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

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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....

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

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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

FNSI - My completions

Winter Quilt & Pillows

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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.

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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)

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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.

Back to Sewing!

I completed Grace`s quilt this week.

Getting back into routine since school started has been difficult.  I haven`t gotten much sewing done - life keeps getting away...



My daughter is making a bag for her friend... she also learned paper piecing. I`m pretty sure she couldn`t do it herself, but she`s learning. She sewed and pressed. I cut and pinned!  We used the following Scottie Paper Pieced Pattern

Back to School Clothing

Back to School Clothes... All Ottobre patterns....

Created using MyMemories Scrapbooking Software.... If you are interested in entering a giveaway, check here before Sept 28th.

If you are interested in purchasing MyMemories, I have a coupon code for my readers ~ $10 off the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software AND a $10 off coupon for the MyMemories.com store.

Enter STMMMS15156 code to receive your discount.

FNSI - Around in circles!

Wow!  Don't get out your ruler... don't look at the back... but the quilting has started.  Round and round in circles...

I ended up re-pin basting them... I really wish for these that they were spray basted.  By sewing around and around, the fabric did move some and I wonder if glue might have been a better solution than pins! There are a few puckers on the back... but I'm not taking them out!  This quilt is about learning new techniques - so now I know what doesn't work!

If you are interested in scrapbooking software, check out my giveaway here!

Quilt Top for Grace

Quilt Top for Grace
Originally uploaded by l3designs.sewing

Here is the completed top! They worked so hard to complete it.... Now to find the backing fabric (hopefully my husband can find something at home), and then figure out how to quilt it... would love to FMQ, but not so sure on my skills....

A Sewing Day (WIP Wednesday)

So what am I working on?  Too much? 

Proud of their work!

And since I've had to "fight" for computer time, I finished up these blocks last night after they were in bed.

Christmas Whrilygig blocks

Well, so much I created spread sheet last night to track it all...  The following list are my current quilting projects, this doesn't include any of the UFOs that are put away and not being actively worked on.  Most of these projects are new this year....

• Mariner's Quilt
  This quilt is waiting for me to finish quilting it. Its not currently with me... but will be my first priority once school starts. Binding is made, about 25-50% of quilting is done.
• St Patrick's Day Quilt
  I have this one here, it has 3/9 of the blocks quilted. And I'm not sure what I'm quilting in the border. I do have the binding cut and ready.
  
• Dresden Quilt
  The sashing is ready, the outer circles are ready, now to set 4 more of the dresden circles, square the blocks, then add the sashing.
• Christmas/Winter Quilt
  All quilt blocks are made. Not sure how I'm piecing this one together. I have 22 blocks - likely it'll be a 4x5 quilt with 2 blocks on the back. If I want white sashing, then I'll need to buy some more white. The white fabric that I was planning on using went into the quilt top the kids made.  I used the tutorials at Crazy Mom Quilts and Michelle Sews.
• Grace's Quilt
  All blocks have the side sashing on. And they are now set into 5 strips. The kids did the sewing and pressing. I did the cutting and pinning. We finished with less than .2m of white left.   I'm hoping my husband can navigate my sewing room to find the fabric I'm hoping to use...

Garment Sewing

And then we are onto garment sewing... need back to school clothes  for the kids.  I have patterns traced... now to iron fabric and cut those out.  I'll itemize those in another post...

Stop by Tea Rose Home for Wednesday's Link Party....

I've also linked up with Freshly Pieced with the WIP Wednesday Post.




And over at Clean & Scentsible for Creative Spark!

Tuesday's Progress -- and another new quilt!

My daughter wanted to sew a quilt for her new baby cousin (my cousin's daughter).  She was born on Friday, although was 7 weeks early, and is doing quite well.  I created a scrapbook page of the photos I have been emailed here.

We started with a Charm Pack that had 24 fabrics, and chose one additional fabric from the stash.  My daughter wants to set these on angles (wonky) with white sashing...  

The Charm Pack
all in order

All pinned and ready for my daughter to sew.  2"x5" white squares onto the 5" Charms....

Day 1: 2 sets are done...(she completed
a third set before bed!)

Christmas Quilt Progress
Oops... no photo of these... my daughter bumped me from the machine today!  Hope to sew the rest up tonight and will post all the blocks tomorrow....

1" wide by approximately 550" long
Hope I have enough

Dresden Quilt Progress

Not much progress on the quilt, but I did press the outer circles, and cut and sew the 1" borders...  

My Helpers....

Alexandra sewing

Roger Tracing... and the cat came to help

My Daughter's Sewing 

Two new pairs of pants for her build-a-bear....

She did most of the work, except I added the tail-hole and elastic...

Fruit Trees!  Baking.... Canning....

Blackberries and Transparent Apples

Spiked Peach Plums

Climbing the tree...

A wonderful Library

Prizes

Ever since my son started reading, the kids have participated in the Summer Reading Club at our local library. Each year out library has a series of prizes for the kids who participate. We have fared quite well every year... this year my youngest won a packages of books... We have an amazing set of librarians, a small library and some great finds. BUT please remind me to return the DVDs, as they are now only a 7 day loan! (Until this year they were a 3 week loan)