Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Here’s my May list…

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

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

• Scrapitude  – April and May clue.
• Month by Month – Finish quilting the border, trim it, bind and label.
• Tell It To The Stars – Get the backing done for this so I can get it on the frame to quilt. I already got the batting so all that I’m waiting on is the backing.
• Moon Glow – assemble the quilt and attach the borders
• Raining Cats and Dogs – this is next on the list.  I’m not sure this will actually make it on the schedule this month but as soon as one of the items above is done, this is next up.

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. –

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways – Finish up the first project.  I’m actually working on the decrease now and it should be done in the next week or so.  I spent a lot of time knitting a couple of weekends ago and my wrist/arm started hurting.  I’m still resting it and that’s my reminder to not knit so much at one time. 🙂

Finish the gardening class I started a few weeks ago.

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Do the second project and make sure I have the supplies for the third project.

5. Get my Scrap System going – still need to figure out what I’m going to do.  Right now I’m concentrating on simply finishing what I’m working on and really trying hard NOT to start something new.  So I’ve got to do something with it.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

I didn’t think I did a lot this month but after reviewing my list – I feel like I actually got a lot done.

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

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

• Moon Glow – Finish Month 12. – DONE
• Scrapitude  – March and April clue. – FINISHED MARCH; WORKING ON APRIL
• Month by Month – Actually finished quilting the body of this but I need to finish quilting the border.  Then I need to trim it, bind and label. – FINISHED QUILTING THE BODY
• Tell It To The Stars – Get the backing done for this so I can get it on the frame to quilt. I already got the batting so all that I’m waiting on is the backing. – DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO DO BUT WILL MOVE TO NEXT MONTH
• Raining Cats and Dogs – this is next on the list.  This isn’t something I plan on doing in april but I’m just keeping this here so I know what I’ll be working on once, I finish something. – HAHAHA – MOVE TO NEXT MONTH

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. –

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways – I STARTED KNITTING AGAIN.  I started listening to a podcast called, Knitmore Girls, and it has inspired me to knit again.  It helps that I’ve been going to my son’s baseball practice and games and knitting projects are great to take to these events.

Go through, pick and complete another Craftsy class. – I’M REVIEWING A GARDENING CLASS.  IT’S NOT YET DONE BUT I’VE ONLY GET A FEW LESSONS TO COMPLETE IT.

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Do the first project. – DONE! 🙂

5. Get my Scrap System going.  I’ve got full bins of scraps.  I need to figure out what I want to do, cut and put the fabric in that system.  I started using Bonnie Hunters method but I’m not sure it is for me.  We’ll see.  Any suggestions? – I’M STILL THINKING THROUGH THIS ONE.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Here’s my April to do list:

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

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

• Moon Glow – Finish Month 12.
• Scrapitude  – March and April clue.
• Month by Month – Actually finished quilting the body of this but I need to finish quilting the border.  Then I need to trim it, bind and label.
• Tell It To The Stars – Get the backing done for this so I can get it on the frame to quilt. I already got the batting so all that I’m waiting on is the backing.
• Raining Cats and Dogs – this is next on the list.  This isn’t something I plan on doing in april but I’m just keeping this here so I know what I’ll be working on once, I finish something.

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. –

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways – OMG – my knitting bug has left me and I’m just not in the mood to pick up the needles.  I’m keeping this on the list though and hope that I actually get this done.

Go through, pick and complete another Craftsy class.

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Do the first project.

5. Get my Scrap System going.  I’ve got full bins of scraps.  I need to figure out what I want to do, cut and put the fabric in that system.  I started using Bonnie Hunters method but I’m not sure it is for me.  We’ll see.  Any suggestions?

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Moon Glow
Month #12
3/12/2015

I didn’t have a chance to get this out last week so here it is.  Better late than never.

I haven’t done a lot in March but here’s a quick update on my March goals:

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

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

• Scrapitude  – 3/10 clue – Not done… moved to the April list
• Month by Month – quilt, bind, label and be done with this baby – This is half quilted in March but I was not able to finish quilting it and will move this to the April list.
• Tell It To The Stars – this one is next on the to be quilted list but I’m not sure I’ll be able to quilt, bind, label this so soon after Month by Month.  I’ll keep myself open on this one.  I do want to at least get the backing prepped for this. – This is started and is hanging on my design wall but is not yet finished.  Moving this to the April list.
• Moon Glow – I put this and Raining Cats and Dogs on the list but only because I need to know what’s next.  If it’s not on the list, I may get stuck in a rut… – I started working on this at the beginning of March before I had the clue for Scrapitude and never put it away.  There are so many pieces on Month 12 for Moon Glow that I felt that I should just finish it so that I wouldn’t mess it up.  It’s still on my sewing table and I’m hoping to get this done pretty soon.

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. –

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways – I plan to knit 1-2 rows daily on the first project so that I can actually get this class done. – I probably knitted the first few days of March and then stopped.  I’ll have to keep this on my list for April.

Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag and Bucket Bag – I finished this class on Sunday, 3/1.  But it was part of my list for this month. – This one was actually done.  I did it early in March so I get to complete this one. Yay!

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Do the first project – Not done.  Moving this to April! 🙂

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Here’s my quick list for March:

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

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. –

• Scrapitude  – 3/10 clue
• Month by Month – quilt, bind, label and be done with this baby
• Tell It To The Stars – this one is next on the to be quilted list but I’m not sure I’ll be able to quilt, bind, label this so soon after Month by Month.  I’ll keep myself open on this one.  I do want to at least get the backing prepped for this.
• Moon Glow – I put this and Raining Cats and Dogs on the list but only because I need to know what’s next.  If it’s not on the list, I may get stuck in a rut…

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. –

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways – I plan to knit 1-2 rows daily on the first project so that I can actually get this class done.

Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag and Bucket Bag – I finished this class on Sunday, 3/1.  But it was part of my list for this month.

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Do the first project

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Tell It To The Stars
Border #5 Fabric
2/18/15

Month 2 done!  10 More to go… not that I’m counting, it seems time flies way too fast for me.

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash. – still doing this with my stash report.  I’ve added 10.5 yards so far for the year which is not bad when I added 34.5 for the same time frame last year.  🙂  I’ve been counting fabric since 2013 and it is such a habit now that next year I’m not going to put it as a “goal”.  Unless I start making real goals like using x# yards for the year I do not need to remember to count my fabric anymore. 🙂

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time. – This is really working!  I’m so excited.  I’m caught up on Scrapitude  and I’m waiting for 3/10 for the next clue.  I finished the secret project, I finished the top for Tell It To The Stars and I finished the top Month by Month.  To be fair, all I had to do for Month by Month was to put a border on it.  For March, I’m going to quilt it and Tell It To The Stars.  For piecing, it’s time to pull out Moon Glow and get going on that again.  If memory serves, I am finished with all the blocks, I have to put together the alternating blocks and then I can put the top together.  I may also pull out Raining Cats and Dogs so I can work on a hand project again.

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes. – I didn’t finish the classes that I originally put on my list.  But I did watch Leah Day’s Free Motion Fillers Volume 1.  I’ll write up a more complete post but I consider this class complete.  Since I got my mid arm and it’s on a frame, I’m not as into the FMQ classes for domestic machines on my Craftsy class queue as I was.  However, I do want to see the various options so I know about them and I’m sure I’ll learn something or simply add something to my FMQ arsenal.  The original two classes I listed are still on the docket.  I may jump in and do the Bag Making Class once I get Month by Month finished as a break between quilting that and Tell It To The Stars.  But the Hats Four Ways is project based and I will just have to knit periodically to get it done.  So my goal is to get 1-2 rows done a night.  The problem is I use KnitCompanion to track my progress and its on my iPad.  While working on the first project of Hats Four Ways, my iPad broke.  I haven’t been able to get myself going on that project since.  I will commit to getting KnitCompanion on my iPhone and knitting 1-2 rows a night for the month of March.

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways

Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag and Bucket Bag

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Purchase the supplies for the first two projects of Sew Practical – done. I purchased everything I need for the first two projects so I’m ready to get going on the first project.

Do the first project – haven’t done this yet.  I’m just really excited to get started on quilting on the Bailey that this was put aside.  It’s nice to know that this is waiting for me.  I’ve got two quilts to do but once those are done, there will be time until the next top is ready to be quilted.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

update on the wanna gotta do’s

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash. – I’m doing well in that I’m actually finishing things so my total net numbers are ADDED 7.5 yards year to date.  Last year at week 7, I was ADDED 31.5 yards so I’m ecstatic!  I did add less in total for this time frame but it’s finishing Flowers and Baskets and the little projects here and there that have made such a big difference.

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time.

Scrapitude – Yes!  I’m caught up and the next clue comes out March 10.

Tell It To The Stars – I’m almost done…

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes.  – So here is one where I think I have to modify my classes.  I am actually watching Leah Day’s FMQ class.  This is one where I get great ideas but I’m not planning on working on the class project or even practice the quilting ideas.  I’m just going to watch it and when I’m done I think I will call this complete.  I am working on the first project for Stephanie’s knitting class and I still plan on doing the projects of the Bag Making Class but I can’t watch those classes while I’m quilting.  And I like to watch a class while I’m quilting so I can finish them.  More on this at a later post.

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways

Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag and Bucket Bag

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Purchase the supplies for the first two projects of Sew Practical – Done

Do the first project – not yet done but will probably do in the next couple of weeks.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Waikoloa Beach Sunset
Hawaii
12/28/2014

Last week I posted an update on my January goals.  And in the middle of giving that update I also indicated what I plan to do for February.  Here, in this post, I reiterate my February goals in a nice, condensed, no nonsense list!

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

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time.

Scrapitude

Tell It To The Stars

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes.

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways

Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag and Bucket Bag

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Purchase the supplies for the first two projects of Sew Practical

Do the first project

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Rainbow Falls Lookout
Hawaii
12/31/14

January progress report on my 2015 quilty goals

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash – done… I may not like the numbers all the time but I’m still counting.  See my Sunday Stash report every Sunday…

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time – working really well… I have 2 small projects done (the table runner/place mats and the pincushion) and 1 quilt (Flowers and Baskets) this month.  I finished the first clue of Scrapitude so for February I will work on the second clue (to be released on 2/10/15) and Tell It To The Stars.  I am currently working on a bag project (see yesterday’s post) and as soon as that is done, I will get on Tell It To The Stars until the next clue arrives.  Don’t tell anyone but every time I type Tell It To The Stars I want to type TITTS to shorten it up.  Just like LQS and UFO and WIPs.  But I’ll giggle every time I type TITTS so I’ll just type it out each time. lol

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes – I finished 2 classes.  I’m working on my first hat in Hats Four Ways so that class may take a while to complete.  I love Stephanie Japel.  She’s so precise in her instruction and I find her hilarious.  The other class I will work on for February is the Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag & Bucket Bag.  I already made the drawstring bag but I think I’ll make another.  It’s really cute but if you wash it, the bag gets all distorted so you’ll have to press it down again.

4. Books – I pulled out a book to start working on projects.  My idea is to just work projects from beginning to end (as long as it is something that I want to do).  For January, I picked the book Sew Practical.  For February, I’ll do the first project.  I want to go through the supplies and for these projects there is always something I do not have so I’ll place the order for the first and second projects this month.  That way I’ll have the supplies for the next project ready and I can start at anytime.  I’ll try to order any supplies for the next project while I’m working the current project so that once I’m done, I’m ready for the next one.  I find I often do not start projects I want to do because I don’t have all the supplies I need for it.  Hopefully doing it this way will help me finish projects in the various books I enjoy looking at.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Lava Tunnel
Hawaii
12/31/2014

For 2014, it changed early in the year but here is what I ended up with:

• 6 finished quilts
  • I ended up with 4 finished quilts which was 1 more than I finished in 2013
• 1 crochet project
  • I ended up not doing any crochet projects and I’m fine with this.  I’ve been more intrigued in knitting this year than crochet.
• 1 knit project
  • I finished 3 projects this year.  The last one I keep forgetting to take a picture of it and post it in my library but it’s Kayla’s Cowl finished around October or November.
• 1Craftsy class
  • I finished at least 1 class.  I probably finished more but I wasn’t really keeping track.  I know I finished the first couple of knitting classes I took.
• 50 yards of fabric used
  • I only ended up with 22 yards used.
• 1 book/magazine project
  • I ended up not doing this one at all.
• 1 bag
  • I finished a couple of little make up pouches which can be classified as little bags.

So all in all, I did pretty well for 2014.  More than I thought, really.  For 2015, here are my goals –

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash.  The goal is not to reduce stash but to just monitor what comes in and what comes out.  I find that counting it, really keeps me – well, accountable.  When I am not monitoring it, it is easy for me to forget that I already added yardage last weekend and the weekend before and it is easy to constantly buy fabric because I love fabric, the colors, the feel of it.  I don’t need any more but I love to buy it.  So, by monitoring what comes in and what goes out, I can control my urges to buy more.  One day, I’ll make it a goal to reduce stash but that is not going to happen this year.  I’ll try to buy less in 2015 than in 2014.  I no longer have the space for more fabric in my current space.  I can buy more fabric if I buy a new bin to store it in.  But then I’ll need to find space for that bin.  I could squeeze a couple of those bins in my closet but I’m not sure I want to do that.  I could get rid of some clothes that are in one of the current bins in my closet – that will provide me space to put more fabric in that space.  If I do buy more fabric, I’m leaning towards that route.  Who needs clothes when I’ve got fabric? 🙂

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time.  I want to finish quilts.  My goal is to finish 6 quilts.  In 2014 I was working on multiple quilts at a time.  There were 3 BOMs I was regularly working on each month and when those three BOMs were done for the month, I would move on to a wish list of projects I work on periodically.  As a result, nothing really got finished.  Progress happens from week to week but really no finishes.  So I think this year I’ll approach things a little differently by working on one thing at a time.  The plan is to work on one quilt start to finish before going to the next project.  I know I will have a problem with this because I have quilters ADD.  I always want to do the newest BOM and work with the next fad.   As a result, I have a ton of UFOs – much more than what is actually listed on this site because that page has to be updated.  I know this is in direct contradiction to my priorities and to do’s post from last October and these thoughts may change again once I get really into it.  But I want to try and maybe this will work for me…

I’ll start with Scrapitude. Then work on the following quilts in this order (for now)…

• Tell It To The Stars
• Moon Glow
• Hampton Ridge
• Flowers and Baskets
• Raining Cats and Dogs
• Celtic Solsitce
• Grand Illusions!

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes – Last year, Sandy at Quilting for the Rest of Us had this as one of her goals and I admire her progress throughout the year.  This year, I’ll attempt to do the same.  I’m not planning on doing the reviews she did for each of the classes she takes but I do want to document which ones I have, which ones I’ve finished and which ones I’m working on in a similar fashion.  I also do not have a specific number that I want to complete, I just want to get some of these done. 🙂

4. Books – Similar to the Craftsy Classes, I have a bunch of books and magazines that have patterns and projects that I want to complete one day.  I won’t do a full on quilt since I do want to finish the ones I’ve got started, but I think I’ll do the small projects that I can finish in 1-2 weekends.  My goal is to do 1 per quarter – so just 4 for the year.  It seems small now but I want to keep things simple and realistic.  My main goal is to get quilts done (#2) so this book projects goal and the Craftsy class goal is secondary so I want to make them doable.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie