April and Q-2 2015 Goals

Slated for my April finish with A Lovely Year of Finishes will be the Tweet Camping Quilt.  It will be in May's quilt show and I need to get this one quilted to be totally finished.  

The white sections are quilted with circles.  Initially thought of naming this stacked and packed since that's the first order of business when going camping.  Those pebbles reminded me of Styrofoam peanuts.

The blue outside border is quilted with a meandered square and rectangle shapes.  

Only the Brown strips and bird fabric and those tippy inside boxes left to quilt.

Looking for ideas on how best to quilt this fabric.....Any ideas would really be appreciated! 

HELP!!!!

First up though is to finish the March's 40 Diamond quilt.
Today I will conquer 7 more colored sections.         Promise.


As for the Q2 challenge my selections are:

Tweet camping Quilt, pictured above

Mater Strip Quilt Top finished (hopefully quilted too!)

Top made of the BQ Woodland Fairies

Finish Lizzie Kate Winter Alphabet, this month!

60 degree bird table runner

Irish Patch-a-bilities wall hanging

Wool Heart candle mat

Summertime table runner for sofa table
Cut out Fox Quilt

Magic Eyes Bag

Fourth of July Pillow

A Patriotic Wall hanging

ALYOF January and my Q1 desires for 2015

For the first month's focus I want to get this community project quilted.  It's been on my  to do list for the past several months.  It was  spray basted and pinned during our circle of friends quilting gathering 2 weeks before Thanksgiving.  I knew then that the table was a bit small but didn't realize how horrendous I had layered it until I attempted to quilt it during Christmas vacation.  I  Just wish I'd known then how off it was as I know my buddies would have gladly helped me to get it smooth and straight.  It has so many crinkles and folds in it so I'll be redoing that first so it can be worked on.  I have an idea for the quilting - stay tuned.

Am linking this post up with Shanna of at Fiber of All Sorts.




As for my focus for the first quarter I hope to take care of a few other UFOs around here.
For February finish the quilting on 40 Diamonds and then hopefully in March finish quilting at least the brown sashings of the Tweet Camping quilt if not perhaps the whole thing.    I'll be linking all three of these with Adrianne of New Zealand who blogs at On the Windy side for her Q-1 challenge. 
How about you, do you have some projects that you want to get done? This is a cool way to finish those items and join the creative swell of fellow quilters while doing it.

Jane

Desires for December

With the major Holiday fast approaching there's a calmness I have with knowing that all will get done.  Just by doing bits at a time, it will be achievable, hehe.....(and delegating)

                      it's the same principal as how I mention how do you eat an elephant?

                              One Bite At a Time!  (Or as with Trudy, moving that paper clip)

That being said there seems to be more done when I list my intentions down and this will be my format this year.

• This week I plan on getting the outdoors decorations up like the wreaths, garland and even candles in the windows.  Then I'll start the Christmas cards and greetings. 
• Of course there will be shopping, cooking, and candy making included for tasks needing done.
• As for traveling, we need to visit the eldest grandson at his school in Ma., Christmas concerts (I love!!), Christmas Services, Holiday parties and gatherings with friends I also love.
• Taking care of all of that besides progressing on my creative endeavors and the want to get done lists.  So the December's list in that arena will contain:

1- Quilt that Horse quilt PGD#1 made for the boy in Nicaragua. This I'll slate as my December's challenge for ALYOF.  It is resting on the sewing table relaxing so I hope to get to that this coming week.   YIPPEE! Done, see this link...
2- Teach PGD#1 how to bind it.   Done on the above link and project.
3- Quilt then Bind the Community Project quilt for WFQG.
4- Stitch four more blocks on the current CXS Lizzie Kate, Winter Alphabet.  Progressing nicely.
5- Make 2 more doll/stuffed animal quilts. 
6- Start the new QAL with Bonnie Hunter Mystery, Grand Illusion. Yep, going to jump on that boat and try to keep up with the steps for each week. Maybe not get all the units sewn but started so it'll be in bits unti I can get caught up, I have to be realistic about this. Perhaps a baby quilt size.......hehehe.  Also am thinking of changing the colors a bit too time wll tell, Yellow, pink red and green with the black and white sounds yummy doesn't it.  
7- Make trash containers for the car, these should be such a quick project that I'll use this project as my NewFO for December, the last one, she's giving these up to concentrate on UFOs next year.  Barb Stanbro who has been hosting this at Cat Patches blog gets so much accomplished each month.  She's amazing.  If you have time, check out her posts and the quilting she's currently doing on the "Gardeners Quilt". 
8- Using another wild card or 2,3  4  for myself as my #8 entry, making things like a tea cozy, assist making a Library card holder and bag for PGD#1, new table runner with a Christmas fabrics for Living Room,  etc....  we'll see.
9- Exercise 20 minutes a day at least for 5 days a week.
Could you tell I was an over achiever in school? It's either that or am I just plain NUTS? It seems like quite a large list to get to and I know it'll be a challenge but I am also ever optimistic. 

We went to see the Holiday Train last night when it went through town and despite the deep cold, it was  enjoyable.  The Canadien Pacific Holiday Train is another tradition we've embraced in the past several years.  The grand children love seeing it and the idea of giving food for those less fortunate embodies the season of giving.   As I sign off it's only fitting to quote a train by chanting,  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can .........toot toot!

I need to run, the ladies of our family are attending a party at 5pm with oils and fragrances and I love learning new ideas. 

Jane

Happy Thanksgiving and November's recap

Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends. 

I am thankful for all the blessings we have in our lives.  My gratitudes are typically expressed each morning upon waking and when I retire when the day is done.   So I try to live each day with gratitude in my heart.  Some other be phrases to use and I think are appropriate is:

be focused,
be unique,
be nice,
be on time! (a personal pet peeve of mine),
be true to yourself and to others,
be persistent,
be  loyal,
be your best,
and most of all........ BE CREATIVE!

This bouquet of flowers lasted over 2 weeks.  My DH gave them to me for my uh hum...th  Birthday on the 10th.  He surprised me with having them on the dining room table when I returned home on the 9th from my guild meeting in Glens Falls.  The roses didn't last as long and were shabby after the first week, but the rest lasted quite a while and I thought of the photo Mom took of her bouquet and thought this would be a terrific bookmark for moi and a reminder of that love when I read each night.  ;)







The November's goals I had were to:

1- Quilt Wee Wander Baby Blanket ( no intention declared for this yet, just to have it done and on hand.) I'm attributing this project as my ALYOF project with Melissa and H20 girl at Fiber of all sorts.  FINISHED!!! including a blank label to attach when I know where it's going.   Used a minkee plush fabric on the back with a variegated thread.  Photos below......
2- Quilt the Horse quilt PGD#1 made for the boy in Nicaragua. Also, I need to cut the binding so she can learn the binding making technique at one of our upcoming sewing sessions.    It's layered but not stitched a bit yet.  This will be moved to December's ALYOF project.
3- Quilt and Bind the Community Project quilt for WFQG.  Nada-zip, this will stay on my list for December
4- Make two stuffed animal quilts for CVQG.  Check!  Photos shared here.....
5- Do something for myself, this will be my wild card.   Check!  Made a table runner with leaves scattered on the center panel for that sofa table.  A nice easy finish.
6- Help PGD#1 finish her pillow she started with the cupcake kids. Almost done and it is too cute. She's planning on giving this to her Mom for her Birthday on the 22nd. Will be done this week! I'll post and share photos after the finish.   Check! 
7- Mend the vinyl on my Brother in Law's snap on weather protector for his backhoe. Hopefully right after I get off this computer. Edited 11/4- Attempted without success, but now I can cross this one off my list.  Check!
8- For Slow stitching Sundays I want need to start another cross stitch project. Maybe another small one like the recent finish, a Shepherds Bush Christmas fob.  Started a Lizzie Kate winter alphabet.  Planning on getting one square stitched each week -minimum! shown below...



Plush minkee used on backing.
Had an issue of that "fringing" effect so
had to rip out and redo with a thin bat between.
 




My favorite part of the panel ......
 

For next month's challenge....
It's laying on top of the sewing area to quilt in
December for the ALYOF challenge!
 

Started on November  13, 2014
using the threads called for.

So all in all, I'm content and feeling inspired to continue more.  Don't get me wrong I still have numerous UFOs pigs and plenty to get done on my lists, but if I can just keep all of these balls in the air and now focus on some exercise each day to boot and I'll be feeling mighty grand. 


Enjoy your blessings,
Jane