SAHRR CENTER BLOCK

 

  

After reading Diann’s MidWeek Maker post I decided I’d better get a move on and pick my center block. I have lots of stitchery pieces that are not yet Fully Finished. And I’ve always admired Diann’s SAHRR wall hangings.   So I decided to use one. 

 “Make Do ….and mend” is a hand embroidered sewing machine . Although I don’t necessarily like to mend, I like the idea of it. To use what you have, to make something useful again.  I will trim it to 8.5” to start. I hope that will help keep it to a medium wall hanging size. 

In 2024 I used an embroidered block and I wasn’t as pleased with it

as I was with my 2025 SAHRR. 

I’m hoping I can combine the two techniques and be pleased with this attempt also. 

I’m posting over at Quilting Gail, in between plays of the Bronco game. Come see what others have chosen. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

I LIKE Thursday #265

I know I’ve shared this meme before, but our skies at sunrise and sunset have been amazing lately. And I do get excited. I’m constantly making Mr. Busy, ‘‘come look at the sky”. He humors me, and responds, “cool”, or “oh, wow!”

My friend Susan took this one earlier this week. She lives out of town and has a fabulous view of  the eastern horizon. Mine is blocked by houses, a highway, and telephone poles. She has two utility poles too, but they don’t distract.

I still have the Christmas tree up. And we are enjoying this Christmas gift.

It’s popcorn. Carmel, Butter, and Cheddar. Yummy!

Another Christmas gift is being enjoyed. This puzzle from our son in Northern California. Mr. Busy is doing the most of it. I walk by and place a piece or two, but can’t sit still long enough to make much progress. 

This week I was trying to make sense of who plays whom after the Wild Card Games last weekend. I listened to the commentators, watched their graphics ( which didn’t stay on the screen long enough for me to understand), listened to Steve, but was still confused. I Googled NFL Playoff Brackets and found this free printable. Finally I may have it figured out. 🤣

Leanna asked this week.

 2. Have you ever lived anywhere else? 

Yes we have. I say we, because I til I got married I lived in the town I grew up in. 

When we had been married a little over a year, Steve went to trade school at Southern State College in Springfield SD. When he finished we moved back to Rapid City SD, where we grew up and he worked as a Machinist. That vocation got him a job for a firm called C.P. Clare.   In November of 1971 the company moved their operations to Nogales AZ.  We were there til Summer of 1972 . Then back to Rapid City.  Our kids were 5 and 2. In March of 1977 he was offered a job in Gillette Wyoming and we’ve been here ever since. 

So now you know more than you probably wanted to know

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful.

 

Slow Sunday Stitching 26.2

 

I’m joining Kathy at Slow Sunday Stitching. I haven’t made much progress on my slow stitching this week. I usually plan to stitch in the evenings while watching TV with Mr. Busy.  This week we watched the last of 61st Street, and I was riveted to the story. So very little stitching was done. 

I did not start the Valentine stitch I mentioned last week but I did cut fabric and pulled thread. Sorry about the shadows. The sun is shining on the winter day.

A friend  of mine is using the chart to do a diamond dot creation. It’s turning out really cute. I forgot to take a photo on Thursday. 

Thursday at stitching group, I discovered that the better lighting there made a huge difference. So now I know I need to find some better lighting to make progress on Winter Row. 

32 count linen, 2 over 2. The fabric was in my stash, with no other info, like color or distributor. It’s a bluish gray. Or maybe a grayish blue!

Today there will be playoff football so I should be able to make some progress on the backstitching of the octopuses. Wish me luck!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 

RSC 2026 Jan 10th

 

I had the blues out this week. Earlier I cut some blue and some white squares that may become a Stash Buster block, for RSC. I’m linking up with Angela at ScrapHappy Saturday .

I only got started on the first block. I had to read and reread the instructions. Depending on how they go together, I’ll decide if they will be RSC blocks.

Trim them to 6” square, then slice into 1.5” strips, 

Then rearrange like this and sew together. 

This is the right side of the block, the other (left side) is the opposite. 

It’s the Delectable Mountain block. Have you ever done one?

Then I got the scrappiest bins out and made crumb blocks. I have no real plan for the crumb/slab blocks. But the scraps won’t end up in the landfill if I can help it.

 

I did participate in Project Quilting, but used aqua and a bit of lime green. 

Looks like my upcoming week will be busy. Mr. Busy graduated from Cardiac Rehabilitation and we have committed to walking 3 days a week to start, then add to that. We have a great county Recreation Center, so we won’t have a bad weather excuse. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 

I LIKE Thursday. #264

 

Sharing these thoughts with friends at Not Afraid of Color. After the national events this week we really need some Joy. We may have to manifest it ourselves. 

LeeAnna wants to know if I sing in the shower. I do not. And Mr. Busy is grateful. I used to sing, but not  in the shower. But as I have aged, my voice has deteriorated. I’ll hum along with a radio, or disc on the player. I don’t have a playlist on my phone. 

This week I was able to sew. I finished my Table Scraps Challenge for December. You can check out a few others at The Joyful Quilter

And I’m participating in the 17th season of Project Quilting. If you want to find out more about the challenge, go to Persimon Dreams and check out her tabs. My entry for A Clean Slate is posted Here.

I’m still trying to decide on a block or blocks for Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2026. I need to finish some prior year’s UFO. 

I like the 16 patch stars Little Penguin Quilts  did. Like these:

Downloaded from the internet…not Diann’s

And I’ve thought about the Stash Buster Challenge blocks from Border Creek Station. It’s  a Delectable Mountain block. Decisions, decisions!

One last thing. I got my haircut today and Cassie made a hairdresser’s decision to give me a do!

The jury is still out……but the curls won’t hold anyway.

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 

Project Quilting 17.1. A Clean Slate

 

When Kim and Trish released the 17.1 prompt/idea/challenge of A Clean Slate last Sunday, I was stumped a little. I thought about all white, but that was to intimidating. Then I thought about a old time school slate or blackboard. Now they are white boards aren't they?  My mom used the phrase a lot. Let's start over with a clean slate.  It meant a do-over. But if you're going to have a  do-over , you have to have had a to-do list. I love to-do lists. 

I've been following Connie Kresin for years. She blogs at Freemotion By the River.  Her tutorials are awesome and patterns are simple yet stunning. She also has some printables. Calendar pages, to do lists, etc. I had printed January2026 -April 2026 on some purple scrapbook paper that I trimmed to 8/5 X 11. They were hanging from a binder clip hung on a push pin.  Office supplies, that's how I roll!

Aren't this pages cute? 

So thinking again on Monday while Mr. Busy was at Cardiac ReHab ( Physical Therapy), I started looking around my sewing room. I had a older clipboard - black lucite with a lime green clip. New calandars always make me ready to start a clean new slate. Projects to organize, items to check off.  Could I make a cover for the clipboard.  I think I can.  I have Lori Holt's book Spelling Bee.  Lots of alphabets but numbers too. 2026 would be easy. They are kinda big. But a 4 1/2 X 6 1/2  blocks.would just fit.  I was so excited to start that I didn't take one single photo til it was done. 

The clipboard just fits into a slip cover or pillowcase. I did the numbers,stitched them together like a four patch and appliqued the four patch onto the one side of the slipcase. I put a narrow hem at the top and tucked it in so the clip would work. 

The clipboard with pages attached, hanging in the space between my 2 bulletin boards.  If you scroll up you will notice a caricature drawing done of me New Years Eve 2000. I was at Cancer Treatment Centers of American in Zion, Illinois having my first chemo treatment for breast cancer.  They had an artist there doing drawings of all the patients on that floor.  Can't believe  it's been 25 years. 

At the end of the year, I'll take the pages and slip them into the pillowcase and add a ribbon tie. I'm looking forward to keeping good track of finishes , stash IN and OUT,  ideas for PQ and SAHRR.  I am hoping 2026  will truly be a clean slate for me and for my hubby as we go forward after his cardia event filled summer. Phew, I'm glad we are over that. 

I'm sharing at Persimon Dreams 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Table Scraps Challenge December 2025

 

I sharing this table topper in the VERY LAST Table Scraps Challenge . I’ve participated in this challenge since The Joyful Quilter first introduced it five years ago. It’s been great fun to follow a prompt from Joy and the RSC color of the month from Angela. I’ve made mostly small table mats, like this one. But also a few other things. 

Joy is not hosting in the new year due to some health issues. She needs to focus on some good self care. I get that. My participation in some of 2025 was hit and miss, due to Mr. Busy’s health issues. But I will miss the challenges and the satisfaction of using up my scraps. 

Decembers color suggestion from Joy was Rainbow.it was December and though I’ve sewn with rainbow fabric in the past, all I had left was flannel.The prompt was Give Peace A Chance.   I struggled trying to do the peace sign. 

An artist I am not. I finally found some sort of rainbow colored Christmas light fabric and settled on four colors of hands making the peace sign. 

I’m searching for a motif to go in the center. Til I find one that’s not a bit bulky, I’ll use this American Flag patch that came off one of Mr. Busy’s work uniforms. 

It will live on my side table next to my chair for the foreseeable future. 

Thanks again Joy for making this challenge so much fun. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful.