Here’s my action items for this month.

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash –  done!  

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

Tell It To The Stars – Quilt this. – I need to buckle down if I want to get this done in time to gift.  If I don’t get it done, that’s okay.  The recipient doesn’t know it is coming and I can always give it next year. I’m done quilting the background but I need to quilt other parts and then the borders.  

Scrapitude – Quilt this.  – Once Tell It To The Stars is off the frame, the plan was to get this on to quilt.  However, I’m going to get the mid arm serviced first and I’ll clean the frame to see if that helps the quilting process.  I’m going to quilt this with a simple meander all over the quilt.  

Moon Glow – Piece the back for this – I’ve got the back for this but I still need to put it together right.  It’s going to be one fabric so it will be easy but it still needs to get done.  Since Scrapitude will be delayed in getting on the frame, I’m in no rush to get this finished just yet.   

• Raining Cats and Dogs –
  • For December, my goal was to finish getting all the leaves down.  – I completed that goal and I’m now working on getting the cats on.  Once that is done, I’ve got to check out the whole project and see where I’m at.  I’m pretty sure this is my last block and I can start working on piecing the blocks together.   

• Hampton Ridge –
  • Borders – I need to finish Border #2, Border #3 and Border #4.  My goal for December is to get #2 and #3 done and started on the HSTs for Border #4.  —- during this project’s rotation this month, I was only able to finish the last side of Border #2.  I didn’t have a chance to miter it and so I’m not going to get the rest of this done this month.  
• Celtic Solstice –
  • Step 6 – Continue working on Celtic Solstice – I got more of the first two rows complete.  
• Razzle –
  • Re-Cut the Cornerstones and get those pieced onto the sashings.  I think that once those are done, it will be a quick finish to get the top done and I can add this to my to be quilted pile! 😐 — This is the project this week and I’m probably going to concentrate on Step 3 and 4 of Allietare! instead.  
• Missing Ivy –
  • Step 8  – I’m not sure I’ll be able to get to this this month.  I’ve got other things I want to work on during the later half of this month.  

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. – forget about it!  I think if I get a chance to watch any classes, I’ll be happy.  

4. Complete a project I have a kit for – Same thing – forget about it! – I actually have a bit of progress on my rosie hat.  It’s the only thing I’m able to work on while the hubby and I watch the basketball games.  

5. Scrap system?  – Go through bins and separate Bin #3, Bin #4 and full yardage. – continue to use the system I started in September and see if it continues to work for me. I’ve separated Bin #3 into darks and lights.  It started for Scrapitude.  It’s great for scrappy projects.  In addition, I’ve used a lot of my scraps for Scrapitude.  So Bin #3 is very small right now.  I currently have Grand Illusions in a bin but that’s fast becoming part of bin#3.  I’m starting to pull fabric from there when I need something for Scrapitude.  While I like the idea of having a dark and light bin #3 – I don’t like having too many bins.  It’s a bit confusing as to which bin is what.  Nothing is labeled as I’m constantly reshuffling bins as I go through them to find the fabrics I need.  But I think once I get all my fabric cut for Scrapitude, I’ll put everything for bin #3 into 1 bin regardless of dark and light and Grand Illusions.  I’m frogging it for real.  I’m not even going to try to make mug rugs or place mats or anything.  I just really dislike the color combination.  It’s too bright and jarring for me. — I’m still at the same place as the beginning of the month.  Once Allietare is revealed and I cut the background for Scrapitude 2016, I’ll clean this up more by combining all the #3 bins into 1 bin.  Right now I’ve got 3 different ones.  They are not full and can probably be combined to 1 bin. 

Here’s to a great finish to a great year!

I’m almost done finalizing my goals for 2016.   I’ll post those once they are final closer to the end of the year.

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Oh my goodness, it’s December already! I’ve really enjoyed my monthly action list this year.  I was pretty clear about what my goals were for 2015 and when I’ve had to let some goals go I gave my self permission to do so and not be hard on myself.  It’s a testament to my own personal growth.

Here’s my action items for this month.

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash –  Since I’ve started counting fabric in 2013, the amount I’ve stashed each year has gone down significantly.  I’m still not on the positive side (using more that I’m stashing) but I’m more conscious of my buying habits.  I also know that the more I’m crafting, the less I buy.  When I’m not able to spend time in my sewing room, that means I’m going to buy fabric.  I’d rather play than buy.  But if I can’t help myself and buy fabric, I’m more aware now of what I’ve got (in terms of values and colorways, not exact fabrics and designs) and what I can buy to enhance my stash. 

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

Tell It To The Stars – Quilt this. – I’m mostly through quilting the background portion of this.  I probably have 2 passes left to do.  I need to get this finished this month because I actually want to gift it. 

Scrapitude – Quilt this.  – Once Tell It To The Stars is off the frame, I’ll be putting this one on.  I think this will be easier to quilt because I’m just going to be doing a simply all over meander.  Depending on when Tell It To The Stars is finished will determine whether I can get this quilted this month or not. 

Moon Glow – Piece the back for this – I’ve got the back for this but I still need to put it together right.  It’s going to be one fabric so it will be easy but it still needs to get done.  Again, I’m not going to do this until Scrapitude is up on the frame.  Once it is up on the frame, that means that I will need it ready to jump on once Scrapitude is finished.  These three projects were supposed to get done in 2015 but it isn’t looking like it will be.  Good news is that I’ll be in the black the first part of 2016. 

• Raining Cats and Dogs –
  • Finish the applique on the final block – continue to work on this bit by bit as I have been.  My goal for December is to get all the leaves down.  I think all I need left is 2 leaves and 3 cats and then the embroidery.  That will finish this block and this is the last block.  The next step is to put all the blocks together an finish the top.  I believe there are borders but I can’t remember anymore. 🙂  I’m just looking as far as the next 2-3 steps needs to be and right now, its the leave and the cats. 🙂 

• Hampton Ridge –
  • Borders – I need to finish Border #2, Border #3 and Border #4.  My goal for December is to get #2 and #3 done and started on the HSTs for Border #4. 
• Celtic Solstice –
  • Step 6 – Continue working on Celtic Solstice
• Razzle –
  • Re-Cut the Cornerstones and get those pieced onto the sashings.  I think that once those are done, it will be a quick finish to get the top done and I can add this to my to be quilted pile! 😐
• Missing Ivy –
  • Step 8

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. – forget about it!  I’ve actually started watching Craftsy Classes again.  For awhile there I wasn’t because I was working on one of the knitting projects.  But then I started watching one of the long arm quilting class and then the crazy quilt class.  And now I’m just watching classes to watch.  It’s very interesting.  There are some I may not do the project for but I enjoy the little tidbits I get especially if I’m working on a similar project for myself. 

4. Complete a project I have a kit for – Same thing – forget about it! – I have a bunch of quilt kits but I will not be starting those until some of my UFOs are completed.  I went through and frogged some of the smaller projects or kits that I had that I wasn’t enjoying anymore.  I still have some pillow cases thrown together somewhere but I’m not sure where they are at the moment.  I think they’re in a bin or in a bag stashed in my closet.  I’m trying to clear out my bins but every time I start a new thing (Allietare and Scrapitude 2016) I just add more. 

5. Scrap system?  – Go through bins and separate Bin #3, Bin #4 and full yardage. – continue to use the system I started in September and see if it continues to work for me. I’ve separated Bin #3 into darks and lights.  It started for Scrapitude.  It’s great for scrappy projects.  In addition, I’ve used a lot of my scraps for Scrapitude.  So Bin #3 is very small right now.  I currently have Grand Illusions in a bin but that’s fast becoming part of bin#3.  I’m starting to pull fabric from there when I need something for Scrapitude.  While I like the idea of having a dark and light bin #3 – I don’t like having too many bins.  It’s a bit confusing as to which bin is what.  Nothing is labeled as I’m constantly reshuffling bins as I go through them to find the fabrics I need.  But I think once I get all my fabric cut for Scrapitude, I’ll put everything for bin #3 into 1 bin regardless of dark and light and Grand Illusions.  I’m frogging it for real.  I’m not even going to try to make mug rugs or place mats or anything.  I just really dislike the color combination.  It’s too bright and jarring for me. 

Here’s to a great finish to a great year!

I’m almost done finalizing my goals for 2016.   I’ll post those once they are final closer to the end of the year.

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Can you believe it’s November already?  How have you been doing on your 2015 goals?  I know there were some things I had to disregard as time went on and my mojo led me in different directions.  We can’t beat ourselves up when life changes and our motivation changes.  We just need to do what we can, and move on.  Maybe I’ll decide to work on Craftsy Classes next year or do projects from books in a couple of years.  Or maybe, I’ll just use the books as eye candy as I have been and enjoy them during the periods in my life when I can’t play with fabric.  I’m okay if that’s how it ends up.

Now that we’re gearing up to the end of the year, I’m starting to think about what my goals will be next year.  For now, I’ve only talked about my quilty and craft goals in this blog.  I’m thinking that it has worked so well with that part of my life, I may start to write about other goals.  I hope to see improvement in those areas and writing about it here encourages me to be accountable and do what I say I want to do. 🙂  I’ve been reading other blogs that do this and it has inspired me to expand what I blog about.  I’m starting to draft my goals this month and in December, I’ll work more in refining them so that they will be ready for the new year.  December is always very busy for me so I like to start early and take a bit at a time to clean things up so that in January I will know what direction I want to go in.  🙂

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash – For 2015 so far, I’ve stashed 46.58 yards.  This is 1/3rd of  what I use to stash when I started counting in 2013, which was a whopping 158 yards and I only started counting in May of 2013 so that wasn’t even for the whole year.  Just the act of counting what comes in and what goes out, helps keep me from buying just because. 

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

Tell It To The Stars – Quilt this.

Scrapitude – Quilt this.  I may quilt this first as I’ve decided that a nice overall pattern would be best for this one.  I’m not sure how to do Tell It To The Stars yet so I may quilt this one first. Although, Tell It To The Stars is being gifted for Christmas so that one really needs to be done.

Moon Glow – Get the back on for this

• Raining Cats and Dogs –
  • Finish the applique on the final block – continue to work on this bit by bit as I have been.    

• Hampton Ridge –
  • Borders
• Celtic Solstice –
  • Step 6
• Razzle –
  • Finish the strips
• Missing Ivy –
  • Step 7

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. – forget about it!

4. Complete a project I have a kit for – Same thing – forget about it!

5. Scrap system?  – Go through bins and separate Bin #3, Bin #4 and full yardage. – continue to use the system I started in September and see if it continues to work for me. 

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Happy Halloween!

Potter Family
10/31/2015

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash – It’s my birthday month and normally I allow myself some fabric purchases.  I do not need more fabric so I think I’ll splurge on a massage. 🙂  Update: I added 1 yard for the month and splurged on a massage.  Well, in actuality, the hubby took my dad to a Thai massage and he came home with a gift certificate for me.  🙂 

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

I have a few quilts to be quilted so I brought Bailey in from the garage and got the frame all set up.  I had problems!  The thread kept breaking and I was getting weird nests underneath the bottom of the quilt.  Then the bobbing kept popping out and the needle kept jamming.  I finally checked out youtube and found Chuck’s informative videos on this.  I took the machine apart, cleaned and oiled it and the machine is now working fine.  I need to practice as it has been awhile since I last used it.  Once I feel comfortable, I’ve got to quilt the following: 

Tell It To The Stars

Scrapitude

Moon Glow — The back still needs to be put together for this but I’m in no rush to do it.  I have been prepping the labels and piecing it into the back but I actually bought yardage and plan to use one fabric for the back on this one.  So, I may just put the label on after it is quilted. 

• Raining Cats and Dogs –
  • Finish the applique on the final block – I have done a little bit every week on this and I’m happy about that.  It may be slow progress but at least progress is being made. I’m finally on the final section of the final block.  So, I just need to continue to do a little bit every weekend and plug away at it bit by bit. 

• Hampton Ridge –
  • Finish the inner top  – DONE!
  • Borders
• Celtic Solstice
  • Step 5 – DONE!
• ADDED Razzle and Missing Ivy for this month! 🙂 

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. – forget about it!

4. Complete a project I have a kit for – Same thing – forget about it!

5. Scrap system?  – Go through bins and separate Bin #3, Bin #4 and full yardage. – continue to use the system I started in September and see if it continues to work for me. 

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie