Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Who doesn't love a snow day?

I do !! I do !!


Mine usually turn out pretty productive:)


I started by cutting out 3 1/2 inch squares for a swap. The swap consists of three all purpose and one Christmas 9-patch. I will continue to receive 2 1/2 inch 9s because that's what I've been collecting and that will allow me to do something with all that I've already collected. I still have another set to make for a second partner.

Next, I worked on the second and final pair of PJs from the Christmas batch.


First goal of the week completed. I used the 9-patch blocks as leaders and enders.

In between, I did laundry and made meat pies for dinner.


These aren't baked yet and leftovers from dinner went into the freezer for a future meal. These weren't hard to make, just time consuming. The best part is I had everything I needed at home to make them and didn't have to leave the house all day.

My evening was spent ironing 9-patches and working on the lace cabin.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity and productivity.




Goals for the week ending January 28, 2017

 I believe I have had a fairly productive week:

1. Heart Applique - Growing Up QAL



Both blocks are done. One is sandwiched and quilted to go into the quilt. 

The quilt layout has also been designed



2. Lace Cabin - Crabapple Hill



This is Block 6 - final block.
Design has been drawn off and stitching begun. I need to review the layout in the pattern and decide whether or not to follow their suggestion or come up with my own.

3. Blue pillow cases

No progress

4. Pajamas



Done - there's still one more pair to be finished

5. 9-Patches



There's one more set to be done, then on to the swap.

6. Sewing Room - 30 minutes/week

Cleaning, purging, reorganizing



I did manage to get some patterns reorganized and some paperwork filed away :)

My goals for the week ending February 4, 2017

1. Lace Cabin

2. Growing Up QAL

3. PJs - last pair

4. 9s - personal and swap

5. Rocky's coats

6 - Sewing Room - 30 minutes

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a creative and productive day

Friday's Odds and Ends

(image from Yahoo)

Friday took an odd turn in that Newton was home from school, in-service day for the teachers.

So what to do with our time?

We started out by running to work and collecting cardboard boxes.
My church has collection bins, so we thought we would make a donation of the boxes I unpacked from this week's shipment.

We drove through for breakfast on the way to the library.
Pick up some movies that were ordered. On the used book shelf, I found a couple of Mary Engelbreit's that I just couldn't resist for a dollar each :)



My plans for the rest of the day were to work on my goal list.
I'm making progress, but we'll have to wait a couple more days to see how I did.

But here's a sneak peak at the new project.



Don't you just LOVE those headlights?


Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity and productivity.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Happiness is . . .

 

Making progress.

As hard as I try to get things done, especially on the sewing machine, Rocky knows !!! And he's so stinking cute that I just can't tell him to go and lay down and let me get my stuff done :)

So I've been making progress on my goal list.


I managed to get all the applique done for Growing Up QAL.


The white background fabric even has hearts on it :)


I even managed to get the red background sandwiched and quilted.
I now have two blocks for the new quilt. I'm going to do a few more before I decide on sashing colors/prints before I start putting blocks together. 


However, I did decide on a layout and borders. My graft isn't to scale, just more for a visual layout.


 

New project - I know, but I found this pattern when I was reorganizing them last weekend. I found it on Craftsy, I'm pretty sure it was a freebie. BF had a VW in lime green and I thought it would make a fun cushion for the porch :) So I got my fabrics and have gotten as far as cutting out the pieces. Hoping to get at least the layout done this weekend - if not the applique.

Next up, I finally got to work on the lace cabin background. It's amazing how long it can take to sew one seam !!!



I had a beautiful glittered sheer fabric that I'm overlaying on the "snow". The last block was pretty dark, so I needed something pretty to work on for this final block. Hoping to at least get the tracing of the stitching lines drawn for the weekend.

Still need to get my 9-patches done and the PJs, but I'm still feeling pretty good about my week.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity and productivity.







Monday, January 23, 2017

Making Goals

Do you make a goal list or to do list?

I've been thinking about this. I make a to do list daily. Not so much because I can't remember what needs done - although I do sometimes, or is that selective memory?
Anyway, I'm a visual person so to have a list keeps me focused and on track.

Having said that, I also know that's a really big reason why I have so many UFOs. I don't make a goal list weekly - so there's no focus. I also give my time very freely and can't seem to say NO !! Other times I shouldn't say no, there has to be a balance.

I've decided to going back to making a goal list.

My goals for this week:

1. Heart applique for Growing Up QAL.

2. Lace Cabin #6

3. Blue Jacobean pillow case

4. PJs

5. 9-patches 

6. Sewing room purge/reorganization - minimum of 30 minutes

These goals are not necessarily finishing projects this week, just giving me a focus and time to work on them. I want to make some significant progress.
And the only way to accomplish a goal is to make it one.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity and productivity.



Sunday, January 22, 2017

Day late . . . or two . . .

(image from Yahoo)

and now it's been a week!!!

My intentions this year were to blog on a more regular basis, but I'm failing miserably. The best I've managed lately is once a week - twice on a really good week.

I don't really have new to share.


(image from yahoo)

I've been working. . . more than I thought I would.

I spent a week ago Thursday morning with Mom - really enjoyed that visit.

Then I spent Thursday afternoon with BF - we finally had our "Christmas".
She was way too generous.
Some really great, fun fabrics, among quite a few other goodies. I'm really blessed

I wasn't feeling great over the last weekend, so definitely nothing got done. I need to seriously un-bury my dining room table so I can get to work on the last block of the lace cabins.


Last Saturday, I spent the morning with my guys at the Sportsman's Show. I'm really not interested except for what they both enjoy.


This was the "greeter".
It was very cool to see such imagination and creativity. Honey Do was naming the various components.

And now another week has past. Of course, the busier we are the faster the time goes.

I have managed to start a new project, however, this one is more along the lines of learning and honing skills.



Here's your link.

And here's my first assignment :)


This was a lesson in raw edge machine applique.
The rose is all cut out in one piece and consequently, appliqued the same way. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. There are 12 lessons, so to that end I've sandwiched and machine quilted it and will have a finished quilt at the end of the year. Very excited about that prospect.

There's one basic, unbreakable rule. In order to get the next "lesson" you must complete and post the assignment. Incentive to get it done and keep going. How often do we start strong and never finish. All the other information is on the site. Hope you'll join us.

It's Sunday again. After I finalize my lessons for Bible study I'll be working on the lace cabin. I'm in the home stretch and am hoping to finish block six this month. I'll post block five later this week. 


Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

UFOs - continue . . .


I was looking for a graphic for UFOs . . . unfinished objects . . .

LOL

Found this one - death by UFOs.

Well, for now anyway, mine won't be the death of me.

I finished another one.

Awhile back, I finished a set of towels, leftover from another panel.


I bought these towels at the local discount/freight store. So I already knew to go back.


This set cost less than $10.00 all toll.

The watermelon border print is left over from the napkins I made over the weekend. They almost always add some extra print that they never tell you what to do with. It's not enough to border anything bigger than a bread box.

While I shopped for the towels ($1.99 for a set of two), I decided to add the red ric rac trim (which I purchased from JoAnn's and used a coupon) for a little something special. Add some fusible web that I pulled from my stash and an hour later I have a adorable gift.

I spent the rest of Saturday doing some reorganizing and purging in the guest space upstairs, made a lemon cream cheese danish and turkey tetrazzini. Never made it before, family loved it especially Newton. I used leftover turkey from the other night. No more leftovers on this experiment.

Saturday evening I'll be working on my blue Jacobean pillowcase.

Wishing you a days filled with creativity.

Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Playing Catch Up


I finally have a day off, so I'm playing catch up. And since I've been keeping my chores up during the week, it's really a play day.

Monday was a holiday for New Year's and "normal" routines returned on Tuesday. Honey Do went to work, Newton went to school. I went back to work after the two week Christmas break. We started with inventory and the next two days were spent catching up orders. And since orders are pulled, I got a day off and I have it to myself.

I did manage to accomplish some things last weekend and am very pleased with my beginning progress on UFOs.


First up a couple of sets of napkins - six in each.
Please notice the binding. It's sort of a red "bandanna" but to me looked very much like watermelon. I purchased this years ago with the fabric. It was part of a "western" themed promotion.


This adorable watermelon apron was a panel. I trimmed it in double fold bias tape. This along with a set of napkins will go to BF as a gift this year. 
And my first UFOs are done :)


I started this little cutie last spring and lost interest in it because I had to change threads too often and counted cross stitch just takes a long time. I thought between this and the plastic canvas cube I'm making for Bible study/kids, I would make some progress.

Well, once I started making progress I couldn't put it down.


It's a much shorter-term UFO, but it's another project finished. This one might end up in BF's gift box as well, since there's a theme going.

And on to the next UFO.


This is a pair of pillow cases that I probably purchased from a clearance. I managed, in the original attempt, to get the left side finished. The center of the hoop section is what I've been working on the last couple of days. As you can see, lots of satin stitching which is very time consuming. But put in a movie and run with it.
This is done in only three shades of blue. 

So even though I'm not able to post as often as I'd like, I will do my best to do so at least a couple of times a week. I miss talking to all of you.

Wishing you the absolute best for this new year

and days filled with blissful stitching.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy New Year

(image from Yahoo)

The weeks before Christmas were busy, productive and fun. Newton and I spent a lot of time together. I did some sewing, stitching.

We spent time with my mom - helping to get things ready for family Christmas. 

(image from Yahoo)

We got a quick lunch with BF . . . 

(image from Yahoo)

We even had a fun day of shopping and several trips to the library.

With most of the festivities over, it's time to work on 

(image from Yahoo)

Since I started blogging a few years ago, I've accumulated quilt the collection of patterns, supplies and projects. I feeling almost to the hording stage. That's a double-edge sword because while I accept that I'm a creative person, I'm not always very selective. Let's face it, there's only so much time to work on things and get things done. I'm reaching a point where I can't seem to say no to a project. 

So I've set up basic goals:

Step 1 - INVENTORY

I wrote out a list of my organized projects. These are UFOs, KARTS and gifts. They are all in some sort of container to keep clean, together and organized. Nothing is in a shopping bag. Every container is labelled, some are dated. 

I've decided to purge as I go. I already know there will be projects that I no longer want to invest time or energy into completing. The plan is to choose a project and work it to completion.

The ultimate goal for 2017 is to not purchase any new projects/supplies. I only want to purchase what is necessary to complete a project. Once the project is completed, I'll move on to the next one.

The only exceptions are quilts. I'm planning on quilting as I go because I don't have a machine big or heavy enough to quilt a quilt. I don't have funds available to have them done for me or rent time on a long arm - or the desire at the moment to learn how to use one. Doesn't mean I might not change my mind as time goes on. I will continue to do hand quilting, but it just takes me a very long time to get anything done. I have several quilts at this stage and just need to stay focused.

Having said all that, it doesn't mean that I won't start any new projects. I just don't want to have to purchase new projects or supplies for a new project. I want to be able to use what I have and ultimately, not have any UFOs/KARTS waiting for my attention.

Step 2 - DECIDE

Decide what I'm going to work on

Check to make sure I have all necessary supplies

Step 3 - GET BUSY :)

So I'm off to work on a project.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a blissful day of crafting.