Dare to Dresden....

Welcome to the Dare to Dresden Blog Hop!  For a list of other sites head over to the other bloggers showcasing today:

A Peach in Stitches

Nancy W @ “that Other Blog”

L3 Designs

Bungalow Bay Quilts

Quilted Delights

Quilt Crossing

Lixie Makes it

A Quilting Sheep

Charlotte's Creations

Quilt-n-Queen
Domesticity and Other Ponderous Things

Sew Much 2 Luv

A Quilt and a Prayer

Amanda Murphy Design

Little Mushroom Cap
Kathy's Quilts

Sandra Kaye Design

For my dresden I was inspired by Paul's Gear Block Cushion.  I loved this, and thought it would work great with the fabric I used for my husband's Christmas Present.  My plan is to make a pillow about 18" square...

I sketched a pattern out and then decided I would paper piece it... A little crazy as it has 18 sections with two pieces per section in a half of the Dresden   I had my husband (using his graphic skills) draft up the papers I would use for the Paper Piecing...  It was lots of paper.... but I have learned a few things I like when paper piecing... I much prefer the 1/4" lines to be printed on the paper, and I like to pre-cut the sections out... I found it made it faster for sewing.

I didn't get a chance to finish my Dresden into a pillow because I have been busy with Dance Costumes and Robbie Burns activities.... and busy with building my new sewing studio.

Although there is currently poor lighting, this room
will have lots of lighting once finished!

Progress on the new studio - mudding in progress

New Ceiling!

This isn't my first time making Dresdens.  One is currently on the back of the quilt on the longarm, and the others are waiting to be quilted...

My Dresden's waiting for quilting
From Lily's Quilts QAL

And the one on the back of my Quilt from
 last year's Sew Happy Geek QAL

Getting it Done - January!

As 2013 begins, I'm going to try and stay organized and on top of my projects....  And I will be joining many other bloggers out there both completing projects and starting new ones up!

Lynne at Never too Hot to Stitch has a great challenge going, encouraging finishing one project before starting new ones...  This sounds like a great idea!

Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts and Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs are hosting 2013 ~ A lovely year of finishes. For this challenge, my January challenge is to finish my daughter's skirt. Sorry its currently lost in the sewing room... Here is a photo of the fabrics - it the blue plaid, and the blue woven solid underneath....

Fabric from Our Social Fabric Sale

Judy over at Patchwork Times is hosting a Getting it Done Challenge in 2013...




As well as joining Leanne at She Can Quilt! for the 2013 Finish A Long 





So what is on my list?   Its going to be a simple list, sewing items anyways, as my main goal is home renovations and moving my longarm machine to my new studio.

1. Start the Starburst Quilt A Long by choosing fabrics.  
2. Load the Quilt from Sew Happy Quilt's Quilt A Long onto the lonagrm.  (UFO)
3. Finish a skirt for my older daughter. (UFO)
4. Embroider a blanket for my son's band fundraiser.  (DUE Jan 15)
5. Block for Quilt Guild BOM (January 11)
6. Jelly Roll Race Quilt at Guild Meeting (January 11)
7. Rennovations
   
   • Empty both Rooms
   • Remove carpets, wall, one door
   • Rewire, possibly adding a sub-panel for the room and better lighting.
   • Frame in closet, buy a closet door.
   • (I think there is some discussion about insulation and the ceiling.... but.... that takes time....)
   • Patch Drywall, Repaint
   • Re-floor (maybe some in-floor heating?)
   • Move Stuff!

I am also considering Quilt Sampler QAL to practice my free motion quilting....  but really don't need  another project right now.... so I really think I'll skip this unless it has a longer time schedule...  I also was thinking of doing the Dare to Dresden Blog Hop over at Sew We Quilt!