BFF Ral and

 nothing to show a picture of, my evening was like my BFF's spent working on a gift project.  However, as I don't know if the recipient or family visit here I can't share it.

What I can say is that once my BFF and I have both received some post we do have the next BFF SAL picked out.

Mathematical impossibility ?

 That is what my design desire on this quilt appears to be. You may recall the blue quilt, with the fan quilting design machine quilted. And it left the sashing area feeling a bit loose. So I thought to add some circles, which then turned into the circular logo of my favourite group.

CLICK HERE to jump to the post about adding the logo. 

Which led me to thinking that to be a proper "fan" quilt it needed something more.

Which I thought would be the members names, there are four. As there are four sashes coming out from each circular logo I though that each circle could have the four names coming from them. So far so good but this is where I hit a problem. I was also wanting the four sashes left to right to have the four members names in them, and to not have any name twice in the same row.

Ah! now that won't work.

My BFF being a tech type (coding and smart stuff) even tried to sort out my desires with a bit of AI.

Nope.

So I tried with a bit of paper and coloured tabs to see if I could find an alternative that I found acceptable.

This meets my first criterial but totally ignores the second and goes for pattern and allows for repeats.

It does mean that each repeat of a name is on the same axes, either horizontal or vertical. Potentially that might be helpful on a couple of points. Firstly I will only need to create one template per name, the horizontal space differs to the vertical.  Second, whilst the names in Hangul are each formed by three batchim, the syllabic blocks for Korean, the number of letters in those blocks differ and two might benefit from being in the horizontal space.

So here is the revised plan so far.

Each name is represented by a colour.

And I think I have all four colours around each  circle.

And each colour the same number of times (6)

There will be a distinct top and bottom.

The names to go on are

배두훈

강형호

조민규

고우림

The top two being the vertical and the bottom two the horizontal, probably. 

There is no space to add anything down the sides, but I do have space at the top and bottom  for which I am contemplating the name of the group and the Fandom name. I did consider using those spaces for member names to see if it would fix my mathematical issue. But as the space there is yet another different size I'm not currently inclined to consider that further.

I am going to wait on this a little bit, and look at it some more to see if I remain happy with the arrangement. If anyone visiting has any suggestions in the meantime  please leave a comment. I will be asking the same thing of the hive mind of the various Facebook quilting groups I am in. 

And I can hardly do a post about my fan obsession without adding a link to one of their songs. This is from their last concert with all four members. In May they will be four once more as Ko Woo-Rim's military service will be completed. The fandom is looking forward to that, and to hearing their recent songs arranged for all four voices, because they are each wonderful artists and amazing as a trio but they really shine when they are four together.

BFF SAL 17 and RAL?

I never did get around to my allowed finishing time for the SAL, so I started with that during our get together, started and finished.

 Although I was still grumbling about that last bit of grey on the foreground boat, it has made a difference.

I have a bit of paper in my hand bag, there is nothing on it. As I do a tidy out I think what's this here and just as I am about to throw it out I recall it is the size of this cross stitch.

I have had it in my bag since I realised the frame I had in mind was not suitable.

I do better with something the full and correct size than I do with just the measurements written down.

Fingers crossed that my BFF and I both find frames to size soon.

Having finished with this I did not feel like anything that needed counting so my RAL was on Bits -A -Quilt . The extra quilting I thought it could do with.

Just little circles, I can do a few and then put it back on the bed in-between times.

CLICK HERE to see what my BFF was doing on her RAL.

Repair time again..

 wow, it has been quite awhile since I last did repairs on the Original Bits-a-quilt. 2021 and I am still using the needle turn method for the patches as that feels like it gives both a secure stitch and a good look visually. Indeed it can be a little more difficult to see what is a new patch this way..

At fist I start with the sections that have worn through and the wadding is showing. Then perhaps to the worn bits that look like they won't last all that much longer.

In the process of doing that I might spot some other worn areas I missed.

It is a balance between what bits I have available to become patches and the size the repair needs to be.

In addition to the patches this time around  (I thought there were thirteen that needed doing but the number grew) I am going to do some quilting.

I intend to use the circles from my charity shop find, and perhaps a star or two (a little nod to Forestella without actually using their logo on this quilt.

I am not going to do that all in one go, but it is there to be done anytime I feel like a little bit of quilting without having to do much thinking.

And part of the reason not doing it in one go?

I missed having on my bed. This is the always quilt, always there unless it is being washed or fixed.

It is not fancy, either in materials, design or stitching. It just gets on with being quilt and helping to keep me warm. It has been doing that for a very long time now.  This time my mother asked me why was I bothering to fix it? Couldn't I just make a new one? Well yes I could (and am as bit-s-a quilts go there is normally one in progress) but I like fixing this, I like "sewing" the materials anew as I work on it, the memories they invoke. Even if some bits are getting covered up, and it might be the only bit of that fabric, still it is enjoyable.

I like the process of needle turning (I should get back to doing some Sun Bonnet Sues for that) and I quite like feeling the change in density and texture when quilting the different weight fabrics.

This is fun.

Gifted Gorgeousness link up January 2025

 Starting this year with gifts received.

The first is from the same  lady who provided the bauble and pud featured in the first link up of 2024

This time it is a Christmas wreath .

Isn't it fun.

The second is from another lady at church, she and her husband were the first people I married!

This sewn box is rather fun and I am contemplating what to put in it.

Other than the Christmas card trees I made no gifts this year.

That is unusual for me.

Ah well perhaps next year.

I might be inspired by the other participants in the link ups of 2025.

Pop on over to the instigating blog to see what other gifts are being shared.

 Click Here to visit .

BFF SAL 16 Finished ?

 Not quite, and not just that it is not in a frame yet but because I still have some backstitching to do on the big boat at the front.

I have dispensation to do that "off" camera and add the fully stitched version as an update here later.

There were more words spoken about the backstitch  this evening.

And I have not tried to add the flying seagulls I thought I might, Although my section of the pattern did not have any, I had thought I might add one. 

But decided against it.

I expect that my framing issues will be the same but different to my BFF's

She will struggle to find a square frame to size and as the frame I had intended this for was no good, I an going to have issues finding a long thin frame the right size.

Ah I had thought this would be a fast frame finish bit that is not to be.

We did try discussing our next SAL but I was in that odd state of mind knowing only what I didn't want and not what I did.

So we will RAL until we do find the right project for us both.

I must admit that quilting has been a bit louder in the me now shouting even if just planning on the fan quilt (which posed a design question where I think what I want to do is mathematically impossible and will need some thought and possibly compromise) and its is fix-a-time for the bits-a-quilt which will get its own post once I have some pictures to go on it.

To see my BFF's FFS (finally fully stitched) update Click Here.

Oh and the additions I had considered here have not occurred, adding names to the boats. Although as I may not keep this, and depending when it gets gifted and to who, well that may change.

BFF SAL 16 is back

 -stitching, in more ways than one. We paused this and went RAL when we had both done all the cross stitching for our selected sections.

To be honest part of my brain was saying this was finished! Nope backstitching and not nice friendly follow the edges back- stitching.

This is a lot of in between squares back stitching. little half and quarter stitches.

So tonight's work was the bits that looked simpler.

We both started with the brown, then moved onto the grey. We did some of the same sections and some different. 

We had such a nice time chatting and grumbling about the backstitching and wondering what might be SAL 17 and chatting and grumbling about the backstitching.

So here is my progress for this week.

And for my BFF's update CLICK HERE

Into 2025

 and not a single stitch was added to Hark the Herald Angels in 2024, not even after I found the Christmas Card. The Earth and that comet did get some stitches but it feels like they will take the Millennium of the title to get done. The tie quilt still has not been started, the illusion quilt not quilted. The year in flowers has had no growth and so many things are still in the thinking stage.

Isn't it oft the same that it is the unfinished, not started, stalled (let us not think about the two knitting projects, shhh) that tend to be thought about?

I have finished things, the evidence is in a years worth of blogs, but at times I loose sight of the done, the completed and see only what remains.

And I begin a new year less in celebration of achievements and more a glum consideration of the things on this years try and do list that were in the same place last year.

So what did I do today?

A little bit of white on Hark the Herald Angels whilst listening to  Forestella.

I shall leave you with an update picture and the
first of this years Forestella videos.

The 12 Mice of Christmas

 finished the stitching on the project that has been the RAL recently.

What a difference the backstitching makes.

Not sure how I will fully finish them, There is the gift tag option that the kit suggests, or maybe as cards. There is the option or bookmarks and My mother wonders if they would make good key rings.

I have lots of time to think about it. That might not bee a good thing.

Will have to wait and see.

Do you want to build a snowman?

I was stitching another cone pattern, of a snowman and I went off on one of my tangents.

I got a bit fed up with the counting for some reason and decided I was not stitching the scarf, I had a replacement thought.

Then I made a mistake and missed stitching a bit of twig arm, hmm perhaps I would not stitch the arms then.

Then I decided not to stitch the carrot nose or the hat.

So he ended up looking like this.

Looks more like something for Halloween than Christmas.

First thing to do, stitch him into the cone.

Same overlap method as the reindeer which worked for the same reason, no point at the top to get in the way.

and then well there is this method of doing a little bobble hat that keeps popping up on my feed.

Although that tends to be onto a slice of cardboard toilet roll.

This is much smaller than that.

But worth a try.

Oh not bad, and you may recall I found my wire, just the white and not the black, which I had wanted for snowman arms. Not prepared to wait to find the black a design rethink was required.  

My initial thought was to wrap the wire with brown thread.

Then I thought that I might wrap them with a little bit of wadding first.

Ah but before that he needed a nose.

I may need to add a little something to that later to make it more carrot and less beak.

Then do the brown thread. It did take quite a bit of thread. This was a random thread from a charity shop purchase so I was quite pleased to be using some of it up.

That just left the item that had been the first thought for the 3D additions to the pattern.

Can you remember from the start of this post? Not my crafting strength but unlike the hat there was no cheat method for this. 

Real knitting was required.

Yes a scarf. Actually it was made weeks ago, before I had even finished stitching the snowman.

I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

And am I finished meddling with it?

Possibly not.

I have thoughts about additions that would perhaps utilize my felting supplies.

It depends how the mood strikes me however he is finished enough for now.