Planning for 2016

I'm trying something new this coming year.  Since the Year of lovely Finishes is winding down and they won't be doing another one (I'm crying girls!!!  I so enjoyed it!!!), I decided to join another one from Yvonne at Quilting Jet Girl.  You get your goals for the year and slowly work through them.  And I have a ton of quilts that I want to get through.  I've been buying a lot of books and rulers, pattern magazines, then I buy the material, put it in a craft plastic container, but it on my desk and move on to the next book, or ruler or pattern!!!  I do sew a lot, but it seems that the pile of plastic organizational containers are getting higher and higher, so my room is getting messier and messier.

I read a great article in February 2016 magazine American Patchwork Quilting that I got for Christmas this year in my stocking.  It had a great article by Deborah J. Cabral, a Certified Professional Organizer who wrote about the different types of organizing personslity, and she described me to a "T"!!!I'm Organized Olivia!!!!  I'm organized, but I spend more time organizing it than doing lately!!  And all the organizing is piling up as well.  So here's my goals

Resolutions

Do not buy quilt pattern and material unless I sew two quilts

Only buy a new ruler every 3 months.

No more books unless I sew two quilts from the same book and do TWO books.  That's 4 quilts.
Make time to quilt - it relaxes me.
Be happy!

Goals

1.  Start swimming again.  Start with 2 times a week and move to 3 times a week.
2.  Walk again.  It's been three months since I walked.   The Plan:  walk one time a week the first week, then 2 times a week, etc.  Build it up slowly.
3.  Like many people I need to lose weight.  Here's how I'm going to do it.

• Do exercise - see above.
• mark my food with Loseit.com - free program that takes my fitbit.
• take time for myself to do the above exercise because I use to love to do it.

4.  Continue on with painting lessons.  Started one painting last year - want to do more.
5.  Work less.  I've become a workaholic and my husband is beginning to complain  :)
6.  Enjoy the outdoors more.  I live in Vancouver Canada and there are so many beautiful walking trails.  Do more of them.
7.  Start Roller Blading again.  I fell and hit my head badly.  This time I wear my helmit  :)
8.  Redo my sewing room so I can impulsively sew and not have to set it up (or move things).

• buy a daybed with drawers in it to replace the old daybed so I can put the containers away, instead of having them on my desk.
• make a cover for my sewing machine to protect it.
• put my sewing machine on the desk instead of under the desk.
• buy a container (box) for the end of the bed to put my quilts and extra material in that instead of the basket at the end of the bed (it's now overflowing and leaning to the side).

9.  Finish some of my craftsy classes I signed up for.  There's too many to list.

And the big one!!!!

9.  Finish my UFOs so I stop feeling pressure from them.  Here is the list and there is no particular order to them but they do say on the list if I have started it, not started it, have the material, etc.  L- laptop, Q - queen, W - wall quilt, T for tabletop.

So here's the big list of

1. L - You and Me by Zen Chic - got material and pattern (haven't started)
2. L - Chic Shells by Sew Kind of Wonderful - got pattern only (haven't started)
3. L - Sew Kind of Wonderful - Sew along - got pattern only (haven't started)
4. Q - green small flowers in a column - need to finish and quilt.
5. large L- Flower quilt from Aurifill - need to finish and quilt.
6. L - Vise Versa - need to finish 2 blocks and quilt.
7. Q - Block Lotto - 2014 - need to finish 8 blocks and quilt.
8. Q - Flowers in a circle BOM - some wool.  Applique.  All material and pattern.  Need to start.
9. L - Modern slant - got pattern and material - need to start.
10. L - Snow/Christmas quilt - got material and pattern - need to start
11. L - beach quilt - no material, but got pattern.
12. L - Sew Emma Snapshot quilt - did two blocks, have material, need to finish.
13. L - Dogs quilt - have fabric and pattern, need to start.
14. Q - Driesdon Craftsy - have material and pattern - need to start.
15. L - Learning to quilt on Craftsy - have 6 done, 6 to go.   Need to finish.
16. L - Learning to quilt as you go - 2013  Need to continue on with it.  Need to finish
17. large L- Crazy barn applique - have pattern, material, need to start.
18. L - Gro's tea quilt.  Material, pattern for it all, need to finish.  Have 3 to go.
19. L - Midnight Garden - wool - Lost pattern, but have material.  Need to start
20. L - Cattail - blue quilt - start
21. L - Frogs, have material, pattern, and have started to cut.  Need to finish.
22. Q - pink pin wheel.  Need to finish.
23. T - Chinese circles. - need to finish.
24. L - Pink and green squares - finish.
25. L - Squares in the tin box - pattern and material,  others doing that one.
26. Q - Row by Row - Canada - all patterns, all material, need to finish.
27. Q - Row by Row American side - all patterns, all material, need to finish.
28. T - flowers pieced in black - Amish. - material, and pattern. Small one.  Need to start.
29. Q - Squares with Hexigons - pattern, material, need to start.
30. L - Batique quilt - pattern, material, need to start.
31. Q - Circle quilt from Craftsy - material red and white, pattern, need to start.
32. Q - BOM 2015 buckets - material, pattern, need to start.
33. L - One block wonder - material, pattern, need to start.
34. L - Video 10" squares - disappearing pinwheet. Material - need to start.
35. Q - Swoon - material, need to start.
36. L - Stain glass BOM - material, pattern, need to start.
37. L - House BOM - material, pattern, need to start.
38. Q - Hand stitched old fashion girl on white, with squares of color.  top for queen quilt. finish.
39. Q - Girl on a farm - applique that I am designing - Some material - need to continue/finish
40. L - Blue HST's - all HSTs done, need to finish.
41. W - Big city/town pattern.  No material, but I have the pattern.
42. L - Modern pattern just bought on Craftsy on sale.  Have pattern and material.  Need to start.
43. L - Tractor quilt with barns to complete. It's part of the Farm Girl Sampler by Lori Holt.  I purchased the book. Have some material.  Need to finish by June for my cousin.  
44. T - Using charms for Back to school pattern.  Have pattern and material.  Need to finish.
45. L - Jelly roll quilt from the Back to School pattern book.  Have pattern and material cut out.  Need to finish.
46. Large L - Fat quarter quilt block - have material but have not started.
47. Large L - migration from Craftsy Store.  Have pattern and material.  Need to start.
48. Large L - Large hexi flowers pattern from Craftsy store - have some material.
49. T - circular birds - have pattern only.  Want to do this one with extra material I have and scraps.
50. Q- Apple Quilt - have all the material and the Thangles to do the quilt.  Need to Finish.
51. L Scrappy BOM  from IQuiltModern - scraps - to start.
52. Big W - Pixulated quilt Sun Flower - it's done just quilting it and that's taking ages!!  Need to Finish
53. L - Pixulated Eye - have the material, the pattern, everything.  It's the Craftsy free quilting class to learn how to pixulate.  It's fabulous, go take a look!  Need to start.
54. W - The Quilt Magazine, April 2012. of a bird on a Laundry Line.  All material and the pattern.  Half done.  Need to Finish.
55. Star Quilt from the FVRQ Guild - have the material and the patterns.  Have all done but the last 3 starts and then the big middle one.  Need to Finish.
56. Home Tweet Home - McKenna Ryan - 9 blocks. - have 2 of the blocks done and a friend gives me more when I complete the next block.

So to summarize:  

27 already started and I need to finish.

26 - not started but I have the material.

14 queen size quilts

32 large lap quilts.

I'll be happy to do half those quilts.  But I do want to do the first 8 items for sure.  Come join us with our resolutions at Quilting Jet Girl!!!!  Click on the link above to go to the link party.

Phew, that was a lot in 3 months for the 2015 Finish Along!!!

What a huge list of things to do for the 2015 Finish Along entry.  Was I crazy or what?  The list includes at least 4 queen size quilts and I do all my own quilting, sooooooo????!!!  But you don't succeed unless you try, and really I did try and did make many of my goals and a number of extra.  The extra I'll mention at the end of this entry, because it doesn't count for entries to this lovely contest.

Personal things have happened to me in November that has made it hard to complete many of the quilts, but when I came back home, it seemed the only thing that made me relax was quilting so in the end I went crazy and completed many of the quilts from the list, and more as well.  Here's what it looks like...

The pixulated sunflower quilt.  It needed to be quilted and binded. The quilting on the dark brown was 1/2 inch circles, very small, making the illusion of the sunflower seeds.  It's been on this list three times and although I got all of the dark brown completed, it's still not done, but it's coming along fabulous!!!  So I'm happy.

My Craftsy quilting class by Leah Day was also on my list.  It's been three times on this list.  Now I'm proud to say that now it has  another 3 squares completed, but still not done!!!

One of my other quilts that is queen size and I want to quilt (not send it out).  This one is over 3 years old, easy to quilt (straight line) so I'm hopng to get it done as well for November.

Picture of the finished pattern.  Mine is more green than anything else.

Here is another quilt that was partially finished and now it is - my Aurifill quilt - put together.  I added two more blocks, sewed all the strips together and put in a center piece to make the quilt a queen.  I added some borders and now I have to strip quilt it.  I don't want to show you until it's done but below is a sneak peek of the quilt, showing two blocks...  Stay tuned... It's on next month's list.

So what did I finish???

I wanted an autumn quilt for my bed for October.  This quilt had been sitting for over 3 years waiting for me.  And truthfully, I was worried about quilting a queen quilt on my singer, so when I got the Janome, I was a little braver.  So below is a picture of the backing and the front, and a piece that needs to be added to the front.  I'm proud to say that this one is completed!!!

From the above to the below!!!

This pillow is an extra piece from another project, and I wanted to play around quilting to practice.  The results is from the below 

to this pillow quilted free style!

I started to learn wool applique in 2008 with this quilt.   I think 7 years is old enough and it should be completed.  I don't even remember who was trying to teach us.  But that wasn't the only thing I forgot.  I couldn't find all the pattern, the instruction sheet was missing, so I couldn't do all the blocks, and I didn't know how to finish it.  But in the end I found two more blocks, completed them, and I had enough blocks to completed a wall quilt and that's what I did.  I added 2 1/2 inch squares of flower material around each square, one to two squares per section, in some areas and complete squares in others to make it a rectangle.  

Well I can honestly say it's done!!!!  That's me hiding!!  Notice all the two inch sqaures?  It was bigger than I thought but still great to hang on the wall so I'm happy with the results, and another UFO completed.

And to make my life a little more busy I signed up for a block of the month in August  This is  Block #2 but I need this done for Christmas for a friend (who's only job in the quilt shop  row by row field trip was to say NO to me every time I wanted to buy something, but instead talked me into this quilt.   I'm enjoying this quilt from the Quilt Company (see completed quilt pattern here) that I bought at Fabric Etc in Bellingham.  It's called the Quilted kettle and its a quilt of tea pots, tea cups and even tea bags.   So adorable.  it is made up with piecing and raw applique with button stitching. There is even some stitching on the top of some of the kettles to keep you busy.  I get each section on the 15th of the month, and there are six of them.  So far I've completed 4 of them (all the kettles), and I have the mugs to do, but I can honestly say there is no way I'll complete all this by December 25th (yep, you guessed it, I promised it to a friend for Christmas - don't have enough pressure, had to add to it  :). I have a all the center squares done but not the next level which are tea cups, so this one goes on into the new year!!!

.  

Everyone needs a christmas quilt on their quilt :)  This is an old BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop. Material all there, all cut up.  9 blocks to make.  It's from It's Sew Emma, a brilliant person.  My wall hanging for Christmas  :)

And this is it all completed and hanging on my wall just in time for Christmas. I finished it on November 28th, a Sunday, just in time to start Christmas season in December.  Love the look and the quilting on it!

I did two more rows on my row by row quilt, (the Pacific West quilts) so that's coming along but I didn't get the 10 I had bargained for. :(

There were others on my list that never got finished, but I was quite pleased with what I did.  And being impulsive, I did a few that were not on the list.  See below.

EXTRAS

OK, when you're mopping around and are a little depressed, one can stroke one's material (yes I do pull out my material and look at it to make myself feel happy), or on impulse, sew something that's not on one's list  (not everyone has a list like I make myself).  So in November I got impulsive, wanted to make a quilt to get over my funk, and did two of them.  

I'm trying to clean up my material but a good friend of mine keeps on giving me fat quarters to cheer me up.  The results:  a halloween quilt that turned out simple but cute.

I added black pumpkin shadows for interest and to draw the eye upwards.  The material (fat quarters) were random but cute, and I had a lot of orange from before, so I used up my stash, and got some simple work done.  The applique is all machine button stitched.

I also did a few others that were not on my list but I think that you might be interested (or maybe not)....

For Christmas I made over 20 bowl holders (if you have soup and it's hot, this bowl protects your hands.  If it's cold, it keeps the food cold).

the look of them.

Very fall colours

Then there was a quilt that I created from a class on Crafty.  The results, a spool quilt that I made my own.  It was my own design on the top to make the quilt larger.  I made the words on Word, then I enlarged them until there was one letter per page.  I traced the letters on another paper so they were backward, and that worked with the duo side interfacing to put them on the quilt.  Then I button stitched them.

I also made a Christmas gift that my mom got and since it's after Christmas I can show you.  This table topper is one of my best quilts yet, with the quilting being very intrinsic, and quite detailed.  In the end I sewed patters on the wings and body of the butterfly in blue silk thread.

With my Christmas quilt from last year, and the pillow I made this quarter.
Very proud of myself.

Finished early my entry for the "Year of Lovely Finishes"!!!

Well, I knnow I had to have things finished before I leave for Christmas vacations but this is even more early than I thought!!!

I started a Craftsy class months ago with Camille Roskelley called Playful Piecing Techniques that uses precuts,  My goal was to complete the Spool quilt from her lessons.  Because it was with a jelly roll, cutting the length, you can see right away how easy it would be.  And it's done!!!!  You can see where the precuts really help make this quilt go so much faster.  I cheated this time, or rather I tried to be more frugal (my mom's word for trying to save a buck) and I used a quilt polyester top from IKEA.  I thought that since it was all put together it would be easier to use.  But the polyester made it slippery, and it would slide all over.  So you can see that it is rather puffy in the picture.  But this quilt batting is very hot.

I did do something slightly different in this quilt pattern then from the Craftsy lesson, I added a piece to the top to make it larger.  I wanted to make it a larger laptop.  I added some words  :)

I also finished with my gifts to family, but I can't say anything or put it up here because then my family (who reads this blog in another province) would know what I made them.

But I can show the fabric bowls that I made for friends.  I made 20 of them.  Using a layer cake I was able to make them very fast.  I quilted two cakes with 10 inch batting of cotton I cut.  You quilt a cross (an x) over each cake to keep the batting attached to it.  Then you fold it and where the fold is, you mark an inch up and 2 and a quarter inch inside the fold (do this on both sides), sew from one mark to the other (this makes the edges of your bowl holder).  Then fold the cake the other way (make sure you match corners), and do the same thing on that fold (this gives you all four sides coming up).  Next match both cakes together (right sides of fabric), sew around but leave 3 inches on one side to flip the bowl inside out.  Then sew the edges and this will close the opening.  You now have a bowl cover.

So I met all my goals, all three of them!!!