New Year’s Resolutions and Word for the Year

 

New Year’s resolutions, I remember two of them, the usual, exercise and loose weight.  What were the rest of them?  I’m sure I have them wrote down somewhere incase I want to check to see if I’m accomplishing any of them.  I have been pretty good about getting on the tread mill so far, but no luck with loosing weight yet.  My word for the year is “focus”  I sure need to concentrate on that.  It is a good word for me, but “speed” would be an equally good one.  There is never enough hours in the day.  I’ve slowed down so much I only get about 1/3 done that I need/want to do. 

But I have accomplished a few things.  Keeping up with my blog hasn’t been one of them.  I’m still doing the Saturday Sampler from Tiny Stitches and enjoying it.

These are the blocks for October and December.  Seems I was so happy to have finished November and January blocks that I forgot to take pictures, but they are also finished. Now hints are being dropped for the new one starting in June.  Paisleys she says!  How mean I say!  I love paisleys, in fact I’m trying to finish up a quilt top that has paisley prints. No pictures though.  Anyway, starting a new SS in June wasn’t on our agenda, guess it is now.  We just started a new SS at Pickleweeds Quilt shop in Douglasville, an hours trip between the 2 shops. At least we can do both on the same Saturday. Unfortunately we have to leave at 7:00 a.m. to be to the first one by 8:00 a.m. in order to be back home in a timely manner.

This is the first block for Pickleweeds SS.  the 2nd block is done, but of course absent minded me didn’t take a picture, unless I forgot to down load it from my email. 

I have finished a few tops from last years SS, BOMs & Quilt A longs.

The first is Purple Sage which I’ve renamed Purple Haze,  The second one it Retro Kitchen, which I’m naming Grandma’s Kitchen. My granddaughter says that is me in the center block.  Guess the gray hair was the give-a-way. I did get one of them fancy designer Kitchen aid mixers.  Only mine is red. I’ve used it once so far.

This is the Globetrotting BOM. Haven’t decided on a name for it yet.  I’m planning to do Pat’s Vacation Time BOM for 2015. Think I’ve made the January block. 

I’m still working on several other 2014 projects.  Maybe I will complete them by July.

These are the Oct, Nov and Dec Aurifil Blocks. There is a really cute setting for these blocks, but will probably finish some of the easier ones first.

This is Delightful Stars with the first 3 borders on.  The blocks for the fourth border are pieced, just need to get them sewn together and on the quilt.

Right now I’m working on this:

The Grand Illusion Mystery by Bonnie Hunter, parts 2 & 3.   Actually I’m a lot farther along than this. In fact I’m working on the borders.  Borders seem to be my hang up. Have 3 quilt tops that all they need are borders.

Yes, we had a lovely Christmas at our daughter’s house this year!  So odd, but so nice not to have all the cooking and clean up to do.  We put up a live tree this year.  That was because dear daughter ran off with our artificial one.

 

We had to go buy an Angel for the tree top too. Again, ours seemed to be atop  another tree.  Lydia wanted the doll on top of their tree instead of the star her Mom was planning on.  Think I will get some more garland next year. This was a fir tree and I would like to get another if I’m in the mood this year.

We ( Jean, Nancy & I) went to Tiny Stitches Grand Re-opening (they moved to the building next door to the strip mall they were in).  These hot pads was one of the demos they were doing.  I made these for my daughter to use at Christmas. I also made more, 2 for me and 2 for Christine. They are easy enough to make.  I plan to make some for Thanksgiving. Well, I need to make placemats and a table runner too, for that matter.

Dora, Brittney & I went to Sam’s Club yesterday.  We don’t go often so it is an adventure.  Hope I got some good deals because I sure did some damage to the wallet. 

Sewing Time

 

Finally finding time to sew.  I’m trying very hard to get caught up on all my current projects.  Making a little progress, but not enough.  I’m currently working on our guild mystery. have it put together and the first border on.

I have all four sides of the 2nd border pieced.  Maybe I can get them attached today.  This is turning out very nicely.  I’m glad I decided to participate. 

 

I decided to start another Saturday Sampler.  A group of us go down together to Tiny Stitches in Marietta. It is a lot of fun.  On the way home we stop at Dunkin Doughnuts and sit and chat. 

 

Here are the June and August blocks.  Can’t figure out why I didn’t take a picture of the July block. We had 3 choices for the color way, blue & yellow, red and Kaffe Fassett.   I decided to go with Kaffe.  Aarin, Jean and Nancy decided to do the blue and yellow.  All the choices are lovely. When we were down there on the 3rd Saturday, I couldn’t resist getting a couple of mug rug kits.

I think these are just adorable.  They are from Stitches of Love.

 

This is the second set of Scrap Busting blocks that Pat did.  I just do 5 each time.  I’m trying to use a color scheme so I can make a quilt using all the blocks, instead of a small lap quilt each time.

 

I’ve been working on some of my on-line BOMs and have gotten caught up on 2 of them.  Still 3 months behind on the rest.

This is the Aurifil blocks so far.  I guess it goes for the entire 12 months.

 

 

This is Pat Slone’s Globetrotting BOM.  All the blocks are made.  I’m just waiting on the finishing instructions.

 

I’m glad some of these projects are winding down.  I’m going to try not to get involved in so many next. year.  I’ve had my hands full trying to keep up with so many and not let them turn into UFOs.  I sure haven’t had much luck at working on my UFOs this year. I’m fighting to keep from acquiring any more.  Think I will have to be satisfied with that for this year.  Hopefully I will have better luck with finishing up more of my “old” projects next year. 

May BOM Progress

 

Off to a good start.  I’ve finished 3 BOMs for this May and working on # 4.

 

Second row right is the May block.  The four white corners don’t show up well on the white design wall.

This month’s Globetrotting block is London.  Wish I could visit all of these cities.

Finally some more purple!  I like these star blocks, especially the May block. Maybe the color scheme will grow on me. 

 

Another UFO on the design wall.  I’ve started sewing the sashing between the rows.  I worked on this before the May BOMs came out.  Hope I can get back to it shortly.  I’m calling it “Almost Christmas”.  It is made from a line of Moda Christmas fabrics from a few years ago.  The only one that looks really Christmassy is the print with the holly leaves on it.  I would like to finish up some of the UFOs that are laying around.

 

Almost got this quilted last month.  It won’t take long to finish once I get all of this month’s BOM blocks out of the way. The binding is made and ready to be applied as soon as it is off the frame. And get caught up on the quilt alongs.

 

It will be time to start the blocks for the new quilt along I couldn’t resist doing.  I’m waiting on some Kaffe fabrics that I ordered from Hancock’s of Paducah to arrive.  Maybe I will like them better than a couple of the ones I all ready have.  I wasn’t real happy with the light purple.  Thought it was too light for the dark fabrics in the other blocks.  Hope it get here soon.  This is a short quilt along and I don’t want to get too far behind.

April BOMs

 

April has gotten off to a good start.  I’ve complete all but 4 of the BOMs that I’m involved in.  So far I am liking how they are turning out.

The April Purple Sage block from Persimmon Quilts.  Just the center part of the block changes each month.  I think there are 13 blocks all together. 

 

The April Delightful Stars block. This is a quilt along and a new block comes out every week with the exception of a couple of breaks.  So, it is a little more challenging to keep up with.

Michele, the designer of the Delightful Stars quilt, asked each participant of the quilt along to make her a friendship star.  Her is the one I made for her.  She plans to piece them all together for the back of her quilt.

 

Globetrotting with Pat Sloan.  San Juan is the April block. I feel like I should write the name of the city each block represents to help me remember.

 

Clue 3 of the EVGQ mystery is complete.  Still able to do this as my leaders and enders and keep up.  The next clue comes out the 3rd Tuesday. This is definitely a mystery to me.

Off To a Good Start in March

 

So far so good.  I’ve done 4 of the 5 blocks that came out on the 1st.  Printed the Quilty Fun directions that come out on Mondays.  I’m going to try to complete both today.  And of course tomorrow is another day with another quilt along block and a busy day for me.  Gym in the morning and meeting a client at 11:30 a,m. 

The four monthly projects I’ve completed so far:

The first pictures is “Borders” the Aurifil BOM March block.  The second block is “Chicago” the Pat Sloan Globetrotting BOM for March. I’m not real happy with the fabric in the center, but don’t feel like trying to find another fabric and redoing the block.  Guess I will see how much it bothers me and if I have time to remake it before I use that fabric in another block.

Here is my Persimmon Quilts Purple Sage BOM for March. I’ll have to come up with my own name for this quilt.  Don’t think the “sage” works too well considering I used blue for the accent fabric.

 

These are the Tell it to the Stars blocks for March.  This BOM is from Patchwork Times blog.

Guess I will eat a little something and then get busy quilting!

Catching Up

 

We have had snow twice this year!

This is the first time it snowed. The roads were icy for a couple of days and driving was dangerous. People abandoned their cars.

 

 

The second time it snowed. The Grandkids enjoyed the snow. My husband’s son and grandson came up from Florida for a visit. It was Noah’s first time to see snow. It snowed February 11th and 12th and by Thursday evening the 13th it was gone. The roads weren’t as bad.  The road crews got out in a timely manner.

 

This was the scene on Thursday morning before it warmed up and melted.  It was very pretty to look out at.

I finally finished the Bonnie Hunter Celtic Solstice Mystery.  I made 121 blocks for the large king sized top and was able to make two tops, one queen size and the other a large throw size.  I’m glad to have them done.

 

Now I am playing catch up on all the Quilt Alongs and Block of the Months I’m trying to do.

The red and gray are the Aurifil January and February blocks and the blue are the Pat Sloan Globetrotting Blocks for January and February. So far I am liking the blue.  Hope my blues will continue to work so well.  I am worried it will be too much blue.

All caught up on the Quilty Fun Quilt Along at the Fat Quarter Shop until Monday when a new block is released.  This is really turning out cute.  I’m pleased with it so far.

That’s three down and seven to go!  Can’t believe I have that many projects all going at one time!  Maybe once I get caught up, I will be able to keep up.