17 in 2017 - August Report

This was a pretty good month as far as my 17 in 2017.  I finished the August Cat.

I worked on Queen Mary.

I worked on the Pansy Stumpwork.

And I finished the beaded shawl.

To see all of my 17 in 2017 projects, check out this page.  To see the progress other participants have made, check it out here.

How Many? Part 7

How many stitch kits does one stitcher need?  

My little toolies were all mixed up with all the different projects I have been working on. I decided to organize them and took pictures when I did.  

This is my favorite and the one I use the most often.  It holds lots of things and folds up quite nicely. I designed it and stitched it and love looking at it as much as using it.

How many stitch kits do you have? Do you have one that you designed, so that it is perfect for your own stitching needs?

How Many? Part 6

How many stitch kits does one stitcher need?  

My little toolies were all mixed up with all the different projects I have been working on. I decided to organize them and took pictures when I did.  

I often use this kit, as it is easy to carry along. I made pockets and the basket closure, with matching needle holder, pin keep, scissor fob, and needle threader.  The basket also holds other stitching supplies.

How many stitch kits do you have? Do you like having things that all match, or does that matter to you?

Monday Morning Star Count - Four Placemats

I'll have this week's temperature block next week!  I do have hexagons to show - I made these four Japanese hexagon flower placemats to give as a gift. (I bought the placemats and appliqued the hexagons)

How Many? Part 5

How many stitch kits does one stitcher need?  

My little toolies were all mixed up with all the different projects I have been working on. I decided to organize them and took pictures when I did.  

This trifold kit is one of my favorites, but it is more to look at than to use.  It holds needles and scissors.

How many stitch kits do you have? Have you ever read The Secret Garden?  I liked the book when I was young and still do.  I recently listened to it on Audiobook.

How Many? Part 4

How many stitch kits does one stitcher need?  

My little toolies were all mixed up with all the different projects I have been working on. I decided to organize them and took pictures when I did.  

This little fold up kit holds pins, needles, scissors, and some safety pins and buttons in the little pockets.  This was a class I took at the Paducah Quilt Show one year.  I thought I'd make more of these for gifts.  Maybe I will some time.

How many stitch kits do you have? Have you made any little stitch kits as gifts or recieved any?

2017 Smalls Stitch A Long - August

This year I plan to stitch the calendar cats (free charts at Happiness is Cross Stitching).  One small ornament per month, so this month is August.  I will wait to finish them all at the same time in December so that they will be the same size and somehow coordinate.  

I'm linking up with Heather, at Stitching Lotus, the hostess of this stitch a long.

How Many? Part 3

How many stitch kits does one stitcher need?  

My little toolies were all mixed up with all the different projects I have been working on. I decided to organize them and took pictures when I did.  

This one holds needles, a tape measure, pins in a pin mattress, and scissors.

How many stitch kits do you have? Do you keep a ruler or tape measure or both or neither in your stitch kit?

Work In Progress Wednesday - Four Crazy Blocks

I added a little more to the blocks, then put them together.  Next, I need to press the white kimono fabric around the blocks.  I might add some more stitching. I haven't picked out the backing or binding fabric yet, but it's coming along.

How Many? Part 2

How many stitch kits does one stitcher need?  

My little toolies were all mixed up with all the different projects I have been working on. I decided to organize them and took pictures when I did.  

This one was a gift and is made of a pot holder.  It contains scissors, a pin keep, needles, a tape measure and a seam ripper. It can be folded over and buttoned closed.

How many stitch kits do you have? What is your best idea for a small take along kit?

Monday Morning Star Count - Week 16

Week 16 of the temperature quilt 

August  - 13 -19

84, 84, 82, 79, 85, 84, 88

I am enjoying this project. The summer has been a lot of orange (80's F), but maybe cooler temperatures are coming.

Sarah at Sarah Did It!  is hosting a link up on Wednesdays for those making a temperature hexagon quilt.  Check it out and think about joining in.  You can start at any time. 

This is my temperature/color (Fahrenheit) scheme: 

100 + Brown 

90-99 Red  

80-89 Orange 

70-79 Yellow  

60-69 Green  

50-59 Blue 

40-49 Purple 

30-39 Pink 

20-29 White 

10-19 Black

How Many? - Part 1

How many stitch kits does one stitcher need?  

My little toolies were all mixed up with all the different projects I have been working on. I decided to organize them and took pictures when I did.  

This is a crazy quilt bag, with scissor cover, needle book, and pin holder.

bottom of bag

It's easy to carry along, but I rarely do.  I look at it a lot and use it as an example when looking for ideas.

How many stitch kits do you have?  What is the most important item in your take along kit?

ANG Band Sampler

I pulled this project out last week as one of my "abandoned" projects.  In the bag with the started stitching were the threads and four sets of instructions. The first set of instructions said it was an ANG Chapter On-Going Project for the 2006-07 year.  The schedule showed seven sets of instructions to be handed out over the year and a show & tell display at the final meeting of the year in June.  I don't know why I only have the first four sets of instructions and I don't remember seeing anyone's finished samplers.  I guess I missed that meeting.  

The first set of instructions gave advice on choosing threads, and all four gave different choices of motifs and alphabets and ideas, so you could choose big or small or what you liked, etc.  The instructions look good.  I had picked out and stitched things from the first three sets of instructions.  I like what I had done so far and I like the threads.  I think I'm going to  try to make it work for the shoulder strap on my crazy quilt bag. Even though I only have four sets of instructions, I think there are plenty of things to choose from to be able to do the entire length.  

These two photos show what I had done previously and what I have added.  It's long and skinny and hard to photograph.  

I'll see how it goes. I hope I can figure out how to make it work for the bag's strap.

I'll Try Again Another Day

I haven't been able to see Mt. Fuji in weeks.  That happens in summer.  I wanted to try to climb Mt. Fuji last summer during my summer vacation, but instead had to spend the time with medical tests followed by surgery after my cancer diagnosis.  

The climbing season is only two months, July 10th - September 10th, but I hoped to be able to go to the top this summer.  I didn't want to go on a weekend or during the obon holiday week, but thought I had plenty of time. Originally, I set aside August 7 - 10 (the 11th was a national holiday followed by the weekend, then the obon holiday week). I thought one of those days would be good weather.  I was wrong.  

I continued to watch the weather forecast, thinking I could go on a weekend or during obon week, it would just be more crowded.  Finally, I decided I could go in the rain, as long as it wasn't a thunderstorm.  Wednesday was to be the day. 

 

I packed my raincoat, a fleece jacket, a nylon vest, a long sleeved shirt, an extra pair of socks, sunscreen, sunglasses, my camera, two liters of water and a bottle of coke zero, a PBJ sandwich, carrot sticks, a couple of granola bars, a mini first aid kit, and some toilet paper.  

I woke up at 4 am, left home at 4:30 am and walked to the train station to catch the 5:39 am train.  I had to change trains in Fuji City, arriving in Fujinomiya at 6:27 am.  I quickly found the bus stop and was the last person to get on the crowded 6:30 am bus to the Fujinomiya trail.  

It was raining, but I was okay with that. 

The trail start area was pretty sad and disappointing.  I expected something nicer and newer. I used the toilet (all toilets on the mountain cost 200 yen to use and they smell awful!).  After  looking around a bit and paying my 1000 yen to enter the trail, I headed out.  

From the fifth to the sixth stage, it was pretty easy, not too steep.  The rain got harder and the view wasn't much and so I continued.  

The trail got rockier and steeper. The rocks were slippery and sometimes I was off balance, but I was careful not to fall down.  I don't need another broken bone.  

I heard some rumbling in the distance, but I wasn't sure if it was thunder. I passed by the original seventh stage and was almost to the new seventh stage when the thunder shook the air around me.

I thought about wanting to go to the top and weighed that against the chance of getting hit by lightning. I decided to turn around and go down. The thunder continued all around me all the way down.  Going down was difficult and kind of scary. I had a bad case of sewing machine legs (You know, when your legs shake uncontrollably). 

This wasn't a once in a lifetime chance.  I live in Shizuoka and could come back another time.  I was disappointed, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Now that I have the logistics figured out and know where to change trains, which platform to get train #2, where the bus stop is, etc., it won't be difficult to come again. 

This was my view from the bus on the ride back to the train station.  

Better luck next time.