The next six months - goal-setting

I've not been doing a very good job of using my blog to post my progress this year, and that also means I haven't made much progress - the vicious circle! Goal-setting works for me so here goes for July's projects:

1. Make a quilt for MacBaby by July 16th!

2. Finish and quilt 3 Canada 150 quilts for the kidlets.

3. Prep and finish Rosette #5 for my Millie quilt.

Explanations:

1. One of my very good friend's has finally become a mother through adoption - but can't reveal the name nor many details yet, so this little girl's pseudonym is MacBaby. I haven't met her yet, but there is a baby shower coming up, so a quilt is necessary. I didn't get very far following along with Pat Sloan's Winter Solstice (1 large and 5 smaller blocks done), but the colours I chose will make a beautiful baby girl quilt. Now to plan a layout and get cracking!

2. I have had the fabric for a year, took 9 months to find a design I liked, and have the 7" blocks finished. Now that I decided to do an on-point setting to make the blocks go further, I can start assembling the quilts - one for each of my grandchildren.

3. I was late to the game starting Katja Marek's Milliefiore quilt, and it got put aside for most of the winter. Now that it is hot out, and I want to spend some time poolside, I need to get the cutting and prep done to finish my rosette.

2017 - A Fresh Start

Last year was hit and miss in both the blogging department and the quilting/sewing/crafting department. I do so much better when I blog regularly, as then I have to do something in order to blog about it.  I'm committing to joining the following blog reports, etc. so I have a schedule to follow!

1. For the fourth or fifth year, I'm joining Judy Laquidera's Patchwork Times Sunday Stash Report.  Today, being a Sunday is a great start - nothing in, nothing out so the numbers are easy:

Added this week: 0.00 metres

Added this year: 0.00 metres

Used this week: 0.00 metres

Used this year: 0.00 metres

Added/Used this year: 0.00 metres

My goal is stay in the blue this year. It should be easier because my favourite on-line discount shop has shut down.

Judy's blog has turned to more about knitting and recipes, but her Sunday Stash Report has quite a few quilters that link up, and I have found some great blogs to follow through it.

2. New this year, I'm following Elaine Theriault's Crazy Quilter on a Bike Motivational Mondays in order to put some order in my life!  Motivational Mondays is actually a Facebook group, but her blog is filled with some great tips and ideas.  The first step was to identify your Dirty Dozen, or 12 UFOs that you feel you must complete this year.  I have identified the following:

Epic Halloween Quilt

Mom's Christmas Quilt

Splendid Sampler

Vignette

Farmer's Wife

Gramma's Dresden

30's Hexies

Snowman Reunion

Grand Illusion

Vintage Valentine

Sunkissed Snail Trail

Sunkissed Birdie Stitches

Bonus - Santa Advent Calendar

This isn't cast in stone, as I haven't gone through all my UFOs yet, these were only the ones within view.  I know I will substitute at least one, and I will also create more Dirty Dozen lists for future use.

I'm probably also going to create a smaller list of scrapbooking projects I want to complete this year, as I have fallen behind on those as well. Two I know I "have" to finish are my Trip to Italy and 6 Heritage Albums for my daughters and nieces.

3. Just like Barbara Stanbro of Cat Patches, I want to also set monthly goals so I don't lose sight of the small projects and tasks that need to get done as well. And when I say need, that is only for my satisfaction - I like accomplishments!

4. I'm also going to report regularly on Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday report, although I tend to do most of my slow stitching on weekday evenings. Several of the UFOs on my Dirty Dozen list involve embroidery or hand-stitching, plus there will be bindings as I complete them!  Kathy's a fellow Canadian and a lot of the quilters linking to her report are as well, so it's always fun to check out their blogs.

5. Last but not least, I am going to do a weekly weigh-in. With my recent knee injury, it has really driven home the point that I need to lose weight.  I'm only going to report my loss or gain, no need to put up the starting figure!

Now I have to think about what my Word of the Year will be, but "commit" just jumped in my mind, so I'm going to mull it over!

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish much health, happiness and peace to all of you this year and for many more!

July Goals

Happy Canada Day!

I love this picture! It is so cliched (is that even a word?) However, since a baby beaver was rescued by the local wildlife society this week, just a mile from my home, I have a maple tree in my front yard and I get teased for adding eh? to my sentences there is some truth to it!

Barbara is the author of one of the blogs I follow regularly, Cat Patches., She has been listing her goals on the first of each month, and provides a progress report.  I like that ideas since I have lots to do and keeping a running list in my head doesn't seem to be working.

In July, I would like to (in order):

1. Finish Konner's quilt and get it to him.

2. Clean and oil my new-to-me handcrank so I can start teaching Zoey how to sew.

3. Join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RBC) and make string blocks for future projects. This month's "colour" is Watermelon - hot pink with a little green for accents.  I think I'll stick to one colour - pink it is!

4. As I have fallen behind on both the 365 Block Challenge and the Splendid Sampler, my goal this month is to ensure I have downloaded all of the blocks.

5. Spend 15 minutes a day in my sewing room doing something - even if all I do is fondle fabric!

No pictures today - I got a new table for the sewing room, so it is in turmoil!

Next month, I post my progress (with photos) and make new goals. My reward, if I complete them
all, is to buy the fabric for this splendid Halloween quilt from Flying Parrots Quilt:

(Although I will confess, I bought some black on white spiders yesterday!)

Sunday Stash Report 2015, Week 18

Just a bit of mending makes for a very boring report. I've decided that I don't like the setup in my new sewing room so today I'm tearing it apart and starting over.

I made this pillowcase for Zoey at Christmas (her Gramma Goodie Bag), and before I could give it to her, my Daisy dog ate a hole in it about the size of a quarter. She used that hole to get at the chocolate inside and managed to open every package through that tiny hole! (She was fine afterwards, by the way).  I finally got around to fixing it this week by fusing the hole shut and adding a triple pocket that she can put her Frozen dolls in.

Then I made another mini-design board (a la Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet):

I'm going to make a few more, then I'll show you what I'm going to with my collection!

So, only a quarter metre out, but at least it's something.

Added: 0 metres

Added Year to Date: 0 metres  

Used/Given away: .25 metres

 Used/Given away Year to Date: 15.5 metres

Added for 2015: -15.5 metres

Linking to Judy's Stash Report at patchworktimes.com

More small accomplishments:

I added my Ikea buttons to my sewing room!

I found my mom's cow bell when I was unpacking and hung it on the sewing room door handle.  This hung for many years on my mom's sewing room door to warn her if one of the grandchildren was going where they shouldn't and I thought I should carry on the tradition!

I have ho idea where she got it, most likely at a garage sale (she loved to go garage saleing!)

And I got a new "TV" for my bedroom armoire!

Alex decided I needed one since I haven't replaced the old one!

I've been feeling out of sorts with the chaos in my sewing room, so I need to set some small goals to help me get back on track.  I also need to make some serious headway on clearing out the UFOs and WIPs, before I start too many more.

  I like the way Barbara of Cat Patches does hers monthly with goals and bonus points ;o), so I'm going to give that a shot!

MAY GOALS

Flimsies and Quilting

1.  This Super Mario Quilt is my number one priority.  It's a gift for my sister's oldest grandson and has been languishing for far too long.

I have 3 of 6 blocks done (I made mine larger than Angela's) and the 4th is half-way finished, so I should be able to finish it this month. I made him this pillowcase and he already has that, so I really want to get this in his hands soon.

2.  This quilt is a house-warming gift for a friend - again, long overdue.  It is basted and ready for quilting. I finally decided to quit waiting for my FMQ skills to improve and just go for it!

WIPs (Works in Progress)

4. About a month before my niece was due with her first child, I realized I didn't have a boy quilt ready.  I had a girl one almost finished, but as she didn't know the gender, I figured I should have a second one at least started.  I've had this Debbie Mumm Noah's Ark fabric for about 15 years, and have always wanted to do a medallion quilt, so I got a good start on it.

I got it as far as this before Baby Eloise made her arrival!  I've decided to keep at it, and use it to practice some new techniques.  First up, I have to design some cornerstones for this round, because I don't like the way these borders finished up. I'll share more about how I got this far later this week!

Leaders and Enders

4.  As I work on the above projects, I will focus on my Grand Illusion quilt pieces.

I still haven't finished Step 1! (Pardon the poor colours)

This free Bonnie Hunter is about to be retired for future publishing, so if you haven't already downloaded it, you might want to check it out!

Bonus Points

5. Just for fun, and like Barbara, if I get bored or actually finish all the above projects, I'll dig through my UFOs each month and try to get through them. 

Check in around the 1st of June to see if this helped me progress just a little.