Stitching Pennies

I'm excited to to say that in all the business I have had this past week - there have been a lot of things going on and quite a few things getting accomplished.  I hate when I let things go this long because then I have to back track and figure out where I left off.  Someday - I'll just blog every day and I won't have to do that.  Operative word - "Someday"  and then the crowd laughs, ha ha ha!
Okay the last time I blogged, was the day before our guild meeting for CRQ (Colorado River Quilters).  I invited my crafty neighbor friend Bev and she totally enjoyed it and will be coming from now on.  Yay!  After the meeting I went over to her house for a little and we talked over a few crafty things that each of us wanted to do and then I came home and finished a couple more of the doll bags.  So now I just have clothes left and they'll all be done.

Friday 21st  I traced on Freezer paper some of the images for the applique on my UFO I'm working on this month.  Folk Art Gathering.  I originally wanted to trace all the wonky flying geese but my friend Vickie thought it would be easier to do them with paper piecing - so I came home and printed them off on foundation paper - ready to work on tomorrow.



Saturday the 22nd was the Open Sew Potluck day at the quilt shop.  It took me all day - but I was able to get all 14 of the wonky Flying Geese for this one section of Folk Art that I'm working on.

Sunday the 24th we did our morning walk and then I started on a pincushion I want to do for the February workshop for the SNR Guild.  (Stitch N Rippits)  

Monday the 25th we took our walk and then knowing it was going to be a busy week, I got in and got all of the house work done.  Bathrooms, sweeping mopping, dusting - you name it.  :)  I am working at the shop all day Tuesday and Wednesday until noon and then we are leaving for California on Thursday morning so I spent the rest of Monday afternoon getting some hand stitching projects ready for the trip. And after all the cleaning I also finished the Armchair Pincushion. There is even storage under the cushion.

Tuesday 26th - Very long day.  I worked at the shop from 8:30 - 5:15 then I grabbed a quick hamburger with my hubby and then headed to the cottage to teach the January workshop for SNR. 

This is the project.  I've posted it before - because I have to have them done so far in advanced - but here it is again the Calendar Holder. 

Everyone that came seemed to like it and a couple people got very close to finishing.  I'm sure there will be some at the next Show and Tell so I'll try and get some pictures to post of the ones that finished.  I left there at 9:15 to come home.  Whew - Good Day but Long day!  

Wednesday 26th - I worked at the shop until about 11:30 and by the time we caught up and I was on my way home it was just a little after noon.  Once I got home I finished packing up a few things for the trip and worked on quilting my small quilt Vintage Kitchen.  I got it quilted and the binding on, I just need to do the hand stitching of the binding.  

And in the evenings of this week I have continued to work on my Scavanger hunt block for January for the SNR guild.   Here is how much I got done before we left on the trip. 

It just does not photograph well. 

Thursday we got up got ready grabbed the doggies and got on the road - heading to So. California to see one of my husbands brothers.  They were going to golf and I was going to visit quilt shops.  We headed out from here about 6am and got there 11 am our time 10 am their time.  :)  So we grabbed some breakfast and then they met up for golf.  I got the doggies settled and then headed out to see a couple quilt shops.  I went to   Bev's Quilting Cabin  When I pulled up there didn't appear to be window's and no sign on the door and I almost drove away - but I opened the door and thought what the heck.  Well it was 2 rooms about 12 x 12 each.  One was a class room and one had notions on 2 of the walls.  She didn't have much fabric she said that she specialized in classes and retreats.  Hmmmm So I looked around and found some of the colored Tea towels I wanted and a pattern that I need like I need a hole in - well you know.  But I ended up spending close to an hour there and talking with her - very nice.  When they found out we were in town visited family - she and some ladies there invited me to come back and do a sit n sew next time I was in town.  And they invited me to their retreat they do in Big Bear.  Not that I will take them up on it, but I felt so comfortable with them I could have.  sat down and started stitching right then.  :) 

From there I went a little farther east to The Quilt Cupboard   They are actually really big and had a lot of fabric and patterns and a little of everything.  I found some different tea towels there and a pattern and a couple of fat quarters.  I also found some wool there but they didn't have the colors I wanted.  I inquired about getting different colors and she said she did, however they do no online or phone order sales.  Bummer.   It's worth a stop though if you are in the area, very nice shop.  Here is what I netted from both shops.  The small check and sewing machine pattern are from Bev's, and the Large check and hexie pattern is from The Quilt Cupboard. 

After I was done there I headed back to my BIL house.  I grabbed a coke and sat out on the back patio, propped my feet up brought the dogs bed out beside me and I listened to my book on tape and stitched in the sunshine.  It was awesome.  

The guys picked up burgers on the way home and so ew munched and watched some TV.  What a great day.  

Friday the 29th.  After the guys headed out to golf I grabbed an address for a couple more quilt shops in a different direction.  I headed 9 miles out and found the shop had been closed.  :(  I called and they said they were strickly on-line now.   Well I decided I better call the next one too.  Yup they were on-line as well.  It would be nice if it told you that when you looked them up on line.  They both had physical addresses and both had hours of operation.  Weird!   So I grabbed a sandwich and headed home.  Again I brought the dog bed out to the back patio in the sunshine. Got my book on tape - propped up my feet and stitched away.  Here's what the two days of stitching netted me.  

I finished the big basket block it needs a circle and a heart yet.   Then on Thursday I did the other basket, the heart and started on the first layer of penny's. 

I finished the rest of what is done on the penny blocks.  I have wool that needs to be the 3rd layer of the penny blocks.  They need to be cut out and fused on then I can stitch around them.  It's pictured above, however these blocks go in the circled sections in the picture.  

Today we got up said our good byes and headed home.  It's been a busy week, and a fun week and a relaxing week all in one.  

There's only one more day of the month don't know how much more of my goals I can accomplish but I guess I'll be back tomorrow night or Monday morning  to let you know what goals were met, and what goals are set for next month.  

Have a Blessed Day

Lynn 

Bye Bye 2015 Goals Met and Set

Well I've had a lot of posts lately and that is good.  I posted yesterday about my 2016 goals in an overview but not specific.  I have to have it broken down by each month or it seems to overwhelming and I get side tracked too easily.  So how did I do for December - really good actually.

December Goals

1.   Keep Blogging more and more.  Try for 2 times a week - 8 times a month.  Met - I got a lot of posts in.

2.  Continue progress on Bears.  Met - I did I did and I am so happy.  Finally I am making progress on this Woodsy quilt that I am happy with.  

Here's where I started - 

Here's what I got completed!  So yes progress has been made. 

I have completed bear #1 and now am gearing up for bear #2.  :)

3.  Finish Bethlehem wall hanging.  I have the top done and the backing on.  Just need to blanket stitch around the whole thing and put hanging tabs on it.  Met - All done with hanging Tabs and all. 

4.  Finish Chicken Wall hanging for friends Christmas present.  I've been doing the top stitching this week in the evenings and  I have the top done now so just need to quilt and bind.  I need to have it ready by the December Business meeting which is only a week away though.  So gotta get cooking.  

Met - and she loved it. 

Here it is finished. 

5.  Finish Ornaments for friends  - Again need to get them done by next week.  Met - I pulled it off in time. 

This isn't all of them but several.  

6.  Finish Challenge quilt for CRQ quilt show.  It's due by mid month.  I need to finish the hand stitching of center then attach borders, quilt and bind. The center is wool applique.   Met! 

I got it quilted and labeled and turned in on time.  I think if you click it you can see the quilting on it.

7.  Mixer Cover.  I bought my Sister some fabric that I thought was cute - and thankfully she did too.  We raised sheep when we were growing up so for some reason we are drawn to cute lamb or sheep stuff.  I was going to make her a travel bag but she liked it so much she wants it to show and thought of a cover for her Kitchen Aid Mixer. I am waiting on measurements so I at least want to start it.  Bonus points if I can finish it.  Zoom in if you can - Isn't that the cutest?   Met and Bonus points - it's done! 

It is reversible!  

8.  Write fabric requirements for January's SNR Project -the Calendar Cozy pictured above.  Needs to be done by December  meeting in a week.     Done - I actually didn't need it until the January meeting - but it is done. 

Bonus points!

No other Bonus Points were achieved. 

1. Write instructions for Calendar cozy.  Supply list due mid December, instructions due mid January

2.  Make the Armchair Pin Cushion and write supply requirements and instructions

3. Design Spring wool felt wall hanging and write supply requirements and instructions

4. Make lap quilt and write supply requirements and instructions. 

January Goals

On to a new month and new goals

1. Continue to blog more.   If I keep up with December, no problem

2. Mystery Monday is resuming for January so I will say complete whatever that is. 

3. Dolls in a Bag - I originally was making my dolls in a bag for the February quilt show. Well I've sold almost all I made, so I need to replenish them.  I want to have 10-12 dolls ready for the Quilt Show Boutique so I want to have them done by end of this month.  Also I am having trouble getting the same baby dolls so I will need to adjust the clothing a little to accommodate the new dolls.  They have to be done by end of month so this is my big focus for the month.  

4. Quilt 2 of the 5 quilts I have already sandwiched.  I'm thinking these two but reserve teh right ot change my mind on which ones. 

 I have a poinsettia quilt design I want to use on this. 

Not sure what I want to do on this one yet - but with both of them being small I should be able to finish. 

5.  Continue on Woodsy Quilt - Start next Bear.  I will be doing a mirror image of the bear so I went and got my pattern reversed so I can start tracing the fusible.  I will be adjusting the borders and the trees to be able to put the two bears together.  Anyway goal is to get a good start on tracing the 2nd bear onto fusible.  Also - I want to make progress on UFO's each month.  This will be a busy month so this will double as UFO progress. 

6.  In my efforts to not let gifts and holidays gang up on me, I want to work on or finish one gift/holiday item each month.  This month I will finish these Ornament Wall hangings. 

7.  New - I really don't need to be starting new things, I have plenty of UFO's that need to be finished.  However as we all know not starting something new doesn't work for quilters either. :)  I have so many patterns and kits that I want to make - so I'm going to try to do my new stuff - but controlled. 

This month I am going to start a quilt for our grandson Caleb.  His Birthday is in March so I want to get it done by then. I have a couple of train patterns  that I want to incorporatate along with some train material and a panel that I'm using on the back. I am also going to do some trains from my friends Accu Go Cutter. I don't need to finish just start. 

8.   Guild Projects and Charity Projects - I need to keep going on guild projects so I am ahead of them.  I have an arm chair pincushion that I want to make for February or March project.  I need to get that started, and the instructions started.  No picture yet - Sorry.  :)

 Bonus Points - 

If I can get what I want to get done above - I will work on more gifts and UFO's. All people quilts is doing their UFO busting again so I will use their random number to pick which UFO I work on.  If I do this long enough maybe I can get some of these off the list.  :) 

I'll keep you posted which UFO is picked and if I get a chance to work on it. 

Hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a Blessed New Year.  

Talk to you Next Year

Blessings, Lynn 

 

October Goals

September came in slow but went out fast.   I only gave myself a few goals because I knew I had some really time sensitive projects that were also time consuming.  So let's see how I did -

1. Blogging More - Well I drew out my posts on the retreat and if you count this one will make 7 which matches the last couple of months.  I will say goal met -but I think I'm really stretching it.
2. Vintage Kitchen - Do the last stitchery - Complete - Goal Met.

3. Finish SNR Guild workshop project that I will be teaching in October.  - Complete - Goal Met. 

4. Bears -  :) Happy Dance.  Goal Met.  I have it traced on the vinyl, all of one is traced on the fusible and fused on the appropriate colors.  Cut out and started to fuse together.  

5. Work on things to sell at the craft fair - Goal Met.  I am adding to the collection of the little dolls and have even already sold 2.  

These are the two sets I've sold.  

September was pretty good.  

October Goals: 

1. Blog More Often

2. Continue with Craft Fair Items to sell. 

3. Make Progress on Bear.  Finish first one and start on 2nd. 

4. Mystery Monday if not cancelled and I can go -  complete project. 

5. Complete top of Halloween Wall hanging from SNR Table Runner. 

I think I better leave it small so I can stay focused again. 

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn 

September Goals

Well August was kinda a bust in some ways - I did not get all the things done that I wanted to and as I stated in my other poster here- the retreat was not as productive as I had anticipated. I took about 5 projects to the retreat knowing that I wouldn't get them all done,  but thought I would get maybe 2 1/2 done. Nope that didn't happen . If you want to read about it you can click the link above.  But it is September and since it's already the 3rd and I haven't blogged, wrapped up August or listed September goals I am starting out of the gate behind.  I have had a lot going on and I do want to share some of that but I'll save it for another post.  So with no further ado - August wrap up.

1. Blog more - Well I tied with July so I guess that's ok - E for Effort
2. Mystery Monday - Complete it.   A+  Done and using alot.  I've always wanted to make one of these and let it intimidate me so Now I'm happy I did it.  :)

3. Woodsy Quilt - Do a new Block and or Redo Bears - Well No Progress but E for Effort.  I found a pattern that will work perfect for the center Bear Block and I am going to alter it so that there are two bears instead of one.  So I did some work on it all - I just didn't do any work on an actual block.
4. Wool project "Bethlehem" - Finish .... No Progress at all.
5.   Finish quilting the Sea Turtles and then start on Bee Hive Baby.  1/2 done.  I finished the turtles and then took the Bee Hive Baby to the retreat, however as you can read in my other posts, I didn't finish anything at the retreat.  :)  so only 1/2 done.
Here are the Sea Turtles -

6. Embroidery - Vintage Kitchen - Done.  I was able to finish this on our little trip we took at the first of the month.  Yay!

7.  Piecing Project - Chocolate Stars - Finish top - Success finally.

8.  Charity -   Nothing new done.
9. Boutique -  Dolls in a Bag - A+ -   And probably a big reason why some other stuff didn't get done.  :). Also I went helped out for a day at our local quilt shop.  They had a bunch of stuff dropped off and donated to them so they had a give away day.  At the end of the day I volunteered to drop the remaining stuff off at the local senior center and found out that they are having a craft fair at the end of October.  So now instead of gearing this stuff up for the February quilt show boutique - I am going to enter the craft fair - see what I can sell - and then replenish for the boutique.  Here's a peek at some stuff I'm working on.

I have more on this later but I've been making these little pillows and blankets and they will go into the little bags that are above.  :) 

10.  APQ - UFO Buster #2.  It was my wool crazy and ark crazy projects - No Progress.
11.  New projects - Start my challenge quilt for the quilt show.   Goal Met -

It's not sewn together I want to finish the hand stitching on the center wool applique first.   But I definitely got a good start on it. 

12.  New Project - Start and get most of the SNR Guild project that I'll be teaching in October done so I can show it at the September business meeting.  - Goal Met!   Pictures on this later!  

I have the pattern drawn, 2/3 of the directions written and 1/2 of the project stitched. 

13.  Complete the rest of the Row by Row that I was going to use for the bench pillow.   No Progress. 

Okay so here's the Tally for the month.   5 Goals met,   1 - 1/2 met 1/2 not,  2 E for Effort and 4 not met.   So 7 1/2 to 4 1/2  - the scale is slightly leaning towards the met side  -- ha ha  :)  

Okay now for September

1. Keep on with Blogging more. 

2. Embroidery - The last block for Vintage Kitchen.  Then I can work on assembling it. 

3.  Finish the SNR Workshop project.  - I will post pictures of this in a later post.  It is a small wall hanging that is done in wool felt. 

4.  The Bears.  Using the pattern pictured above I am going to do one the way it's pictured and one reversed so that there are two bears.  I would like to have this drawn out on a vinyl over lay and *extra credit * if I can get it traced out on the fusible. 

5.  Work on projects to sell at the craft fair.  

It seems like a short list - but knowing how much time each of these things are going to take along with the fact that both of the guilds are starting back up this month and there will be extra time spent on that too, I think it's enough.  

I have a lot of things I normally like to incorporate into my monthly sewing - but if I get all this stuff done and want to do something else I probably need to do more on the bear block.   My sweet Sister has been waiting so so long (maybe close to 3 years) for this quilt - I really want to give it more attention. 

I will keep you posted as I work on things this month and see how good I can be at staying focused. With both guilds starting up I know there will be new projects and as much as I say I don't want to start new things - I get sucked in.  :)  

Have a Blessed day! 

Lynn