Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2026

[Harriet]

Have marked the fourth block now and hope to quilt it tonight. So, I'm thinking with center and borders, this means I'm 4 out of about 30 sessions done, or maybe 1/10th to 1/8th of the way finished with the quilting. Of course, then putting the three parts together. Then binding. Then sewing on a hanging sleeve So, lots to do, lol. But still nice to keep track. I think I'm going a little faster, getting into the swing of it.

Nancy, I'm glad to know you have varied projects so you can move to others when your hand is bothering you.

I can tell that I am already starting to brainstorm about a next project sometimes, in order to have something different to think about.

Cathy said she was about to reach a finish, I think.

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Sunday night -

Now after marking and quilting the side borders of this bottom third, I'm 5 parts out of an approximate 30 parts done. So that's 1/6th done. Turning one of my homemade templates a different way gave a design to quilt these, so that decision is made for half the borders now. 2 more sections for the bottom border, plus one session to do some extra touches, and I'll move on to pinning the next third.

I've changed to 3.5 stitch length, and I think it's working better than 3.0. The stitches look more even, and the stitching goes along curves easier.

I need a visual to check off progress.

Shamelessly stealing FrenchFlyBebe's bar chart idea

Quilting progress : 5 out of 30 sections. . ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

[CathyS]

I have finished all of the actual x stitches. Now I'm finishing up the backstitches.

[Nancy]

I've done the blue yarn part on knitting project the red white and blue has been added this is the 2nd of the colors now.

Dish cloth got some done on it only 4 more points to do on it. It's done now.

Red white and blue project is over half way done now yea & nearly 2/3rds of the way done.
I'm enjoying this project. Yes it's the star one with 14 points the only kind I make.

Have started a diff crochet project going it's not as fun yet.

I'm to the last sections of each color now on the red white & blue project!
Worked on it it's like a blanket in size and growing still.

[Harriet]

Happy for you, Cathy. Hope you enjoy changing colors of cloth. I like working with black backgrounds - seems very sophisticated and sometimes that's a fun change.

Nancy, is this dishcloth a star with points? Is your hand feeling better?

I had to take a day off because my back had protested while I was tending the houseplants, so I thought nope, take a break from anything that strains the back for a bit, and that would be the sewing machine.
THEN I had to take a day off because of disappointment in a line of quilting that went partially through a dark purplish fabric. Since my marker draws a purple line, and the one that draws a while line doesn't disappear neatly, I was trying a combination of marker and freezer paper shape ironed on. The ironing on would let go and drive me crazy. Finally, I pinned the freezer paper and managed. I won't do that again. That color of fabric gets quilted in the ditch or with echo quilting so I don't need to mark.

Quilting progress : 7 out of 30 sections ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

DgdC came by today and looked at the quilting. She thinks the echo quilting around the pieces is the prettiest. She pointed out the Falling Timbers block, where the curves are kind of stacked in light/dark, light/dark. The quilting does stand out there. But I'm happy with the designs, too. On the back, she liked the designs. I showed her the open middles of a couple blocks where I'll probably add in some small designs, and she was pretty convinced about that, saying don't leave those blank.