"What Doin'?"

     That's a question my kids would always ask, curious little critters that they were.

"What Doin'?"

     Me?  Not much.  At least not in the Handmade Department.  Things have gotten crazy busy this past year and time for my favorite things, like quilting, has been scarce.  😞 *sniff, sniff*

     I really miss sitting down at the sewing machine and creating something new.  But, until I can get back into the sewing room, I've taken up a simpler craft:  cross-stitching.  I rediscovered a love for it a couple years ago when I showed my daughter how to do a few simple stitches.  At the time, I found some unfinished projects that had been stashed away and spent some time finishing them up.  Somewhere along the way, I realized that stitching was a good way to keep my hands busy in the evenings and that it helped me to avoid snacking. 😃   

     So, I went online to see what was new in cross-stitching and found Joyful World by Maja Matyas.  It was originally released as a pattern-of-the-month series and the patterns were free!  You can still get them on The Snowflower Diaries Blog. 

 

     I've been working on it for a few months now.  It doesn't require a large work area or special equipment like a sewing machine, ironing board, cutting table, etc.  Everything I need is contained in one small basket.  

     So wherever the family gathers together, I can work on my project and still be part of the fun ~ and they can no longer accuse me of trying to avoid them.  They have expressed such sentiments in the past.

     I don't even know how long it's been since I last completed a quilt.  But one of these days, I'll have to make time to finish up some of those quilt tops I have stashed away.