To Do Tuesday #50

Well, I had quite a list a few weeks ago (can't believe I missed that many):

- finish hand stitching the binding on the backfiller project.✅- currently working on the hanging sleeve

- cut and prepare the binding for the Christmas quilt and attach it to the quilt.✅

- (OMG) finish that sock!✅

- make another 3-4 cat blocks✅

- decide which project to tackle next (this could be dangerous...definitely do not start another project before finishing what's on the list!)❌

- get back to my Etsy shop and prepare for Black Friday sales as well as thinking about a new pattern.-started

I did finish a few things over the weeks even though it was a fairly busy time. However, then when I really wanted to make a dent in my list, I got Covid...again! Very annoying ...apparently we are facing another wave over here so I suppose it was inevitable. And I just had been to the doctor recently and we did talk about another booster. I was going to have a look when I had my last one...haha, here I am. Good news though is I now do not need a booster for another 6 mths. Like last time Covid was difficult but it did not seem to incapacitate for that long this time. I did a test on Sunday and today already feel much better.

So, progress...I did do a couple of things

Finished a few more cat blocks and now only have 6 more to do (of a total of 25 blocks)

Would have had one more if it was not for that inexplicable 1/2in missing on one block. Absolutely no idea how that happened other that it was around the time when the brain fog was starting to set in.

Finally also finished my second sock

Only had about 5 rows to go before shaping the toe, so I was able to do that over the last few days. The socks fit perfectly. I really like this wool...Signature 4ply from the West Yorkshire Spinners. Feels very nice against the skin.

For readers who follow my blog I showed a picture of a design last time that I want to use for my cat quilt

This is a variation of the 'Ginger Snap' edge-to-edge design where I inserted a cat paw instead of the circles that were there.

To make this workable I would have had to invest a few more hours of mucking around with my design to make that truly work. 

In the end I emailed Urban Elementz asking whether the designer could make me a design like this as it would mean they could just erase the circles out of their design and insert a paw. I am sure it was not that easy but I thought it does not hurt to ask.

About a week later they emailed back with the finished design. They were able to work with designer Melonie J. Caldwell and Apricot Moon Design to create the new 'Ginger Paw' design! How is that for great customer service!!!

Here is the new design

This has saved me hours of tracing and trying different sizes for the paw and the little claws are just in the right spot for effortlessly sewing around (mine were a bit crooked). I am over the moon...this will look great.

Well, and then there was Black Friday and they had a great sale on so I got another design called "happy Times' by Hermione Agee. Was looking for another playful swirly design.

The last few days I literally spent in the recliner chair...drawing! I have been looking at an old wholecloth design that I still have not stitched out and worked out what was bothering me about which meant the design had to re-jigged. I am using the Affinity Design 2 program which is brilliant but also quite challenging. The drawings I do on the program are usually fairly involved with hundreds of elements all on different layers. It was near to impossible to alter the original drawing as things were grouped together at different points and I had been particularly slack with naming my layers properly, so often could not find things, In the end I decided to draw it again, copying some groups but this time systematically labelling everything I was doing, so that any alterations in the future would be easier.

It was horrendous. The main layers are on the right side (all nicely labelled this time)...each of them opens to reveal elements, groups and underneath that every single stroke, so as soon as you open one layer you scroll for ages to try to find what you are looking for. I am actually quite bored with this wholecloth by now, however do want to stitch it out as a reminder of a class that I did many years ago with Cindy Needham. The Amish Curling Feather was a more recent addition and I struggled with that...in the end I decided that I would have them curling around the corners as well rather than have the feathers start from both corners because that would have meant that I would have ended up with the feather going the wrong way approaching the next corner and the piece is not big enough to do a 'meet in the middle of the border scenario for another decorative element. Please with my efforts, everything is locked down, all my measurements are correct, so hopefully this is it! The whole thing will come out about 38in square.

So, this was my week. What am I planning?

- try to finish 6 cat blocks and cut out the sashing ready to go.

- sew on the hanging sleeve to my background filler project

- take some photos of my Christmas quilt. I think I will put that in my Etsy shop for sale even though it is a bit late now...well, there's always next year.

...and I think, that's it. 

Linking up to To Do Tuesday #50 over at Quilt Schmilt

Karin