Something Old, something New -- June edition

Winter has begun in Australia – traditionally a time for knitting, and reading good books by the fire.

It’s not yet so cold that I need to heat the whole house “just for me”. Our [bottled gas] “fire” isn’t in working order at the moment but good books have been consuming my time; as has some knitting (but only in the evenings and nights when WM and I are watching television).

The rest of the time seems to have been swallowed up in turning this house into an organised home; and in getting the neglected jungle outside under control.

There has been some sewing but nowhere near as much as I had anticipated.

Right now, I am staying with my mother, 550km (approximately 345 miles) from my new home. It’s mum’s 80th birthday this week and the family gathered on Saturday night to celebrate. It was wonderful for mum (and for me) to see all of her descendants and their respective spouses in the same room at the same time. That hasn’t happened since my father’s funeral in January 2010. Having my mother-in-law there too was a bonus – she and mum have been friends since WM and I first started “going together” back in 1974!

WM and MIL drove home yesterday but I am staying with mum – there’s no way that I’m letting her spend her 80th birthday on her own!

But you didn’t come here to read about my family life, did you?

You want to know if I’ve made any progress on my goals for May and what my plans are for June.

My “Something New” projects were to continue working on the skills of foundation piecing and curved piecing. I did more of the latter than of the former but there has been progress on both fronts. Unfortunately, I have no photos: the items in question are at home and I am here!

My “Something Old” project was to bring my Country Houses quilt, started three years ago, to the point of binding. When I finally got the chance to look at it (given all the interruptions listed above plus an all-day sock-knitting workshop, church activities and shopping for new storage on Mothers’ Day), it required a lot more work than I had imagined while it was safely folded and stored!

But I have made some progress and it will definitely be finished by the end of June. We have guests coming to stay. They live in a warmer part of the country and it will be very cold here for them so the quilt just has to be finished!

Having worked on the quilt, it is no long a UFO but a WiP, so it doesn’t qualify for “Something Old”!
Therefore my plans for June are:

“Something Old”:
Curtains I started for Older Grandson way back in the dim, dark past. DD has decided that she does want them after all. We are going for a visit the first weekend in July so the curtains have to be done by then!

“Something New”:
more foundation piecing! I have two more blocks to make in class then I’m going to join them together to make the first row of a future pink-and-purple “row by row” quilt, which will also include my circular pieced blocks.

“Something in Progress”:
finish the Country Houses quilt.

As we tried to organise our storage in this new home, the amount of fabric and yarn I have is ridiculous; especially considering I have only been a ‘quilter’ for four years. I wish I could work faster or have more hours in a day but the latter isn’t possible and the former will only come from more knitting and sewing (on the basis that more experience brings greater speed).

I’m here at mum’s with a knitting project and some hand-sewing; neither of which will make progress towards my goals but never mind, I’ll be home before the first week of June is over!

How about you?
Did you achieve your goals for May?
What have you got planned for June?
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