The First 500: A Do-over!!

Last summer I served as the primary support for my mentee while he underwent chemotherapy for an aggressive lymphoma. I started a hand-quilting project inspired by Texas Freckles, hosted via a Flickr group, chronicled here on my blog.  It kept me busy while sitting in the hospital waiting room and on regular visits to this hospital's oncology wing.

Well in all of the impending hoopla...I've lost this bin.  It contained over 500 hexies, arranged by color, awaiting being laid out and sewn together.

All was lost

Each hexagon is a 2.5" fabric square baste-stitched into a cardstock weight die cut paper.

I miss that ladybug.

I will rebuild!

I finally bit the bullet and bought more papers from this ebay vendor. I also bid on and won 100-2.5"square cuts of Liberty of London fabrics from Pen*Jane in the UK. Here we go...again. ~ksp

Lot's o' Time

As I mentioned in an early post, one of my dearest friends is battling an aggressive form of lymphoma.  This situation brings with it many challenges including food prep, appointment scheduling and medication management.

It also provides some great opportunities to examine one's life, to sit quietly with the people you love and to commit time to those people/things that are important.  For me, it has also provided a lot of sitting around time, whether at the doctor's office, the oncology floor (or recently ER).  Usually I would knit during these intervals, but my knitting mojo and I are working through a very strained patch in our relationship (a bit of a seven-year itch).


I carry my Ishbel (ravelry link) shawl around with me and it is coming along nicely.  I think I missed a yarn-over a few rows back and I'm trying to decide if I care.  The vine pattern seems to be a bit forgiving and damnit, this is supposed to be fun.  Getting it "right" sucks all of the fun out.  Take a look-see, it's hard to tell anything and in order to spread it out I've gotta take 100+ stitches off the needles...that ain't happening...any thoughts?

Semi-solid dark sock weight yarn on size 6 needles...very hard to photograph.

Also, I have been plugging away on my hexies quilt.  Through the flickr group I have already agreed to swap 2.5" squares with several quilters even one in the UK.  I have purchased several bundles. I'm especially excited about this one.

Nevertheless, I have finished all of the squares in my possession.  I'll take some time to cut up my stash and continue.  It's my plan not to repeat any fabrics.  I never thought that I would be into hand-piecing, but I love it.  And all of the people who say that a hexie quilt is addictive, believe it.  I plowed through these in no time flat.

Behold hexies in progress.

I'm looking forward to continuing on the crafty path.  It's a welcome respite from my crazy work and personal lives. 

Cutting Up!

All my bags are packed I'm ready to go!, But before I can leave, I need to get my crafts flight-ready.

This meant, a lot of cutting....

...and fabric...

Me and the hexies are ready for the airport...goodbye Florida! ~ksp