It's a NEW YEAR!!!!!

Wow - today is New Year's Day. What the heck happened to 2011????  

This is the day (time of year) when I get all nostalgic - remembering all I did last year, what happened, who died - you know all that stuff in life. But while I am being nostalgic - I am also going to be quilting!!!!!

And you all know that I have BIG intentions this year to clean up some projects. I feel very good in that last year I was finally able to get the studio cleaned up. Now that all "LIKE" things are together - it will be easy to organize the threads, or the patterns or whatever. I am going to like being able to tweak the storage issue!!!!

I hope to avoid stuff like this happening ---   before I started making the bindings for quilt tops as I finished them, I would set aside the binding fabric and put it in a box. Then if I was finishing one of "those" quilts, I would go to that box and get the binding. OK - so the box was NOT very big. Anyway when I looked at the box yesterday, I found fabric (the only one labelled) for Lover's Knot. HA HA HA - this quilt was quilted and given away years ago. So much for that system!!!!    I have since put the box by the FOUR buckets of quilt tops that need borders, bindings and backings. As I go through my ONE border/binding/backing PROJECT A WEEK - I will be checking to see which projects those fabrics belong to.

Now one more key thing for me is to NOT add more projects to my 2012 shelf. First off - there is already way too much on the shelf and it would be nice to actually see a dent made in it - not just kept full. Keep my fingers crossed on that one. Perhaps if I made a list and then I would know if I snuck something else on the shelf????   At least I would know what extra I put on it. Hmmmmm - might be a good task for later today - course I might just give up when I realize the quantity of stuff there.

Have a look.....................

WOW - I hope there are 500 days to 2012!!!!!

These next pictures are more for me than you.

My little rolling shelf - JAMMED with projects

Laundry basket jammed with borders, bindings and backings (OK - there are three Miranda bags in there to finish as well)

Big rolling shelf (lots of things that won't take long to finish - like that jacket which just needs buttons)

Customer quilt to get quilted

Quilts that need hand stitching on the binding

Dear Jane (THE project of the year)

The books and more fabric for Dear Jane class

Bonnie Hunter mystery - Orca Bay

The CURRENT sewing projects (No - I DID NOT get all those Elm Creek blocks done) - Why does everything take longer than it is supposed to?????

Cutting for Mondays

Administration CRAP!!!!   At least it is sorted by category!!!!!

The design wall

So yes there is a LOT of stuff to do, but WE managed to get one project off the shelf yesterday. M made herself a pair of PJ pants. When she took her sewing class - she choose fabric that was HORRIBLE to work with and she wanted pockets. Not to be persuaded to do something different, I let her work on it. Well - we still need to do the waist band and the hem. I suggested that she work on something much easier - like PJ pants from flannel. The flannel had been washed for a while and yesterday she decided she better get busy and get them done.

Well she cut and she serged and she sewed and...................................

VOILA - PJ pants!!!!!!    Actually she did a pretty good job at them. A tad more work on straight seams and I think she will have it down pat!!!!!     Hmmmm and what happened to that smile?????   She was smiling when she finished them!!!

Then I got myself busy with a screw driver and fixed the long arm. How that little gismo popped out I have no idea. But I guess that teaches me a lesson - DON'T play with it. Anyway I managed to get Caroline's quilt DONE!!!!  

CAROLINE - are you reading this???????    Your quilt is quilted!!!!

Caroline's quilt - front - that is MINKY on the front - a pain to work with

The back is flannel. And yes there is batting in there as well. Let's just say this quilt is HEAVY

And look - little Sammy just blends right in!!!!   I put it on the floor to see how wonky it was after I trimmed it. Nope - seems to be pretty good. So I got the binding on while M was sewing her PJ pants and it is now in the pile of quilts that need hand stitching. I had better get it done before she comes back from her vacation. 

Speaking of binding quilts - I CANNOT sit in that comfy chair and bind. I think I got TWELVE inches done last night and then BOOM - I'm asleep!!!!!!    Back down stairs to the wooden chair!!!!   Drat - because it was in a nice cozy spot of the living room.

A nice cozy spot to read or sew. I even added an extra work surface (those trusty TV trays) so I could put my stuff on. It was perfect - a little too perfect obviously. One thing - I do NEED to make a quilt for the living room. You can see that purple/pinky quilt just peeking under my table runner. That is my FIRST official quilt as a quilter and you must curl into a ball or use the quilt diagonally to get anything from it!!!!   I don't have anything on the shelf to make for that spot - hmmmm - I do have a flannel quilt cut that would be perfect there. Wait a minute - I am NOT allowed to add anything. Well since I am the boss - we'll see about those rules!!!!

And today - I am supposed to be working on the Long Arm University mystery quilt. Well - I am supposed to be quilting the quilt. I have a bit of work to do before I can load it on the machine. Thank goodness the teacher is on Mountain Time!!!!

The mountains part of the blocks

What I have so far - this was the fastest I ever choose fabric for a quilt. We were at Joanns and in less than 5 minutes - I went with these three colours!!!   Yes - I know I bought new fabric, but I needed yardage and I don't have yardage. 

A neat NEW tool that is super for cutting those mountains

Makes them a breeze to sew together - no marking with a pencil and then trimming. 

Have a look at the new add on to my car.....................

Isn't that cute!!!!!!   I don't look like me - but everyone else looks exactly like the picture including the girls!!!!!    Too darn cute!!!!!   The only problem - it is on the outside of the car and I am afraid it won't stay long. Already had to massage part DHs ear back down. M thinks he was trying to pick the decal off!!!!!    Wouldn't surprise me!!!!

This is Larry who is still with us and I think he is a happier bird for his visit. We bought him some millet and he is LOVING that. He had NO TREATS in his cage - boring!!!!!!!!

I think he devoured this stick of millet in TWO days. But he is sure chirping a lot more. He just needs love!!!!!    HEY MARY - what else do we need to do for Larry to make him happier???????

And this is Sparky this morning. Boy does she look bored!!!!!!   All those toys and NO ONE to play with.

Well that is it for today!!!!    I have a million and one things that I want to get done today. I will be lucky if I get ONE thing done.


Have a GREAT NEW YEAR'S - DON"T make resolutions, but have goals, WRITE those goals on a piece of paper. I saw a note the other day - if you want to change something - let's say you want to lose weight - WRITE DOWN THREE reasons why you want to lose weight. Tape them to your bathroom mirror. Not how much you want to lose, but WHY and it will become ingrained in your brain and make it easier to keep on track. I remember when my brother and SIL wanted to buy a new truck. They put a picture of that truck on their fridge - it was a constant reminder of the sacrifices they made to get that vehicle!!!!  

God - my bathroom mirror could be covered!!!!!!!    Hey - at least it is a step in the right direction instead of doing nothing.

And I have THIS BLOG to thank for getting my sewing room in order. I wrote about it - I took pictures of it - I made it a living breathing thing that I was in control of. And then I took pride in it and now it has become habit (obsession) to keep it tidy. The blog worked for me - but I am for hire if you need, get a journal and a camera, write notes but the important thing you CANNOT just make it happen in your head. You MUST MUST MUST write down your goals. It has been proven that GOALS do not happen any other way than taking charge.




Have a great day!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!