It's the same old story!
The new year starts off nice and fresh with promises to get some of those UFO's completed....no new projects, right???
Well, I am here to tempt you a little bit.
There is a new sew-along on the blog of Molli Sparkles called The Honey Pot Bee. It looks interesting, so I'm in. You can read about the first installment here.
There was a bonus "wild card" block released ahead of time and it was so quick. It also started off my year of trying my hand with a bit of improv piecing...
The second sew-along was one I just discovered this morning while checking out a post over at Sew Fresh Quilts.
This one is a quilt-along called Have A Jolly Little Christmas and you can see I have the "button" for this project over in the right-hand margin of this post.
If you visit Lorna's page you will see all kinds of ideas of what can be done with this project....from tablerunner to full-sized quilt!
I had hoped to get some tidying done this week in my sewing room. I guess I kinda got side-tracked...
It was a lot of fun arranging the block on the design wall. There were a couple of blocks that stood out a bit much and I thought about replacing them....but then I got over it, lol.
My goal this month is to have this top sewn together for my #100days100blocks. I'm off to a good start!
I went to Quilt Junction with full intentions of buying some sort of grey for the sashing/binding. Well, for some reason a bolt of salmon-coloured fabric was just calling my name! Not sure how it will look in the end, but I think I'm going to love it! I have a feeling that this quilt will end up on my bed.
I did have to sew in the sashing on the top row....just to see....
This morning I started my day with a bit of embroidery on a Life is Beautiful block.
I've been hating my stitches on my recent work on this block...
For example, I had stitched some fairly decent circles at a previous time (the lower two in the blue circle), but the other two were a mess.
I've just realised that I'm using some weird needle....I must have pulled it from my little sewing case, but I don't know what that needle had ever been used for! I switched needles and that seems to have solved the problem. What a relief, as I had wondered if the bit of arthritis in my fingers was the cause.
I am linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social.
Have a great day!....and let me know if I've tempted you with these new quilty projects!!!
I have been working hard to get caught up with my HappyDays quilt, which has been the Sarah Fielke BOM for 2016. I'd really like to make headway on this one before her 2017 BOM begins!
My goal for December was to get all the wreath blocks completed. Thanks to some downtime during my Alberta trip, I am happy to report they are done....
I think I have one more 12" applique block to do, a couple of pieced blocks and 24 6" Ohio Star blocks to do. Oh, and I almost forgot the border. Sarah gives three options on the final border and I think I'll just have to go with the one with the applique!
I took advantage of online sales over Christmas to bump my stash for the upcoming Sarah Fielke 2017 BOM, Down the Rabbit Hole...
A goal I am setting for 2017 is to try my hand (needle?) at Improv quilting.
As luck would have it, Santa brought me a book for Christmas, recommended to him by Stephie at Dawn Chorus Studio. I haven't even looked inside the book yet. I want to wait 'til I can give it my full attention over a cup of tea.
On a final note, I want to thank Sandra at Musings of a Menopausal Melon for the cute mini that I won on her blog this past month...so cute!...
I am linking up to Elm Street Quilts for the "Finish" link-up for One Monthly Goal.
Bye for now!
Today I am feeling inspired.
What a wonderful feeling.
It's wonderful for exactly one reason. Even though I've been a quilter since I was 19 in 1980 I still can feel inspired by other quilters. Inspired to take the next step in my hobby.
It's such a great feeling to know that, for me, quilting doesn't get old....there is so much to explore.
I have known quilters, just a couple actually, that have the attitude that they have done techniques a certain way for years and it works so why try new things. Honestly, a lot of times, this attitude shows in their work....sorry, just my opinion.
This week I read a blog post by Steph over at Dawn Chorus Studio entitled Thinking About the Process of Improv Patchwork. Her current quilt, Fete, is one of my favourites at the moment. I commented to Steph that the idea of Improv Piecing is intriguing to me, but makes me nervous of how to go about it. She gave me a pep talk and recommended a book that would help me understand.....so Santa has a copy ready for my stocking so I can try something new in the New Year!
So, this morning, as usual I check in on Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts. What a timely post she has written. I hope you can take a moment to read it, as I find it especially inspiring to me today and maybe you will feel the same way.
Kathy also mentions a blogger whom I've never heard of, so I checked her out.....The Bitchy Stitcher. More very inspiring words today!!!....and so true. I don't know how many times I've heard quilters lament on their work. So disheartening. Please, if this is you, take a few minutes to read this wonderful post today!
Wow, lots of words today and not many pictures! Let's rectify that with just a couple.
I thought I had finished all of my hearts for my Quilty365. I figured on sewing the final ones onto the flimsy on Saturday. Well, I realised that although I had prepped a heart for Hallowe'en, I had not actually finished it. Here it is, the final heart.....really!...
.....and then a few stitches in a Life is Beautiful block....which I love, as cherry trees hold a lot of sentiment for me....
Today I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching and with Cynthia for Oh,Scrap!.
On a personal note, here is something that I hope can inspire you!
A year ago I was in a lot of pain. My doctor had prescribed Percoset, which alarmed me at how much I liked it so I stopped that, and I was going to ask him if I could possibly get a Handicapped Parking Pass.
This year, after making many changes in my health, I've been in a Learn to Run class....and next Sunday I'll be running in my first race....a Santa 5K in Hamilton! It all seems so surreal to me! I have never been an athlete in any sense of the word!
So hopefully I'll have a picture to share next week of that big event!
For now, here we are on Saturday morning enjoying the beautiful morning....
Have a wonderful day!
