I Like Thursday ~ March Sttches

 

The first week of March has been blustery, rainy and busy.

There has been plenty of fun with fabric and threads stitched in.

I sewed my new month block for my 

Temperature Quilt 2024

The pieces for the shamrock block are cut slightly oversized and

trimmed to size to make a 5.5" square 

with narrow border strips on top and bottom.

It fits nicely with the other blocks.

I now have four rows done and the fifth begun. 

Maestro has bene very helpful with the quality inspection of these blocks.

I have also been working on the next block for my 

Vintage Flower Sampler Quilt

I am working on this challenging Sugar Plum Block.

I made plastic templates for this block last week.

When it came time to cut, I extended the inner points

as I had seen a block made this way on a website.

I sewed these curves on my machine.

I started on the outside edge leaving a quarter inch seam start.

I am very comfortable sewing curved seams on my machine with no pins.

I just ease the seam as feed the fabric.

In the end, I trimmed the center back to what is shown 

in the template in the book and it came together well.

The center appilque circle cover the center of the Sugar Plum swirl.

I am now working on the outer pieced circle of triangles

and preparing to sew it to this center.

On Monday evening I went on an adventure to a Hobby Lobby

 which opened near me in New Hampshire. 

I am not sure how long this one has been there.

I have not been to a Hobby Lobby in many years.

I have actually not been to a large box craft store since before Covid

closed us in our houses.  

I have been buying all of my crafty stuff online

except for a few stops at my small local quilt shop.

I felt lovely and new to go to a store and look at all the pretty 

yarns and fabric and craft supplies and spring decor.

The reason for my adventure was to purchase the same yarn and colors

 for a this fun

 Spring Blanket Crochet Along @

Any Day Crochet on Tik Tok

The videos are colorful and give all information needed to 

stitch by stitch and row by row make a lovely spring blanket. 

The hosts are two very creative sisters.

It is free and there is nothing to buy.

My idea of a fun creative endeavor.

I set up my iPad on my lap desk and watch as I stitch.

This started with a green foundation row and 

then a pretty pink tulip field under a blue sky.

Maestro helped.

Then the next rows were an orange dragon fly filet crochet section.

Nutmeg helped.

There is a section a day of 2-5 rows.

I am a day behind because I had to find my yarn

and hope to catch up by the weekend.

This yarn is made for Hobby Lobby,

My "I Love This Yarn" is acrylic 

although there is a cotton version of the yarn, too. 

While I was at Hobby Lobby, I looked at the notions

and saw this new-to-me Yarnology Crochet Hook.

Normally I do not like plastic crochet hooks,

but this looked interesting so I thought I would give it a try.

I do have a lot of arthritis in my hands these days.

You can see how bent by this is my pinky,

which can be quite painful at times.

This Yarnology hook is very lightweight 

and the shape of the ergonomic handle fits well in my hand. 

The hook is tapered and round and it has a deep hook to hold the yarn.

I like this in a hook.

I did a few rows with my favorite old aluminum Boye crochet hook

and quickly switched back to this one.

It is much gentler on my hands.

I will likely be purchasing more of these in different sizes, as needed.

I had not crocheted in over a year in part because of the pain in my hands.

My trip to the store and coming home with the yarn and new hook

for under $30 to start this new spring crochet adventure

has brightened this gray and rainy week considerably.

I hope your week has been filled with happy stitches.

For more Thursday fun, visit all my friends at

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color

Happy Thursday!