January 2016 Goals

Well the end of 2015 finally brought us a little snow in the Valley and there is a light flurry for January 1st - marking  New Beginnings.

This will be my new Let's Book It project.  I found that I was working rather dark colors in my last few projects toward the end of 2015, so I feel I need to brighten things up.  I printed off "Dottie" to save - saw some use this with the RSC14 and loved it.  I bought two Lotta Dots strip sets from Connecting Threads during Black Friday Sales.  Why two?  Well they only have 27 strips, and that won't do.  The white-on-white has sat on the shelf for almost two years - time to use it.

I will continue this with Slow Sunday Stitching.  It's getting close to a finish, but I am getting down to those 7 missing floss colors to fill in spaces.  I was going to order on-line and then had a DUH moment.  One of our LQS carries DMC floss and I have a gift certificate (Christmas present) for them.  So I will visit them in a few days.

This was hard to photo - a jelly roll I treated myself to when I had my Blogaversary - Zen Chic's 'Modern Background - Paper'.  This is going to be my background for the 365 project. This just tickles me for some reason.

And my block making - Do More What Makes You Happy!  I pulled my first bag of scraps and will work thru this.  And the Miniature Quilts magazine - waiting for Angela to announce the RSC16 new color and a mini will be born.

There are a lot of new buttons on the side bar.  Please don't think I am doing all of them!!  There may be something that interests others, that's why I try to collect them.

My machine has been put away since December 23rd - I had to search for the power cord - why wasn't it with the machine?  It was still attached to the power strip - DUH again!  I think I am ready for new beginnings.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

The End of December and The Year

I had a short list for December - keeping the month stress free.  I made the gift 'selfie' bag for my grand daughter - her brothers have their own, so now she has hers.  These are my NaNa stockings for them - I keep them at my house.  Little sweet potato had surgery for her lazy eye yesterday and had some difficulty with the anethesia.  They kept her overnight for safety and tests - so prayers and hugs for our little girl.

Finish off the pineapple mini - free pattern HERE.  

And finish off the applique technique sampler.

Then there was the last of the Temecula Company Christmas Mini, so that was completed as well.

A month of small projects which gave time for some serious house cleaning, company visiting, time to mourn a loss, time to pick up some slow stitching.

Looking forward to a New Year

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

2016 Goals

I have given this some thought long ago and it simply comes down to the 'Motto' I have chosen for the year - Do More of What Makes You Happy.  And if you know me - playing in scraps to make lots of blocks is what makes me happy.   

I'm keeping it real!  I know where everything is and it will get organized as I go into the next month or two.  Those two large grey totes are filled with gifted bags of scraps - so full, I have some bags and boxes here and there.  The clear totes - one with scrap batt (for my minis) and the other has 'to be quilted' flimsies.  Two of those will be going off to the long armer in January, one for me to do, and there is actually one I am hand quilting.

1.  BLOCKS


     RSC16, Oh,Scrap, Scraptastic Tuesday, Modern HST, Quilt Doodle,
     365, Adrinka

All of those have links on the side bar - plus, I want to play with these.

2.  SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING

     There will be bindings, melons yet to work on, cross stitch pieces to
      finish, and that hand quilting on the star quilt.

3.  LET'S BOOK IT

     I already have my January project picked out.  Use those books,          

     magazines, printed and saved files - clear the dust.  You can

     read more about that on my TAB.

4.  CHARITY

     Hands2Help and local Quilt Guild - and as needs arise

I hope to do more testing for designers as well as interested in the Pattern Writing (see side bar).  I plan to participate in some of the various fabric companies block and pattern contests this year.  I, also, have two large local quilt shows in 2016 that I will be entering - one in the Spring and one in the Fall.

So a busy year planned, but it will make me HAPPY to use this up....

** linking up with the Planning Party HERE **

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon 

Best of 2015

Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs has a brilliant way for you to share your 'best' of 2015.  She has some suggestions on how to select your five best posts, write up a post, and then share on the linky party.  This certainly helped me as I was trying to compile my end of the year post and this works perfectly for it.

** just click on the header to take you to the post for more information **

POST ON BORDERS

This post on borders helped me to realize I AM NOT ALONE - so many others put off adding those borders, question how to border, and is it the best border.  OR like me, chose quilt patterns and designs where there is just no need for a border.

HANDS 2 HELP FINALE

Hands 2 Help is a very dear project for me as I do love to make charity quilts.  This year there was an awesome share of 'sweet 16' patterns to encourage quilters to participate.  Some super quest quilters sharing posts - to which I was pleased and honored to be one of them.

LET"S BOOK IT

A project and linky I started in 2014 and 2015 saw some amazing projects, too.  An idea to hit those books, magazines, filed away projects and actually use them rather than having them collect dust!

 

I know it has been a huge help to me in finally playing with some great projects that never would have come to be.  And by pulling those books, I found more inspiration - did some clear out (we grow in our taste) - and library shared with some students.

PETS ON QUILTS SHOW

 

Another dear project to me is the annual Pets on Quilts Show hosted by LilyPad Quilting.  Many quilters are pet owners and/or pet lovers and we all have those photos and quilts to prove it.

TRAVEL AND TEACHING

And I rounded out the end of the year (fall into winter) with doing some traveling to demonstrate and teach handquilting and history of quilts/quilting.  Sharing the venue with other local fiber artisans at many of the events - meeting wonderful people and such joy in the experience of sharing this with others. I look forward to doing this again next year.

** linking up HERE - please share a post **

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Slow Sunday Stitching

It's been a while since I joined Kathy with some slow stitching.  Being it is the last Sunday of the month as well as the last Sunday of the year - I best be joining in today.

Remember I found these?  With all of the machines put away, projects wrapped up for the year, inventory being done, and starting to list 2016 projects - these found projects will make for some much needed slow down time.

I finished this little one up over the last couple of days.  It only needed a little of the outer border done and the red in the house.  I have a heart template made from card stock to make a scrappy heart that I will needleturn applique' into that empty space.  After a good cleaning, this one will be ready for framing.  I actually have a nice wood frame that this will fit into.

So I am concentrating on this one from that 'Calendar' project booklet.  I know why this one sat - 8 colors missing.  You would think with all the floss boxes and tins I have, I would have them - NO.  But I will work this one up as much as possible for now.  I need to shop for floss, but will wait to see what is missing on the other project so I have a complete list.

It's been a hectic few days with the Holiday, why not join in with a little slow down.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

The After Glow

We had the warmest Christmas on record this year for New York (my brother is actually mowing the yard today).  But I had a lovely time with family and got to open some super gifts.  This is my wonderful collections of presents from Dee as part of the Santa Sack Swap.  I have participated in this since the beginning and my partners have always spoiled me.

A sack, bag, stocking or what you agree upon with your partner and 5 gifts which most are to be handmade.  I have always had sacks so asked for a stocking this year.  I didn't take photos of what I sent off - for fear of showing them off and Dee was peeking.  We could open them on the "decided day" or wait for Christmas Day - I opted to wait for Chirstmas Morn.

I love how she printed off 'notions' to tuck in the pretty case - my Mom thought they were real.  A super seam ripper - my most used has gotten real dull, so this was a real plus.  A cute zip full of mini Clover clips.  A roll of Steam A Seam 2 which is going to come in real handy with a project lined up for next year.  And some special Texas fabric that I need to find the perfect project for.

Those pretty Texas Bluebells in a lovely pillow - I have used up all my pillow forms so need to get a new one for this lovely.

And the back - she did a wonderful job in matching that overlap.  I could use this pillow either side, so pretty.

20 photos and it still is all fuzzy.  This adorable wall hanging.  Yes, you could use it as a runner, but will hang in a special place.  I love Chickadees - little clowns at our feeders.

I tried to get a close up of the gorgeous quilting on this.

Thank you Dee for being such a wonderful swap partner and Cheryl for being such a lovely host of SSS15.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

The Machine is Put Away

After  putting the Dancing 4-Patch blocks together, the Juki got put away with the other machines.  Yes, no machine sewing for the rest of the year.  This one needs borders anyway - and I always drag my feet with those.

And with things picked up and moved out of the dining/living room, I truly know I want to move it all into a dedicated 'studio'.  I have a huge empty bedroom - means stairs, but I think this will work.  And if layed out just right - there will be room for a long arm.

Besides, I have my beloved cross stitch calling me.  I have fallen away from this and really have the desire to return.  I won't give up quilting - don't get nervous.  If my sewing is dedicated upstairs, I can set up my cross stitch in an area downstairs.  My night time bit of play as well as dedicating Slow Sunday Stitching to this.  I found these three books with an almost completed piece tucked in them.  So I will have them to keep me busy thru the rest of the year.

The next few days will be filled with family.  I will post my Santa Sack Swap goodies, but will be ending with a New Years post.  Happy Holidays to all,

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Scrappy Monday

This is my Temecula Quilt Company 'We Wish You a Mini Christmas'.  Totally done with scraps out of a gifted baggy of goodies, scrap batt, scrap backing, and left over binding.  I had made my little blocks 3.5" unfinished - skinny sashing/corner stones, and that too cute Santa scrap made for finished size of 10.5" x 20.5".

I finished up the mini applique' sampler, too.  Again, completely from scraps that someone would have tossed.  Applique techniques: reverse, needle turn, bias, two fuseable, and facing - all techniques demonstrated by our program committee at one of our Quilt Guild meetings.  Finished size: 12.5"x14.5"

So all of my December goals are finished - what to do?

Rather than start an all 'new' project, I have a few containers of play things.  A tupper ware container of 4-patches made with 2" squares (and that barrel is stuffed).  Pressed all these out while I considered what to do with them.

I remembered Bonnie Hunter's 'Dancing 9-Patch' , but rather than make more work by turning 4-patches into 9-patches - this is a project to use things up.  So I have a Dancing 4-Patch in the works.  The Kona Ash is left over from the Dog Gone Cute project and should be just enough for a cute scrappy baby quilt.

**Linking to:
Oh, Scrap
Patchwork Times
Monday Making

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Slow Stitching Sunday 12/20/15

I will be joining Kathy in some slow stitching.  Just finished up the last of the gift wrapping and ready to put my feet up, put some Holiday music on, and get to these two minis.

I'll tackle the smallest first - probably 3 thread lengths should do the trick.  Then change threads to catch down the hanger and get the label on.

These shouldn't take me too long - maybe I'll get an afternoon nap with the fukids!

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Feline Friday 12/18/15

Moe (yes he has some new booboo's - rough housing with a stray) thought he would be a great help with trying to design something with this Tim Holtz 'Eclectic' short stack of 10" squares. NOT!  So I moved him to the favorite chair.

I heard some clatter behind me - Miss Bella declaring she was 'Queen of the House' by scooting under the chair to make a grab at a foot or tail that might be hanging.  Just the fact that I got the camera out, she high-tailed it out of sight for some time - and Moe got some undisturbed nap time. 

We went from a balmy, rainy high 50's (and I threw the windows open) into the 30's - maybe a little snow tonight????

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Being Gifted

No - not me gifted, but blessed that I have such lovely people gifting me.  One of our students who is a librarian in her little town, was gifted these magazines for donation into the library.  Well, she thought of me and I have the pleasure of using these - and they will get re-donated.  We, also, had a good laugh as two of these have my Mother's mail sticker on them - they found their way home.

This cutie came from Lynette as a thank you for hosting Let's Book It.  Henry Glass' cute 'Miss Kitty' fabrics and the sweet selvedge add the perfect framing.  It resides with some other little kitty pieces gifted me from bloggy friends on the front of my fridge.

I have been admiring Sheila's work with recycled men's shirts, not just quilts but also these great bags.  And she sent me one!  I tried to photo the inside, but it wouldn't really show - she used the front of shirts with the pocket for the lining/ pocket - just a super idea.   I've already tucked some items in this for use.

Sweet Dawn sent me this wonderful bundle of goodness.  Some seasonal FQs, little zip pouch (tucked in my new bag), mug rug (already in use), and magnet note pad.  I LOVE magnet pads and I just used up my last one - now residing on the fridge and in use.

THANK YOU LADIES!!!!

  
I am doing a little sewing - really.  I forced myself to finish the quilting on these two small wall hangings and the bindings ready.  I'll get these on and ready for Slow Sunday Stitching - while I watch a Holiday movie.

And as much as I hate snow - would love some right now to make the Christmas magic - we are warm and dry here in New York, strange.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon