Make-A-List Monday - Fresh Start in 2021!

 

Hi, all!

Welcome to the very first Make-A-List Monday of 2021!  I've got big plans for this year (don't we all, the first week of the year?) but I'm hoping I can keep on track with a little organization.  Here's some of the things I'm hoping to do this year...

Get an early start on H2H 2021

Quilt more charity quilts

Save my commission quilt $$ for a special purchase

Start planning early for the 12 Days of Christmas in July hop

Participate in the Boho Heart quilt-along

I'm sure there are other things I will work on during the year, but those are my primary goals.  With those things in mind, here's my list for this week...

1.  Put all the Christmas decorations back in the attic. Right now they are lounging in one of the guest rooms....

2.  Work on quilting some charity quilts.  I've been working on this already, with three under my belt this year...

All three of these were donated tops, simply waiting back at church for someone to quilt them.  Usually, when we receive a quilt top, we pair it up with a backing and binding, tie it up in a bundle and put it on the shelf so that when someone has time to quilt one, they don't have to waste time getting all the pieces together.  I have about six more that I brought from church, plus a box of tops that I received at my house recently.  The goal is to quilt at least five per week, which is do-able.

3.  Contact potential H2H charities and sponsors.  Yes, it's that time again!

4.  Work on the third quilt prototype for String Therapy.

5.  Contact some potential commission customers.

6.  Decide on colors/fabric for the Boho Heart quilt-along!  I'm so excited about this - I saw this quilt last year, but when I tried to find the pattern it appeared to only be sold in Australia.  Someone told me about the quilt-along that starts in February, though, and I started looking around and found it on Amazon!

I'm still not sure about fabric, only knowing that I don't particularly like the coloration of the one on the pattern.  I did find this pretty bundle of Grunge in my stash, though, and that's definitely a possibility!

So that's basically what I'm working on this week.  We are also trying to get back on the keto bandwagon (not easy after having jumped off wholeheartedly during the holidays!) so I'll be cooking more, and looking for some more good recipes.  Fortunately, we've found several we really like, and the air fryer and instant pot are my friends!  Tonight we had white chicken chili, made with riced cauliflower instead of beans, and cheddar bacon jalapeño chaffles.  It got the "really yummy" from my husband, so it will definitely stay on the regular rotation.  We are learning to love cauliflower - my mother definitely wouldn't believe it!

And now, I really want to know - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem... Welcoming March!

Hi, all!

Well, February is the shortest month, but it sure feels like it went by in a flash, doesn't it?  I don't feel like I accomplished much in the way of scrappy sewing, but here's a look back at the month to see what happened...

I posted a tutorial on piecing batting, and another one for this disappearing hourglass block...

I also started working on another string quilt when I needed some mindless sewing.  You can find a tutorial for this quilt here.

I had hoped to make lots of frankenbatting during the month, but it turned out I didn't do much quilting, so that fell by the wayside.  It's good to be flexible!  

For March, I think I want to do something that feels fun and not like work.  So my goal for this month will be to quilt my Long Time Gone quilt...

...and finish my Gypsy Wife quilt.  Both are serious scrap busting quilts, so I think it fits in well with the Scrap Attack theme!  

FYI, Gypsy Wife is actually further along than this, but I couldn't find a progress shot later than this one!  All my blocks are done, and I've started assembling the sections.

So that's what I'm planning on working on this month - what are your goals?  I'd also love to see what you've been working on the month.  I've seen lots of you making scrappy quilts in preparation for the Hands2Help Challenge (which starts this Sunday, by the way!) which is such a fabulous way to use up your scraps and help others at the same time!  So link up below and share!

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have a Scrap Problem... What a Month!

Hi, all!

We are in the final days of January, and so it's time to review the month, scrap-wise.  Even though my scraps still seem to be replicating themselves while I sleep, I did make some progress this month.  

At the beginning of January, I decided to work on my "String Hamper of Shame" and also to work with my solids scraps to cut 7.5" squares for a QuiltCon class.  

This tub is full of 8.5" wide pieces of strings, which I created after pressing a bunch of strings from my hamper.  And no, it didn't empty the hamper - and I swear the hamper gets fuller every day!  But it's a start.  Then I took those 8.5" pieces and made a quilt top!

Isn't it pretty?  This will be part of the Rockin' Rectangles tutorial series running right now - probably close to the end - so start cutting up your strings and join in!  

I also did a lot of sewing out of my stash, with an eye to designs that could be made scrappy as well.  The tutorial for the quilt above appeared last Sunday, and the quilt below will be featured this coming Sunday.  

I also did manage to cut a few 7.5" squares from solid scraps, but not nearly enough...

...which means that this project will carry over into the first few weeks of February.  After all, QuiltCon is this month!!!!!!  (Can you tell I'm excited?)

So all in all, I think January went rather well in the scrap- and stash-sewing area.  In February, I will be working on reducing this mess...

....a collection of batting remnants from the last couple of years!   I think I need to spend a day or two making "frankenbattings" so they will be easier to use - and sorting out the pieces that are just too narrow to use for anything but wiping up oil spills or dusting.  If I can use these up, I'll have three empty cubbies on one of my storage shelves, which I can use to organize something else - wouldn't that be nice?

And while I'm cutting up those 7.5" solid squares for QuiltCon, I may cut pieces for this beautiful quilt...

Isn't that wonderful?  And just imagine how many solid scraps it would use up.....

So that's my plan for February.  What are you hoping to do with your little scrap monster this month?  Link up below and share, or just tell us in the comments.  After all, we're all in this together!

Hugs!

Sarah

Some Goals for 2019!

Hi, all!

Happy, happy new year!  Even more than a Monday, a new year gives you the feeling of a clean slate, doesn't it?  So many possibilities ahead of you - and sometimes that feeling can be overwhelming!  And so we make lists.  Maybe you call them resolutions - although there's so much pressure (and sometimes guilt) associated with resolutions!  I like to think of them as goals.  Maybe they'll get done, maybe they won't - but they give me something to aim for.  

Here's my list of goals for 2019...

- 1 -

Keep working with my scraps to organize and use them.

- 2 -

Make at least two quilts using kits I have stashed away.

- 3 -

Create designs and tutorials for the Rockin' Rectangles Quilt-along (coming in late January).

- 4 -

Organize Hands2Help 2019.

- 5 -

Quilt some (many!) tops for the quilt ministry.

- 6 -

Finish at least two UFOs.

- 7 -

Create a pin for trading at QuiltCon 2019.

- 8 -

Design a quilt-along quilt for the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop.

- 9 -

Use at least half the strings in my (overflowing) string hamper.

- 10 -

Clean and organize my office area before Hands2Help!

This isn't nearly all-inclusive, but it's a good start!  At least I can jump right in and not just spin my wheels wondering where to start.

Do you make a list of goals?  What is one goal you have for 2019?

Hugs!

Sarah

2018 - What a Ride!!

Hi, all!

Do you ever take the time to look back over the past year when you start thinking about making New Year's resolutions?  I thought it might be fun to take a look back at 2018 (which seems to have gone by in a huge blur!) before thinking about what I want to do in 2019.  So let's see some of the highlights!

January saw the advent of Scrap Attack!, a monthly goal for dealing with scraps.  I enjoyed doing this, although there were months when I was too busy to draw another task from the box.  I did find, though, that I really enjoy sewing with scraps, and it showed throughout the year.

And of course, since 2018 was turning out to be the year of the scrap, the theme for the quilt-along starting in late January was Scrumptious Scraps!  This year I had help from some friends (because scrap quilts take a lot longer to make!) and between the four of us, we provided six tutorials for simple scrap quilts that would be easy to make for...

...the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge!  This started in mid-March and ran through the end of May.  Quilters were challenged to join in and make quilts for one of three charities (or a local charity of their own choosing) and it was a rousing success in 2018!  The final posted numbers were 150 quilters participating, making 416 quilts that were donated to people in need!!!  I know that more quilts have been donated since then, as some people who were unable to finish by the end of the challenge have let me know they finally sent theirs on.  I am always amazed by the generosity of quilters!!

Then July brought the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop with 28 bloggers participating this year.  They shared amazing ideas for gifts and crafty things to make your holidays sparkle!!  And I also shared another quickie quilt as a quilt-along - twelve days, one hour per day, and you can have your own Christmas quilt!  

This year I made a lot of memory quilts, pillows, and even a table runner!  I love doing this kind of work because it's so important to the recipients.  

I also had the pleasure of restoring this fun vintage quilt for my friend - she slept under it as a child at her grandmother's house, and wanted to use it in the room she was preparing at her own home for her first grandchild!  It's now restored, and ready for generations of kids to enjoy!

And did I mention I made a few t-shirt quilts?  Whew - I lost count of how many I made this year, but it was a lot!  My tub of t-shirt backs can attest to that...

Quilts for my grandkids rounded out a year filled with scrap quilts, comfort quilts, ministry quilts, and sometimes "just for the heck of it" quilts!  Our quilt ministry gave out a lot of quilts this year, with my favorite large donation being 51 quilts for the teachers at our local elementary school, to thank them each for all they do for the children of our community.  

So that's a quick overview of 2018 - and now I can't wait for 2019 to start!  Tomorrow I'll share some of my goals for 2019 - it's going to be hard to narrow it down to a short list, but I'm going to try.  

I'd love to hear your favorite accomplishment of 2018 - do share in the comments!!

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem... Scrappy Goals for 2017!

Hi, all!

Well, a new year means a fresh start - and new goals!  I had so much fun last year with this series, and I did accomplish a lot as a result of it.  But I've still got a ridiculous amount of scraps, so I need to make some goals for the year to help get rid of some of them, too.  Here's what I'm hoping to do this year, scrap-wise...

Scrappy Quilts for the Stunning Stars Quilt-Along

I'm planning six different quilts for the Stunning Stars Quilt-Along (January 29-March 5) and I want to make at least four of them using scraps from my stash.  I think this is feasible, and a great example to set for charity quilting!

Using my Latitude Scraps

Remember this lovely pile of scraps that Kate Spain sent me from her Latitude line of batiks?  Well, I really want to use it to make this great quilt designed by Rachel Hauser - isn't it gorgeous?

Do Someone A Solid!

I have a growing stash of solid Kona scraps that I want to turn into a quilt - I'm still searching for a pattern, but there's a great quilt in that tub just waiting to see the light of day!

Continue the Great Scrap Bin Organization

Those scraps under my long arm frame are still there - and secretly, in the dark, I think they are multiplying!  So the end goal is still to sort through all those tubs and turn them into usable pieces of fabric.  I'd like to get to at least a tub every two months, pressing, folding and cutting - that would make a great dent in the stash!

That's not nearly a comprehensive list, but it is a good start for the year.  Are you planning any great scrappy incursions this year?  Tell me about it in the comments below - that way we can cheer each other on!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - And It All Begins Again!

Hi, all!

I really hope all of you are staying warm on these ridiculously cold days - we actually made it up into double digits today, but the wind chill was about fifteen degrees below zero most of the day. Now I know for some of you that sounds balmy today, but it's the coldest weather we've had here in Middle Tennessee in twenty years!  My poor heating units have been running non-stop all day…  But it's great weather for sewing, isn't it?

Last week's list was really short, because I was on vacation.  Here's how it went…

1.  Finish up the last quilt top I brought with me.

Done!  I like this one, and I'm hoping to get it quilted in the next week or two…

2.  Ring in the new year with my DH, and celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary at the same time!

Done!  Although, like a couple of old fogies, we went to bed before midnight…  We had a great anniversary trip!

3.  Make up a list of goals for 2014.

Done!  You can read my list of goals here.  Lots of folks linked up with their lists, too - it's inspiring to see what each of them are hoping to accomplish in 2014, too!  There's still a couple of days if you want to join in the linky and share your goals, too.

It was an easy week, but it's time to get back into the normal swing of things now!  So let's see what's on tap for this week…

1.  Sort out the scraps that have accumulated over the past few months into the color tubs (Lilli and I will be doing this tomorrow afternoon - a great "snow day" activity!)

2.  Finish the table runner I started last week.

3.  Work on revamping the studio a bit.

4.  Make a new cover for my ironing board.  (Isn't this pitiful?)

4.  Meet with the quilt ministry ladies to discuss new cataloguing techniques and set dates for three technique classes for the quilt ministry.

5.  Write an estimate for a commission t-shirt quilt job.

6.  Prep a new blogsite to focus on ministry quilt stories.

7.  Put one of last week's quilts on the frame and quilt it.

8.  Begin writing a book about the ministry!

9.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs as they arise.

I'm really excited about goal #8 - I put it on my 2014 goals list as the "unattainable goal" but Juliana Ellington posted a comment on my post with a great idea!  Post a chapter periodically on this blog, and by the end of the year I should have at least a good start made on that goal.  So I think I'm going to give that a try.  I'm still trying to figure out when and how to post that on here but I plan to have an outline for the book posted sometime this week!

*** By the way, Juliana, I'd love to talk to you about setting up a blog but you are a no-reply blogger and I have no way to reach you!  You can email me directly at salliesue (at) clearwire (dot) net if you still want to talk about it…

I'm so excited about all the possibilities of a new year!  Are you?

And just because this post is woefully short on pictures, here's a shot of my two princesses today in the "crowns" that my sister made for them for Christmas…

And now the real question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Goals for 2014 - The Linky Party!

Hi, all!

Happy, happy new year to each and every one of you!  I don't know about you, but to me each new year seems like a blank journal, all ready to be written in.  And I find myself with ideas of things I want to do, or make, or accomplish, all rolling around in my head.  So I decided to write them down for posterity here, which will allow them to come back and haunt me at the end of the year!  Won't you join me?  We'll make it a linky party!

When I was making my list, I found that things naturally fell into certain categories - and I think I'll stick with it.  Here are my personal goals, in no particular order of importance…

Things I Need To Do

Organize my quilting studio a little better

Skills I Want To Learn

Learn new negative space quilting techniques 

from Judi's new book

Skills I Want To Teach

Teach a string piecing class to the quilt ministry ladies

Teach a slab piecing class to the quilt ministry ladies

Teach a straight line quilting class to the quilt ministry ladies

For The Quilt Ministry

Reach the 1000 quilts given away mark (330 more)

Create a cataloguing system to keep track of donations and hands that have worked on each quilt

Blog about the quilt ministry on a regular basis (new blog?)

Things I Want To Make

Kaffe Fassett quilt

Judi Madsen quilt (from her new book)

Make a string or slab quilt from the scrap bins

Finish a very old UFO

The Unattainable Goal

Write a rough draft of a book about how to start a quilt ministry

 I added that "unattainable goal" because that's something I've wanted to do for years, but have never quite managed to get down on paper.  It's rolling around in my head, though.  But between the granddaughters, the quilt ministry, and the things I want to do personally with quilting, I never seem to quite find the time.  Maybe this will be the year, now that I've put it down in writing!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And now it's your turn!

Have you set goals for yourself for 2014?

Link up below to share your plans with us!

Inspire someone else to achieve something great!
(The linky will remain open until 1/8/14)

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

I can't wait to see what all of you are planning to do - I may have to add to my own list once I do!  You've all inspired me so much during 2013 - to learn new things, stretch myself, move out of my comfort zone - and I'm hoping for the same in 2014.

Happy New Year to one and all!!

Hugs!

Sarah