Start of a Decade

2020. A new year. A new decade. A time to reflect. A time to set goals. A time to pat oneself on the back. A time to share these pictures, taken at sunrise at Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America, in late October. A time to administer a firm kick in the pants to myself.

I have not been blogging. I have made four quilts this fall, as well as a top and a number of small items, but they were all presents and could not be revealed. I made a set of placemats but didn’t take pictures.

There was a bit of Christmas knitting for little people. The sweater ornament pattern was from Kathy Lewinski of JustCraftyEnough.com. The addition of the initials was a nod to Mrs. Weasley of Harry Potter fame, who knit scratchy, initialled, sweaters for her children.

There was a bit of knitting for a new family member, my daughter’s girlfriend, who joined our slightly belated Christmas celebrations. Her stocking was made to match Maura’s, knit 29 years ago. I had to dig to find the ancient Mary Maxim pattern. Truth be told, I dug and couldn’t find it, but it was available online for a couple dollars.

There was a Sew Together bag for my daughter Margaret, made from fabric designed by fellow guild member Julia Wentzell of  Briar Hill Designs. Margaret does a lot of garment sewing, knitting and embroidery, so I thought she might like a little tool bag. James, Margaret’s husband, couldn’t be left out. He got a cushion cover to remind him of their cat, who went on vacation to Maura and is now with me. That’s a story for another time. Here’s the top, made from a pattern in Make Modern, issue 5, called Geometric Kitty, and brought to my attention by the Clever Chameleon. And there was a hot water bottle cover, of my own design. I prequilted the flannel before I cut out the cover, putting a cat face in the stitching. In retrospect, it would have been more effective had I appliquéd and embroidered the face. That’ll be a tip for the next time. This one is done. The slot for the bottle is up nice and high so it can be filled without removing the bottle, at Maura’s request.

The quilts will get separate blog posts over the next little while, when I get my act together. In the meantime, I need to sew. There are a half dozen tops to quilt, which have been on hold partly because of technical long arm issues. There are two more tops that need something done to them, one to make it more interesting, one to make it more functional.

The real decision is this year’s focus. I know I’d like to use some scraps. Make something from nothing. On New Year’s day, I tidied my cutting table of scraps from the hot water bottle and made a pouch. Then I got into my orphan block box and started a charity quilt. It needs to be a bit longer, but here it is. I’ll be ready for the next request for a comfort quilt. Maybe the visually impaired will need one. Truth be told, I like it, but it is BUSY.

Last year I planned to work from my library. I didn’t do that, but I’d still like to get into some of my marvellous books. I’d like to explore new techniques. Try new colour schemes. Design some quilts. Stay away from sew alongs that explore other people’s ideas and see if I can come up with some myself. Yesterday I unearthed a project I had started several years ago, and made a few more blocks.We’ll see where it goes.

Firstly, I need to get started on a project for our guild special show in May, which features men’s ties and grey fabric. And make a few baby quilts. Oh yes, and there is my actual job, which might just be in its final year. I haven’t been working for quite as long as these fossils have been around, but almost.

I took the pictures this fall at Mistaken Point, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a couple hours drive from my home. It is the best place on earth to see the seabed of 565 million years ago, especially in the fall when the sun is low, creating fabulous shadows.

Tomorrow, Christmas ends. On Tuesday, the decorations come down, and the New Year starts in earnest. More walking, less eating, sewing with intent… May you all have a wonderful year of health and happiness and quilt making.