Work in Progress Wednesday - Little by Little

I’m very fortunate.  I have very little that I have to do.  I prepare for and teach a few classes each week and I keep up the apartment.  This allows me to stitch every day.  Each morning, I look at my projects and decide what I want to work on that day.  Little by little, I’m making progress toward completing them.

Cross stitch

Blackwork

Crazy quilt

That’s what I’ve been working on this week.  Take a look at the progress other stitching bloggers are making at Pintangle.

Stitching with Vicky

Saturday was cool and rainy outside, so my friend Vicky and I got together to visit and stitch.  My husband was gone for the weekend on a trip with his kayaking class and her husband was doing something with one of his friends, so we had the whole day to ourselves.

I keep thread in this little pencil box that I've had for years.  She recognized it as having had a similar one in her younger days.

We each started a little ornament on 28 count evenweave fabric, using #8 perle for eyelet stitches and accentuate for Rhodes stitches.  I’m using pale blue and silver, and although I didn’t take a photo of hers, you can imagine it done in red perle with gold.
 

I think there will be beads in this ornament’s future.  We’ll see next week when we get together to work on them some more.

Monday Morning Star Count - Quilting in the Ditch and Placemats

I’m quilting along the seam lines of the hexagons.  I think my uneven stitches will be less noticeable on the top that way.  My plan is to stitch one length of thread each day.  So far, so good.

back

 

I had a few hexagon flowers left over from the quilt.  I stitched two flowers to two placemats from the hyaku en store. They make a nice, inexpensive addition to our table.

 

Linking up with Life Under Quilts.

Needlequest - Kogin 15 June

The Needlequest topic for June is line, as a design element.  I’ve put in a few more rows of stitching and have about an inch done now on my kogin bag.  I work from right to left, flipping top to bottom at the end of each row so I can work from the right.  I can’t wait to see more of the pattern emerge!

 

To find out more about kogin, including kogin patterns and projects, check out Caro-Rose Creations.  To find out more about Needlequest, check out Sew in Love.

I Never Really Know What Is Going On

It’s true.  Even though I’ve been here more than two years, I never really know what is going on until it’s over, then I still don’t know. 

After class this week, one of my music English students (a violinist) told me she would be performing on Friday in I-Hall at the university.  I thought she said the concert was at six o’clock. So, yesterday afternoon around twenty ‘til six, I went over to the university.  (I just live across the street).  When I got to I-Hall, I could hear music.  I didn’t have my watch and thought I must be late, oh no!  I waited for a break and went in and sat in the second row, my usual place when I go to I-Hall.  I thought it was odd that there were only a few people in the audience, but there’s never a big turnout for these concerts.  At the end, I figured out that I wasn’t late, I was early!  This was a last minute rehearsal.  Even though I didn’t know what time the concert really started, I ran home to see if Ted wanted to attend.  He was packing for his weekend kayak class trip, so I returned to I-Hall alone and waited. Luckily, I had a small stitching project with me.  Eventually more people came and the concert began for real. The concert was very enjoyable and I loved seeing my student perform. 

 

Even though I often don’t know what is happening or when it is happening, I somehow manage to get by quite nicely.

Fob Gift

I made a little fob last month and liked it, so I made another to give as a gift.

 

Happy Birthday, Anne!

Sew Sew Sketch Book

Beth at Sew Sew Art recently posted a tutorial on how to make two types of sketch books.  She also had a giveaway and I won one of the sketchbooks she made!  It arrived yesterday.

 

Thank you, Beth!  It’s beautiful and I plan to put it to good use.  She took better pictures than I did of it, so click over to her blog to see the sketchbooks, her tutorial, and her art.

Work In Progress Wednesday

In addition to basting the quilt and starting the kogin bag, I worked on these big projects this week –

The Tablecloth

The Blackwork Alphabet Sampler

The Crazy Quilt Hussif

 

Work in Progress Wednesday is a great way to stay commited to working on big projects. Take a look at what other stitchers are working on at Pintangle.

Sapporo Yosakoi Dance Festival 2014

Sunday, I went to Sapporo for the Yosakoi Dance Festival.  Ted was gone on a field trip, as he was last year for this weekend, so I went alone.  It was rainy and cool, not the best for viewing or taking pictures. I felt bad for the dancers, but they all looked like they were having fun anyway. I love how this event includes all ages from children to the elderly.

My pictures aren’t so good because of the rain and the umbrellas, but maybe you get the idea of the colorful costumes and festival.

 

I’ll bet this little princess carries her umbrella even when it isn’t raining.