2017 in review ...

2017 has not been as prolific as I would have liked on the quilting, needlework and knitting side. Travel however, has been very prolific.

Early in the year we toured Mexico by car. A new way to travel for us - by car! It was wonderful. You can take a whole lot more "stuff" and yes, I took my small BabyLoc with me.       And it actually got used:
~ a block for the birthday block exchange challenge

~ finished up the blocks on the "World Travels" quilt. Now to put them into a flimsie, This will take as much time or more as the blocks as there will be a lot of calculations and manipulations going on.

The rest of the year saw me working on between travel gigs, and then completing more birthday blocks, finished up the blocks for our quilt for our bed, (Christmas motif and colors),  now to sash them into a flimsies in 2018,
another quilt for mom, 

I sometimes wish that I could have done more, but the travel bug is satisfied first and we did a lot of that in 2017. A suitcase can only take so much in it and still be managable. Unfortunately I could not take any quilting with me when we went to Europe as I did not have enough space for a sewing machine. ha ha I really need to get into some hand sewing/quilting I guess. A hex project might be the way to go or an appliqué project. hmmmm how about a Rose of Sharon or a Baltimore quilt?

As we watched the 2016/7 local new year's eve fireworks in San Antonio, TX I got started on a sweater for myself. A replica of one I saw in a shop window in Montevideo, Uruguay last year. This will be an ongoing project as I usually only knit as we travel in the car. So far, the body is finished to the sleeves - is it long enough I wonder? No matter, it can be added to. The first sleeve is done to the armhole as well.

As we traveled throughout Mexico I also started a Norwegian patterned torque and later finished a neck warmer as well.

 

During the year I also started and finished a shawl with yarn bought in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Just needs to be blocked.

The color variegation here is difficult to see. Blue/black/green   and variations of this scheme.

After finishing up the shawl I then started a cotton tee for myself with yarn bought in Valencia, Spain. I am thinking that it is probably too big so will be addressing that once I pick it up again. Yes, too big and so out it goes for another day to be ripped out and restarted.

Absolutely nothing was done under the heading of needlework. Simply not enough time and carrying space to accommodate all things in all manner.

2018 does not have as much planned so perhaps I can complete a few more projects that I currently have on the go! We shall see ....

What, already the end of the month ...

I can not believe it, already the end of the month. We have had a busy celebratory month both in the touristing arena and for me, the sewing and knitting arena. I sew when we are in site and knit while riding in a car, so lately I have accomplished a lot there (at least for me).

First off, we have the new UFO Number Game announced. Yup, here they are: Low number is #4

Other number is #41. Oh yeah, my #4 has been finished - so will replace it with #6, DS#1s quilt. I do not have high numbers which gives me more time to work on #1, OUR Quilt, to bring it to a finish as well. At least to the flimsie stage would be nice. February's numbers, #7 - got lost in the shuffle, and assigned #3, Mom's Quilt, to replace the lack of the high number - completed as a UFO to move me down the list. 

Remember the toque that I made? Well, it was made initially for DH but it is slightly snug on his head so it became a donation for my Mom's senior's group. But first I have to make a set for it. That means mittens and a scarf. Driving around Louisiana this last week, I started the mittens.

After many false starts and a couple of Mr Rippit's down to the ribbing, I have finally got it the way that I like it. I like the colours but am not sure if they are what a teen would like.

DS#1s quilt is giving me a pretty good learning curve. I am making a pattern called "Magic Cube" from KwiltArt. It is a pattern that I bought in Houston and got started right before the New Year so that it would be a good UFO to have.  I changed the colorway however, to  on a black background.
The learning curve involved the sewing of the triangles that made up the cube in the centre so that there was no "tenting" at the joins of all 6 triangles. Had yet to master that. IT came together beautifully and there is no "tenting" - so that is another skill that I have finally mastered.

The radiating spokes are also coming along once I figured out that the freezer paper method should have been drawn in the reverse. All is ok though, it will be reversed, but who will know - only me!

 The cutting instructions are very vague and after reading them numerous times, I still had to revamp what I was doing. They are coming along just fine now and should have all four sides completed in a couple of days of sewing off and on. The name for this quilt still has not come to me. Guess it needs to flow a bit more and get put together for the inspiration.

OUR Quilt has progressed with the completion another block last evening. Once again I thank my guardian angel that all the seams and points lined up. This is going to be a majestic quilt once finished and am hoping for it to be on the bed by the Christmas season, including pillow cases.

And to a new start this year, the 365 Challenge. These are definitely hard to get my fingers wrapped around. They are so little and I often have trouble working the very small pieces. I collect the patterns as they come out but have little towards completing the blocks and catching up. So much of the time was focused on completing the quilt for Mom and after, I never got back into doing them. My next JOT will be to cut out some of the blocks, ready to sew together.

I did finish up DGDs 2nd (requested) pillow case, which now needs to get put in the mail. I have decided to use up a lot of the 2/3yds of fabric that I have and make pillowcases or maybe the pillowcase dresses for African children. And from what I saw in Africa, some of those little girls could use them along with a pair of panties. 

On to more sewing ....