I just had the most amazing, creative and fun week! With Carefree Highways off my plate, the juices are flowing and I spread myself thinly over several fun adventures, old and new.

The week didn’t get off to a great start– I went to tuck in my chickens one night, and no matter how many times I counted, I came up with 19 instead of 20. I had to think it through, going over all of them in my head, to discover little Rosalyn, the Rhode Island Red we hatched ourselves, was missing. Then, at least three people went into the coop to check my numbers. This is the last picture I have of her– it was a while ago, because there’s no snow on the ground, but at least it’s a good one.

It was already getting dark and we have a good snow cover now, but there were no footprints, no wing strikes, no blood or feathers in the snow. The boys had been out all afternoon with them, and the hens don’t really stray far right now; they don’t like to put their feet in the snow. She completely disappeared.

I probably shouldn’t have chickens. I am much too tenderhearted towards animals. My chickens get oatmeal every morning– little Rosalyn loved hers! I used to laugh at my mother– she would buy deli meats for her tiny Shetland sheep dog and call her into the kitchen for “hammy bag.” I am my mother, now. But Rosalyn was gone, so I went about my week as best I could. It helped me to think she jumped on a southbound truck to go back and discover her roots in Rhode Island.

I started new and re-started old projects with abandon! My biggest accomplishment this week was cutting fourteen more Posh Penelope blocks– 42 are needed for the quilt, so I’m doing three batches. My Sit ‘n Sew class is Friday and I can hardly wait to go. I already have a border idea in my head– you didn’t think I was just going to follow the pattern, did you?

The teacher at the class put me on to this paper plate method– it works so well for someone who is an organizational disaster like myself, and at a fraction of the cost or space needed for 14 design boards. I have each of my blocks sorted onto a plate. I’m using them for everything now– it’s to the point Mr. SFO asked if I had pizza upstairs!

Next, I’ve been channeling my inner Betsy Ross since all those red, whites, and blues, so I decided to start Lori Holt’s Sweet Land quilt. I already have all the fabric for it. My hand stitch project has been cross stitch for quite a while now, morning and evening, and I do miss hand applique, so I think I’m going to split my time between cross stitch and applique for the rest of the winter. Some clever person on the Lori Holt Facebook group made Sweet Land with just two applique and two pieced blocks, so I’m writing a note for myself at the end of the summer to see where I am with it, and I may copy her. I’m not going to let it drag on forever.

Here’s a funny story– I watch quilting videos on YouTube, and one just rolls on after the next. This lady came on– she had a sewing machine, an embroidery machine, a Cricut, a longarm– just everything, she had it! I was really rolling my eyes as she rattled on about all of them. Then I realized– hey, I have all those things, too! 🤣 It was a rare moment of self-realization. I have an X-tool, too– she didn’t– and Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, too!

After that, I decided I better justify my consumerism by using all the things. So, I made the Sweet Land shapes in Illustrator and then sent them to the Cricut for cutting. I use Appliquik iron on stabilizer to cut out pieces– not Lori’s stitch and turn method– it’s just a personal preference. This is really working for me– they are perfect and I can make as many as I need.

At night, I’m just going to work away at prepping– there’s a lot of pieces in one block, and we’ll see how long it takes me to get a block together– ready, set, GO!

At this point in the week, using all the tools had not completely healed up my heart from Rosalyn. We were in a period of negative temperatures those nights, and I kept thinking she was out there. Mr. SFO has a habit of asking me how I am– it is such a blessing to have someone who makes sure you’re okay. I didn’t want to admit it, but I told him that I was still incredibly sad about my missing bird. I honestly needed him to say, “We’ll hatch some more in the spring,” or even the crueler thing, “It’s only a chicken.” But he said, “I know– I can’t forget about her, either!” The tears did flow.

Two more starts this past week, because there’s nothing like new projects to heal the broken hearted. Here are the baby mushroom quilt and also Harlow’s first birthday quilt. I haven’t gotten beyond pre-washing fabric yet, because I want these loved and used! I’m throwing myself into them, February and March.

Then– I snagged another thing on eBay– wow, to think of all the money I’ve saved at these auctions! 🤣 I resisted this when it came out– and did I pick a winner, yes, I did, because it sold out right away. It’s mine now! This one wouldn’t make sense to cut pieces on the Cricut because they are all different and they are not geometric. When will I make this? I don’t have a clue.

For San Francisco Stitch Co., I have been MIA for a while now. Did you notice? I did this quick Quaker cross stitch for Valentine’s Day, but business is really slow.

I have to confess: I really don’t know what to digitize this year. We’re finishing A Year on Sugar Meadow before I start any more of that type of work. I feel like easy in-the-hoop projects are popular right now, but it just isn’t me. I am going to make a cute village for every month this year– this was the tiny village series I dropped the ball on last year. Five are done, so the set just needs filling in. I’m going to make a display board for the flat versions of the village. Don’t know what I’m talking about? It’s here.

On the hand cross stitch front, I’ve reached the one month point on the new Christmas stocking– good progress. I was going to do a side by side with last week, so you can see what I completed, but it doesn’t look that much different. So, you’ll have to trust me– I got a lot done last week!

A week from now, I may be done with the trees.

I always like to end on a positive note, and this week, I have a real kicker for you! I went out last night to count my birds and there were 20, again! What in the world? An extra was in there pecking up corn like no one’s business–

ROZZIE!

This is nothing short of miraculous– with the survival skills of Bear Grylls, she was out there for three below zero nights, no food or water! Where did she go? Did she hang out with the neighbors and then get a Superbowl hangover? Did she make it to Rhode Island, and then miss Mom’s oatmeal? Did she find a hole in the time/space continuum and search the other side of the galaxy for mealworms before strolling back through the hole? She’s not telling. But spirits on Sugar Meadow have never been brighter.

xox
Carol