Jamestown Landing Accounting

I stopped today to count my Jamestown Landing units and see how many more I need to make.

All the border pieces are done.  I have 140 string blocks done, so I have 28 more to make.  I have 120 broken dishes units done, so I have 90 more of those to do.  (Ninety broken dishes units translates into 360 more HSTs.)  The good thing about this pattern is that there are no sashing/cornerstones to deal with.

Needle Guardian

I've been totally uninspired to work on my crazy quilting project despite being enrolled in 2 CQ classes right now.  I'm sure I'll get back to it, but adding it to my to do list doesn't seem to help at all.  Maybe I will put it away for a while and take the pressure off myself.  After all, stitching is supposed to be fun!

And I am having fun cross stitching.  This is a new start for me, Needle Guardian by Teresa Wentzler.

The linen I used is antique white, but it looks blue because it is sitting on top of my blue swing cushion.  

 My only complaint about this chart is the blended needles.  Why are they even necessary?  There are so many colors of floss out there!  I had a thought to do another Needle Guardian using just the light colors called for and another one using just the dark colors.  But who wants to stitch a pattern three times?

Linking up: http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/06/13/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-62/

More Jamestown Landing

I decided to keep working on Jamestown Landing for a while since it is blue and the RSC color this month is blue.  I have  more neutral strings done and about 40 broken dish units.  Last week I put a few on the design wall to see if the pattern is going to be clear since I tend to use a wide variety of blues, and some of my 'neutrals' have a lot of color/pattern in them.

I think it is going to work! I have many more HSTs to make and about 20 more string blocks.  It won't be done this month, but I'll get a good chunk of it done.  I need to force myself to take a break soon, though, and bind Amanda's quilt.

And since the name of this quilt is Jamestown Landing, here's a picture of my brother and his boys  when went to Jamestown in January.

Linking up:  http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2016/06/travel-stitching.html

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2016/06/20/design-wall-monday-june-20-2016/

http://www.joscountryjunction.com/ufo-challenge-2/

Jamestown Landing Officially Begun

I inadvertently started Jamestown Landing this weekend.  I knew I wanted to make this quilt someday, so several months ago I started making neutral 4 1/2" string blocks. This weekend I realized I had over 100 neutral string blocks!

I was also making 5 1/2" blue string blocks this month for RSC.  Then I realized that Bonnie Hunter's Jamestown Landing quilt has a string border, and I could start the string border instead of making the  5 1/2" blocks that I have no concrete plans for.  So my Jamestown Landing will be blue and white instead of the green and white I was thinking of.

Yesterday I finished the blue string border pieces.

I also sorted and counted my neutral sting blocks.

I have 130 made and need 168.  Now I need  to make 840 blue and white half square triangles.  That will take a while!  But since this quilt has its own project box now, it is officially a work in progress.

Linking up:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/ufo-challenge-update-2/

Stash Report, Birds in the Air

I've decided to count my exchanges as fabric used when they get sent and fabric in when they arrive.  So I have some used yardage to report this week!

Used this week: 5 yards ( Birds in the Air and I Spy sent out)
Used Year to Date: 51.625 yards
Added this week: 0
Added Year to Date:48.375  yards
Net Used:  3.25 yards

Here are my Birds In the Air blocks:

I had to buy some white fabric, but the rest is from my stash.

Linking up:http://www.patchworktimes.com/2016/06/12/stash-report-june-12-2016/

Is it Frameworthy?

When people come to my house for the first time, they sometimes comment on all the needlework I have hanging in my house.  The official count is 5 pieces in the foyer/hallway, 4 in the dining room, 4 in the kitchen, 9 in the family room, one in the bathroom, and one in the living room.  Two of them were stitched by my mother-in-law:  our wedding announcement and a clock face.  Seven of them are round robins, and one of them is an antique perforated paper bookmark.  In spite of the large number of pieces, I have tried to use a little restraint.  Not every wall in my house is covered in cross stitch, and I can think of five framed pieces that aren't even hanging right now.

I am the only one who knows the extent of the unframed.  Today I took all unframed pieces that I have out of the drawer where they wait and pinned them on my design wall.

I only hung up things bigger than an ornament since my unfinished ornaments are stashed all over the house.

Why do I have 20 unframed cross stitch pieces?  Lack of wall space and, more importantly, cost. Custom framing costs as much or more than having a quilt longarmed.   There are a couple of these that I don't really want to hang in my house, but I would like to have them framed.  I think framing would be a good way to preserve them.

I don't want my kids saddled with trying to deal with my cross stitch after I'm gone (not that I'm planning to go anytime soon).  I don't want my kids to feel like they have to keep it all.  I would like them to each keep a couple of pieces, but I hope my friends, siblings and their kids will take some of it.  I joke with my  oldest son that he is going to inherit my pincushion/needleroll/scissor fob collection, but I really just hope it goes to someone who will love it.

I think it is much easier to get rid of quilts than needlework.  Plenty of charities accept quilts.  I don't know of any that accept cross stitch!

Linking up:  http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/06/13/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-62/

Stash Report

It was a big yards added week for me.  I found the One Block Wonder fabric I've been wanting on sale, so I bought six yards of  it.  I also got fabric for the I Spy block exchange.  Last I checked, there were still 6 spots open in this exchange.  Here are my fabric squares:

I haven't decide to how to count this fabric.  Is it used when I send it away?  If so, I need to add it back in when I get my exchange squares. Same problem for my Birds In the Air exchange blocks.  I haven't done many  quilt exchanges, so this is new territory for me.

Used this week: 3.25 (backing, binding, sleeve Ohio star quilt)
Used Year to Date: 46.625 yards
Added this week: 10.0 (I spy swap, new OBW)
Added Year to Date:48.375  yards
Net added:  1.75 yards

Linking up: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2016/06/05/stash-report-june-5-2016/