2016!

With the start of a new year, I like to take a little bit of time to reflect. It went in spurts, but overall, 2015 was a pretty darn productive year for me:

Seeing it all in a collage is always so cool. I feel like I've accomplished a lot! And that's not even all of it-- that's just the stuff I managed to take pictures of! There are a few more 2015 clothing and quilt finishes I hope to share on the blog as well. Soon!

How'd I do on my goals?

2015 Goals:

• Use more fabric than I buy.
• Fabric In: 127.070 yards
• Fabric Used: 120.791
Close. But not quite. But you know what? I'm not feeling bad about this one. I purchased with mindfulness and purpose on nearly everything-- I just didn't get to sewing it all up. I'm going to turn this around next year for sure.
• Finish at least 2 UFOs, including my Bargello Reflections quilt.-- I did finish a couple of UFOs: my reversible embroidered quilt from 2008 (still not blogged) and Sunrise Coins. But Bargello Reflections remains in its unfinished state.
• Finish the recent WIPs pile.-- This includes:
  
  • A little kit quilt that is basted and ready for quilting;-- DONE! (not blogged yet)✔
  • An Edyta Sitar wallhanging that is basted and ready for quilting;-- DONE! (not blogged yet)✔
  • My Fall 2013 mystery quilt that is ready for basting;-- DONE! (not blogged yet)✔
  • My nine-patch quilt that is also ready and waiting for basting.-- Nope. It's just so dang big. I am feeling intimidated.
  So-- 3 out of 4. I say, yay!
  
• Complete the 26 Books in 2015 Challenge.-- I read 51 books this year, across a broad spectrum of genres and subjects, both fiction and non-fiction. So I feel like I was definitely in the spirit of this. In addition, I took this to my book group and we each chose books based on the list. So the list was indeed used. Just not in the conventional way. I'm calling this one a win.
• Get back on the self-care/fitness train.-- This year I joined a local Fit-4-Mom group and started taking Body Back classes. I have been going twice a week since March and it has been amazing. I feel so lucky to have found an awesome group of women to work-out with twice a week. I have managed to lose 18 pounds over the course of the year. Now if I could just get running again...

Overall-- lots of good things goal-wise.

Here's what I'm feeling for 2016:

• Fitness!-- Keep going with fitness and work on reaching a goal weight of 150. I'm already signed up for the next session of Body Back as well as for a 10K in the spring to help motivate me to get running again.
• Use more fabric than I buy.-- All that apparel fabric I bought last year? I want to use it. I have a number of things I know I want to sew, including some activewear pieces, two dresses, and a skirt. Maybe some me-made activewear might help motivate me with my first goal too!
• Finish my Bargello Reflections Quilt-- Since this one has apparently been such a struggle for me, I'm making it a goal of its own. I'm going to do it. For reals this year.
• Scrapbook/Blog-- This last year I really dropped the ball not only on blogging, but also on my family scrapbook. And I found myself really sad and frustrated at the end of the year that we didn't have anything to look back on and reminisce about during the holidays. So I've spent much of the last week focused on scrapbooking-- finishing 2014 and getting started on 2015. Going forward, I want to work on maintaining it, as opposed to frantically doing it a year later. My goal is to a.) catch-up by doing one month a week for the month of January; and, going forward, take at least 2-4 hours each month to work on the family scrapbook. As an incentive, I got a new scrapbooking software program, My Memories 7. I'm excited to explore the possibilities with this software! The program I've been using (StoryBook Creator Plus) is many years old, runs very slow, and the company is defunct-- so it is definitely a good time to change. In conjunction with that is I want to be better at taking the time to blog my projects as I finish them. This blog is my crafting journal and I need to get back on track. Definitely a post a week.

Four goals. I'm looking forward to attaining all of them in 2016!

Happy New Year!!!

2015!

Woo! Another year. But before I jump into that, I want to take a second to remember 2014:

I hesitated to make a collage initially, but I am glad I did. It was a rather productive year for me-- and seeing it laid out like this makes me feel pretty proud. There is some good stuff on there! It also reminds me of a couple of things. Like the quilts that aren't on there but that were so close-- one just needing a label; one with a nearly completed binding. I gotta get those finished! And then: I want to make more clothes! My sewing projects this year were really good ones and I learned a lot. I love wearing me-made things, and I need more!

Looking back to my 2014 goals:

• Use more fabric than I buy.-- Woot! This is a win. And an improvement over last year:
  
  
  • Fabric In: 64.417 yards
  • Fabric Used: 94.292 yards
  
  
• Finish at least 2 UFOs.-- My "Harrington & Hannah" quilt is one; and I'm considering using up the roll o' fabric from 2009 a big UFO win as well. Unfortunately, the one project I listed by name, "Bargello Reflections", did not get completed. But technically, I did meet the goal!
• Finish at least 1 kit quilt.-- Yes! "Vehicles Vroom" is one I consider a kit quilt.
• Blog once a week.-- Alas. Not so much. But I did manage to blog at least once a month. There's definitely room for improvement here.
• Lose that last 5 pounds.-- LOL! Not so much here either. I made a conscious decision back in February that for my 40th birthday, I was gonna eat and enjoy it. And I totally did! And it was awesome! And then I couldn't stop. Doh! So I've gained. Not so much that I can't fit in my clothes. But enough so that some of them are not very comfortable at this point.

My goals for 2015:

• Use more fabric than I buy.-- Yep. It's good goal, and I'm sticking with it!
• Finish at least 2 UFOs, including my Bargello Reflections quilt.-- I'm getting hard core here, putting a specific project in the goal.
• Finish the recent WIPs pile.-- This includes:
  
  
  • A little kit quilt that is basted and ready for quilting;
  • An Edyta Sitar wallhanging that is basted and ready for quilting;
  • My Fall 2013 mystery quilt that is ready for basting;
  • My nine-patch quilt that is also ready and waiting for basting.
  
  Yikes. I'm already kind of feeling overwhelmed by the quilting required here. Hopefully the little baby quilt I just started will kick me into quilting mode and help me get these finished.
• Complete the 26 Books in 2015 challenge.-- When I saw this challenge, it really spoke to me. I read a fair amount, and love doing it, but I often find myself getting stuck in a rut. I like the idea of pushing myself a bit out of my comfort zone and trying some new book-choosing strategies.
• Get back on the self-care/fitness train.-- This is going to take some conscious effort. At 3:30 today, January 1, I weigh 175 pounds. Losing 20 would put me back where I was at the beginning of 2014. It seems like a reasonable goal. And I want to feel fit again and comfy in my clothes.

I think I'm setting a high bar for myself here. But I'm feeling it. It's going to be a good year.

Happy New Year!!!

Looking Forward: 2014

On the one hand, I really enjoy blogging. It is my crafty journal, with pictures, notes, stories... a record of the things I make. It is a wonderful thing to have that and to be able to share it with others.

On the other hand, blogging kind of stresses me out. It takes time. LOTS of time. And some days, the prospect of sitting down to try and accomplish a blog post just seems hard. Last night, as I was laboring over my coat post (which took me a couple of hours to put together), my husband suggested to me that maybe I should make it easier on myself by blogging projects in pieces rather than all at once at the end.

I like the sound of that! I have kind of been doing that some using Instagram-- micro-blogging, quick pics of what I'm working on with a little update. I want to do more of that. I want to do more of that using my actual blog-- smaller posts, vignettes of what I'm doing, small discussions/musings on whatever questions or challenges are developing as I work on something. So that is something I hope to work on for 2014. Smaller, more consistent, posting more regularly. I think it is a good goal.

Speaking of goals. Check out my 2013 completed projects collage:

Woo! Look at all of that! It is fun putting the collage together. Seeing it all together like that really makes me feel like I've been productive in the last year. Kind of cool! And some of those were big projects, too!

Here were my goals for 2013:

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- Check! And an improvement over last year, too:
   

   Fabric In: 61.600 yards
   Fabric Used: 79.195 yards

2. Finish at least 2 UFOs.-- I finished a couple of lingering UFOs, and even dug out a couple of languishing projects and made progress. (Many thanks to Carrie P. over at A Passion for Applique for her yearlong "Nothing but UFOs" initiative-- it was inspiring!)


3. Sew more clothes for me!-- I only made three items for myself, but they were all awesome, and one of them was a coat (which I was shocked to see that I mentioned specifically in my goals last year!).


4. More handwork.-- Sigh... I guess I can't meet every goal. I am still missing handwork. But I did do some toward the end of the year as I have been working on Wild Olive's Autumn Stitching Club.


5. Lose that last 15 pounds.-- Almost. And I am okay with that! I managed to stay active and drop 10 pounds this year.

My goals for 2014:

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- I intend to keep working on shrinking the stash.


2. Finish at least 2 UFOs.-- This is the year I am going to finish my Bargello Reflections quilt. For reals. And hopefully some other stuff too.


3. Finish at least 1 kit quilt-- In the past few years, I've acquired a number of quilt kits. I want to start making those kits become real quilts.


4. Blog once a week.-- See above. This feels like a reasonable expectation I can set for myself. (Says she who blogged one time last month... ha!)


5. Lose that last 5 pounds.-- ... or maybe even a little more. I am finding it harder to keep a regular exercise schedule lately. I want to re-focus and really push myself to be intentionally active at least 4 days a week as well as be more whole foods focused (and eat a lot less Doritos).

I'm feeling like 2014 is going to be a fun year!

Welcome, 2013!!!

Whew! That sure went by fast. I still can't believe that it is already a new year and 2012 is officially in the past. Wow!

Frankly, I wasn't even going to write this post, but then I went and looked back at my 2012 goals and was shocked to find that I actually followed through on them. While I had a good year overall, it did not feel like a great crafting year. There were many dry spells and not much blogging as a result. I made some great stuff though!

Looking at that collage really makes me smile. I may not have been crazy-productive, but I made some things I am really proud of!

Here were my goals for 2012:

• Use more fabric than I buy.-- This is a biggie. I list this as a goal every year, and it usually falls by the wayside. But NOT THIS YEAR!
  

  Fabric In: 74.681
  Fabric Used: 81.826

  That's right-- I used more than I bought!!!! Woo!

• Get my Jane Stickle quilt basted and start quilting it!-- Basted, check! As for quilting, I have managed to quilt two blocks so far. Not much, but it is a start.

• Complete the Amy Butler Style Stitches challenge.-- Alas, this one was a no go. While I definitely want to complete one of those bags (I have the fabric for it and everything), I just wasn't in the mood for bags most of this year. I did just finish a different Amy Butler bag though-- a Christmas present for my husband! I'll share pictures soon.

• Finish some UFOs-- I specifically listed Hop to It (began 2011), Playtime (began 2008), and my wedding quilt (began 2002). I finished the Playtime quilt top (woo!) and now it is waiting for quilting. Hop to It and my wedding quilt are DONE! Another UFO I managed to finish was the Paintbox Quiltalong (began 2010). So I'm feeling like 2012 was a pretty good year for UFO completion for me!

• Keep exercising!-- Woo! I'm still going! I completed two half-marathons in the last 4 months, and have started to regularly work on my strength and core-training by going to boot camp twice a week. I haven't lost much weight this year (only about 10 pounds), but my body has changed a LOT-- I can see that my hard work is paying off, even if the scale isn't showing it (yet!).

My Goals for 2013:

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- I made it this year, but it was close. I need to really make an effort to buy what I need (as opposed to stash-building) and work to use what I already have.


2. Finish at least 2 UFOs.-- Carrie P. over at A Passion for Applique has declared 2013 to be the year of the UFO. Now she is super hard core and is focusing her efforts on all UFOs, all the time. I know that is beyond me. I need fresh projects every so often to keep me motivated. So it won't be "Nothing but UFOs in 2013" for me. But, I'd really like to move some of my unquilted tops out of the closet and finish a couple tops that have been languishing. I think the top two need-to-be-quilted on my list are my Bargello Reflections top (unblogged) and my recent Mystery Quilt top. The top two on my wanna-finish-that-top list are my Greepiece project and my most recent block exchange. But really, whatever I can get done will be a good thing. I might even pick a couple of months to play along with everyone participating in Carrie's challenge-- I'll need all the motivation I can get!


3. Sew more clothes for me!-- I had some great sewing successes last year, and I want to keep the ball rolling. One project I know I want to do is a coat or jacket. It will definitely stretch my skills, but I think if I can focus myself to get it done right, it would be so worth it.


4. More handwork.-- I miss my handwork! I have really lost focus on this aspect of my sewing life, and I want to make an effort to bring it back in. I have a number of projects I can work on (including Harrington and Hannah and quilting my Jane Stickle) and (hopefully) I'll be doing lots of binding this year too to finish those UFOs I'll be quilting up!.


5. Lose that last 15 pounds.-- On one level, I realize that this magic number I've set for myself is arbitrary and meaningless. But on another level, it is a goal, and I want to see what my body is like at that goal. I want to be healthier and weight is a part of that. I've been working hard, the key now is to keep doing that and work to get the whole food thing in balance. That is tough. I really (really) like food. But I can do this!

Those goals should keep me plenty busy, and hopefully well-focused, for the year.

Here's to a crafty and fabulous 2013!

Happy 2012!

The start of a new year is always an exciting time for me. New year = fresh starts in my mind. Really though, 2011 was a pretty awesome year for me, and I have no complaints-- so really, I'm just kind of hoping for more of the same. Is that weird?

My goals for last year:

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- Ha!
              Fabric In: 148.700
              Fabric Used: 88.801
   I feel like I did exercise a lot of self restraint though. So that's something, right?
2. Finish at least one UFO-- Only one UFO finished, but it was a biggie-- "Forest Canopy" for the win!
3. Put together my Jane Stickle top.-- So close on this one... I've stalled out on adding the final outside border (the narrow 2.5" one that I'll cut the scallops from after quilting). But the center is otherwise done. Woo!
4. Have fun with being creative and making stuff!-- This one was a total win! I have had lots of fun this year branching out from just quilting-- I did a lot more sewing and made lots of clothes, bags, and pincushions (my new addiction). I've also been pretty good about keeping up with our family scrapbook, which I'm feeling really proud about.

When I first started thinking about it, I kind of felt like maybe I didn't manage to accomplish too much. But after putting together a collage of some of my finished projects, I feel like I was actually pretty productive!

Only 5 quilts (and one of those was a little wallhanging), but lots of bags, pincushions, and even a fair amount of clothes.

My goals for 2012:

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- Someday, I'm going to actually meet this goal. Maybe this is the year? :)
2. Get my Jane Stickle quilt basted and start quilting it!
3. Complete the Amy Butler Style Stitches challenge.-- The actual challenge group is seemingly retired, but I still really want to make those last two bags in the book.
4. Finish some UFOs-- Specifically, I'd really like to finish Hop to It, Playtime, and (highest priority!) my wedding quilt (started in 2002... as this year will be our 10th anniversary, it seems like it is time).
5. Keep exercising!-- Last summer I started exercising regularly (primarily running) and it is not only helping me physically (I've lost nearly 30 pounds in the last 4 months), but it is also so beneficial to my mental well-being. I feel so much more hopeful, refreshed, and energetic after I run. More energy = more crafting! I gotta make sure I keep going!

I'm looking forward to a happy and healthy 2012!

New year, new goals

I can hardly believe 2010 is behind us already. So quick!!! It was a pretty productive year here in Crafty Musings land. Here are a few statistics:

• 7 quilts
• 5 flannel blankets
• 28 pillowcases
• 2 Halloween costumes
• 6 aprons
• 1 crayon wallet
• 1 pair of pants
• 1 set of curtains
• 1 stocking
• 1 mug rug
• 1 fabric basket
• 1 diaper bag
• 1 diaper clutch
• 63 Jane Stickle blocks (and now all 225 complete!)
• A whole bunch of miscellaneous blocks for BOMs, quilt alongs, and bees

and...


• 1 baby boy!!! (There he is at 6 months old with his big brother!)

In terms of goals, I set four for myself in 2010. How'd I do?

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- Hmmm... close! But not quite. Final tally:
   Fabric Stats 2010:
   Fabric In: 136.955 yds
   Fabric Used: 116.292 yds


2. Make and donate some quilts for charity.-- I was able to make and donate 2 quilts this year.


3. Finish some UFOS.-- Technically, I would call this one a no. Though at least I finished something!


4. Take better care of me.-- In terms of getting more sleep and exercising, this one is definitely a fail. But, I also have a new baby. So I'm not feeling too bad about this one.

And now for some goals for 2011:

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- I was so close in 2010. This year, I can do it! For reals!


2. Finish at least one UFO-- My guild is having a UFO challenge this year that will hopefully help me in making this happen.


3. Put together my Jane Stickle top.


4. Have fun with being creative and making stuff!-- Just because I need to remind myself to do that sometimes.

Here's to a happy and productive 2011!

2010! Holy cow!

Happy New Year!!!

The arrival of the new year tends to be a time of reflection for me. What did I manage to accomplish in the last year? What do I want to accomplish in the new year?

Last year, I made 4 crafty resolutions:

1. Stashbust—use at least 100 yards of fabric from stash.-- Sigh... I tried, and I feel like I did use a lot of stash, but I wasn't even close to making it.Fabric Stats 2009
   Fabric In: 133.960
   Fabric Out: 65.093
   Ouch. The stats don't lie. But, I did manage to finish (what is for me) a whole bunch of quilts, and I do feel really good about that!


2. Complete 3 UFOs.-- Nope. Not this one either. Though, I did pick up the biggest offender and made a significant dent in it (and I'm determined to finish it in the next couple of months!).


3. Make and donate some quilts for charity.-- well, I managed to finish one, and have another basted for Project Linus (oh, my... I just realized that it has been basted since October. Ummm... gonna get to that SOON!). I completed one quilt for Camp Korey. I also made some pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer. Considering all of the quilts I completed for others, I feel pretty good at what I managed to get done. I definitely hope to do more in this new year.


4. Keep up with my blocks of the month projects-- I struggled some, but I did keep up with my Jane Stickle blocks, and I also did pretty well with my Autumn House BOM (only have the appliqued borders left to do!). Unfortunately, my work on Playtime fell by the wayside. I look forward to picking it up and making forward progress again soon. I also signed up for a new BOM, Greenpiece, and I'm happy to say that I'm caught up with that one. Overall, I fell pretty good about this crafty resolution.

And now, some new goals for this year:

1. Use more fabric than I buy.-- I'm serious this year. I'm going to do it! Nevermind that I bought 18 yards of fabric today alone. (Gratuitous photo of pretty fabric below.)
   
   
   Santa brought me a gift certificate, and it was a once a year sale... I couldn't help myself! But as of this moment-- I'm going to start using it.


2. Make and donate some quilts for charity.-- Last year ended up being the "Year of the baby quilt," which meant I was sewing for all of my friends, leaving me little time to do much else. This year, I really think I'll be able to do more.


3. Finish some UFOS.-- "Some" means "at least one." Surely, I can do that, right? If nothing else, I have a coupon I have to fulfill-- so I know that one will get done!


4. Take better care of me.-- I've not been great about this lately. I really need to start exercising, get more sleep, and focus on healthier eating. I'm going to start by trying out the pregnancy workout DVDs my friend sent me (thank you, Mikki!). And no more fast food lunches! I can do this. I can.

I think these goals are realistic. And I think they're positive. I feel good.

Sunday adventure

Today, E and I participated in a local Project Linus workshop. It was my first time, and it was a really nice afternoon. Each month, the local coordinator hosts a work party. Sometimes, the work days are kind of free days where one can work on one's own projects. Other times, the group works toward more specific goals, including sorting fabric and blanket donations, or (like today) making sure all donated blankets/quilts have labels.

There were probably about a dozen or so ladies who came and went over the course of the afternoon. It was a fun group to hang out with and we were pretty productive to boot!


All of my efforts were focused on sewing labels onto blankets (including most of the pile pictured above... but that was just the first pile!). Some I was able to machine stitch (on the fleece and flannel blankets), but I also handstitched quite a few onto quilts and knitted/crocheted blankets.

Everyone worked quickly, and together we were able to get more than 200 blankets ready for donation!


Each of these bags has 15-20 blankets inside! When asked if there are ever too many blankets to find homes for, the coordinator responded that Seattle Children's Hospital alone sees more than 40,000 children each year. And there are many more hospitals and organizations that accept blanket donations. So, no, there are never too many blankets.

I didn't manage to contribute anything I made, nor did I bust any stash-- so I haven't met any of my New Year's goals at this point. But I think participating in events like this is definitely a good thing, and certainly in the spirit of my resolutions. My new goal is to have a quilt to donate at the March work party.

Happy New Year!

The beginning of a new year seems like a great time to do a little looking back and some looking forward.

Last year, I made 3 resolutions:

1. Go to Atomic Java no more than three times a week. Um. I didn't last long on that one. But, I have curbed my caffeine addiction somewhat. I'm able to drink a half-decaf latte now without major headaches. And I can even go multiple days without my java fix. So, on some levels, I was successful.


2. Use more fabric than I buy. I got off to a good start, but kind of lost control.
   Fabric In: 389.183 yds
   Fabric Used: 93.810 yds
   Dang garage sales. But even that was only 150 yards. Clearly, I have a problem. To be fair though, I have used more than that. But there just isn't a good way to track fabric usage for my Dear Jane, grandmother's flower garden, Grandma's Country Album II, or block lotto and block exchange blocks. But added together they also used up a decent amount of fabric. Still, I think I've definitely earned a failing grade on this resolution.


3. Don't buy any books; read the books I have. I did pretty well on this one. A few books were purchased, but of those, I've only got 3 left to read. So, there aren't new books languishing on my shelves. I also re-discovered the local library. That has been awesome!!! And it has helped keep me from adding to my personal library. Not perfect, but I feel really good about my adherence to this resolution.

Here are a few goals for this year:

1. Stashbust— I really, really want to start using up my stash. Really. I'm not sure how to put this in objective, measurable terms though. Based upon last year, maybe I'll say, "Use at least 100 yards of stash fabric." It's ambitious, but I think it's a good goal.


2. Complete 3 UFOs— I'm trying to be realistic here. I think I can do this.


3. Make and donate some quilts for charity— I don't know how many I'll be able to get done, but I'm putting this on the list to help me focus.


4. Keep up with my blocks of the month projects— For Christmas, Keith bought me a subscription to a beautiful block of the month program through Shabby Fabrics, Autumn Houses. I also want to start work on the kit I purchased at Quilt Festival for the American Jane quilt, Playtime. I'm also going to stay focused on my Dear Jane quilt and continue to keep up with the Dear Baby Jane blocks as they are posted.

Not too many, but I want to try and make goals that I can keep. These are already going to be a challenge, I think.

Best wishes for 2009, and best of luck with all of your New Year's resolutions!

Resolutions

I'm not usually much into the New Year's resolutions thing, because frankly, I don't keep them. But yet, somehow I still made a couple for this year. Well, three, really-- but I already broke one. :P

1. Go to Atomic Java no more than three times a week. Ha! That one didn't last long. Caffeine addiction is a powerful anti-resolution agent.

2.Use more fabric than I buy. I'm doing better on this one. I've actually started a spreadsheet and have been tracking the fabric I purchase and the amount of fabric I actually use. I'm ahead at this point. I've bought 11.5 yards, but I've used 13.75 yards. Wait! I've used 14.25 if you include the pants I made for the boy today. Yay!

3. Don't buy any books; read the books I have. Really, I should specify "leisure reading" types of books (e.g., trashy romance, mystery, adventure, et. al.). I don't include parenting or children's books in this resolution. The goal is that I read the books I've got sitting on my bookcase (some of which have been there for 10 years or more). This one I'm doing well on. But it's hard. I can't tell you how bad I've been a hankerin' to buy some trashy new fiction.

Well, one month in, and I'm still going strong on two of the three. Go, me!