15 Minute Challenge, Knitting, Quilting and Cross Stitch

 Didn't have a great week last week, woke up in pain during the night on Monday and Wednesday after another sleepless night decided to get to the Drs.  He thought I had a stomach virus and gave me some tablets I was pretty sure it wasn't that.   I was having a massage that day and my back was also sore I went.  Turns out I had twisted a rib and the nausea was caused by pain after the massage therapist had relieved some of the tension the pain became more localised in my back rib area.  Ended up taking a sick day on Friday and sat in the sunshine on the swing chair with a heat pack on my back and did a bit of knitting.  

Though the back is still sore it is a lot better this week.  I worked on the border for the quick quilt over the weekend  Here is the picture but the corners are all different so I am seriously considering removing the border or I might change the corder stones to beige to see if that sits better with me, serves me right for trying to be clever.  If I get over it I will baste it at sewing on Thursday and start quilting on the weekend.  

My next sock is nearly finished, decreasing the toe at the moment.  These should fit Mo or me so if she doesn't like them I get to keep them.  I friend put me onto another youtube channel for socks, so I might try her patterns next.  Apparently she has an easy way to do heels.  

The cross stitch border is coming along nicely even though I've been unwell, I've started on the next 2 charts so I'm way past my unpicking point from last week.  I know that the next pattern releases soon so I will have to get a wiggle on with it.  I'm waiting on more black thread in the post,  I'm currently using DMC but most of the other colours are Cosmo threads which are so soft and silky and lovely to stitch with.  My local quiltshop didn't have any black cosmo when I wanted to start.  It's just that postage take so long within Australia at the moment, I'm checking the letterbox a couple of times a day to make sure it hasn't arrived and I've missed it.

I've been following the Needlework Expo on instagram and it really is a worry  there is so many patterns that I would love to do, I need another couple of pairs of hands to get everything done or another couple of lifetimes.   

So how is your stitching going this week.  Head to Kate's to see how everyone is keeping up with the challenge.  

15 Minute Challenge and Not really achieving anything

 I have been doing lot so of sewing this week mostly the reverse kind.  I looked at my cross stitch SAL border that I was doing at sewing class on Thursday and looking at it in daylight I realised that there was quite a few errors on the right side.  So there was no option but to unpick.  

The pieced border for  Quick Quilt 4 is all cut out.  I've decided to do reverse geese, beige geese with a scrappy backgrounds of red and blue but I haven't got round to stitching them as the machine didn't come back from service until Saturday and the weekend was really beautiful with lots of sunshine and DH and I got in a couple of walks to the beach each day and neighbourhood.  

Managed to get to visit the yarn shop I've been wanting to go to for a long time and I picked up more sock yarn.  I then ordered some more Sunday night so I have a few more colours, its a bit fluffy but it knits up really nice.  I've started a shorty sock.   I misread the band pattern so it is a bit longer than the pattern called for but I don't think it really matters.  The sock pattern is striped but I'm just going to do a different colour for the band, heel and toe and keep the foot the one colour this time.  Will get more adventurous next time when I have few more colours. 

Doesn't look much like a sock at the moment but I will get there.  

I'm off to look at other sock patterns now for my next one and maybe a coffee.

How did your week go.  Head to Kate's to see how the gang is going.  

15 Minute Challenge Finally Vaccine available for all adults

 They finally announced last week that 16 to 39 year olds could be vaccinated.  Luckily I got in early this morning when the appointments were released ignoring the Federal Governments eligibility app, and just booked them in.  According to reports the system crashed a few times after 9 am apparently but I didn't have any bother at 7.45 and both the kids were booked in for their jabs in September.  

My Juki is booked in for a service at the end of the week I can't believe I've had it just over 12 months now.  All going well I can pick it up Saturday morning.  As it is at the other side of town I'm thinking of taking a trip to a yarn shop that I know is that way, either Saturday or Thursday when I drop it off depending on the timing and if I have DH as a passenger on Saturday (he doesn't need to see me in a yarn purchase frenzy).  

This week I finished 1 project bag, I've decided I need the next size up though for projects with A4 patterns printouts as I just doesn't fit without folding.  So next one I am making a large.  

Quick Quick 4 quilt top is finished and I quickly put together the pattern there is no border yet, but I hope to nut that out at sewing this week.  There are lots of old favourites in this quilt.  I have to decide how I'm going to quilt it at the moment I have no clue.  You can find the download on the 2021 BOM page.  

A bit of cross stitch progress, though lots of people are already finished their border on instagram on the cryptid sal  I'm still going, but would rather got slow and steady than rush and make a hash of it.  I also purchased a previous sal from the website which features Universal Movie monsters.  DH is a great fan of old horror movies so I think he will like it.  I've found some hand dyed linen but think I will wait a bit.  

I did finish my first sock, I've decided that I won't bother knitting the pair because I don't really like the wool and I think I should have knitted the small not the medium.  I'm on the lookout for a yarn swift and then I am going to power in to some short socks.

Check in with Kate to see how everyone is travelling this week.  

Quick Quilt 4 is ready to downloan

 

Head to the 2021 BOM page to download the pattern.  

15 Minute Challenge Another Finish

 I headed back to the office Friday last week.  I had to face a new phone system which I still haven't got my head around but will get there in the end I think.  

NSW, Victoria and parts of Queensland are in lockdown.  We are open up but for the first time have to wear masks in shops, public transport and crowded places.  They have closed our borders to the eastern states which will hopefully keep us relatively safe.  

This week I have finished another By Annie bag, this time Case in Point for my crochet and knitting tools.  This was far the easiest By Annie bag I have made so far.  I have also start some project bags, these are super easy so I will be making a few for some of my cross stitch and embroidery projects, the final picture is my start.  

Progress on my Cryptid SAL we have a month to complete the border I think I will get there.  I have been doing a bit of this and Dreaming Frida each night. 

Mine was a 7 out of 7 this week, how was yours.  

Head to Kate's to see how everyone is going.  

15 Minute Challenge Out of Lockdown

 We emerged from lockdown last Tuesday, everything is back to normal but masks are mandatory inside public places because of the Delta strain and this week restrictions have been loosened again from tomorrow.  

I haven't heard from Maestro this week he has been working a lot which is good as a week at home with nothing to do apart from video games and listening to his flatmate and girlfriend argue was probably doing his head in.   

No patchwork this week.  I have been making more By Annie Bags.  I made another 2zip gear bag the medium size this time for myself this time, and am about halfway through a Case in Point bag for my crochet and knitting needles. The 2 zip gear bag is for sock knitting and it will easily fit a couple of balls of yarn plus an unfinished sock or 2.  

At night I have been doing my cross stitching.  I have started the Modern Folk Embroidery SAL and I have just downloaded the first instalment of the Witchy Stitcher Cryptid Stitchalong which looks pretty fun (its very gothic) so that will be 3 cross stitch projects on the go.  

Frida Dreaming is coming along nicely as you can see below.  

Mo hasn't gone to face to face classes yet for Uni this semester they think it will start up next week.  We went for a drive yesterday to checkout the other Campus that she needs to go to for her CGI class.  The campus is about 10 minutes from my office.   I probably have to ask my boss if I can work from home first thing then drop her off and finish off the day at work and then pick her up after her class.  One day she will get her license but for a bit longer I am Mum Taxi.  

This arrived today, a thank you from our Head Office for the extra work being done.  Its a bit OTT but I'm sure we will enjoy it.  

Hopefully after next week I will have my quilting mojo back and I will start Quick Quilt 4 I have a couple of my by Annie bags that I want to do first though




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