To Do List 2014

Wow can you believe that we are on the Eve of a brand New Year!!!  This time of year everybody seems to be list people including myself.  I have a lot of different lists going on but the only one I'm really excited about is my sewing list.  It's not really a to do list but  a sewing wish list. 

First we need to start with the WIPs and UFOs:

Star Flower Quilt Along:  Still in beginning of piecing phase
Virtual Quilting Bee: Need to make two of each of the last 6 blocks
Tula Pink's City Sampler: about 3/4 of the blocks done
Christmas Quilt: Front is 90% done and back is in piecing phase
Medallion Along:  Need to finish quilting and binded
Star Surround Quilt: Front done, have an idea for the back
2.5 Quilt: Need sandwiched, quilted and binded
Sisters' Ten BOM:  Front done, no idea for the back yet


That list isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It would be nice to get some of these finished but as long as I make some steps forward in each project I will be happy.  This list has not deterred me from starting on some new fun stuff. 

There are lots of QALs I've got my eye on as well as BOMs and you know I'm going to try to squeeze in a swap here and there. 

Lucky Star BOM from Don't Call Me Betsy
Sew Retro Kitchen from Quiet Play
Tone it Down QAL from American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine
Polka Dot Bikini from my new found friend Sharon over at Fabrics and Flowers
Star Light Star Bright QAL from Happy Quilting
I am also now part of the 2014 Stash Bee, a big shout out to Hive 11

Super exciting stuff!!!! 

Also another goal that is somewhat related is to redesign my blog, taking better pictures for my blog, and posting more on my blog.  I know I've been playing hooky but I felt a bit overwhelmed for a moment and decided to get back to sewing without obligations to get myself motivated again and I'm coming back with a bang in 2014.  I'm hoping to learn a lot more not just about sewing but designing!!!

Happy New Years to all of you beautiful sewing people and may your year be filled with lots of joy and happiness.  Thanks for all your support to this newbie last year. 

Sister's Ten BOM Finished

I started my quilting journey back in March and I still remember a couple of my first.  The first blog I followed was none other then Amanda over at Crazy Mom Quilts and she got me so excited and inspired to do so much more.  But it was the Sisters' Ten BOM that I would say was my first real taste of creating a block.  At first I didn't realize there was math involved and I kind of thought you cut these shape out and sew it together but really there are steps that need to be taken for it to really work.  I learned so much from this BOM and I can really see my skills improving with each block from the piecing to my fabric choice. 

Here are my first blocks, like I said before I would've tried to cut out triangle, pieced them together and crossed my finger hoping it would turn out alright.  This was my first experience with HSTs. 

 

 I liked this BOM so much I joined lots of other things along the way such as SALs, QALs, and a virtual bee.  At this point I seemed to have my hands in everything and to be honest I got a bit overwhelmed.  So I got a little behind after these blocks. 

 

 

I would say it was a combination of having too much on my plate and this block that did me in.  I really had a hard time making one of them because I wasn't in love with it and I couldn't get past it for a while.  I saw what others were doing with it on the Flickr page and that really got me inspired. 

 

 

In the end, November came and it was time to put the top together and I was 4-5 sets of blocks behind but I was so in love by the way the top was suppose to turn out that I was determined to make them all and get a complete top.  The blocks are  put together in the most unique way to make this beautiful top. 

 

 

 

 I am absolutely in love with it.  It's so different from everything else I've made this past year and it really shows how much I've learned.  The last two blocks are my favorite and I would say reflects my style the best s far as fabric choices. 

 

 

 

 

Overall I would say I am extremely happy with this BOM and this is the first to many more.  Linking up my finish over at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Finally Blogging Again!!!

Super exciting stuff here.  I've been avoiding blogging and sewing altogether with.  Honestly I thought I lost all of my sewjo.  I mean I've been trying to get into it with making a Christmas quilt out of the blocks I got from my wonderful bee, We Bee New, and believe me the block I assigned them was incredibly not fair on my part, it being my first bee I'm afraid I broke some bee etiquette but my ladies pulled through and I got the most amazing blocks that inspired me to do quite a bit with them.  Still I got about 3/4 of the way there for the top and then put it aside.

Today I had no plans for sewing but I looked over at my sewing table and saw the projects piling up and then it hit me.  I wanted to finish my Sisters' Ten BOM quilt.  I finally had all the blocks made and all the background fabric cut up and ready to go.  I decided to sew it all together once and for all. So I just did it.  It took 3 hours on and off but its done and I can't wait to share my experience with y'all when I can get some pictures taken. 

Now as far as blogging goes, I haven't stopped reading everybody else's blogs I just neglected mine a bit.  But I no longer have any excuses seeing as how we just got a new laptop thanks to Black Friday.  Before this I had to do blogging through my iPad or a very old desktop with a loose mouse and neither made it convenient or fun but I feel like this is way better and definitely more reliable.  Now all I got figure out is how to get pictures onto this thing.  Oh before this I did all my picture taking for the blog with my phone even though I have a really great camera I wasn't able to connect it to the iPad so I'm hoping with the new laptop I can get good quality pictures to share. 

I am very blessed to be able to do what I love and I'm very thankful that the quilting community is such a wonderful place to share all of it with.  Can't wait to keep blogging, sewing, and blogging some more.