Monday, December 31, 2007

Quilting goals for 2008

Quilting Goals for 2008

So, I am sitting here catching up on blogs from the weekend and come across Judith's post of "why did I forget my quilting goals??" LOL! Hey, me too! That is too funny :D I have several projects in my mind, several in bags, and several as work in processes is some form or another. Quilting is a bit tougher for me that stitching, you have to think a lot harder (that math!) you have to be much more precise in your cutting, and you have to move a lot more LOL! You know, up and down to cut, press, pin, sew… I've loved the outcome of making quilts, they are very very rewarding to me. SO, this year I feel that I can step up my game a bit more. I have so far done pretty simple quilts, that don't require too much complicated piecing. I want to make something somewhat complicated, and I am not sure what that will be yet… but I want to.
My goals this year are to:

Finish my current WIP:
Grandma's Log Cabin
Thimbleberries Pumpkin Quilt
Blue/Yellow Log Cabin
Pinwheels Quilt

And make the quilts I have kitted up:
Aunt Phyllis' Carpenters Star
Cowboy Carpenters Star
3 ea: Tablerunners

And to make some new ones:
One for my babysitter
One with my plaids I got this year
Make a quilt with my Hawaiian Fabric

Quilts take so much longer to make than a cross stitch. I get stuck after I make the quilt tops, finishing them is hard for me. I don't like basting them and all that, it takes a long time and can be a pain. I don't have big space to put it on a quilting frame… so wish me luck, I know I can get them done :D

wish you all a Happy New Year!!!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

December Review, January Goals

I’ve seen a few of you posting about how much you’ve gotten accomplished this year, and it’s great to see that! Everybody should give yourselves a pat on the back for all that you’ve done. Your creativity really has helped me to keep on trying new things, and to have a lot of fun too. Thank you for sharing what you make, and helping us along too :)

This year was huge for me, because I just really got into this blogging thing, then into the exchanging thing, and into some of the challenges. Wow, talk about great! It has really motivated me. I finished a lot of things, but don’t know the number of them, it’s hard to keep track :P

December Review

Finish Rob’s NRR and mail it to Von *yes*

Work on Grandma’s Log Cabin Quilt *no*

Work on Pumpkin Quilt *yes*

Work on Bittersweet Farm *yes*

Stitch November and December on Bent Creek Snappers *yes*



Made two tablerunners, JBW Designs: A Very Merry Christmas, two Pumpkin wall hangings for my sister and mom.

January Goals

Put final border on pumpkin quilt and mail to quilter
Finish top of Grandma’s Log Cabin quilt and mail to quilter
Start adding leaf border to Bent Creek Snappers
Start and Finish Vonna’s NRR and mail to Von
Work on Bittersweet Farm
Work on The Cape

I really want to finish the Bent Creek snappers this month, I doubt I will, but I’ll try :D

The Cape WIP

I picked up The Cape again. I have been wanting to work on something with overdyed threads and this is perfect :D It is all Weeks Dye Works floss, and they are so pretty. I finished the border, and the ocean, now I’m working on the sand. This shouldn’t take me too long, it has stitched up pretty quickly.

There is a big white lighthouse in the center of the design… it’s boring. So, do you think I should add some sort of stripes to it or something? I am thinking black stripes… or brown. I am not sure, what are your thoughts oh wise ones? :D

Snapper progress

Did everyone have a nice Christmas? I hope you all did! We had Saturday through Tuesday off which was really nice. We didn’t do a whole lot, and so we stayed home most of the time. I was glad for the break of not having to go to work and just be home for awhile. The kids had so much fun this Christmas, being 5 and 6 years old, they really are figuring out all about Santa and it’s very cute. I was grateful to have such a nice time!

Mark spoiled me and I was so surprised with the gifts he got for me, it was great. He got me a new coat and a cell phone, as well as a stereo for my IPOD. It made my day LOL! We’ve been wanting to get me a cell phone for a long time, but I didn’t really know what I wanted, so I was happy he just went an picked one for me :D He says it’s to track me down when I’m out shopping… I don’t know what he’s talking about (I tend to be gone much longer than what I say) I told him that he’d find it ringing on top of the dresser! LOL!

I got a lot of stitching done in the days I had off, and it was wonderful. I’ve been so rushed about by everything… I really needed to have some down time with my favorite hobby :D I finished November and December on my Bent Creek Snappers.

I need to add the leaf border and the buttons to it now, and then this big thing will be done! It is really long too, I will eventually get this framed and hang it above a doorway. It’ll be cute :D

Since I did one of these every month this year, I was thinking I needed to do something like it again in 2008. These were small and manageable, with little color changing. I think I’ll make Christmas ornaments one or two a month, and they’ll be for other people, why not get a head start on them? I wish I’d have done it this year because when Christmas hit, I was wanting to make things for everybody. Wish me luck :D

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

A Very Merry Christmas

I squeaked out one more gift for somebody in my family last week, and I am not telling who it’s for. Anyway, it was fun stitching this. I changed the colors to use some Needle Necessities floss that I have on hand. It stitched up really fast, and so I may do it again. I like the design a lot :)


JBW Designs: A Very Merry Christmas
32 Count Bone Linen
Needle Necessities Floss

I am working on some Christmas tablerunners right now, that I know won’t be done in time, but they can be saved for next year, and it also doesn’t put me in a panic to finish them by next week. So, I’ll share photos of those when I make more progress on them. I got most of my Christmas shopping done, and man that feels good! We have just a few more things to get for family members and we’ll be ready. I am going to mail out my Christmas cards tomorrow (if I can finish them tonight) and that will make me a happy camper for sure!

Here is our huge Christmas tree. Mark says it’s 11 feet x 11 feet! I think he’s right. It’s really bushy. We love it though, and it makes the house smell so good. My sister got their tree last weekend, and she said theirs is 16 feet tall, holy cow! That is one big tree :D She has got me beat.


Thank you for your encouragement on my goals for next year, you are all so nice. I hope that I can stick with them and get some of these lovely things done for myself, I am pretty excited about it. I didn’t add my quilting goals to it, quilting seems to go differently for me than cross stitching… so I will just try my hardest to use what I have at home for my quilts :) I am too addicted to fabric to say I won’t buy any until certain things are done, I just can’t do it, I’ve tried LOL! It’s my vice I suppose. All things in moderation I say.

Good luck getting your preparations for Christmas done, I know you all will need it :D Have a great week!

Monday, December 17, 2007

PIF from Marie

I am so excited, Marie sent me a Pay it Forward gift this past week, and it was so great. I love everything she sent to me.
She made me this cute pinkeep. I don't have a pinkeep, nor have I attempted to make one, so this is extra special, I love it :)

Also, she made 3 of the sweetest ornaments, I like them all so much. My tree is decorated with a lot of ornaments like this, so they all fit in perfectly.
Thank you Marie, you are awesome! *hugs*
Our tree is up now, and we are slowly getting ready for Christmas, we are having so much fun! My kids have been trying their hardest to be good because Santa is watching :D

Friday, December 14, 2007

Planning Ahead

I hope everybody has had a nice week, it went by pretty fast for me. Vonna was talking about her plan of what she is going to stitch in 2008 recently, which got me thinking as well. I have been pretty good about not buying a lot of stuff these past few months. I will be honest and say I have bought things, but not nearly like what I was buying, so it is much better :D I am going to continue on my “finish 20 things before I buy anything else” plan.

I want to finish my Four Seasons and Bent Creek Snappers this coming year and get them framed, that is my main goal for the year. I’ll reorganize a bit now :)

1. The Four Seasons (currently WIP)
2. Hillside Samplings: Bittersweet Farm (currently WIP)
3. Old McMary’s Farm: The Workbasket (currently WIP)
4. Bent Creek Snappers (currently WIP)
5. Plum Threadpack: LHN
6. Forest Snowfall: Little House Needleworks
7. Pineapple Threadpack: LHN
8. Acorns Threadpack: LHN
9. Christmas Mosaic Ornament: M Designs
10. Bent Creek: Summer Snapperville
11. Shepherds Bush: Sail
12. Forest Snowfall: Little House Needleworks
13. Shepherd’s Bush: Bee’s Fob
14. Shepherd’s Bush: Christmas Ornament
15. Birds of a Feather: Bloom Where You are Planted
16. Shepherd’s Bush: Americana Needleroll
17. Shepherd’s Bush: A Mother’s Heart
18. Hinzeit: Dash Away All
19. Sam Sarah: Bloom Where You Are Planted
20. Trilogy: Summer Lineup
21. Valentine Stitchery: The Cape (currently WIP)

I just have so much stash, it needs to be used up. I do use it though, so I am not feeling too guilty about it. I am just excited to be able to use it right now :D I have two big kits I’d love to start, but won’t until The Four Seasons and Snappers is completed :)

I have been working on Bittersweet Farm, I scanned it in. I do this at work on my breaks and at lunchtime. I had put it away for awhile, and finally got it out again this week. I like this chart a lot, there are several specialty stitches and it gives it so much texture. I have swapped out several colors to use up what is in my stash too :)

So, exchanges this year were a lot of fun. I got pretty strapped on them all however, and have decided to not do quite as many this year. I have joined the Birthday Club again, and am so glad that I did, I had fun this year with it! Also I am involved in the Neighborhood RR, which has about 5 more to go, so that will extend into October of this year. I think I’ll do two or three exchanges this year for now, unless I just cannot resist them. :) I’d like to stitch more gifts for my family and friends right now. So, that is my plan at the moment. I am so glad I started this blog and have met so many nice people, thanks for making it such a great experience for me :D Here is to another great year!

I am feeling a lot better now, that bug has lasted a long time, and the kids are just barely feeling normal again, poor kids! I am grateful that we are getting better now though, because Christmas is coming right up!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Christmas Exchange & tablerunner

I had Barbara for the Birthday/Christmas exchange this year, I was so glad, I love reading her blog. I made her another wall hanging by Blackbird Designs from the Peppermint and Holly Book:
I heard she likes it, yay!!

Also, I made another tablerunner tonight, I used my Crazy Curves templates to make the blocks, it was fun to do, I've never really sewn anything with curves before, so it was definetly out of my comfort zone. I am happy with it, but I had to fuss with it quite a bit.
I stitched a little bit on my November Bent Creek snapper today too, I plan on working on it this month, we'll see if I can possibly finish the whole thing by the end of the year! I am not in any exchanges right now, just the NRR, so I'll have more time to stitch for me right now.

We are all still sick here, I hope I feel better by tomorrow, I have so much to do at work, I can't be missing it right now (but isn't that how it always goes?) So keep you fingers crossed for me :) The kids seem to be much better today thank goodness, I think I got the worst of it.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Rob's NRR Done

I finished up Rob's NRR today. I was happy with how it turned out. There was so much more I could have added, but didn't have the time to do it. I hope Rob likes it!

I like the boat, it's so cute.


The chart is called Paisaje Costero by Espana y Extranjero. I was going to do a seaside theme with my neighborhood, but ended up doing farms instead. This chart is what I would have done, so I am glad I got to stitch it on Rob's neighborhood.
Jessie and I have been home sick today, and Curren came home sick from school too. I suppose it's that time of year again. I hate that! I hope we feel better soon, it's no fun at all.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Ornamentified

I love Christmas time, and why? All of the fun ornaments of course :D I participated in the USEBB Christmas ornament exchange, I was lucky and got Carol’s name! I fretted and worried over what to make her, she has done so many things, and I didn’t want to make a replica of something she’s already made. So, when I saw the Christmas Chick, I knew it was perfect. My finishing isn’t fabulous, I really need to learn to make my own cording, and Marie has shown me the way, just haven’t collected the tools to do it yet :) So here is Carol’s ornament:

Also, I received a great package from Cathy yesterday in my mailbox! I was super excited because I know how great her packages are. I was a lucky recipient of a hardanger piece earlier this year from her, now I have two. She made me the cutest little hardanger angel. I don’t think I’ll ever venture into hardanger, but wow I sure love having it LOL! Thanks Cathy.

Also she included a large piece of fabric, which I will most certainly use up, candy, and two charts. One from my wishlist and the other I love too. You were so thoughtful and that means a lot, thank you!!!!

I also made an ornament for my sister Nikki, she loves snowmen, so I saw this little chart and had to stitch it for her. It’s a Becky Boos chart called Let it Snow. I had fun making it! I haven’t heard if she got it yet, I am sure she has by now though.

I received a PIF from Carol last week. She made me a fob with my initial, and it’s so cute. It’s from a Prairie Schooler chart called Garden Alphabet. It is now residing on my scissors, I love it! Thanks :D
I am working away on my NRR at the moment and whatever else I decide needs my attention, I can’t focus on anything for too long at once :P I feel so scattered!

Monday, December 03, 2007

Busy Bee

My husband was out of town all of last week and through the weekend. He was gone so much this month, it was crazy. It is good to have him home, and to know he won’t be traveling this month now. We can actually relax and focus on the holidays!

So, when Mark goes out of town I usually stay up really late every night sewing/stitching and watching girlie movies that I know he has no interest in. I love my Netflix account :) I had Colleen come over on Friday night to sew, and she stayed until midnight! We had a lot of fun. She finished up a quilt for a hospice, and worked on her Christmas tablerunner (same pattern as mine). I worked on putting the border on my Pumpkin quilt:

I woke up Saturday morning to horrid weather and continued sewing, this time on my Christmas tablerunner. I got it quilted and the binding sewed on. I then started the Christmas quilt using the Moda Holly Jolly fabrics, I bought the pack of pre-cut 5” squares that has a big selection of the fabric line in it. That night my friend Kelly came over and we went to a quilt shop and found some ideas for a quilt she is making, and I got the last border for my pumpkin quilt. When we got back to my house we sewed more! I continued on my Christmas quilt and she worked on her new project. When she used my machine I finished hand sewing the binding on my tablerunner.

Here is my finished Christmas tablerunner, I love how it turned out!

And this is the final border I got for the pumpkin quilt.
I got this template because I've been looking for them forever and I think they are awesome!

More photos later, this time of stitching LOL!