.

I have joined Krista's Proverbial Quiltalong at Poppyprint. Thankfully, it is moving at a fairly slow pace.

I am using lyrics from Jeb Loy Nichols' song called Heaven Right Here. The song reminds me of summer - summer in Durango, Colorado in particular.

I have worked out how many of each letter I need and I plan to paper-piece the letters after reading about using that method on someone else's blog ... I have forgotten whose.

I want to make a start on the letters this coming weekend - the last weekend before the September school hols start on the 29th!