No Flake Monday

Again?!? Are you serious??? Yes. I'm sorry. I'm trying to keep up, but priorities have been smacking me pretty hard. Taxes (ugh!!!), a plethora of medical appointments, necessary garden responsibilities, helping my neighbor move, once again teaching Lizard to quilt, snowflake photos to edit... You name it. Everything got in the way last week!

I did finally get my snowflake photos from March 6 edited, and now I'm working on the March 13 snowflakes. Taxes are nowhere near done. I'm at the dentist bright and early this morning having a stubborn crown re-installed for a fourth time. And I need to finish my final glow-in-the-dark amigurumi for the last of my Sunday school students to turn 8. She's actually moved up into the next class now, and I'm teaching her younger brother (and five other five- and six-year-olds). But no way I'm leaving her out after teaching her and her classmates for four straight years!

She had started 2025 requesting a unicorn, then suddenly a few months ago decided she wants an otter. I've never made either a unicorn or an otter. But I'd never made half the critters I made last years for my students. So, I'm pressing onward trying to finish this otter. I hope to be back with a new snowflake next week!

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Because He Lives

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A Flimsy

I spent St. Patrick's Day mostly in the garden, where there isn't a ton of green yet, but in the evening, I was able to audition all my greens (Who knew I had 18 different verdant hues in my stash?!?) to extend my Spoonflower sunflower cheater panel just a bit.

I also was able to find Lizard's stash in the basement. I thought I remembered some sunflower fabric he'd asked me to buy for him because he wanted to make a sunflower quilt years ago. I think that was before the pandemic and before Parkinson's took such a heavy toll on him. I might be able to incorporate some of the sunflower fabric on the quilt back. I have some ideas that involve more leftovers, but the sunflower theme might need a bit of a boost.

While digging around looking for Lizard's stash, I also found a charm square rag quilt project he'd started before he was diagnosed. I'm going to try to get him back into the project now. I don't know if he will be able to do it, but maybe with a little help, art therapy can be back in full swing!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Snowflake Monday

The chart for today's pattern took me two weeks to draw. With a mouse. On my computer. So perhaps not the best instructions, but hopefully more clear than what I could have written. I'm not sure I even want to try writing this one. But I love the flake, and it has a bit of an Irish theme. I hope you enjoy it!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Finished Size: 7.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread (I used seven colors), size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Lost Winter Snowflake Chart

If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Finish: I've been stiffening my flakes with undiluted, full-strength water soluble school glue for quite a while now, and I've been squishing the glue onto and throughout each flake with my fingers (yucky mess!!!) instead of gingerly painting the flakes with glue. Yes, it's a mess. But it's faster. And stiffer.

Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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Friday Funny

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Stash Busting

(affiliate links to my designs)

I was looking for a creative way to increase the size of one of my Spoonflower cheater panels when I came across my leftovers from a quilt from the past, also made with Spoonflower cheater panels.

Initially, I'd bought four fat quarters of my individual citrus slice for a project I never wound up doing. When I suddenly became the grandma of many little bundles of joy, I needed to make a bunch of quilts for Christmas fast. I made 15 grandkid quilts that first Christmas and three more the next year. The citrus slice fat quarters were combined to make a much bigger quilt than a printed yard of Spoonflower cotton alone. I liked the pieced panel so much, I made another cheater panel combining the four images into one.

I had been looking for sunflower quilt border ideas for inspiration when I realized I probably have quite a few leftover yellows in my stash. I didn't immediately remember the reason I had so many yellows, but I undertook the equivalent of dumpster digging in my solids bin and found much better than hoped for. I'm thinking some kind of piano key border might just be perfect for using up scraps AND making an awesome and unique border.

I think I initially planned to use some rows from my Spoonflower sunflower yardage to extend the length and width of the panel. I then considered using the yardage as the back of the quilt. But somewhere in my stash exists a bunch of sunflower fabric Lizard had at one point intended to use to make quilts for his Etsy shop. I still hope he will one day quilt again, but for now, it would be okay to use up elements from his stash if he has sunflower fabrics that might work well with this project. Might even be inspirational just to peruse his stash...

In the meantime, digging around in the stash turned up another fleece cheater panel I created at least a couple of years ago. I'd forgotten all about it!!! I'm so excited to crochet an edging on this baby and add it to my Etsy shop!!!

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