Geese fly to Christmas tree

 My, how time flies. The last of the annual Project quilting challenges is due. This one requires a traditional quilting technique - five flying geese.

Too bad I can’t use the five attempts at the block. First would be looking - and not finding - the two rulers designed to ease making the blocks. 

Another attempt involved my attempt to draw and use a paper-piecing technique.  Two 1/2-inch geese in I knew this wasn’t the way to go.

Next, I turned to my favorite post on the subject - three ways to make flying geese.  Then, I turned to  a chart with measurements for the three necessary triangles. I saved it as a pdf but you can find it in this post. Honey, I shrank the smallest suggestion. 

The result was 5 flying geese in green on a red background  next, How funny - there’s always a bird or two slightly out of formation. But then whoever saw a perfectly shaped tree. I covered the 2.5 inch by 5.5 inch tree with blanket stitches, sequins, and lace  circles trimmed from a larger piece of lace.  Those straight lines are my version of icicles that hung on trees in my childhood.

One more project for Project Quilting completed in Greeneville, TN. One more ornament ready for the new artificial Christmas tree project. Even better - all pieces came from my stash. The sequins and beds are at least 60 years old. They are leftovers from a project of my grandmother - covering styrofoam balls by pinning beads and sequins. 

You’ll find the rest of the works for the sixth challenge of the 13th year of Project Quilting online. I finished two of this year’s challenges  plus I finished 2 Christmas ornaments And continued my 100 days of creating and stitching Plus another blog post  Yea.

Take time to read about a time-saving leader

Women’s History Month is a great time to rediscover Lillian Gillbreth. We can credit her with the kitchen triangle, refrigerator door shelves and many other time-saving ideas. 

2022 Cheaper By Dozen Baker family

2003 Cheaper by Dozen Baker family

But most probably remember her as the mother in Cheaper By the Dozen. There was the 1950 movie and a 2003 version. And Disney just released a new version  of the story about a family of 12 run by committees and time-saving accomplishments. Only the first movie is an actual biography of the family; the last two are loosely based on the family. .

Girl Scout role blooms

I’m grateful the release prompted historian Ann Robertson’s latest blog post. She shares how Gilbreth reluctantly volunteered to help Girl Scouts. Gilbreth soon branched from the role chosen for her to many pwithin Girl Scouts.  A familiar path for many volunteers. 

Then Robertson deepened the rabbit hole with some curated links with many more insights. The most indepth is a web site devoted just to the family. Go there last as the others are worth a click and a read  

Just like a woman

No surprise - the world notices her accomplishments more once she is single again. Her first two books left her name off as author to “make the book credible.”

Discrimination began with her family which put up roadblocks to her educational plans. The local newspaper got its dig in for her wedding: 

"Although a graduate of the University of California, the bride is nonetheless an extremely attractive woman." 

Death strengthens credibility

 After her husband's death, she received more credit for her work. She also became an advocate for others. After a consulting job that included rocvomendations and a study on menustration pads, she suggested Johndon and Johnson should hire more women on staff if its plans included feminine hygene products.

Those last two nuggets came from Mamma Mia.   And now you know where my Saturday night went - learning lots about  Lillian Gilbreth. I’ll remember her every time my foot opens the trash basket.

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.