2011 In Review & 2012 Goals

2011 Sewing Resolutions

From my blog last December....

My goals for the upcoming year are very similar to the past few years

• Make meaningful fabric purchases
  for the most part I've purchased with a plan, sewn from stash... but haven't made the projects from all the fabric I purchased
• Finish UFOs
  Got 4 Quilting UFOs finished, 1 is partially completed
  unfortunately I also created some new ones....
  
• Start Gift Sewing Early
  I didn't sew much for Christmas and was pretty good most of the year on this one

2011 Stash Report
I lost track mid year... I think I ended up about equal, as I needed to buy some larger pieces for the longarm...  But I have plans for them and they aren't just going into stash!


2011 UFO Completions

Hand Print Quilt	Small Bags Started at a Quilt Class
Teacher Gift Quilt	Pink & Purple Stars & Hearts

---

UFO Partial Completion
Its on the longarm!

My first completed project on the longarm

One of my UFOs is nearly 50% quilted... and one new project from the year is my pinwheel quilt - the first project I completed on the longarm....

---

And the best sewing of the year was completed by my "helpers"

---

2012 Goals
My goals for 2012

• Sew something every week
• Purchase with a plan
• Learn to Longarm
• Work on UFOs
• Enjoy!

Peacock's

Years ago my grandfather made fretwork panels with peacock designs in them.  Two years ago I went to my grandmother's house and "rescued" them from the railing.  My grandmother had them inset into her railing.  Here are some of the photos...  I arrived after the railing dismantling started so I didn't get a photo of before... after looks great!  My uncle totally understood why I wanted my Grandfather's woodwork.

Old railing is balance against the wall
New railing has been installed (Thanks to my Uncle)

This is the table & chair set that just arrived.
My dad brought it back from the
 farm this summer.

My panels were taken out of the frame to bring them home.  I packed them up, wrapping them in saran wrap and adding duct tape handles.  Security at the airport was a little confused as they scanned the package, but luckily I didn't need to unwrap the package.

My grandfather also made a coat rack, that my father brought home that summer. And a table and chair set.  The table and chairs were delivered this past week.

I have some fabric my grandmother strip pieced... I think she was going to make a blouse, jacket, or ???  The fabric is probably assorted polyester...

I ha a thought the other day while running that I should do some peacock designs quilted onto it and make a quilt for my father.  I'm debating whether I should make a number of small wall hangings about the size of the panels for my aunt, uncle, dad, brother (and one for myself too....)

Quokka Quilts Bloggers Choice FQ Contest is running a contest to design a FQ pack from Fat Quarter Shop.  My inspiration came from the  Royal Peacocks Fawn Feather Scroll Yardage  peacock fabric...

My fabrics are made up from the follow fabrics at Fat Quarter Shop:

• Ocean Wave Batiks Aruba Watercolors SKU# 1895-371
• Riley Blake Designs Sundrop Blender SKU# C200-60 
• Sparkle Yellow Sparkles SKU# 39055-555
• Sketch Yellow Screen Texture SKU# C8224-Yellow 
• Lilac Rose Batiks Mint Watercolors SKU# 1895-74 
• Riley Blake Designs Robin Blender SKU# C200-30 
• Kona Cotton Black SKU# K001-1019 
• Kona Cotton White SKU# K001-1387
• Kona Cotton Baby Blue SKU# K001-1010 
• Royal Peacocks Fawn Feather Scroll SKU# 9210-7G 
• Poison Ivy Batiks Green Diagonal Dots SKU# 22031-777 
• Poison Ivy Batiks Aqua Mini Dots SKU# 22028-444 
• Sketch Grass Screen Texture SKU# C8224-Grass 
• Sketch Denim Screen Texture SKU# C8224-Denim
• Royal Peacocks Cornflower Tossed Feathers SKU# 9211-7G

Sewing with the kids

The kids decided to do some sewing for Christmas...

My 8yo daughter and 10yo son made 6 notebook covers...  They are getting very independent in the sewing room... although still leave the cutting to me.

My 6yo used the embroidery machine to embroider a towel. And helped me embroider a blanket for my grandmother.

---

And we painted the inside of some Christmas decorations....

---

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

WIP Wednesday

So what am I working on?  Today was baking....

We made melted snowman cookies...  Here is ours...

We also made sugar cookies, shortbread, chocolate covered oreos, mint naniamo bars, and cherry cheesecake brownie.

---

What is on the longarm?

The Nautical Quilt... Ready to start... I'm going to do a rope border using rulers for the outer border... which I've never done before (other than testing) so I figured I should start at the bottom!  Since the quilt was already layered and had some quilting done on it, the only pins left on it are in the outer border.
not sure what I'll do in the inner borders yet... probably  wavy lines.... or skip the red & light blue borders and maybe a second small rope in the other dark blue border.

---

Other Projects?
Here is my Band Silent Auction Quilt... washed up, but still needs binding....  binding has been purchased.

Clouds & Stars quilted in

Front

Back

---

Linking up with

2012 UFO Challenge

I didn't do so hot on 2011's UFO Completion... I did manage to complete 4 of the items, and work on 1 additional item.  BUT I also created 4 quilting UFOs.

I'm hoping my longarm machine will soon solve my UFO issues....

2012's Quilting list...

Projects I worked on but didn't complete in 2011

1. Nautical Quilt -- Currently On the Longarm... might be quilted before 2012!!!
   DONE! January 27 Nautical Quilt Completed

Projects I didn't even work on in 2011

2. Bag for my mom 
3. Rocking Chair Covers for my mom
4. Quilt from my grandmother's fabric -- not sure if I'll do it... Maybe I'll do it for my dad...
5. Baby Quilt Two tops completed
   DONE!  Two Quilts
6. Baby Rag Quilt

New UFOs

7. Dresden 4 panel Quilt from the QAL -- Quilting started
8. Dresden table topper - Needs borders before quilting
9. St Patrick's Day Quilt - Partially Quilted, DONE February
10. Hallowe'en Quilt - Pieces cut out
11. Baby Quilt for Silent Auction
    DONE! January 4 Baby Quilt Completed

New Quilting Projects Planned for 2012

1. Whole Cloth Quilt for my Step-father (in plaid)
   DONE!  Dec 2012!
2. New Years Day Mystery Quilt 2012 

2012 Sewing List

• Kilt
  DONE! January 1  Kilt Completed
• Highland Dance Vest
  DONE! January 14  Vest completed
• 2 1 Blouses for Highland Dance (only 1 needed, with new kilt blouse still fits)
  DONE! January 14  Blouse completed

FNSI - My completions

Winter Quilt & Pillows

---

---

---

Garment Sewing
She wore through the other swim top in matching fabric. So I made a new one to match the bottoms. Her other two swimsuits are paper thin... so she really needed new ones... she has swim lessons starting again in January so I think I'll make her a second suit, too.

---

Baby Quilt - for a Silent Auction
I completed the quilting on the longarm yesterday during the school day, and trimmed the edges last night.  The quilt needs binding, but I don't have anything appropriate - the blues & yellow I have is too wrong, the red & green I don't have enough fabric.  So I will head to the fabric store tomorrow.  (sorry no picture at the moment - its in the wash to remove the chalk)

---

What is on the longarm?
My sons Mariner's Quilt... Its mostly pinned onto the longarm.  But not quite - still need to add more pins to the bottom edge.  Then tomorrow night I hope to have time to start quilting it again.  I started on my domestic machine some time ago, but think the longarm is the way to go on this HUGE twin sized quilt.  (I think it'll easily fit a double bed!)


Linking up with

FNSI - My daughters sewing

FNSI started with my daughter sewing a bag for a friends birthday present. She is getting much better with sewing, she still doesn't like cutting things with the rotary cutter, and would rather I pinned everything. She also is scared of sewing over zippers.

Another wonderful Christmas Concert

We are blessed by the wonderful teachers at our school. Our Music teacher and librarian is wonderful! And runs two productions each year - a Christmas Concert and a Spring Performance. This years Christmas Concert was The Polar Express.  


My sons class sang in the first part, and he was chosen as Child #3.  All 3 of my kids performed in the second part, both girls were elves and sang with their classes and my son was onstage as Child #3.  In the last part, the choir sang (she generally gets 90% participation in the optional program for Grade 3-5 students!) and my older two children sang in the Choir.  I am hopeful that she won't retire until after my youngest is finished in Grade 5....

This is the gift we made for her...

What is on my machine?  Nothing... I finished the quilt for the silent auction - so it needs binding.  I'm debating what to put on my machine next.  Probably my sons mariner's quilt.

Tonight is FNSI... What am I doing?  Binding 2 quilts, making 2 pillows and then adding another quilt to the frame....

Christmas tree...

Completed Christmas Trees

Christmasfor my Gram

I made a Christmas tree for my Gram.  She's in the hospital so I made her a special tree to hang on her closet door, so she can see it while she's in bed.

All fabrics, trims, etc were in my stash.  The fabric is a green textured poly-cotton fleece... it has a piece of the test quilt inside as batting, and then some black & yellow polar fleece.  Pre-decorated with rickrack.  We have printed out some photos that we will be adding on Saturday with the kids.

The back of the tree

---

Winter Quilt & Pillows

Two pillows including the backings

I put two pillow tops and the 4 sections for the back on the longarm at the same time.  I used some cheap green fabric for the lining that will go on the inside of the pillows.  It was great being able to quilt them this way.

The pillows have been quilted & trimmed.  The quilt is trimmed.  They are currently waiting sewing.


What is on the machine now?

A quilt top finished!

I've been occupying my sewing area... Have a number of projects on
the go...  It great to be back in the sewing room after a few months of hardly sewing.


Some more practice with the pantographs.  This is getting easier...

The Holly and Poinsettia's are getting easier.  Pantograph by Dave Hudson of PatternMan.com

And a different pattern, makes it harder again... Some free hand work at the end, taking advantage of the lines on the fabric....

Some freehand work... Pantograph stars getting better

Trying a new pattern - those stars are HARD!

---

Christmas Tree!

My mom wanted to make my Gram a paper tree to hang in her hospital room, but last night I had a "better" idea... so using the batting made above, I then made a pattern for a tree and then using my longarm machine traced out the tree.

Next step is decorating the tree with some rickrack and buttonholes to put the lights through. Then I'll attach a backing and we'll pin some ornaments to it to hang up next weekend for my Gram.

---

The Completed Quilt
This summer I started a Winter Quilt but needed some unwashed white fabric for the outer border. I got the fabric in September but never got back to the project. Yesterday I bought the backing and today I used my longarm to quilt the quilt. Must say I love the longarm, much easier than basting on the floor, but nearly as time consuming (especially on my first quilt on the longarm)

Almost Complete!

Close Up - Midpoint

Getting Started

Finishing Up