Angels keep round robins going

Someone sent me this.

A recent round robin left me grateful for angels.

Angels are stitchers who are on standby if the stitchers need to drop out of a crazy quilt round robin. 

An angel stepped in one month as I realised it would be nearly impossible for me to stitch after neck surgery in early March. 

When I signed up, I had no idea that surgery would happen. But then I also didn’t know a chair I was using at a sewing machine would collapse. 

Or that a week later, I would turn and trip. That fall included hitting my head hard at some heavy wood furniture and a hardwood floor.

I attributed that fall and some other annoyances to multiple sclerosis. I knew an upcoming spine and brain MRI would show new lesions or something. Imagine my surprise at learning my deteriorating neck and upper spine were at the root of so many of those problems. 

It was scary how fast a neurosurgeon could operate on me. 

It was comforting to know someone was available to stitch when I could not.

That was the second time an angel participated in a round robin of mine. The first time I was the angel who filled in for a month.

What’s a round robin? Some crazy quilters decide on a form, size of a block, and a theme. Usually, it is either 1 12-inch block that participants take turns stitching or a group of 6-inch blocks with each stitcher embellishing 1 of the blocks. Usually, you get a month to stitch and then mail the work to the next person.  

I’ll share some recent round robins in the upcoming weeks. I love learning from other stitchers - what they add to your blocks.

Triple time: Ornament done

Finished a Crazy Quilted Christmas ornament today. It’s 4.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches long, not including the hanger. 

I’ll use it on my fabric Christmas tree. That started as a dream that I could pull together 2,020 unique pieces by the end of 2020. I gathered the pieces. I had a plan. Then, I had a new plan. 

Now, I am following a new plan to create a Christmas tree that won’t ever shed needles. Plus it will serve as a reminder of a hobby I have enjoyed since I was 6.

I’ll use the ornament as my first finish of the year for the 2022  Crazy Quilting Journal Project. It is bigger then the 3-inch ornaments I planned. But I like variety on Christmas trees.

I’ll keep using it for my #The100DayProject, though I put in far more then 5 minutes of stitching today. Say 3.5 hours today 

This week's motivation though Challenge 5 of Project Quilting : Rhythm

 and Repetition. 

You’ll notice I basically used 2 colors - red and white.  I started with 3 pieces of candy I trimmed from a holiday ribbon. I added 2 mints from another part of the ribbon. 

Next, I basted for fabrics to a white background. I added a wide red ribbon, then put a thin white ribbon on topi added a red-and-white trim to the edge oof the ribbon. 

I added three rows of ric rack, anchored by red floss. 

Another short piece is anchored by sequin held in place with French knots. 

I used two pieces of ribbon and some nylon fabric to make yo-yos. A sequin and French knot anchors each. Six more red sequin line the white line after one side was outlined with a red stem stitches. I used white floss to add blanket stitched and chain stitches. A white flower anchored by a red bead  provides a bit more contrast. 

This project was made in Greeneville, Tn.