March's Plan and a surprise

Feeling really good about what I did get done last month and not focusing at all on what I didn't get to.  Can you tell I'm getting really relaxed about letting those unrealistic expectations free?

• This month I plan on getting the 40 diamond quilt totally quilted for my ALYOF project cheered on through Fiber of all sorts  and as part of the Q-1 challenge with Adrienne from on the Windy Side.  Maybe this month I'll finish sooner rather than later.  That would be awesome!
• Make some yellow HST units for the RBSC with Super scrappy.
• One or two bird projects for the tree Bird Blog hop coming from Sew We Quilt and being cheered on by Lana.   I do have a bird panel from the fabric designed by Elizabeth's Studio which I've looked hunted for but can't find.  My day to share is the 17th which is St. Patricks day AND National Quilting Day, what a coincidence.
• Something for a March theme home goodness.
• Read the Book The Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.
• Make 15 blocks for a class I'm taking next weekend.
• Finish all the cross stitch on the bottom left corner of Winter's Alphabet.

That's enough even though there are a few other projects I'd like to get too besides.   For an example of what's also spinning in my mind are making a purse/bag (for the let's book it challenge), make another snap bag, start/finish quilting the Tweet camping quilt that I'd like to totally cross off my list this year besides another doll quilt for the stuffed animals community project for the guild.  All of this and that's not mentioning wanting to start the Jenni Beyer 2015 BOM or the New Hexagon millefiori that I just received templates from the Paper Pieces in KY from in the post this morning.    Okay, that's enough of that monkey brain spinning out  of control Janie, just breathe and stay on track.

Speaking of mail in the post, imagine my surprise when I received a nice squishy package in the mail this am. It was from Tonia who blogs over at  All thingz sewn.  Thank you so much, I love the prints and that pattern is cute which I also have an idea of making a perfect something from it.   Maybe I could squeeze that in this month too!   

 lol   

Also, thanks for those Babushka Scissors!  SQUEE!  What a sweetheart and how did she know I collected scissors?  With all my scissors I didn't have any like them at all,  I heart them Tonia,  THANKS!!  You really made my day. 

I saw in my email this am a daily inspirational  which quoted a saying something like "Perfectionsim is the killer of creativity".  I concur.  

Enjoy your day and follow your passions.  Jane

Blues making me happy and January's summation.

Blues are making me very happy this month.  The RBSC has been a great incentive to work through some of my blue scraps. Those 2 additional projects I mentioned several weeks ago that were a brain glimmer are now done.  Yippee!

Another snap bag, this time to hold those electronic adapters in the den near the computer.
For this I used the selvages of the fabric as the pull tabs to open the bag with.  
Ahhh,  gotta love a Free spirit fabric and especially since it has Nap Sack written there for all to see.  lol

The other blue remnant that was used was an apron panel thrown into the scrap basket.
So I rummaged through my stash for a different blue suitable for the lining and voila.
Another languishing pig is DONE!  That's 6 pigs done this month!
I think this PIG may very have been at least 12-15 years old if not older.   Sad isn't it that it took so long.

The directions says Winter Wonderland Apron, but I think it more Christmas themed.  

The only weird thing is that it has two Santa-s with sleds directionally heading right for each other.  

The fabric looks black here but trust me, it's dark navy.

The pin dot is what was used for the lining.  Any leftover navy pin dot will be used to make some more HST units for another community quilt project.   I'm on a new kick with making those HST units. For the apron it seemed easiest to sew right sides together then flip it inside out to finish with a top stitch.

Since it's finished, I'll pack it away for Christmas 2015.    Happy !

So the tally made for January is:
 1 circle ear bud zippered pouch,
4 snap bags,
1 apron,
10 quilt blocks for the RBSC and
more blues are ironed and cut so they're ready for a quick use  at a later time,



Made some hats with the grand children for the kitchen island's illuminated Birch tree.


 It's so cute!   There are 6 hats hanging on it now and I thought some ice skates or mittens out of felt could be made next year to continue the winter  theme .


Also finished reading the book: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, a nice read.  (Pulled me in quickly but I didn't care for the ending,  Just saying.)


AND the Quilting is so close to being done on another community quilt for my guild that I'm calling it done!



Not too shabby.



Hopefully I can keep this momentum going for February since the color for the month is PINK.

Another project I recently started is this wool table mat.  This will serve as my portable one which will be easy to take to basketball games, hockey  practice/games when the fan area is warm enough to stitch that is and then speech at the local college for the youngest grand child which also will be re-starting soon, so that will make another hour I could stitch after chaffeuring him to that.     ; )

The only thing wrong with this kit is one of those wools is shredding terribly without any abuse.  I'll be trading  that one out as I have some  red remnants left over from the valentine wool wall hanging I did last year and they didn't seem to fray at all.  4 hearts stitched so far with 4 more to go then the vine embroidery to stitch.  It mentions buttons but I'm thinking beads will be used on mine instead.  Making me  happy,  happy!

For my bigger quilting project for January with the Q-1 and a ALYOF I am almost done quilting it.

Yippee!

We celebrated our 41st anniversary this evening so I know I won't get to it tonight, but will finish it when I get up in the am which is close enough for a January finish in my book.

A different quilt design was stitched and I will share this finish at the beginning of next week.    Promise!  I have the binding all made so it'll be a relatively quick finish.  lol


As for the counted cross stitch project, that has progressed  nicely this month too.

My February endeavors and dreams are:  

Catch up with my BOMs is top on my list,
RBSC- PINK HST units in sets of 4.
Start working on some of the bird projects in my PIG pile,
Quilt the brown sashing areas of the Tweet Camping Quilt,
then if enough time quilt the bird themed  fabric squares too!
make the pink Rose pillow (that's a PIG),
A March themed wall hanging or two? (both of these are more PIGs),
make another doll blanket,
then make another table mat/runner or progress/finish the wool heart table mat shared on this post,
Get the snow scene finished on the bottom left section of counted cross stitch Lizzie Kate Winter's alphabet.
And Finish reading The Round House, by Louise Erdrich. It's really good so far. I'm up to page 100.

Goodbye January 2015, it's been quick but a good one.

Jane