2015 Year of the Finish

Look Im blogging! Sofia can't believe it!  LOL! 

 Instagram has captured me and I'm going to try to get back into blogging a little more regularly.

Im going to make 2015 the Year of the Finish.  

I seem to have a lot of quilt tops.  Alot.  This is so strange to me.  I used to just have a lot of blocks.  I was always stuck on what to do next.  Also with working full time, it was always easier to do small quilts or just a couple of blocks.  Thus the reason for the trunk full of blocks from the 1990's.  So while I still have swaps and Project Quilting challenges I will do.  I am also going to try and get some quilts quilted.  Some I will have to pass off to lonarmers as I can only do quilts up to about 70".  Or at least completely ready to be quilted like the three above.

So with the help of my trusty sidekick Sofia, I have reworked the pages bar at the top of my blog.  I've added a UFO page and a page for completed projects by year.  Also in preparation for being a better blogger I completely reorganized my photos.  I upload automatically to flickr and had not really been organizing them for about a year.  Which is why I couldn't find anything.  Which is why I sometimes had 4 copies of some images.  I also reworked ALL of my picture folders to make better sense and easier to find stuff.  I try to keep everything by year and then by topic-2014 projects, 2014 family, 2014 sewing other, 2014 swaps etc...

So I hope you stick around for the ride.  Sofia is ready for me to finish those UFOs.  My hashtags include #sewingforme #stashbusting #2015yearofthefinish #ufoquiltingorbust #ufosewingorbust

Of course not all finishes will be smooth.  The above swoon blocks were started in 2012 but sidelined when my sister got engaged and married and then by a dozen other projects.  I pulled it out today intending to at least cut the sashing.  Only to discover I did not have the Kona Ash I know I had set aside.  Oops!  I think I used it on another project.  Oh well.  Luckily I found some on good sale at fabric.com.  

So my goal for the first quarter of the year is to finish prepping (backing and binding) at least 10 of the quilts on my UFO list and get at least two quilted.  I've gotten 3.5 done yesterday and today.  Im thinking my Celtic Solstice and Designer Star will be quilted first.  The Celtic Solstice will require a long armer and the Designer Star I can quilt on my own.  Linking up to 

http://www.onthewindyside.co.nz/2015/01/2015-finish-along-q1-now-open.html

If you are on instagram check out my stream up on the right.  And follow me.  Im coming up on 500 followers and may be having a giveaway!

keep dreaming...Colleen

Yes you will see lots of photos of Sofia.  I adopted her the end of September as a tiny kitten barely 7 weeks old.
She is incredibly photogenic and very playful.  The entire house is her toy.

Project Quilting 2015 challenge 1: trees

It's that time of the year!  Project quilting is here!  Persimondreams is again sponsoring this fun season of inspiring quilting. 

I'm deep in UFOs but just need to be innovative and create some freestyle quilting!  I spent today sewing for me, for fun, and to just sew!  

Title: Rainbow Forrest

Size: 32" x 32"

Pattern: original by Me

Quilted:  by me

Fabrics: top-scrap stash.  back-Heather Ross Pin People

my inspirations:

My friend Cora Quilts beautiful Rainbow log cabin top she just finished.

The scrappy log cabin QAL.

Recent sorting and organizing by color.

And of course trees.  Pine trees and log cabins.  
A dream of mine to someday live in one in the mountains.

I straight line quilted the log cabin blocks.  And did some dense pebble like quilting-i was thinking snowballs.

Another quilt for my living room wall.  I know have three-and they are all from challenges!

this one was from a Project Quilting 2014 challenge last year-Candy Dreams. 
 Title: Red Wax lips and Pixie Stix, Rock Candy Dreams

And this one was the Mihael Miller 2014 fabric challenge.
title:  Let it Go, Sew!


keep dreaming...Colleen

Sofia and I have been snuggled up against the cold this week.

#ufoquiltingorbust

So Im trying to blog at least once a week.  So I thought I would share a new instagram hashtag I have been using.  instagram is where I normally post.  You can check out my stream and follow me over there on the right.  

But about that hashtag....

Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville is starting a new Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt on Black Friday.  I went ahead and pulled Denyse Schmidt fabrics.  

I have a lot of her fabrics. You could say I'm a bit of an addict.  I think it will make a great quilt.

I participated in her Celtic Solstice Mystery last year but did not finish it.

I had all the pieces for the blocks assembled and just had to sew them together.

So I started to sew a little each night and finally assembled all 49 blocks!  There are arre 2,140 pieces in just these blocks!  I also pinned up fabric to use for the two solid borders and the binding.

I have started to sew them into rows.  Five rows sewn and two left to go!  Then 3 borders!

If you noticed that the middle block of the third row is different, its

 not an accident.  During the assembly many other quilters realized if you flipped the pieces you could change the look of the block.  I decided to do it just for the middle.  

I am linking this up to Jo's Country Junction where those of us with Bonnie Hunter UFOs are trying to finish one before the next mystery starts.

Oh I still have three other Bonnie Hunter UFOs.  This is my scrappy trip. 

 It needs a backing but I just can't decide.

My Collaboration Celebration quilt from the Summer retreat in 2013.
The rest is in pieces.  

This is about how far my Lazy Sunday Mystery from Quiltmaker magazine has gotten.
I dont like the fabric Im using from my stash.  

Im in #ufoquiltingorbust mode.  Except for the new mystery.  

keep dreaming...Colleen

I made some Sofia fabric on Spoonflower from one of her cute pictures.
 I flipped the image so I could make a two sided stuffie.

Great deals

So with Christmas in less than 48 days I've started my on-line Christmas shopping.  I can't show you what I am buying but I can show yo a few great deals going on right now.

Spoonflower is having 2 for 1 fq until 10pm Nov12th.  This would be great for their tea towel calendars!  Ive made them in the past.  Just be careful as most are made to be printed on linen-cotton which is wider then regular cotton.  I made the mistake one year and ended up with half printed calendars. so with the 2 for 1 deal linen-cotton would be $7 each!  A great deal.

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Another great deal right now is at Patchwork threads.  Some of their best sellers are on sale! 

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If you are interested in a great pattern for a charmingly easy tree skirt I have a great one in my etsy store.  If you use the code NOV20 you can get if 20% off anything in my store until the end of Nov.

Happy shopping!

keep dreaming...Colleen

Sofia likes to stare at the clock above the cutting table.

God:Gratitude:Blogging:Snow

Little Glade Mill Pond, milepost 230.1, Blue Ridge Parkway

God:Gratitude

November is the time to be thankful for our blessings.  I guide my 6th grade sunday school students to write a prayer each week to God.  In among the prayers for healing and forgiveness and help with a test, I tell them they MUST give thanks to God for their blessings.  It is easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and our worries and forget how blessed God has made us. I tell them that they and I have been incredibly blessed:  in our families, the church family, the ability to get an education, and even to have toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant etc without thinking how lucky we are to have such things readily available.  So Im going to try to spend the month in giving thanks to God for the many blessings he has given me.

The Lump, milepost 264.5, Blue Ridge Parkway

I'm also going to try to get back into the good habit of blogging and not just on instagram.  I need more good habits in my life to counteract the negativeness that sometimes surrounds me from others.  So I'd like to start with 'poor pitiful me'.  Whenever I get down on myself.  Why cant I have the family or life that I see others have, or that I thought I would have by now.  I stop.  Think of God.  Talk to God.  And I give thanks for the amazing life I do have.  

Random spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway

I had to answer that stupid government required health assessment the other day for my insurance.  Don't get me started on the intrusiveness of those questions.  But one was so fitting.  How satisfied are you with your life?  For a fleeting moment regret flashed in my mind before being replaced by God reminding me how lucky I am in my life.  So I answered very satisfied.  I am blessed with a life that is very satisfying.  Thanks God.

Blogging

I've been absent from my blog because I am so much on instagram, which I also post to flickr, facebook, and twitter.  I used to be able to post to the blog too but they have removed that function. I complained.  Nothing happened.  I have put my feed over to the right so you can follow along too.  It is a format that fits me.  But I miss writing more in depth so I will try to blog more than just for things that require it.  BTW Its amazing how much you can say with a picture. Or 140 characters when you edit yourself.

Gratitude:Snow

OMG!  I am such a snow person!  Of course I live where snow is fleeting and people panic with a dusting.  So it was no wonder that when I planned a trip the Jefferson, NC in the mountains, and I heard it may snow I was like a kid at Christmas.  I packed my snow boots, 

fleece, layers, gloves, hats, and scarves!  And I was rewarded with snow that started around 2am Saturday morning and and continued for most of the day.  5-6 inches fell covering everything-tree branches, roofs, cars-except the road.  So I could drive to West Jefferson and spend the day walking the streets and visiting the shops IN THE SNOW!  Of course being NC and only November 1 most had melted my 6pm except for shady protected areas.   More snow fell late in the evening, enough to dust my car.  This morning it was bright blue skies, but windy cold.  

Thanks God for the snow.  I am blessed.

keep dreaming...Colleen

Here is another picture of my precious new baby Sofia!  Named for my Babylock Sofia sewing machine.  Sofia has already found the fabric!  Another blessing from God! #cattherapy #overgram