Project Progress and Goals

In the Craft Space {basically the whole house}:

I just discovered The Joyful Quilter's Tablescraps Challenge through Pinker n Punkin and I think the themed challenge is a fun idea to do in cahoots with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, so I'm going to give it a go.

RSC - The only yellow that I worked with in March was this embroidered piece to add to my current fascination - fabric junk journaling.

My Sewing Room BOM - Finished just in the nick of time

A Quilting Life BOM - Oops. Didn't get to it. Will do two in April.

UFO - I did find a block I made quite some time ago that I decided I'd like to hang in my sewing room while leaving room for the BOM wallhanging that will be hung at the end of this year. I'm planning to handquilt this one which shouldn't take too long since it's only about 20"x20".

Fabric Junk Journal - After watching some Youtube videos, I'm off and running with my junk journal and having fun with it. In fact, I'm so into it that I set up a small craft table in front of my favorite living room chair and have been spending my afternoons there while watching the somewhat sappy, but fairly good Heartland TV show. My dear huggy is very patient with my project messes. 💖

Here's what I've accomplished so far on my "word of the year - Peace" journal:

The outer cover:

The cover's inside:

One spread made of a hand-dyed scarf by one of my daughters and dragonfly stamped on some thicker fabric, kinda canvas-like:

The back of that spread made of placemats from the Philippines where I grew up:

Another spread made from another daughter's hand-dyed scarf and my as-yet-unattached yellow embroidery:

The backside is more scarf and a placemat with a napkin insert that will be fun to use for some as yet undiscovered treasure:

My sewing machine is still skipping stitches though I've tried changing to newer thread, so I'll have to do some spelunking {cave-diving} into its innards. Meanwhile, my hand-stitching is slowly improving through all this practice.

Cross-stitching - Since I've gotten March and April done with my monthly cross-stitches, I'm going back and doing January and February now. They are simple and fairly quick, though very cute, projects that are nicely portable in these project bags from Michaels.

So, my goals for this week {late though I am at posting them} are basically to make progress on all of them, especially on the journal. I might not get to the hand-quilting since I'm obsessed with the journal and I have a little bit of a life outside the crafting zone. 😄 But since we're still having snow and ice, I'm not overly eager to get out of the house.

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On the Homestead:

The quail flock is growing well and the young hens have started laying, for which I'm very grateful. I'll be starting the incubator this morning to provide some replacements for older laying hens as well as to provide us some meat. I learned that there is a good possibility that I can sell chicks to our local Family Farm and Home later in the spring, so I'm excited about that possible income stream. I'm regularly selling eggs now, too; almost enough to pay for feed which means almost free food for us.

The rabbits are growing well. I retired one of the mamas, Doenut, but couldn't bear to put her in the stewpot, so I gave her to a family who wanted her as a pet. She'll be well cared for into her old age. Next month I'll do the first breeding of her replacement, Doerita. Meanwhile, Doedoe is due to deliver this weekend. Winston II is beginning to go gray around the ears and I dread the day when he'll have to be retired. He may have to become a pet because he's just so friendly and funny. I know I'm not supposed to become attached to the breeders even, but sometimes you just can't help it. 😏

The garden remains indoors or too snowy:

Well, I'm off to do the dirty but necessary work of providing one's own food - clean-up and filling the freezer.

Hope your week has been full of the joys of life and continues to be so. And may Spring come soon to these northern lands!!!