A new year, a new challenge!

It's a new year, so it was time to find a new challenge.  I wanted one that didn't require me to purchase much fabric, rather I wanted to use what I had on hand. I also wanted one that would get me in the sewing room, but not take up too much time, so that I would be inclined to stay in there and work on my massive UFO pile.

I found my challenge, thanks to a fellow quilter! The 365 Challenge Quilt Blocks features mostly 3" finished blocks, but also has some 6" blocks, 12" corner blocks and a 15" medallion centre.  Every day you make a block and at the end of the year, you have a 90"x90" sampler quilt. And as a bonus, it's free (although they are asking for a small donation to offset the server costs - it's easy to do through Paypal).

I love little blocks and most of these only took a few minutes, but that bonus block with its 28 pieces in a 3" block did take about a 1/2 hour. I did switch the colour scheme of the block for Day 3, but the Red Cross just had to be in red & white!

Didn't too bad with matching the seams though!  I can't promise that will always happen, but I take this one!

I used the Easy Angle template to cut my matched pairs of half-square triangles. I swear by this template to create exact-sized HST that only require the dog ears to be trimmed.

Look at those babies - they are 1 1/4" square, and finish at 3/4" inside the block!

These tiny pieces need to be pressed with the seams open, which I don't normally do. I did end up with a few "twisted sisters", but overall the open seams really do help with accuracy on the front!

I'm using an old line of fabric - I had a layer cake of Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater from Moda, and with a few solids, I can make quite a few blocks.  The yardage requirements are quite high for this quilt, but Moda is launching Volume II of the same line in the spring, so if I am keeping up, I can buy similar fabric then.

It's not too late to join the challenge. You can sign up on  Facebook or on the website http://www.365challenge.com.au/. Hope you join me!

2016 Word of the Year

(image credit: modernlaceblog.com)

Off and one for the last several years, I have chosen one word to use as my focus for the year (unlike news magazines and sites that chose a word to represent the past year).

I have used words such as Joy, Focus, Nurture and Change.  I didn't have a word last year, and thinking back now, I've realized how much I used the "word" in the past to centre myself when I got scattered throughout the year.

The last couple of years have been a challenge, with a threatened job loss after just getting back to work after a 6-month layoff, battling depression and anxiety and downsizing my home (but that was a good stress!).

This year, I was originally considering the word "Less" as I am feeling cramped and disorganized in my new reduced space, but when I was looking for images to reflect it, I think "Simplify" better describes what I am trying to achieve this year.  It isn't just having less stuff around, it's simplifying everything I do and think in order to bring the things that bring me Joy in Focus so that I can Nuture my soul. (more Words of the Year).  I think this definition says it all:

simplify

/ˈsɪmplɪˌfaɪ/

verb (transitive) -fies, -fying, -fied

1.

to make less complicated, clearer, or easier

(definition from dictionary.com)

What is your Word of the Year?

2015: A year in review

I have come to the conclusion if I don't blog, I don't sew.  Having the blog motivates me to take pictures to post, and therefore I have to sew so I have pictures! Since I didn't blog much this year, I didn't accomplish much.  However, I did finish the following:

2 Shark Pencil Cases (yes, they got finished in time for Christmas)

A pillow for my daughter and son-in-law's new camper

Nine pillowcases for the grands (mine, my sister's and now my brother's grandchildren)

One baby quilt made with vintage fabrics and lace from my mother's stash, for the newest of her great-grandchildren - she would have been thrilled to have nine beautiful great-grandbabies!

A large design board (tutorial by Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet here)

A multi-slot wallet with a magnetic snap. 

Some fun kidlet sewing: shorts for Alex, big sister-little sister outfits and a summer dress for Mya! That's all the pictures I could find of finished projects. I did make some 1-hour baskets (both took me a longer than 1 hour) - one because I made a 2" patchwork for the outer side, and the other because I tried a new stiffer bag lining, which I really liked and will post about later. I'm sure there are others that I gifted that I have totally forgotten about.

I did add some more projects to the UFO pile:

 

A Nested Churn Dash lap quilt (pattern can be purchased here) - still to be quilted

I got four blocks down of a Harry Potter - Project of Doom quilt. I got stuck because I was contemplating adding titles to the books, and I was undecided how I was going to do it. Now I've decided I don't like the background I'm using, so I'm going make a pillow out of this one and rethink my plan. I still want to make a full quilt someday.

And lots of small scrappy blocks which I will share at a later date.

I did accomplish other things this year. I moved my sewing room upstairs and started making it my new "Happy" place.

And I'm adding more activity to my life.  This year I even managed to climb a mountain...

to visit this beautiful lake for a picnic with my very agile family!

Lindeman Lake, near Chilliwack, BC

I hope to add more of these beautiful hikes to my life this year!

Check back tomorrow for my Word of the Year - 5 years running!

Bonnie Hunter's 2015 Mystery Quilt-a-long has started! Allietare, Link-up #1

It's that time of year again - when Bonnie Hunter thanks all her followers with a free mystery quilt-a-long! I have participated for the last 4 years, with 2 finished quilts, 1 flimsy and 1 still in pieces to show for it!

This year I had decided that I have way too many projects started, and I wasn't going to do the mystery - but...

I couldn't resist the pull!  I'm only going to make about 1/16th of each of the units, in the hopes I end up with a pillow-size finish.  I haven't pulled my fabrics - I'll do that as each step is released but I did get my first 20 units of Step 1 done. (294/16 = 18.375 rounded up to 20).

How did I come up with 1/16th?  Bonnie usually does large quilts, between a double and queen - so I estimated her quilt will finish at about 80x80; 1/4 is 40x40; 1/16 should be about 20x20 - a nice size pillow cover.

I've used the same grey in several quilts already, and this is the very last of it. I will miss it!

Here are my other Mystery quilts, finished and in progress:

Orca Bay - my first and favourite!  It wasn't until this year that I realized I had made a mistake in assembling the blocks - can you find it? That's the beauty of scrappy quilts - they hide a multitude of mistakes.

Easy Street - the biggest quilt I have ever made.  I upsized this to King-size and gifted it to my daughter and her husband. Quilt-inspector Daisy approved.

Celtic Solstice - I down-sized this one to about twin-size and changed the border. Still in the queue to be quilted.

And finally, Grand Illusion:

I decided to stay within a single designer and mostly one fabric line (Jason Yenter/Shangri-la), but I am not happy working with such limited fabrics. Bonnie's quilts deserve to be scrappy, and appeal to my sense of adventure.  I have finished Step One and working on Step Two.  I'm going to finish up the units I have started, and maybe assemble a smaller quilt.

Be sure to check out what everyone else has been up to at the Linky Party on Bonnie's blog.

  

Christmas sewing has begun!

Every year I resolve to start Christmas sewing in July, and every year I procrastinate until November. Why be different this year? Never mind that I've had to deal with a possible job loss (now resolved with a promotion and a raise, instead of a layoff) and the resulting depression/anxiety. I'm slowing starting to feel like my old self, so what better therapy then the sewing room.

Shark pencil cases for Alex and Zoey - free pattern from www.patchworkposse.com. I still have to hand-sew the lining in, and add the button eyes, but that I can do in front of the tv later this week.



The first of nine pillowcases has been made, filled and sent to Alberta for my newest niece, 7-month-old Eloise.  The rest will be filled and given on Boxing Day at our extended family gathering.  Read more about our tradition here.

The rest are cut out and ready to go. 

Alex has been bugging me to learn more about sewing, and has asked for a sewing kit for Christmas.  I think I'm going to make one up for both him and Zoey, and teach them the basics in the new year by helping them make their own stuffies. I know I'll do most of the sewing, but they sure will have fun!

I bought the pattern, Menagerie from ikatbag.com in preparation.

My favourite is a bonus one, not shown on the cover, the Squid!

(Photo credits - www.ikatbag.com)

In the meantime, I enlisted his help in cutting fabric for some more I-spy quilts.  With 3 new babies in the family in the past year, it's time to get those started.  We needed to add to the collection of 5" squares to choose from, so he helped pick through my latest acquisitions and scraps.  He learned how to safely use a rotary cutter, and how to use a ruler. 

So serious.

Success! He was so proud of himself. We got the first one laid out, making sure all 99 charms are different, and in an alternating pattern of light/dark.  Next, he'll help sew them on my Featherweight.

Once I'm finished this last batch of I-Spy quilts, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all my novelty prints.  I probably have enough to make about 10 more quilts!

I also have a new long-term project distraction.  I'm making another mystery quilt, Shindig Mystery from Hillbilly Handiworks, this time all English paper-piecing.  This piece will measure about 36" across when I finish the remaining 6 points. I could choose to finish it at this point, The First Dance, or complete the full quilt, about 65". 

I have lost track of my fabric purchases, so I am bowing out of the Stash Reports for the remainder of the year.  Next year, I'm really going to try and challenge myself once again to get through the pile of UFOs.

Praying for Paris

sometimes world events put everything into perspective

 

 

 

and we have to remember not to jump to conclusions

 

As seen on the Facebook group - Meanwhile in Canada

 

 

and keep our hearts open to those who are suffering

 

 

and not let the next generations repeat the mistakes of the past

 

reflecting today,

 

Terri in BC

(photo credits from Facebook: Good Housekeeping and Meanwhile in Canada pages)

 

 

Depression sucks...

Every since getting a layoff notice on July 15th, my emotions have been on a whirlwind.  3 1/2 months later, I am still working at the same place with no idea how much longer I will be here. My anxiety is through the roof. I have put out numerous resumes, but sadly no phone calls.

 

Hence I am starting a new 5, 10, 15 plan.

 

5 minutes to plan my day (so that I don't waste it away wallowing)

10 minutes of some much needed exercise (even that is an effort right now)

15 minutes doing something I enjoy (sewing or scrapbooking)

 

If I can manage to do these 3 things daily, I tend to do more, but I'm not putting pressure on myself, that only defeats the purpose. (i'm not even putting housework on the list. that only depresses me more....)