A Lovely Year of Finishes -- January 2015 goal

I tried this last year, but then life derailed my big sewing plans.  Hopefully this year will be the big year of finishes for me.  I already posted my yearly 2015 WIPs and goals, ALYoF will help me me on track on a monthly basis.

The first blog post I have of my x-plus quilt is June of 2013 (too long!), so my January 2015 goal is at finish at least the top, and move on to the quilting phase :)

linking up with A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015

2015 Sewing Goals and To-do

I'm putting this in writing so I hold myself accountable, and it will be nice to cross things off the list!  I'm sure this list will grow and change as the year progresses :)

my WIP box

Gifts + Swaps

basting my first quilt of 2015!

• Baby quilt for Tobin and Amy (Due Jan. 5) -- currently: Finished!
• Schnitzel & Boo mini swap (Due Jan. 23) -- currently: Finished
• Birthday present for Christine (Due Feb. 10) -- currently: cutting/piecing
• Birthday present for Shannon (Due March 14) -- currently: piecing
• Rainbow mini swap (Due Apr. 6) -- currently: quilting
• Sew South secret sister (Due Apr. 16) -- currently: planning
• Sew South fabric basket swap (Due Apr. 16) -- currently: planning
• Swap with Jess (Due Apr. 23) -- currently: planning and cutting
• Mid Atlantic Mod Secret Sewist (Due Apr. 23) -- currently: awaiting assignment
• Mid Atlantic Mod Mini Quilt swap (Due Apr. 23) -- currently: planning
• Briar Rose Quilt for Autumn (Due July) -- currently piecing

Monthly and yet to be assignment commitments

• Grace Circle blocks (monthly)
• Sisterhood of the Traveling (bi-monthly)

Quilt WIPs

• x-plus quilt (ALYOF January 2015 goal) -- currently: piecing

Pile of x-plus blocks

• DS disappearing 9 patch (Due June 7 so I can have it signed!) -- currently: piecing 
• Starbright Quilt -- currently: piecing

Starbright Quilt mock-up

• Penny Sampler (in time-out) -- currently: piecing 

Penny Sampler Blocks so far

New Projects

• Quilts for nephews (5) and nieces (1)
• C+S Single Girl quilt
• Stitched-in-Color "handstitched" class

Goals

• Sew 15 minutes every day
• #SewMyStash2015
• Blog at least bi-weekly
• Learn garment sewing
• FMQ!
• Try selling at a craft show

WIP Wednesday

It's been a while since I've done a WIP Wednesday post... sadly there hasn't really been much in-progress until this month.  My main project goal for Mid-Atlantic Mod was to work on my Briar Rose Sawtooth Stars quilt for my niece.  She will be 3 in June so I want to have it finished for her birthday.

--apologies I always seem to start off with crappy IG pics!--

I tried to get the majority of my fabrics cut so that I would be able to sew, sew, sew at the retreat, but at 2am on Wednesday before I left for lancaster I realized that wasn't going to happen.  As I was cutting I realized I was going to need more solids as well.

Since I knew I needed 4 flying geese per star, I sewed up a few test blocks using the no-waste-flying-geese method.  The about.com article even had cutting instructions for common block sizes, so I didn't even have to do quilt math for a 6 inch finished geese!

pretty stacks of solids :)

Between more cutting, and socializing, I only managed to get a few blocks done on the first day of the retreat.  I got down to business and sewed more Friday and Saturday and ended up with 18 blocks by the end of the retreat.... not too shabby considering all the other things I got up to :)

I've been sewing them piecemeal here and there as I have time.  I need 35 blocks total and plan to do a skinny border of Essex Linen in Flax to bring it up to twin size.  I'm not sure how I want to quilt it, but maybe I can get up the guts to try a loopy FMQ meander...

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.  What is on your sewing table?

A Lovely Year of Finishes: March Goal

Does anyone else feel like February went by way too quickly?  Between work, bad weather, and being sick all last week... I really don't feel like I got much done (except buy lots of fabric... but that's a story for a different post, lol).  I have to say, I'm glad it's March, because Mid-Atlantic Mod is only a month away!!!  This will be my first quilting retreat and I'm really looking forward to having 4 solid days of quality time with my machine and other quilters :)


I am a little embarrassed that I call myself a quilter and I don't have any travel handmade products to take along with me to the retreat.  So my March Goal is to make myself an Aeroplane Bag to tote my sewing machine, and maybe a little caddy for my supplies.



I really should make it out of fabric that I already have, buuuuuut... I want it to be more durable so I'm thinking I'd like to use Charley Harper and Bark and Branch canvases.

blocks in various stages of completion

I would also like to finish my Scrapper's Delight quilt.  I have a lot of the blocks made, or in progress, so I'm close to having a finished top.  I can't say for whom I am trying to finish, because I'm not sure if she reads my blog or not... but I would like to give a little lap quilt for her office.  

Since 72x72" is way larger than a lap size, I decided to copy s.o.t.a.k. Handmade's idea and increase the block size to 15.5" (which will produce a 60x60" quilt instead).

With all the colors and pretty scraps, I can't wait to see it together.  I just hope it's not too busy for it's intended recipient :)

A Lovely Year of Finishes: January Goal

2013 was a year of building skills and dappling in multiple projects that struck my fancy.  2014 will be my year to finish projects!  In order to hopefully keep myself on track, I am going to participate in a Lovely Year of Finishes.  I didn't really get into the blogging world until last summer so I missed out on a good chunk of the party last year.

(IG pics ahead since I generally work on things in the evening and I'm terrible at taking in-progress pictures)

My best friend is having a little girl, due in March.  Her shower is January 11.  So my challenge after the new year was to finish a baby quilt in 10 days!  Save the fact that I have not yet finished an entire quilt, I've been working my tail off to get this gift finished :)
 

The quilt top is finished, and I spent the weekend working on quilting.  I think the only thing that allowed me to get this done is the 1 1/2 snow days we had last week.  I hope to have it completely quilting, bound and finished by Thursday (I have to since I'm leaving for the shower in PA Friday night).