My OMG goal for October is to finish Missing Ivy!

This was an ambitious goal because the top was not yet done.  I had borders to do and I was able to get my butt in gear and finish it earlier this week.

I worked on getting the back done and woot woot, it’s done.  I still need to get a picture but the best part is that the label is pieced into the back.  The plan this week was to get the batting trimmed and ready so I could rent the long arm at the shop this weekend.  Well, that didn’t happen and there comes a time when one has to stop, breathe, and be real.  I’m not going to rush to get this done.  Basically, I need to get this quilted this weekend to have any hope of getting this done this month.  Next weekend I’ll be out of town and the weekend after that is the last weekend of October.  And I’ve got a class that weekend and will not be able to rent the long arm.  So 11/5 is the next weekend I’ll be able to quilt this.  I decided in the middle of the week to give myself grace.  I’m turning 40 in a few days and I’m having a hard time with it.  I don’t know why.  I feel like an idiot for it.  But that is what it is and I need to step away from the quilt.  For now.  I can still get this done in November and still be on track to get 6 quilts finished this year.  And if I don’t.  I am okay with that too.  If I finish at 5 that would be the most quilts I finished in one year ever.

#1 – Get 6 quilts done in 2016

Quilt #1  – Tell It To The Stars – finished 2/20/2016

Quilt #2 – Scrapitude,2015 – ==> finished 4/3/2016

Quilt #3 – Moon Glow – finished 7/30/2016

Quilt #4 – Hampton Ridge – finished 9/29/2016!

Quilt #5 – Raining Cats and Dogs – top was finished on 4/9/2016.  Keep going on the hand quilting.  I’m working on quilting the backgrounds with the cream thread.  My goal is to get the second row done.

Quilt #6 – Missing Ivy – Here’s my plan to get this done this month!

week 1 – finish the top – Done

week 2 – piece the back, including label – done

10/30 – prep batting

11/5- quilt this on the rented long arm

bind the rest of November….

Quilt #7 – Have Yourself a Quilty Little Christmas! – If I understood Susan (our fearless BOM leader) at our last meeting, this month’s kit was the final kit for blocks.  I believe next month we’ll be working on the border.  Since I’ve been pretty much on top of this BOM, I think this will be ready to quilt in November.  I’m planning on a simple cross hatch or double cross hatch.  This project is smaller than my normal massive queen/king quilts so I think I can use my domestic for quilting this.

=== I thought I was wrong but October is the last month for blocks.  I picked it up last week and hope to get it finished this weekend.

Quilt #8 – Celtic Solstice – My plan for the rest of the year is to get the top done and then have this ready for quilting in January 2017.  I don’t know what finishing the rest of this top entails but I hope to get all the Block B’s finished this month.

Quilt #9 – LQS 2012 BOM “Provence” – I didn’t have time to work on this project at all.  I hope that with Hampton Ridge finished, I’ll have some time to get this back on my project lineup.  With my ambitious plans to get Missing Ivy finished this month, that may not happen but one can always plan and hope! 🙂

===> I actually pulled this out and got through a step for the alternative blocks this month.

#2 – Continue to count my stash, with a true effort to not add fabric on a whim.  

As of 9/25/2016, I’m at net ADDED 31.375 yards.  I still need to take into account Hampton Ridge but that will happen tomorrow for my stash report.  In the meantime, this is AWESOME as my historical trend from year to year is going down.  At the same point in time for the last few years, here’s where I’ve been at.

• 2015 – 41.58 Added yards
• 2014 – 59.875 Added yards
• 2013 – 121.75 Added yards

It’s cool to be able to look back and see where I’ve been.  And even though I’ve added so far this year overall I can see that I am getting better at not buying fabric just to buy fabric.

#3 – Create a hobby budget and stick to it!  

My budget for the year was $3,000 and I surpassed it.  I’ve adjusted this goal to simply continue tracking how much I spend on my hobbies.

==> Current crafty spending for 2016 as of 9/25/2016 is $4,262.35.

I’m hoping that over time my spending will go down from year to year (similar to what happened with my stash report).  Since this is the first year of me tracking this, it’s still our base line.

#4 – Knit weekly

Now that I’m progressing along with my one sock I would really love to get this one sock done this month and get started on the second sock. 🙂

=== the first sock is done and I’m working on the second sock.  I actually started several projects since I’m in the mood for knitting. 🙂

#5 – Cross Stitch weekly

Finish Row 6 in October

Continue working on the new project…

#6 – Scrapbook

Get a date on the calendar.  Shooting for April, 2017.

==> talked to my sister and confirmed April 2017 works.  Now we just need to solidify the date and actually rent something.

We actually settled on the date as the weekend after Easter 2017.  I’m thinking of renting a small house in San Louis Obispo or some coastal town between us.  My sister lives in Sacramento and I’m in Los Angeles so we have a lot of options.

Here’s a link to my original 2016 Goals.

Here’s to a great year!

~Melanie