Happy 2013 - Let's Get This Year Started!

Happy New Year!

I was excited to get the first block in Elizabeth's Lucky Stars BOM this morning and thought I'd get right to it.  But I also wanted to at least get started on the Monthly Woodland Sampler from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery so I picked out my embroidery floss (I'm a bit off on some of the colors, but they're so close I can't imagine anyone is going to be disappointed).  Then I stitched the wee-est bit of the first frame.  (That one might not make it through the year, but maybe I should give it another week . . . )

I was happy to see everyone's postings about everything they did in 2012.  Made me feel somewhat inadequate.  I went through my photos and pulled out everything I'd worked on last year.  Its a pretty good group of stuff.  But the quilty things did not reflect a lot of finishes!

I see that Carrie is hosting Nothing But UFOs in 2013 so I took out my box of UFOs, photographed them, and then decided which ones I (really) want to get done.  She wants us to list three for January.  Here they are:

Quilt for Baby V

1.  Well, that could be a better picture, but I'd like to get this post done :)  This is a quilt I'm making for my youngest niece's first child, a girl.  I must complete it soon.  To be fair, I only just started it right after she was born on Nov. 30.  I put the border on and quilted half of it today so I should be able to finish it this week.

2.  My first attempt at HSTs.  No pattern so I didn't make it wide enough.  I really like the fabrics but don't have enough of these specific ones to add columns.  But I want to finish it anyway.

3.  And last is this quilt top which I made using Ashley's (Film in the Fridge) Scrappy Triangles Tutorial.  I didn't have many scraps when I made it, and many of the ones I had I didn't like.  But I still like the way the top looks (even though its sideways in this picture - Flickr wouldn't let me copy the one I had edited) and it should be made into a real quilt.

So that's my list for this month!  I'm going to be doing (trying, I mean) more than UFOs this year, but I'd like to clear out the UFOs.

I didn't work on the Lucky Stars Block of the Month.  But I did make my very first Swoon block!

All the best to all of you - thanks for your help and for stopping by!

Holli

A Great Day!

Practice block into pillow!

Fresh Press Saturday

I'm still struggling to post. Mostly I don't understand how to get pictures on here and that seems like it shouldn't be so hard. I'm using my iPad. I'm writing this on the blogger app. I take pictures with my iPhone and iPad and they're all saved in camera, or photostream, actually ON this device. Well, anyway it drives me a bit wacko and keeps me from even trying most days.

It was a very intense week of work from the real job perspective and I didn't get much done in the sewing cave.  But there was some good mail this week so I started the day today with pressing and folding the latest batches of new fabric.

I just love seeing it all freshly pressed!  But there is no more room in my FQ/half yard shelves. I need to sew more! And perhaps buy less (but don't tell the captain, he already thinks that!).

I've enjoyed reading about others finishes and lists of makes for the year and discussions of what will be on the list for next year.  I haven't gotten to that yet, but I am going to Sew South in March, and joined the Lucky Stars BOM hosted by Elizabeth at Don't Call Me Betsy.  I'm participating in my first ever swap, the Low Volume Charm Swap hosted by Lori at Lori H. Designs, and I even have my fabric, though I'm kind of nervous to cut it - what if I biff it?  I'll do it tomorrow anyway.  I think I joined something else, but I can't remember what it was.  I do have at least twelve lifetimes worth of projects on my "I want to make THIS" list.  I intend to make a real list and will strive to participate in linkys.

Happy Saturday!

Holli

Merry Christmas, and thank you

It has been a very fun year of sewing and fabric and following bloggers, all you good and generous people all over the world.

While the captain and I mostly don't celebrate Christmas out here on the water, its impossible not to feel the kinship and connection with loved ones and fellow travelers at this time of year. My heart is joyful. Thank you for all you share. What a wonderful world we live in. Despite the hurtful bits, we're mostly good, us humans.  God bless us, every one.


This latest make courtesy of Katy at imagingermonkey, quick piecing a granny. My first granny. In remembrance of Myrtle, the best Gram ever.

Merry Christmas.

xxoo
Holli

(I should apologize for the quality of the iPad photo, but if you saw where I sew, you'd be amazed I can take a picture at all -- let alone sew!)  

Fresh Press

I should have been sewing Christmas presents, or a quilt, or a pillow top, or anything. But I spent the day cleaning up the cave. By around 2:30 everything was put away and cleaned up but for a pile of fabric that had been laundered (I prewash all my fabric, but then I have to press it). So I pressed it. Not too much - I used to iron it all super smooth but realized that was a waste of my time and energy. Just enough so it will lay pretty flat and tidy. One+ yards are folded onto those comic boards and kept in the (relatively) big closet. Half yards and fat quarters are folded the same and kept together. The stack of orange is from the November shipment of Stash Builders from Pink Castle Fabrics. I have a lot of orange in my stash already but I think its my favorite color. The Decembers should be here Monday or Tuesday so I at least have to be caught up with ironing if not actually using them! December is browns - really? Brown? Ick. I was going to cancel for the month but I thought I'd go ahead and see what comes in. I don't have a lot of brown (do you?) and maybe it'll inspire something. Or not.

I love to prewash my fabric. It gives me a chance to get to know it. I have to unfold it so its free to agitate in the washer and dryer. When it comes out of the dryer - often way too dry, but that's usually ok because I rarely have time to press it at that moment - I get to fold it the first time, and it all looks different from when I bought or ordered it. (And how about fabric lint? Its the best! All soft and colorful!) Then I take it back to the boat (my laundry is done at the marina facility) and usually take it down to the cave. Where it sits until I have a chunk of time to iron and fold it. That's the special time with my fabric. Laying it out on my big (relatively) cutting/pressing table, spreading it flat and feeling the fibers, and noticing the print and how it was applied and where it repeats. Then the iron itself (which is a total pain in the **! - this latest is an expensiveish supposedly nice iron that the captain bought me for Christmas last year and it has been frustrating from day one what with its not getting hot enough and spitting all the time and turning off when it should still be on, but I do like the little feet that take it up off the surface when I let go, though that is a bit of a danger as other irons I have used in friends' homes and hotels while traveling DON'T do that!) (where was I?) going over the fabric and I get to spend more time looking at it and imagining how it can be used (apparently, primarily to sit prettily on my shelves, but I'm working on it).

Here's where the FQs and Halfs hang out. I like them alot.

This was written 12/18/12 but I couldn't figure out how to get the pictures to post properly until just now. I'm sure it was worth waiting for - haha. Merry Christmas again!

Trimming, non tree version

All those wee little bits sure add up to a big pile here in the dark Sewing Cave . . .

Blogging Is Hard

No photos.  No reason to even look here.  Move along. . .