Tuesday, December 31, 2013

January Get it Done

I did not post anything in December for a "Get It Done" list. I knew it would be useless because I wouldn't "Get it Done". I figured I would just start fresh for the new year.
Sewwwwwww-here we go.


For the Month of January my "Get it Done" list consists of:

1. Snow Ruby-I haven't decided which fabrics to use yet. (Opinions?)



     

2. Need to get 8 Reach for a Cure Totes done.


These are the fabrics I have already cut up into kits for the totes. Now I just have to sew them.

3. Quilt & Bind Primitive Hearts quilt for Dr.'s office.


I do quilts that I take to my oncologist's office for them to give to patients receiving chemo.

4. Hot Rod Quilt.

 
(I know this pic is sideways. For some reason I can't get it turned.)
I have put a top and bottom border on this, and I have it loaded and halfway quilted. I want to finish quilting it and put the binding on this month for DH.
Hooking up to Patchwork Times. Check out what others are doing.

That's my line up this month.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches
Mary

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Slow Stitching Sunday 12/29

                                                                  Slow Sunday Stitching

This week I dug out a project that I have had for quite some time. I bought this as an unfinished project at a yard sale in AZ when I was visiting my mom. The Apple Cores (or Hatchet) blocks were cut out and about 5 or 6 were sewn together. The woman who started this had passed away. I have worked on this off and on for a few years and now I think it's time to finish this. It won't be very large but it might make a good table topper or for the back of the couch.




On another front---I have a show and tell.
Just picked this little jewel up this week. All it needs is a needle clamp and a little cleaning.


It's a Singer 185K. This is my other passion-----sewing machines. Namely vintage machines.
Oh well------keeps me off the streets and out of bars :-).

Linking up to Kathy's Blog for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Til later
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Proposed Goals for 2014 Part 1

These are some projected goals that I would like to do in 2014.
What I thought I would do is start working on using up some of my stash. I think it has aged enough.

I have received some of these little pattern cards as gifts, or have purchased them. I thought I would try to get 1 done a month using ONLY from my stash. These are small do-able projects that I think I should be able to handle. I am listing the first 6 months here and will go through some of my other patterns to find small projects for the last 6 months.
(Please forgive the quality of the pics. Sometimes my camera (or operator) doesn't like taking close ups.)

January:





February:





March:




April:




May:




June:



Let's see how well I keep up with this. Wish me luck!

That's it for now.
Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Monday, December 23, 2013

I'm taking the Pledge

                                                                 Favorite Fabric Swap

Well let's see how well I do. I've decided to join this little group of Fabriholics Anonymous at The Elvin Garden.

Here's a few of the ground rules:

No fabric purchases for the first 6 months (except for backing and bindings, but try to pull from stash first).

After 6 months re-evaluate and see if you can go for another 6 months.

Another is to create a UFO list and finish them. (As you have seen in some of my posts I do have a UFO list-see Page tabs above for 2014 projects).

Start de-stashing by weeding out fabric that you know you'll never use. I have done that before and will go through again. (I have a person that I give fabric to so she can make quilts for the homeless.)

Exceptions:
If you don't have stash for backing or binding then you may purchase.
Books, magazines and notions are fine.
One of the exceptions I will make for myself is, if I need fabric to round out a pattern I am making (ie., I have lots of focus or main fabrics, but not blenders or accents) I may purchase only the amount needed.


I had already decided to do something like this so maybe this will give me the little push I need.
Wish me luck.

Til later
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

What's on the Wall?

Thought I'd hook up to Judy L's Design Wall Monday.

This is what I have on part of the wall right now.




These are some blocks that were left over from another project. Don't remember which one. Found them when I was going through cleaning out some stuff. I have enough that I think I'm just going to sew them together, put a narrow border on them and call it good for a table runner. This next year I'm going to try to work out of my stash for the majority of things (ha, ha). I won't say I'll only work from my stash because I know how much willpower I have when it comes to fabric (NONE, NADA, ZIP).

Check out and see what others are doing here.


Til later
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Slow Stitching Sunday


Slow Sunday Stitching


Here's what I'm working on today. I thought it was time to slow down a little, take things easy, and enjoy the day.


 





I saw these on another blog and thought they were too cute. Needless to say I HAD to do these. This is probably going to be one of those long term projects, but that's okay with me. Great way to use up some of those scraps that keep reproducing in my sewing room (aka-the dungeon).

I'm hooking this up to Kathy's Quilt's for Slow Stitching Sunday.   Have a wonderful and pieceful Sunday.

Til Later
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Sunday, December 15, 2013

2014 New FO's

                                                              2014 NewFO Challenge


This is just a partial list of some of the New FO's I'd like to start (and maybe finish) this next year.

I still have charm packs enough to do 2 more D9P's.
I have a kit from Pam Mostec that I'd like to do.
A Cactus Basket Kit.
2 Rising Star Kits

There are also these:


I think I went a little overboard on large florals, but gosh darn, they were beautiful and they threw themselves at me (LOL).












I'm hoping to start clearing a lot of my kits out that I have purchased (on a whim). Again, besides  doing New FO's, I will also try to get some of my UFO's done.

I'm linking this up to Cat Patches. Why not go check out some of the others that are participating in this.

Til later
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Weekend Update

In a previous post I said I went to a friends house the day after Thanksgiving for a small quilting retreat. Here are some of the things I got done that weekend.

Note: For some reason these are posting sideways. I can't get them turned.

 This first one is the BQ4.
This second one is for DH. He is building a hot rod and this is for the car. I have since added a top and bottom border using the focus fabric.


This one is the 5 yard quilt. I just made a few changes on the inner border and outer borders.


I also got a top together called Grafitti, but wouldn't you know, I didn't get a pic of that one.
I also did a couple of other small projects I had taken.

Yesterday and today I spent the day making tamales. I hadn't made them for quite a while and my son and DH requested I make some this year. So, I got about 13 dozen made. Of course you  know, some will be given to friends (that's why I made dozens). I did regular pork tamales and some sweet tamales. Sweet tamales that I make are like the ones my Grandmother used to make. You add sugar to the masa and then put rasins and anise seeds in it and wrap in corn husks. My grandmother on my Mom's side was from Mexico and I learned to make these watching her and my Aunts making these. Oh how I remember all the hub-bub in her kitchen when everyone got together to make tamales. The husks would be soaked in her laundry tubs and the tamales making would commence (she had 10 kids-so daughters and DIL's would gather).

Anyway that's how my Friday & Saturday went. Check back tomorrow when I have posted on my New FO's I want to do for 2014.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Saturday, December 7, 2013

December already?

I don't know where time is going. Sitting here today I suddenly remembered today is December 7th. A day that will live in infamy. For me that is two reasons. First is the attack on Pearl Harbor. The second is that on this day in 2010 I went under the knife for breast cancer. I want to thank my friend Vickie for sitting with my husband at the hospital all day while I was in surgery. I know it helped him get through it. It has been 3 years and everything is going really good. All reports are fine.

I need to get busy and plan projects that I would like to see done this next year. I didn't do too good on finishing a lot of projects this year. I WILL do better this next year.

I am also trying to work on Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery. I have Part 1 cut for the smaller quilt (still need to cut for the King size). I still had a class sample to finish up before really working on the mystery. Now I have Part 2 to catch up on.

I also went the day after Thanksgiving to  a friends house for a little quit retreat (there were 5 of us). I did manage to get a few things accomplished there. I got a small wall hanging (for a class sample) done, a quilt top called "Grafitti" (also a class sample) done, a BQ4 top done, a five yard quilt top done, and a quilt top I'm making for DH for the hot rod he's building. I did take some pics of these and will post when I download them from the iPad.

This last week I also managed to pick up a couple of Featherweights. One of them, the paint is chipped up so I'm going to send it of to be painted. The other one is in pretty good shape (it's a 1941) but the box is toast. It has that special odor that is sooo hard to get rid of also.

Well that's my doings for this month so far. I'll try to post pics in the next post.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary