December 2013 End-of-Month Report

December is such a short month!!!  

Don't you think so?  If you figure the time you lose for all the Christmas-related activities - traveling, visitors, shopping, cooking, wrapping, decorating, gifting, parties - there's just not a lot of time in there to Get It Done!  Add to that the two weeks I was sick with bronchitis, and it's a wonder I got anything done, right?  I do love Christmas, but the older I get, the more of a hassle it gets!!!

Soooooo, let's see, how did I do on my Get It Done list for December?

December 2013 Goals:

Blog:  Prepare and post about TWO Giveaway Blog Hops!!  DONE!!!

Quilting (domestic sewing machine DSM): - Mom's Valentine table-topper.  DONE!!!  All that's left for this project is to sew down the binding, which I will finish up today :)

Quilting (longarm) - UFO - Indian Summer - Still in the bag - way too much going on this month for me and Joanne to find a day for just play.  It will continue to be next on the list :)

Bind Christmas Geese - DONE!!!  Picture below of this wonderful quilt on its frame, decorating our home this Christmas season! :)

Finish piecing the Bargello Tree Skirt - Never even got a chance to touch this project :(

Make a couple of Christmas gifts, mainly small gifts for stockings - DONE!!!  :*)  A few are still not yet gifted so I can't show them.

Yarn Projects: - continue Wingspan; cast on new Red Socks for ME!!! DONE!!!  I also managed a few knitted Christmas gifts :)

Guild Prep (new category):  I have agreed to head up a "Bees" Group sit-n-sew after our meetings each month, and I need to have all my ducks in a row for the announcement and roll-out in January.  DONE!!!

Christmas Geese on its frame - I SO enjoyed its cheerful presence this Christmas!!!

Details of quilting and binding for Christmas Geese

Not too bad, I suppose.  I'm cutting my January list a little short too, because I already know I will be traveling one week of that month.

January 2014 Goals:

• January Dinosaur - The Blue Collection!
• NewFO Project
• Rainbow Scrap Challenge Project
• Bertie's Year BOM for February
• EQ7 - begin getting re-famliarized with the software and start playing with it!
• Continue washing the Stash :(  UGH!!!

For 2014, I'm planning to FOCUS on some of my Dinosaur UFO's..... you know the ones....  they're so ancient, their dust has dust!  They've been around so long, they've reached "fable" status!  People are beginning to believe you never even started such a quilt!  You're not even sure where they are anymore!  And they have become big bullies - growling and taunting you, daring you to finish them off......   Right?  Am I all alone in this, my friends?  I don't think so!!!

Photo courtesy of Cruzine.com

In 2014, I'm declaring all-out WAR on these Dinosaurs!  I'm going to put a "Most Wanted" List on my blog so I can shoot them down one by one!  Each Dinosaur has been assigned a month on my calendar where it will be hunted down and shot given my main focus that month.  I may switch them around according to any timing changes each month, but I think the projects themselves will remain the same on the list.  I'm hoping to finish each one during the month, but of course I need to be realistic and accept that it's not always possible :*D  I'll be disappointed if I don't finish it, but I'll survive and come back another day to attack that monster!  (Aren't you glad?)

January's Dinosaur will be The Blue Collection.

Photo & Quilt by Maggie Walker

You can click on the name to see more about it if you are new to the blog.  If you're not, then you KNOW how long I have been working on this Dinosaur!!!  I actually obtained most of the patterns at least 7 years ago from a friend who was moving out of the state and didn't want to move her entire sewing room.  She sold off a lot of stuff, and three-quarters of these patterns were in the set that I bought.  I got the rest from the designer, Maggie Walker.  It's been a long road, but I'm finally rounding the home turn on this project - wish me luck!!!

As for my other normal monthly projects in December - some I got to, and some I didn't.  Of course, I did manage to start a NewFO to meet the December 2013 Challenge - Barbara at Cat Patches is hostessing this fun party again in 2014, so be sure to check it out & join in!!!  You can see some of my potential NewFO's for 2014 by clicking HERE.

This linky party is too much fun to miss!  You get PRIZES for starting something new - what's not to love?  AND you don't even have to finish it!  Yep, my kind of party LOL!!!

Bertie's Year - January BOM block
This is coming along quite nicely :)

I started the Bertie's Year BOM this month for my NewFO, and of course since it is a BOM it will be added to my Get It Done goals each month in 2014.  I think you'll enjoy seeing these fun and colorful wall quilts each month :)  So far, Gypsy is giving this project a Two Thumbs Up ..... um, I think I better keep my eye on her around Bertie!

I didn't have time to do anything in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for December, but Angela at SoScrappy is hosting this rainbow-a-licious party again in 2014 - and there will be PRIZES!!!!  Come and join in on the fun!  

This will be my third year in the RSC, and it is always one of my favorite things to do during the month :)  This year I think I am going to have to do at least one block made from crumbs - my crumb jars runneth over!!!   Here are the last two blocks I made during the 2013 Challenge.....Baby Blue!

Lone Starburst

Fantasia

Be sure to hop over to Patchwork Times to share what's on your Get It Done list!!!

(Inquiring minds want to know ☺)

I would like to wish each and every one of you 

a very Happy, Healthy & Prosperous NEW YEAR!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Sharing a Few Finishes!

I'm definitely doing the Happy Dance around here!  

I've got FOUR finishes to share with you - whoohoo!!!!  Yes, I have been a busy little girl these past few weeks!  Thanks to my friend Joanne letting me use her longarm, I finished up two UFO's that have been burning a hole in my UFO closet ...

Christmas Geese

This is my FIRST Christmas quilt!  Yes, I have been quilting now for 7 years and this is my first full-size Christmas quilt ... *hangs head in shame*.....  It is a Miss Rosie pattern called Toulouse - apparently there is a type of goose in France called a toulouse..... who knew?????  You can read my post about this quilt's beginnings HERE if you are curious.

This was the first quilt I blogged about when I started the blog two years ago :*)  I fell in love with the pattern, bought it at a LQS, and then held on to it until I could decide on the fabrics I wanted to use.  When I found this lovely background oriental print on sale, I knew it would become a Christmas quilt.

On the longarm.....

Below is the design I chose to quilt it with, called Joyful Holly by Willow Leaf Studio.  

I love it!!!!

The quilt is trimmed and the binding - a joyful red and white candy-cane stripe - is all prepped and ready to apply....

I'll be sure to share a final photo when that's done, but for now I just have to get a few little projects out of the way first :)

Next finish ..... another long-time UFO - Fall Pumpkins Sampler!

This quilt started out as BOM blocks at a local LQS in 2008!  In January, they provided the pattern and fabrics to make either Fall or Christmas sampler blocks for just $3 a block.  Then if you brought the completed block(s) back on the first Sunday of each month, you got the next block free - what a deal, right? Of course, you could do both Fall and Christmas if you wanted - and I did :*)  At the end of the year, they also offered setting kits for each quilt.  I loved the addition of the pumpkins as an alternate block in this setting!  I chose to use my own stash fabrics, however, rather than buy a setting kit.

This quilting design is called Wave on Wave and I really enjoy the play of design on fabric....it was quick and fun to do too :)

I totally LOVE this binding fabric!!!

It was such a sunny day when I took these pictures, and the colors are a little washed out here....it's really a very vibrant quilt - lots of eye candy :)

A HUGE THANKS again to Joanne for helping me finish up some of these treasured UFO's!!!!

Of course, both of the Baby Quilts are now finished, as well, and ready to be gifted .... (read more about them in my previous post HERE)

Cooper's rag quilt Tranquility is all washed & dried....
SO cuddly & soft - perfect for our new Little One!!!

And I just finished quilting Genevieve's Banners on my Janome 6600P..... (you can click on the quilt name if you want to learn more about how I made this quilt)

I used the background fabric as my guide for the quilting design on this one - soft, happy daisies everywhere.... connected with lazy little loops..... gosh this was FUN to quilt!!!

I wanted to add a rose design in the heart - for our little Genevieve Rose of course!  I traced the design onto tissue paper, then pinned it to the quilt and quilted over it - worked perfectly I think!!!

Here it is ... all trimmed and bound and ready for Miss Genevieve :*)

Thanks for sharing these finishes with me!!!

It's always so much more fun to enjoy our quilts with friends, isn't it?

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Joy to the Goose!

Have you made a Christmas quilt?  I’ve been quilting now for about 5 years, and every year I’ve said, “This year I’m going to make a Christmas quilt.”  But I never managed to get to it until this year.  It’s still not quilted (story of my quilting life!), but here is my first Christmas quilt top.  Isn’t it a beauty?!?  (Pardon my lack of photog skills!)

It is a pattern by Carrie Nelson called Toulouse from Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co.  Did you know that there is a variety of French goose known as a Toulouse?  Carrie didn’t either until she googled it.  The big blocks in the middle are called Goose in the Pond, and of course the large border is Flying Geese.  So I call this Christmas Geese.  Didn’t take much imagination to come up with that, huh? 

The background fabric is an oriental print by Kumiko Sudo for In the Beginning fabrics.  I got about 6 yards of it – all that was on the bolt – on sale at one of our local quiltshops and held onto it until I found the perfect pattern for my Christmas quilt.  I love the way the scrappy greens and reds just sparkle against the background!  I still have about 2 yards left – yum!!!

                                                           I think my family liked it!

 

I also finished this quilt that I consider a Christmas quilt.  It is an original design by the multi-talented Melissa over at Doodle-head Stitches.  She designed this to be a monthly mystery quilt for our Guild last year.  The directions gave the option to make the quilt either 30” or 60.”  I chose the smaller blocks of course – I love small quilts!   I call this one The First Noel.  Isn’t Melissa an awesome designer?!?

I’d love to see some of your Christmas quilts!  Or are you planning your first one for next year?  Tell me about it!

Teresa

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