Goal update- End of Year

1. Finish Aster Manor quilt. I finished this and gave it to my mum. It made the long trip to India. 

2. Finish Martinique quilt. A wonderful spring/summer quilt. Will make an appearance in a few months. 

3. Piece Flag Day Farm quilt. Didn't get it done, but it is one that I hope to finish quickly in the new year. 

4. Get all disciples in Last Supper done. Almost.

5. Bind table toppers finished last year. I really enjoyed making the table toppers. I have a kit for another one I need to get done. 

6. Sew one article of clothing. I am so proud of myself for making my wrap around skirt. I wore the skirt several times last year and will again this summer. 

7. Continue with Layer Cake Quilt Along. Love this quilt. Loved the blocks, but especially enjoyed the camaraderie of the quilt along quilters. 

8. Start and finish Split Decision quilt. This didn't work as well as I hoped. The blocks work individually, but they don't work together. 

9. Start and finish Christmas quilt. Completed and gifted. Never did get the tree skirt though. There is  always next year. 

10. Fig and Plum layer cake something quilt. Need to finish out that binding! I love Jenny's quilting on this. This is going to be the perfect spring quilt. 

11. Skinny Strips Quilt using Prayer Flag jelly roll. Top turned out really well. I bought the jelly roll way back in January and finished it out in December. Pretty good turn around for me. 

12. Fresh Cottons jelly roll something. Have backing fabric as well, but no pattern of choice yet. 

13. Patchwork Squared Solids Quilt Along. Learned to say no and glad I did. I do now have a stash of Kona Cotton yard cuts. 

14. Star Sampler quilt. Turned out horrible! Just awful. Need to find a better fabric combination. 

15. Batik quilt. Such a pretty quilt that I don't know why I can't finish. 

16. String quilt. I love the concept, but I didn't have enough scraps and kind of at a standstill. 

17. Stash busting. My stash is stressing me out.

18. Yo Yo strips quilt. I went through all my fat quarters and kind of stopped. It is a fun way to pass the time while watching TV.

19. Fat Quarter Shop Block of the Month. Six months behind!!!

20. Quilt Along. I had two quilt alongs that I didn't go with for goal 20. The Chasing Chevrons may make a reappearance.


My main goal for 2012 is to scale back. I have too much fabric and too many patterns. I am a crafting hoarder. It isn't good and I am not being a very good steward of the blessings God has given me. I feel overwhelmed when I see my stash. This is a hobby and sometimes I forget it is. I look at other blogs and I feel like I am not being productive enough. I have other commitments and like I said before this is just a hobby. So Happy New Year! I hope 2012 is a good crafting year for all. 

Something to do in 2012

This was in my mailbox today when I returned from Christmas.

This has been sitting around waiting for me to get to it. I am SIX months behind. I've only done one block.

I was going to get the finishing kit for the quilt, but I was cheap and didn't want to pay full price.Well, I missed out and they sold out of the finishing kit. They do sell the finishing pattern so I picked it up when patterns were 30% off during the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' sales. I am actually kind of pleased I didn't get it as a kit, because now I can pick and choose my fabrics. Now to get the blocks done.

Poetry?

I have a Google Alert for the title of my blog and this showed up today. It is a poem written by 'Just a stupid kid' from Poetfreak. I was not familiar with Poetfreak so I looked it up. It is a place to "write and share your poetry".

dating (rough draft)

formalities
they've stolen my realities
perceptions filled with technicalities
that parade in my head
drown out surroundings
trample my thoughts
and deSEEve

all isn't what it seams
the seamstress doesn't discriminate
so i meditate to contain the goddess
dwell in my mangled thoughts
and nurse them
i dare not say i forgot

purple haze when i close my eyes
king mino's labyrinth
the maze
maize
the nourishes land, body and soul
that which comes from hard work and toil
mustn't spoil

so i waste away
trapped in a god forsaken system
where those who hurt are not victims
it's her creation
for she weaves the fabric of love

what a sight to see
alas such intricacies
like any efficient machine
it spits out those in need
all in the name of increased speed

all woe is her
as well as joy

where is my seam ripper?

Quilting Christmas

1. A Rowenta iron
2. A gift certificate to the Fabric Shack
3. Butterscotch and Roses honey bun

Merry Christmas!

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"

"Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights please?"

"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them. And the glory of the Lord shall round about them. And they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord, and this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men."

"That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

Second Friday Night Sew In

Binding to be done!

Edit: Not totally finished, but with all the Christmas movies on this evening should get it done.

Results

Ta-dah!! This has been hanging over my head since October. I don't know why I didn't finish this up a while ago. I love it. I think it turned out super well and really showcases the fabric. The proportion between the print and solid works really well. I think I said this before, but this may be a repeat pattern.

The pictures aren't that great, but it was cold and I was in pajamas. Looking at the pictures I love this quilt! This may be just for me.

Two Friday Night Sew Ins!

Linda said she pronounces it 'fin-see' and now I do too. I have missed the last couple ones, but I am going to make the time for at least one this month. There are two FNSI nights- the 9th and the 16th.

Maybe I will get my tree skirt done. The tree is up, but not decorated. The deal was Emily was going to come over and I would work on the tree skirt. Our schedules just haven't worked, but this was an email exchange from a couple months ago where I blamed her for not having my tree skirt done.

Why am I so bare?
I am so unfinished.
My stand needs to be comforted and warmed.
Alas, I have no skirt.

Oh Christmas tree
Do not frown
You will be dressed and warmed
Before snow is on the ground

Fabric purchases

It isn't a lot because I held off and didn't go overboard, but here it is.

This is the spun silk. I wanted the colours to be coordinated which took a lot of discussion. I also wanted it to be super bright because I felt that is reflective of India. We love bright colours. We don't know the term 'muted'. I got a meter a piece, which is a smidgen over a yard (1 1/8th). This was the same fabric my sister purchased for her napkins, so I get additional colours in about a half a yard.

These were impulse buys. I just liked the colours. The blue is actually more purple in person and the red has an orange cast to it. The gray is wonderful. That is my favourite out of the lot. I guess the gray contradicts my earlier statement about muted colours. It is absolutely gorgeous. I got two meters each of this. No idea what I am going to use it for. My sister suggested an Americana quilt for the blue and red.

This was another impulse buy. I bought the end of the bolt. I got 1 1/4 meter for the price of 1 meter. It is zari fabric. Zari is usually on the borders of saris and can be gold and silver. The value of the sari goes by depending on the amount of zari and the material used. This is just some form of synthetic zari. Gold on a cream background. They had other colours for the background, but they were a bit too ostentatious. I didn't know it at the time, but it goes perfectly with the gray.

Oh, I forgot to take a picture of my sari. Oh well. I got a navy blue sari. It is pretty. I am going to cut it up.

Quilting folk like colour, right?

There is a completely legitimate reason why I don't have pictures of my fabric. I can't find my camera. It is somewhere. I had it when I downloaded my trip pictures and that was within the week, so it couldn't have gone that far. Anyway, I do have trip pictures to share, so I am going to do that.

One of the days of our week long trip, my family and I went to the village. Friends of ours do medical mission work about a 3 hour drive from the city. It was a really fun trip.

Tangent- If you haven't heard of the Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild, I suggest you become familiar. It started meeting last spring/summer and it is a great group of very creative people. We meet every 3rd Thursday of the month. At the meetings there is a tip section, a speaker, show and tell and most important of all snacks! If you are anywhere in the Des Moines area I suggest you check it out. Some people drive all the way from Waterloo and Cedar Rapids area. It is just that good! Anyway, I am speaking at the March meeting on March 15th. My topic "Traditional Indian Design in Modern Quilting". Since I am speaking, I am holding off on some of my pictures from the village trip.

My sister wanted my niece to get glass bangles. We used to have glass bangles grouping up that we played with. We never actually wore them, but they were part of our display when we played shop. We couldn't find them in the city, but on the drive I kept an eye out. Sure enough, in one of the small villages on the way I saw a tiny shop with glass bangles. We had my dad pull off quickly and my mum, niece and I hopped out. I think my niece was a little overwhelmed. There were bangles on display, but there were tons of boxes in the back as well. My mum told her she could pick three sets. I was kind of glad because we could have been there a long time otherwise. I got to weigh in with my choices, which she politely ignored. In the last picture in the lower right hand corner you can see the picks. A limey green that I did not care for, a bright blue and a multicoloured set. She had to try on the bangles to make sure they fit and I had to show her how to hold her hand to make sure they went on. It was a very fun way to create a niece- aunt, grandmother-granddaughter memory. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Goal update- November

9. Start and finish Christmas quilt Going to my sister as a Christmas gift. She saw it in my car and wanted it.
10. Fig and Plum layer cake something quilt Still waiting on binding.

11. Skinny Strips Quilt using Prayer Flag jelly roll This has to get done soon because I need the guest bedroom back.

15. Batik quilt Trying to finish before the end of the year.

17. Stash busting No busting, just accumulating.

19. Fat Quarter Shop Block of the Month Checked my mail and I had yet another block. I have done only one and I am now 5 or 6 behind. I just need to sit down and do them all.

20. Chasing Chevrons Quilt Along I haven't started yet, but the layout is super cool. I have most of my fabric, but still need some solids.