I do like to make goals. Lots of them. I'm trying to keep things manageable this year, what with a move right in the middle of the year and all.
My list is a bit general, but they are things I'd like to try this year:
Conquer the applique Mt. Everest. I've got a Dresden to finish, plus some other projects to try.
Curved piecing. Drunkard's path and double wedding ring, among others.
Become a "giver" of quilts. I gave away my first two quilts this year: my aunt's yellow and orange butterfly quilt and my nephew's Max and Whiskers quilt. I've got plans for more this year.
Stash sewing! Need to do a whole lot more of this!
Just the other day, I found a sort-of bucket list I had made right after my baby girl was born. Sort of a "up in the middle of the night with a baby" list.
I was pretty happy to see that I could cross off something on that list.
Learning to free-motion quilt.
Now, I'm no expert. I can't do fancy stuff. But when I look at the quilts I quilted at the beginning of the year compared to now, well, I've come a long way.
Since I'm away from my sewing (happy) place, I thought I'd just share my favorite finishes from 2012.
There you have it - my favorite finishes. Here's to a wonderful new year filled with many, many more!
Sometimes I like reviewing my lists, because they have lots of lovely things crossed off.
Other times, not so much.
This go 'round, I'm somewhere in the middle. I charged into my list, full-steam ahead. Then I hit the Christmas wall and, well, things I wanted to finish got set aside for Christmas sewing. I MUST get it done sooner next year. MUST, I tell you!
Here's my original 100 Day Hustle list:
R2D2 Quilt - Done!
Yellow and Orange String Quilt - Done!
Halloween HSTs Quilt - Done!
Spider Web Quilt - NOT done! - reason being is that it just wasn't going to be big enough. So I'm working on it and making it bigger.
Trick or Treat bags - Done!
Holiday Hostess Quilt - Done! My eldest daughter has claimed it, and I'm okay with that. Mostly.
Red String Quilt - who was I kidding? No progress whatsoever.
Tree skirt - Done and I'm in love.
Stockings - nope. We had to use the old ones again.
Lucy's triangles Quilt - the flimsy is done. Does that count?
Sunkissed grannies - still working up the nerve to hand-quilt this one
Sew Cherry grannies - this one moves to the top o' the list for next year - going to finish the border and the quilt it once I move to Boise (my gorgeous SIL has a long-arm!)
Gypsy Girl Quilt - nope
Cowgirl Salt Water Taffy Quilt - slow going, but it will be done soon
Mug rugs - I opted for some different gift items this year instead
Hocuspocusville stitchery - still plugging away.
So that's the best I could do. Ugh. Wish I'd done more, but it will keep, that's for sure.
Hey, and I'm thinking of doing something similar to this Hustle, only for Groundhog Day. Six more weeks of winter sewing sort of finish along. Anyone interested? Prizes and all that?
Also known as: I'm going on a vacation and won't get to sew for the rest of the year.
Don't worry. Since I'm seriously not capable of twiddling my thumbs whilst at my in-laws, I'm taking my small cutting mat and some things I can cut and prep while my kids play at their Nana's house.
But here's my last little finish:
I had some leftover triangles from my Lucy's Crab Shack quilt (which is just waiting for some backing to go on sale). I thought at first I'd make some pillow shams, but I saw some fun patchwork bathmats on flickr and since I hate my ugly bathmats, I went ahead and made some.
Backed in navy blue terry cloth with corner thingies so I can add a slip-proof mat underneath.
Right now, this one is residing in front of my washer and dryer, and I kinda like it there.
Marking this one off the 4Q FAL list and ready to link up after New Year's. I'll still try to blog from Boise if I actually accomplish anything. Maybe I'll get to drool over my SIL's Gammill. And we always go do some fabric shopping, so I can't wait to see what I come home with!
Can't believe I haven't blogged this quilt! I was going through my 4QFAL list, making sure I'm ready for the link up after the first of the year. Couldn't find a blog post about this quilt for my awesome little man James. So here it is:
Backed in orange minky because that's his favorite color. I've got enough fabric left over from this project to make one more. Can't hurt. It's SO flippin' cold downstairs in our house. I want my babies warm!
And since you were so nice to let me post an old finish, here's a new one. I'm excited about this one. Made some e-reader covers for Christmas gifts (one for me too!). I love this London one:
I had so much fun trying to fussy cut things, make sure they lined up just right. Love the crowns, and the "I heart London" line.
I even made sure it showed up on the binding! Love it all!
Then I made three library bags for my book-loving niece and nephews.
Those, along with some new books, have been wrapped and shipped off.
I've got most of my Christmas sewing done (with a vow to myself to get it done a whole lot sooner next year!). Finished the law student's jammies. Bagged the softy idea (one pattern was making me lose my religion, so not really what I want to be doing during the Christmas season!). Working on a robe for my oldest son and more gift bags. That's about it!
I promise I've got a big post of finishes to come. But I'd like to get it all finished. So I'm not taking time to do a big, time-consuming blog post right now.
As it stands, here's what I've got to get done:
alligator softy
turtle softy
shark softy
dolphin softy
5 sets of dragon wings
jammies for the law student
gift for my MIL
Once those are done, I'll start to work on more gift bags. The stockings are put on hold (sigh, again) for next year. I might just kick myself in the rear and finish them in January before I put the Christmas stuff away. Maybe.
I've also got five Toothless (from How to Train your Dragon) softies to make, if I can find the time. But as those are beastly complicated, they might be little Valentine's gifts. That's a good Valentine's gift, right?
I had a big post of lots of little finishes. Gifts for my niece and nephews.
But my heart is just aching today. Tears are falling, prayers are being said.
This picture showed up on my facebook page, and I'm so grateful for it.
I can't answer the whys of this tragedy. But I know, I absolutely know, that there is comfort. There is peace. There is hope. Even for the shooter. That is why we celebrate Christmas. Because Christ came, to save us all.
I just don't love how I make these last minute gift decisions. Talk about deadline sewing.
Throw into the mix one law student with finals, 4 sick babies and counting, 1 sick me and you've got a recipe for disaster.
Still, this is what I've got done so far:
One passport wallet, one oval box bag make-up bag and two dumplings. The oval box bag tutorial is found here. The dumplings are here.
These were all just for practice. I'll make the "real" ones tomorrow.
I'll use brighter zippers on the dumplings next time so there's some
more color. Still, they are so cute. My oldest won't mind if she gets
the guinea pigs! Not too shabby.
Until I look at what I've got left to make:
3 library bags - these will be ridiculously easy once the fabric arrives, and the last of the "shipping out" gifts
2 kindle covers
5 different softies for my babies - not so ridiculously easy
jammies for the law student - cut out, just need the thread
7 new stockings - oh my, this is insane
5 dragon softies
5 sets of dragon wings - my law student needs to draw out the wings for me
A zippy wallet for my husband - his design, my construction
And a partridge in a pear tree
Oh, and did I mention that we're hosting a Christmas donut fry on Friday night? Or I'm in the midst of a bunch of major dental work? Good times around here! And I still have Christmas goodies to make. I really need to plan better next year. Right. If only.
Yep. I'm nuts. Thankfully, the last final is tomorrow and then I'll get plenty of sewing time.
My list last week was all wrong, and I'm fixing that.
Why am I working on the "local" gifts when I should be working on the gifts that the USPS will be delivering for me?
Silly Jennie.
So, my list for last week:
Finish up that quilt
Tension issues. Breaking thread issues. Skipped stitches issues. Yeah. I'll be hanging out with my seam ripper. AFTER Christmas. It's in the corner for now.
Work on stockings - piece tops and embroider names
3 of the tops are pieced. I'm going to have to get a bigger pattern. Headed to Kinko's later this week. We like our stockings bigger around here!
Cut and sew softy owl
Cut. Got distracted by other gift projects.
Cut and sew alligator softy
Cut. Will sew after the shipped stuff is done.
Order the rest of my supplies, or hit JoAnn's
Done. Shopping is easy! I ordered the fabric for the library bags for my niece and nephews, the black minky for the Night Fury softies for my dragon-obsessed crew, minky for the dolphin and shark softies, then I hit JoAnn's sale this weekend for interfacing, thread, fusible fleece, and material for robes for my two oldest popsicle children.
Easy. Did you win anything? I had such fun reading all the comments for my giveaway. I've got a whole list of movies to re-watch (or watch for the first time).
Okay, on to this week:
Make zipper bag for SIL
Make 3 library bags, when the fabric arrives
Make two kindle cover
Make one more passport wallet
If those get done, and they'd better get done and shipped:
Sew owl softy for C
Sew alligator softy for H
Sew turtle softy for J
Sew shark softy for W
Sew dolphin softy for L
Sew zipper bag for M, plus matching tissue holder and glasses case
Based on the extensive research I just did, I've discovered the following:
A whole lot o' Jerry Maguire fans are out there crafting. Someone should warn Tom Cruise. I'd thought from all the "Hey Girl" pictures on Pinterest that I'd see more quotes from "The Notebook."
Another group pays attention to the crazy lines I missed: "I carried a watermelon."
And then there's the Princess Bride contingency. I think we can
safely say Sweet Wesley could successfully run for President on the "As
You Wish" campaign and sweep the nation off its feet. Inigo could be his
Defense Secretary.
But there can be only one winner of the gift certificate, and that winner (chosen at random) is:
"Tinsel, not just for decoration" -- the santa clause
For some reason it makes me laugh. Thanks for the chance to win - love that shop!
I've sent you an e-mail Lyanna, just to confirm, and then we'll get you your gift certificate.
But wait, I said winnerS up there in the title.
I
have a confession to make. I had a totally different prize planned, but
then it hadn't arrived and I didn't want to promise something and have
it be late. So I went with the gift certificate. In the meantime, a
package arrived from fabric.com and I cut it up and I now have a second
prize:
10 fat quarters of London-y fabric (I ordered a yard o' each because I'm using it for some fun Christmas gifts).
Since the gift certificate winner was chosen randomly, I figured I could be more selective with the London fabric winner.
I only showed you two of my favorite movie lines. But my all-time favorite is this one (you just have to watch the first bit, because who wants to see Mr. Darcy get turned down?):
And a close second is this one:
Love my Jane Austen! So, from the Jane Austen submissions, we selected a winner for the London fabric. And that winner is:
My favorite movie line is when Mr Darcy professes his love and says, I
most ardently love you... or something like that. I always rewind like 5
times. Vivian
I've sent you an e-mail so I can get your address!
Congratulations to the two winners!
And
now, my finish for the week. No, not the quilt I was supposed to
be finishing. Do you ever have tension/thread breaking/skipped stitches
issues and bag the whole thing for now? Yep, had all three and couldn't
take it anymore. So it's in the corner, waiting for the seam ripper. After Christmas is over. We might be taking a road trip, so that's the perfect project for a long drive.
Instead, I finished this cute little passport wallet:
See my little helper's fingers?
The wallet is a gift for my new French sister, who loves guitars. She's from Paris (I know, right?), and she's an exchange student staying with my parents for the year. My kids adore their new auntie and I wanted to make her a little something.
Now excuse me - I've got a eleventy thousand Christmas projects to get done and not nearly enough time to do it all! And just to make it fun, I've got a teething, fussy baby. Yikes!
Welcome to all, whether new visitors from the Sew Mama Sew giveaway link or regular visitors. Have a look around, if you like. Or pin something and come back later. I'm game.
Now Mondays are my list making days, and I will get to that, but let's be serious. Most everyone is here for the giveaway.
The prize:
I believe in supporting small businesses as much as possible, and Green Fairy Quilts is one of my favorites. Amazing deals, let me tell you. Most of my Christmas wish list is available there, and I love that you can pre-order bundles, jelly rolls, and layer cakes. I really want to pre-order some Glamping!
So the winner of my giveaway will get $25 to spend.
The rules:
Leave a comment. Tell me your favorite movie line. This is one of mine, mostly because I married a Han Solo:
This is my other one, but I can't say I married James Bond (although the man I married does look great in a tux and knows his way around guns):
This giveaway is open to everyone. I'll choose a winner randomly, unless I love your movie line the best. Just nothing obscene, mmmkay? Comments close December 7 at 5 p.m. PST. I'll notify the winner via e-mail (please, oh please make sure you're not a no-reply blogger - I had over 30 of them last year!) and in a blog post. Then I'll buy the prize and send it to you! Easy, right?
On to regularly scheduled events.
Okay, last week's list was:
Project organization
My to-do list is made, and it's long. Thankfully, my law student starts finals today, so I'll have a lot more free time once he's done and ready to supervise children.
Quilt and bind Holiday Hostess quilt
Done. Love it. It's the perfect snuggle quilt while watching Christmas movies.
Quilt and bind Easy as Cake Christmas quilt
Almost done. Should finish the binding up by tomorrow and I'll post pictures then.
On to this week:
Finish up that quilt
Work on stockings - piece tops and embroider names
