feeling better, but not making much progress!

I was procrastinating on the X setting squares of the RSC15 sampler. all the stars, with crumb block centers have been done for a while now, but it was those X squares that were holding me back. (note to self: procrastination never gets you anywhere...)

 

I laid out all my star blocks on the sewing room floor, and started tediously diligently making each X block- knowing full well that I'd be very pleased and thrilled with how the sampler turned out. all the ones that I've seen on the Saturday linkys are great- so I plugged along. (and promptly made a mistake on the first X. can you see it?)

 

I made more progress than what is shown here; forgot to take a picture. after getting a good start on the second row, I somehow managed to come down with mono, which halted all sewing for 2+ weeks. ( I really was sick- not even a stich of sewing for nearly 2 weeks!) when I went back to my routine and habit of evening sewing, that's how my family knew that I was truly better! 

I've been participating in RSC for 3 years now (and looking forward to the 4th year!) and my suitcase of squares is not getting any emptier! Millie looks so cute in there, all snuggled up, but a comfy cat makes for messy piles of squares!

RSC16 is ready to start, and we're thinking of next year, too! the new little laying hens came on Wednesday- all 60 of them in a box- just like chicken nuggets! we get our new hens (Red Prods) so early since we need them to be laying in time for our first CSA boxes on June 2. we also sell a flock share, along with the veggie/farm share, so our hens need to be ready to go much earlier than most.

 

I'm looking forward to starting again with RSC16, and have a few blocks in mind that I plan on doing. however, I will say that a certain blogger that I know quite well may have bit off more than she can chew as far as RSC15 is/was concerned. not counting the RSC15 sampler, I may (or may not) have 6 more RSC15 quilts/blocks in the queue! (and that's NOT including the 3 quilts- crumb and 9 patch that I've already completed!)  ack! talk about overwhelming! add to that the fact that each one of them needs to be laid out/twiddled with on the design wall, and there is not much relaxing sewing in my foreseeable future!

 

so for RSC16, I definitely plan on finishing all of those RSC15 quilts that I started- just at a more relaxed pace- I know I can't do 6 flimsies in a month! and I've pared down my list of blocks that i'll be doing each month for RSC16.  3 years of RSCing has thought me that it's not possible to use. all. the. fabrics. when I started RSC, I thought about having so much fabric, and I was wanting to use it. not use it up, per se, but really work through that stash. but after more thought, and even more sewing, I'm looking at my fabrics as more of a resource... just like the food in my freezers, or the canning jars all lined up on shelves in the cellar. I don't hurry up to eat all the food to empty my shelves and freezer- so it's the same for the fabrics.

 

I'm putting my fabrics to good use- I know what I have, and I enjoy piecing for myself, my family and my favorite charities. and this year, i'll be thinking of RSC more as a marathon than a sprint.

oh, woe is me...

it's been quiet here (did anybody notice? if not, that's ok...) I'm heading into Day #15 of being sick. with mono. not fun, that's for sure. I sewed a tiny little bit on my RSC15 Rainbow sampler on November 30, and then it's been all downhill from there.

 

kind of reminds me of a saying on my Charlie Brown pillowcase from when I was a little girl: CB was laying in bed with a TV propped on his stomach and he was saying "happiness is being too sick to go to school, but not too sick to watch TV."

 

well, according to that, things have not been happy here. I haven't stepped foot into my sewing room in almost 2 weeks! I've been mostly hanging out in the sofa, with a few intervals of absolutely necessary errands/chores/obligations sprinkled in here and there...

 

and here's another big bummer: clue #3 is out for Bonnie's mystery, and I can't even wonder around bloggy land, or I'll give away the secret for myself! I saw clue #2 (I looked at it, hoping to convince myself that I really was well enough to sew.) nope. didn't happen. I never did do the picture of my fabrics- pretty standard, though, Kona grey and my only substitution is salmon pink for her red/burgundy. I'm excited to see how they'll all play together.

 

so, the moral of the story is: I think I might be on the upswing (the blogger says hopefully, with great confidence) and ready to

 

#1: cook my family a real dinner

#2: finish decorating the house

#3: catch up on BH mystery quilt

#4: finish a couple of my RSC15 quilts

#5: spend time with my two sweet little girls, who have been so helpful and kind while I've been under the weather.

 

thanks for stopping by! I hope to be back soon, with progress to report, and pictures!