Livin' La Needle Loca

 ...and not looking forward to the upcoming heat wave. Hot days are difficult in the studio. Because the studio used to be the garage, the only natural light sources are the glass French door and a skylight in the center of the room. I can leave the drapes open on the French door, but  I have to cover the skylight because the afternoon heat beats down through it. At least it's not glass - it's an opaque plastic(?) - but the heat is still unbearable. The lighting in the room is OK, but not great for crafts.  The big plus about the glass French door is that I can see the flowers planted in the courtyard. The Husband just planted some lobelia: and some petunias for more color.

 ...started a couple of spinning projects while I decided what to do with the quilt in process. Spinning is my mediation and self-soothing craft. I can let my brain loose on a project issue or on project panning while I get something done. One of the things I mentally worked on was what to do with the Road to Chaos quilt. I added the navy borders and they look great, but it still needs something. I finally landed on using the remaining pink batik from the La Cat-trina quilt as a separator between the blocks and as an outside border. I think I have enough if I'm careful. I found a small Just Nan chart and started another cross stitch mini while I decide on the next large stitching project. I'm toying with starting another mermaid (#10!) or pulling out one of my Susan Portra projects. After the failed attempt with Chaca II, I've been a little hesitant to start another counted canvas project. I have a sneaky feeling that another mermaid may ...

 ...another week has gone by very quickly! And I have a finished object! This is The Sea Merchant's Wife: Specs: Started 1/6/2025 Finished 5/22/2025 Pattern: Mirabilia The clematis is blooming: as are the marigolds: The pink lantana is popping up under the cherry tree: and this sun face is peeking our through the trumpet vine.

...a little of this; a little of that. One of the things I've been working on is the quilt I was calling "Color Chaos." Well, I changed its name (again). It's now "Road to Chaos." for many reasons. "Road" comes from the pattern name "Yellow Brick Road" and "Chaos" mostly for the chaotic color combination.  I've been trying to layout the blocks as a Yellow Brick Road quilt, but I haven't been happy with any of them. The photo below shows one of the layouts (with Cassia as an added bonus). The main problem is that some of the fabrics are so vibrant and others are subdued that the contrast is too much - dare I say, chaotic? LOL! Anyway, I've decided that I'm going to add a navy border to the blocks to tone things down. I'm in the process of doing that. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Road to Chaos, was Color Chaos quilt and Brighter Day (quilting) Adding navy borders Sea Merchant's Wife (c...

 ...and I've been playing with my macro lens. Foxglove: < Baby nectarine: Alstroemeria: and Frida Kahlo rose bud. Have a great weekend!

...and a couple of finishes. First, I finally finished the Teal No-Noro Hat [ Ravelry ] that has been my car project for a while. Also when Cassia decided she needed to be in my lap, I'd work on the hat since I couldn't work on anything else.   Specs: Started 11/12/2024 Finished 5/12/2025 Pattern: Noro Spiral one-skein hat by Manuèle Ducret On Cinco de Mayo, I started working on another cat quilt, this one based on a Day of The Dead quilt panel from Timeless Treasures. I made a quick trip to the quilt store to get fabric for an additional border. Yesterday, I finished adding the borders. This is La Cat-trina: Specs: Started 5/5/2025 Top completed 5/13/2025 Fabrics from the Day of the Dead line by Timeless Treasures; additional raspberry batik fabric for border WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Color Chaos quilt, formerly Brighter Day (quilting) Still rearranging the blocks; switched some fabrics in the blocks Sea Merch...

 ...and a finished object. I finished spinning Red Alder [ Ravelry ], another top from Greenwood Fiberworks. I really love their fiber!  and the close-up: Specs: Started 4/28/2025 Finished 5/7/2025 4.0 oz. Merino-Tencel from Greenwood Fiberworks 235.4 yds chain-ply, 14 WPI Our garden path is looking more lush: The Husband has planted more petunias: The Marc Chagall rose is going crazy.  The peonies are now blooming:

 ...and Happy Birthday to our kitties! Our cats turned 5 today. They keep us on our toes and bring joy into our lives. Craft-wise, I have been bouncing from one thing to another. I'm too easily distracted these days. :) WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Red Alder Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Finished the singles, almost done plying. Sea Merchant's Wife (cross stitch) Beading the top half of the design. Studio purge and organization (other) Identified a bunch of things to donate and straightened up a bunch of drawer and box contents. Website (other) Consolidated some posts and finished replacing embedded photos. No Work This Week: Color Chaos quilt, formerly Brighter Day (quilting) Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Mom's cookbook (cooking)  Teal No-Noro Hat (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Ready for Finishing: Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Happy Pumpkin needleroll (cross stitch) He...

 ...accomplished a lot in the studio and on the website. Finished: 4/2 Spellbound Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] from the Yarn Wench 75 yds. chain-ply, 11 WPI 4/6 Washable Swiffer Replacement Pads (sewing) 4/22 Critical Hit Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] from Greenwood Fiberworks 267 yds. chain-ply, 14 WPI Books: Reaper of Earth, Jen L Grey Reaper of Wings, Jen L Grey Reaper of Flames, Jen L Grey Reaper of Water, Jen L Grey Game of Thorns, Nancy Warren Wonderland, Jennifer Hiller The Keepsake Sisters, Lori Wilde April Flowers, Katie Winters Easton Island: A Wedding to Remember, Hope Callaghan The Seaside Wedding, Sophie Kenna The Day She Died, Shannon Hollinger Dead End, Annabel Chase Call After Midnight, Tess Gerritsen Started: 4/7 Critical Hit Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 4/28 Red Alder Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] WIPs: Color Chaos quilt (quilting), was Brighter Day Look Through My Window quilt for me (q...

 ...forgot to do the recap for February and March. Oops! Finished: 3/14 Finishing work Collector's Heart 2024 (cross stitch) Crystal Heart mini (cross stitch) Dreaming Cleo (cross stitch)  Jasmine Mix mini (cross stitch) Pearl Orchid mini (cross stitch) Tulip Time mini (cross stitch) Winged Dreams (cross stitch) Witchy Dreams (cross stitch) Underwater City mini (cross stitch) 3/26 American Diner Handspun (spinning)[ Ravelry ] from Greenwood Fiberworks 185.4 yds. chain-ply, 14 WPI 3/29 Herding Cats quilt top (quilting) Books: Heart of the Damned, Lisa Edmonds Before the Storm, Katie Winters The Woman Next Door, Elle Gray Night Road, Kristin Hannah Winter Garden, Kristin Hannah Summer by the Sea, Susan Wiggs Against the Current, Katie Winters The Mendocino Reunion, Nellie Brooks Sweet Talk, Susan Mallery Sweet Spot, Susan Mallery Sweet Trouble, Susan Mallery The Other March Sisters, Linda Epstein The ...

 ...forgot to do the recap for February and March. Oops! Finished: 2/1 Gold Square Couch Pillow (sewing) 2/15 Balaclava Hood (knitting) 2/15 Sea Dandelion (cross stitch)  2/22 Northern Lights Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] from Greenwood Fiberworks 154.2 yds. chain-ply, 12 WPI Books: Blood Politics, Helen Harper Bonded in Death, JD Robb Bloodlust, Helen Harper The Girl Who Lied, Shannon Hollinger Their Angel’s Cry, Shannon Hollinger The Shadow Girl, Shannon Hollinger One Little Sigh, Shannon Hollinger Whispers of Nantucket, Katie Winters Waifs and Strays, Helen Harper The Summer I Dared, Barbara Delinsky Heart of the Pack, Lisa Edmonds Started: 2/1 Sea Dandelion (cross stitch) 2/10 Color Chaos quilt, formerly called Brighter Day (quilting) 2/19 Northern Lights Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] WIPs: Finishing work for 10 cross stitch projects Herding Cats quilt (quilting) Look Through M...

 ...I love Spring! Flowers are blooming throughout our backyard. And The Husband is buying even more flowers to fill in empty pots.  Freesias continue to pop up throughout the yard: These rogue pansies are growing between the stones in the garden path: And the hydrangeas are starting to bloom: New to the garden are cosmos and petunias.