June 2021 Crafty Shenanigans

 I had the best of intentions in June to post twice on my blog with one post focused on stitching activities and the other on quilting activities...but life (and crafting) got in the way, so here we are at the start of July with a recap of all my June activities. 

The month started with some excitement outside of crafting, as my daughter started her first job - she's a summer day-camp counselor. She's attended the camp for many years and is having a good time working there too and learning a lot about the work that goes into making it such a great experience for the kids! She's learning to find her voice as a leader and an employee and I am having a great time listening to all her stories over dinner. I also returned to the office on a semi-regular basis for part of the month as we start to adjust back to post-covid office protocols. I enjoyed going in and seeing a few people and look forward to a more normal office routine this month. The boys (my son and husband) took off for a week at Boy Scout camp and had the nicest weather of the summer so far. They had a great time and my son enjoyed a dedicated time to work on rank advancements and merit badges. 

Heading off to camp

Now, let's get to the crafty stuff - I did a fair amount of stitching and quilting this month, so let's start with the quilting. 

My first project was quilting and binding Harvest Moon, a quilt top I made at my May retreat. It is unusual that I get to quilting and binding a top from retreat so quickly and I was glad to get this one quilted this month. I did wavy lines across the background and borders and a back and forth (think Etch-a-Sketch) in the moon. I love the finish! 

My second project was to finish up the second baby quilt for my aunt to give to her grand-nephew. I finished the first one and shared it here. This one is the same pattern but in a blue and gold colorway. I was able to get both of them into the washing machine before I sent them on their way and they fluffed up quite nicely. 

Quilt top - Grace approves!

Quilt back with light blue flannel and hot air balloons

 On the stitching side, I had several finishes from my Stitch Maynia starts last month - I enjoyed starting the new projects, but is is really nice to finish a few and get the numbers of WIPs (works in progress) down to a number I like better. 

The first finish is Joy Reindeer by Rovaris - I stitched this on 32 count vintage mocha and I really like how it turned out. The plan is to finish it into a pillow with a spool hanging from it - the pattern came with the spool and I just need to pick up some rick-rack for the finishing. 

The second finish was my lunchtime project, Holiday Wishes Snowman - this is the third of four from a kit and I just love how this snowman turned out - it is stitched on plastic canvas. 

The third finish was another WIP, Welcome to the Lake - I purchased this one several years ago and knew it would be the perfect gift for my friends with a lake cottage in Michigan. It was a lot of colors (at least 17 in each of the lake letters), but the shading is really lovely and I am glad I stuck with it. 

Stitched on 30 count Lambswool linen

The last finish was a Stitch Maynia start - part three of Snow Place like Home from Country Cottage Needleworks. This one was a quick and easy stitch (words go so quickly!) and it will be joined by two more houses soon. This is my project to stitch through the year, so I am glad to be 3/5 of the way through it by mid-year. 

Part 3 of the five-part series

The first three parts (sorry for the wrinkles!)

In addition to some stitching and quilting time, I spent a couple afternoons dedicated to some finishing for my previously stitched items and made great progress. I FFO'ed two more months of Lizzie Kate Flip-its, a Tiny Modernist piece that I stitched earlier this year, and also a needle case that I stitched so long ago that I don't have the date recorded. 

Lizzie Kate Flip-its - June and July

Be Kind by Tiny Modernist - gifted to a graduating senior

Needle Case

Overall, it was a great month for my crafting despite some new schedules. I made the most of my weekends with stitching or quilting time in each one. 

Here are the stats for the month for those who like to follow along: 

Stash Report with Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Fabric added this month: 0 yards
Fabric used this month: 3 yards
Fabric added year to date: 11 1/2 yards
Fabric used year to date: 30 1/2 yards
Net fabric used: 22 yards

Stitching time with Kate at Life-in-Pieces:

28/30 days with at least 15 minutes of crafting - 93% of the month