Last Day of the Month. Good-bye January!!

I have not been sewing much.  Have not been busy.  I have no real reason for not being productive this month so I will go with lazy then......  The only thing I really have gotten done this month and that was just yesterday (after I  took off what I had done so I could fix it and do the binding again....!!) is this.  Is it done yet?  Nope, but the binding is on, just needs to be sewn down.  Then it's finally DONE!!!! This will be two things done - my UFO and a Christmas project.  

So January's to do list is not done.  Move them into February (the shortest month we have in the year!! Yeah, make a LARGE list!!!) But since it's a leap year, I am going to make use of the extra day!! (I have to!!!!) 

My goal list for February:

1.  Orca Mystery!!  I am working on putting it together.... every step of htis project takes some time to do!!  And I just got an email from my quilter today!!  She is having a special for February - free batting for one quilt!  I am taking my Orca in to have it done this month!!!  And the only way I can do that is get it done -  So this is my first goal!! (yes I know it's being carried over from January!!!  Bad Brenda!!)
2. Tree Skirt!!  I was going to have this done by today too, so it's moved on to next month now too!!! (should have just gotten these done like I had planned.......)  I am thinking I will do a twister skirt!!  I bought the Lil' Twister ruler and I should just make the skirt with it!!!  
3. UFO Project.  Have not picked it yet.  This needs to be done NOW!!! And it needs to be another quick one - so I can get back on track here......
4. OH!!!  Right!!   I am so glad I made a list, how quickly I forget.... HGTV blks - since I did not do January's yet, I have both Jan and Feb's to do...... See what happens when you do not do what you plan???  You PLAN for a reason, to stay on top of things - and when you do not DO your plan, it just creates chaos..........
5. And since I told the store in town I would do her BOM - I have that to do too.  (I am just shaking my head now)
6. and last but not least - sew the last border on my Halloween quilt.  Simple to do? Yes.  So, just do it........

I have also started a list for March -  I do not want any of the above moving onto March's list. grrrrrr!!!

One thing I have been thinking about is:  putting a white board by my ironing board with my plans written on it. Out of sight, out of mind.... With a white board with my goals and ideas in my face and up close and personal, I can't say "Oh I forgot!!"  Now, with a board, I will know I should not start anything else because (like above) I have 6+ things already on the go as it is!!!

So, meal planning and sorting and organizing my room and getting things done. I am having a very full and busy February!!!  How is yours looking

Red Strings are DONE!

 See!!!  My red Strings are all made and waiting to for the next step!!!  This seemed to take me FOREVER!!! (about 3 days.....)  I had to cut everything, I had no red strings of any kind and I basically was doing this from scratch!! And I was making sure that I did not use the same fabric in the same block - although, much to my amusement, that did not always work!   I am still not 'in love' with string blocks, but I did not mind them.  And I do like how they look when made into a quilt so....... I am creating a bag of strings now.  For next time because I am sure there will be a 'next time'!!!

And since the next step is to remove the paper, here is my pile of triangles ready to have their papers removed.

And I am going to be doing that with the first season of "The Good Wife" in my player and I can see what I have missed.
This was  show I though would be stupid, so I didn't even bother to check it out.  Well, last year, doing something mindless (like removing paper from foundation blks) I had the TV on and this show came on....... I didn't change the channel, but I didn't really want to watch it either.  Well, I watched.  And now I wait for it come on!!!  So, I treated myself to the first season considering I have no idea what happened, who did what and what is going on that I should know about to make this show more interesting!!!  So this is how my evening is going to do tonight.   And tomorrow, I will show you the next step I am on with this no-longer-a-mystery project!!

As I was looking at my blks, I noticed something about my reds.  They are a darker red. They are not bright, not 'in-your-face', not brilliant.  More subdued.  Pretty much all of them.  Hmmmmm.  I think I am attracted to darker shades of colours.  Which I find interesting because I love to see bright, happy, excited quilts.  They make me feel good and energized.  Why then do the quilts I make, seem more homey, calming,  quiet.
I will be thinking about this.  I realized this on my Christmas quilt 'Piece & Goodwill'.  I had a friend send me some greens for it (Thanks Sandie!!) and they are beautiful!!  I instantly loved them!! Was really excited to add them to my quilt when, I realized, they would stick out like a soar thumb!!  The greens I used where dark - these were bright.  And that is when I first thought about the colours I choose.

Tomorrow I am also going to show you a very special gift I got in the mail this week!!!
Until tomorrow then!!  Night!!  

Good Start to the New Year!!

I have been making the red string blks for the Orca mystery!!  12 done, more under the needle and thread, and I would love to show you a pic, but as soon as I turned my camera on, it told me it needed new batteries!!!

And even though I have extra batteries, I also have people who know where I keep them and they are all missing in action!! lol!!  And I have stopped for the night because I was finding myself getting cranky - a sure sign I should stop now!!!

So, for the rest of the night I will ....... hmmmmm!! Maybe I will watch some TV or read a book.  Either sounds good to me right now.

So, pictures of my progress tomorrow - promise!!  And I hope you are having fun with your new year too!!!

Goals and Ideas for 2012!!

Happy New Year again!!  So what did you get to do today?   I watched Star Wars with hubby, on blue ray you know!! It was our daughters gift to him, and he was thinking about buying it for himself when he saw it in the store, but she told him he didn't need it!!!  She had already gotten it for him!!




Today I ironed and put the blks away for Step 5 on the Orca mystery.  The reveal was show today, and I was not sure what I thought.....hmmmmm. But, I am making it because I think in person, it will look different, then in the photo!!!
And I have made all these blks and I am going to use them!!!

My blks are not solid blacks -I even have spider webs in some of them!! Fun!!







And Candy Canes and moons - because of all the colours and the 'stuff' in these blks, is why I was wondering about them yesterday.  Would they work in the quilt or was/is it to much movement???

After seeing the reveal today, I am thinking it will be fine - and I work HOURS on these!!!

Here are the start of my strings for the string blks.  I am still cutting, am not ready to start sewing yet, but I am going to be doing this tomorrow.

And this brings me to my 2012 plans.  One, I am going to organize my house.  I am reading (have been for over a year now!!) Peter Walsh's book on decluttering your home - and your life.  Sounds real good to me!!!
And one of the things I really need to get a handle on is my  UFO pile.
And one thing I know about myself is - I love to start things!!!  I love the newness, the thrill of the start and the joy of seeing it come together.....  Hence, why I have so many things in the wings and so many patterns fighting for my  attention - "pick me next!!"

Here is my January Goals - sewing wise!!
~HGTV's BOM!  Yup, a block of the Month!! It's one block - common, it's not like I am starting a quilt??!!
~ORCA mystery!!  I am finishing this - and I want to get it to my quilter ASAP!! (And yes- I WILL bind it ASAP!!!)
~Last border on my Halloween quilt.
~Keep making and get my strip border on my Coffee Quilt
~Christmas Quilt (Piece and Goodwill) on my design wall - finish blocks, sew into top - get it ready to eventually go to quilter.......
~CLEAN UP MY STASH!!!!   Make strips, blks and squares for my Stash User system.
~Keep making up my kits (I have already started these!!) with the fabrics in my stash
~(Place mats for the food bank for next Christmas)  {this hit me as I was making my list. that is why it's in brackets. It's a maybe, not a have to, but it would be nice......}
~Start Tree Skirt!!  I need to finalize my choice on this, ASAP!!  I have one in the book: French Braid Obsession -pgs 37-42 that I like. Or one from this web site - it's a video from the Missouri Quilt Company.
~Bind my quilts I have gotten from my quilter.  One a week would have them done!!!!
~And this is my UFO finish for this month:













Do you remember the stain glass windows made - oh? How many years ago??  Well, this one is mine and this is as far as I got before I stopped working on it.  Basically, all it needs is to be bound.  Pathetic!!  I have over 40 of these type of thing in my hidey-holes and they are coming out of hiding this year.  Worked on and DONE!!

After this UFO is finished - I will have another one to immediately take it's place.

So far today, I have been doing okay with this list.  I am working on the Orca project. I am enjoying it and am looking forward to seeing it done!!!
I have had a nice first day of the year.  And I am looking forward to making my dreams/goals a reality!!