Everything but the Japanese panel

This week I had planned to work on the Japanese quilt I was going to make using a panel that I bought a while back and I planned to include some sashiko. The problem is, or was, that I couldn't make up my mind how I wanted the finished quilt to look. I had several different ideas but not one that I particularly loved. I decided that the best thing to do was to scrap the idea for now and move on to something different.

I decided that spending some time on scrap management would be useful. Scraps seem to multiple even when I'm not doing any sewing. I started by dividing some of my scraps into colour groups.

I decided that I would make some string blocks. By the time I had finished I'd made 16 blocks.

I really enjoyed making these blocks and I like the way they look. I also made a few 9 patch blocks as well. I need to put these blocks together into a quilt.

Last week I pulled out the mystery quilt I made last year. I have done machine quilting on all the quilts I've made so far but for this quilt I decided I would try and hand quilt it. I completed the quilting on one of the blocks and then put it away whilst I worked on other projects. Earlier this week I decided I needed to get on with the quilting. Over two episodes of Miss Marple (Agatha Christie stories) I've managed to complete one and a half blocks. it appears that somewhere between April 2024 and now I developed a real love of hand stitching in all its different guises.

I've nearly finished the right front of my pink cardigan. I'm not posting a picture as it doesn't look like anything until you start joining all the pieces together. That reminds me, I need to wind the remaining skeins of yarn into balls so they are ready for knitting.

Another project I've spent some time on is the crocheted blanket I started during the lockdown of the covid pandemic. Since then I've crocheted more than 100 of these blocks and last November I started crocheting them together. 10 by 10 squares makes a nice size blanket for a toddler. In the picture I have crocheted the rows together but still have to complete the columns. I've nearly finished that and will then do a couple of rows of double crochet around the outside. This will be a donation blanket. I think I have enough squares left over to complete a second blanket.

The mystery of the comments has for the moment been solved. I was going through my emails this morning, deleting and generally tidying up the space when it told me it was updating. A couple of new links then appeared and one was labelled 'social'. Considering it was a new tab it had a lot of emails in it going back to end of December 2024. Most were from LinkedIn and were deleted straight away. LinkedIn was useful in relation to work in earlier years but I'm now over 70 and not interested in changing my job, so I will be deleting my LinkedIn account later as well. We automatically have a LinkedIn account through work so I will still be able access any of the e learning they have on offer. Anyway what was left in the social tab was a list of emails from readers of this blog. My son reliably informs me the social tab has been there for ages but I hadn't updated my email. Anyway I now have some comments to read and respond to, sounds like a job for this afternoon.

Friday was younger daughter's birthday and I promised I'd make her a cake over the weekend. I need to get myself organised, check what cake she would like and then get it made. Having already eaten some chocolate from the Easter egg I was given I'm not sure I need cake. I guess I'll just have to do more exercise tomorrow.

If you are celebrating Easter I hope you have an enjoyable day. Older daughter and family are coming for dinner tomorrow which will be fun. We exchanged Easter eggs when we saw them last weekend so fortunately there won't be any additional chocolate.

This morning I ventured out on my own with Missy, our 3 year old cockerpoo. I haven't walked Missy since I had my operation. She is a medium sized dog, but strong and I was a little worried that she would pull on the lead but she was incredible well behaved and walked to heel at my pace. Twiglet, our Yorkshire terrier was rather put out that he wasn't included but he will suddenly decide to change direction or speed and I'm not risking being tripped up by him. He'll have a walk a little later. currently they are both curled up together having a nap.

Take care

Lyndsey