Monday 21 December 2015

December Update

      I've been absent from the blog for a couple of weeks.  This can be explained by the general business of the season and by something that my mother would have called general malaise (as in Lisa was absent from school yesterday due to general malaise).  She actually wrote that on a note.  What it means is that I haven't had the emotional energy to write and that, my dear friends is due to the overall greyness of the skies these past few weeks.  Last year I worked through my issues with the seasonal dullness by creating a mini quilt called embraced by grey.  Not sure what I will do this year.  Sometimes just noting it helps and the feeling comes and goes  pretty much as the sun comes and goes.

   I have done some sewing since last posting.  One of my small groups does a gift exchange and I made another set of hexagon coasters.


    
     These were well received.  In turn I was gifted with these two beautiful mug rugs made by my friend Wendy.  I love them!



     My main crush these days is my new sewing machine. It's the Janome 8900 and I  brought her home a week ago.  I'm very happy to have her and I think I'll call her Jane.



     I saved up for her for over a year, putting money I saved by bringing my lunch to work, into a special savings account.  During this time I bonded with the bank tellers and one of them cheered when I told her I had purchased a machine and was transferring the money into the checking account.

    There are a lot of bells and whistles with this machine and I'll be taking some classes at the local machine shop to figure out how to use some of them. So far I've used her a bit to test out the 1/4 inch foot.  To do this I've worked on  the  blocks for the comfort quilt program at my local guild. I have managed to catch up. Yay!  If any of my fellow members of Hive 8 of the Stash Bee are reading this, don't worry there were no absolute deadlines for these blocks and I promise to get my stash bee blocks to you on time.

     Up first is the October block The disappearing four patch.
I'll have to make another one because this one has issues.  I made this block with pre cut charm squares and I find the pinked edges hard to use with accuracy.



The November block was a hug block.



December was the Friendship Star.




     And look I'm ahead of the game with one block done for January.  This block is called radiant stripes .  It should make a very striking quilt with it's alternating  rays of yellow and red.




    I'm really enjoying this block of the month program.  It's fun making all the different blocks my fellow committee members come up with and I'm also happy to use up some of the odd fabrics that have been sitting in my stash for years.  Out with the old and in with the new.

         I'm  also happy to say that the 1/4" feature on my new  machine is very accurate.  I'm itching to see how well she quilts.  I'm linking this post with Main Crush Monday at Cooking up Quilts and with Let's Bee Social at SewFresh Quilts.

     I'd like to wish everyone some joy and happiness over the holiday season, whatever the holiday is that you celebrate, and I hope a little sunshine comes into our lives.


9 comments:

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

Hope you're feeling better soon. Congratulations on the new machine! Your blocks love great. I love the background fabric on the friendship stars.

Tish Stemple said...

Congrats on your new machine! That is very exciting. Block of the months are so much fun. I love the colors for the October block.

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts said...

I didn't know the name of the November block was Hug. Makes me want to make a quilt full of them! Hope the sun shines soon where you are and you feel better. Short days definitely are an energy drain! Thanks for sharing your blocks on MCM. :)

Marly said...

I hope you feel better soon Lisa, and get your energy back. You're not the only one - I've been suffering from the same "grey mood", but that should change soon now the days are getting longer! Enjoy your new machine.

Julie said...

Good for you! A new machine will do wonders to raise your spirit, but I think your projects would mine. I'm especially fond of the hug block, and would live scrappy little mug rugs like you got. Chin up! The solstice is right around the corner!

Lisa in Port Hope said...

Grey skies or not, the warmth of December has been quite enjoyable. We were out for a walk yesterday and it was amazing to feel the sun on our faces as warm, on almost the shortest day of the year. Wishing you many hugs this Christmas and lots of sewing time on your new machine.

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

It can be so hard to find energy in the winter for me, too, Lisa. I am so excited for you to be getting to know your new machine, though! And how wonderful to have a friend cheering for you when you met your savings goal at the bank.

Lorna McMahon said...

I know just where you are coming from with the grey, Lisa. I have the same trouble this time of year. Hopefully Jane will keep you from feeling down and will keep you busy sewing more of those pretty blocks. She's a beauty! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

helenjean@midgetgemquilts said...

it just shows how those little amounts mount up. I got a new machine too, but it was my Christmas present from my father and husband and a bit extra. Funny, I hadn't blogged much recently either. A general weariness and tiredness sums it up pretty well too. A general malaise. That's good.
Oh, I love your hexie coasters. I plan on making some of these. I hope you had/have happy Christmas Lisa and look forward to your blogging in the new year .