I was playing catch-up for the February sewing session with Stacia and Deloise so I was happy that this one was small. It may have been small but there were a lot of small pieces that went into it – 152 to be precise. I admit to having a bit of a head start on my cutting because I used squares that I had already cut for my Postage Stamp quilt. Still, it took some time to get enough pieces cut.

Once the pieces were done it was relatively simple to put them all together. Plus, I had some helpful hints from Deloise who had already done the project.

Quilting was very simple straight lines and I had plenty of time to finish up the January project during our two days of sewing.

This was my January sewing project with Stacia and Deloise, but I didn’t finish it until our February sewing day.

Appliqué isn’t my favourite technique but I happen to like stars so this was a mixture of the two. I had everything done but the quilting when I set it aside to work on quilt show projects.

When I got back to the quilting I found a method to do what looks like free-motion quilting but all done with my walking foot. I’ll use this technique often in the future.

When the Guild requested more items for the show I decided to enter this one. Except for that darker than neutral square I’m happy with it (and to be honest I never noticed that until just now).

For several years I have enjoyed virtual monthly sewing sessions with my sisters. This year we are all working from the same book (Little Handfuls of Scraps) but we each pick and choose which pattern we want to do in any given month. I look forward to an in-person sewing session with them this fall. It was quilted on my domestic Janome.

Author: Elizabeth George

Goodreads says I’ve read the book twice but I’ve never written a review (that I could find). Although the book was good I don’t want to make the mistake of reading it again.

I always like the Inspector Lynley novels; this one is the 17th in the series. It doesn’t matter a whole lot the order you read them in, although there are often hints at characters that appeared in previous books.

Lynley is working undercover, at the request of a senior officer, to verify that the death of the nephew of a wealthy family was truly an accident. He brings along Simon and Deborah St. James to help him with his inquiries. There are a number of secrets revealed along the way and there are several storylines going at the same time – all involving the Fairclough’s.

I enjoyed the book but thought it could have been better with just one less web of intrigue.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

January 1, 2025

Without even making a plan my crafting year is filling up.

My current Tuesday/Guild project is a mystery. I’ve finished two clues (yes, one of them had two blocks) but I have no idea if this will be the layout. Up to now there has been quite a gap between revealing the clues so in the meantime I’ll continue to work on my Dream Path quilt and my Leader and Ender project – my postage stamp quilt.

It will take a couple more weeks to finish the top of this Thursday project. It looks so simple but I don’t think Gail and I have struggled as much with any other project. When that is done we have a series of hand stitching projects that Gail bought from the internet. We’ve also talked about doing a block once a month, based on patterns and pictures she has found online.

Our Guild’s quilt show is in March and I still have three projects to complete. They are all pieced but need to be sandwiched and quilted. When I’m home I’ll be focusing on them. There is no shortage of UFO’s that I can work on when they are done – both piecing and quilting.

For the rest of the Christmas season I’m going to be working on this cross stitch. I probably won’t get it done but it seems like “the thing” to be doing this time of year. It was a project Mum started and I’ve taken on the finishing of it. I can only take credit for “7 Swans a Swimming” and “8 Maids a Milking”.

Stacia, Deloise and I have already picked a sewing date for January to work on our small projects. I am a bit behind the others with 15 patterns remaining. I missed a few times when I was in treatment and recovery so I got behind. I’ll have to speed things up if I want to complete them all this year.

I will sign up for another 30 books with Goodreads with the intention of surpassing it. Always better to aim low I think. This is the stack of books I’ll be working my way through; I already know there will be library books to add as I’ve been finding lots of titles on Facebook.

I’ve been itching to get back into some knitting or crocheting and have a couple of projects in mind for the yarn I have – another afghan and a wall hanging made from wool I purchased in Donegal.

I have signed myself up for a year-long block of the month; we will meet for a day once a month to get a new pattern (all different trees) and, I’m hoping, to get some hints on what to do with them. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. These are samples of the first two blocks.

What are your plans for the year?