September Goal

Don't know how I managed this but last year I forgot to blog about my donation quilt last year for Piece By Piece Quilt Guild's Donation Month.  The fabrics were donated by different individuals in the guild and our wonderful Philanthropy Committee created kits for people to take home and finish.  I chose a kit of purple and yellow to represent my love of the LSU Tigers but also the purple for domestic violence awareness.  The pattern that was recommended is called Rusty's Quilt.  It was super easy and I loved how it turned out! Here it is, turned into the guild for distribution at the sexual abuse interview center in our area in Oct 2013.

I've decided to use the same pattern again for this years donation quilt.  I found the below fabrics on clearance (blue/white was sale priced after coupon) at Joann's and took all that was left on the bolts hoping to put together at least one, if not two quilts this year.  They are due in October again this year.

My goal for the month of September will be to complete one donation quilt using these fabrics and the Rusty's Quilt pattern.

August Finish

I did it! I finished my Double Dog Dare Ya Challenge entry.  It was down to the wire.. literally.  The day my entry was due was also my son's first day of Kindergarten.  It was a mad dash to get everything in order for school and finish my challenge but I am proud of the finished product.

Each entry had to include a write up on "What the theme Enchanted California means to you?" Here is mine:

     "The theme Enchanted California for me has always evoked thoughts of adventure and the possibility of riches. Similar to the pioneers who traversed the Midwest during Westward expansion, forty niners, early 1900s loggers, WPA workers and artists who came here seeking opportunity, we came here seeking our own slice of the Enchanted California dream. I have expressed this within this quilt depicting the historic Route 66 using the Road to California quilt block leading to the majestic redwoods and gold fields as well as our own golden opportunity (ie. Apple, Inc.)."

I am excited to say that I won Judges Choice Runner Up.  I think it's equivalent to third place.  Anyway, I won a small gift certificate to a LQS. It's about 1/4 of what I spent to make the challenge quilt but I had fun and will be entering it into our local quilt show but won't have it judged. I believe others who participated in the challenge will be doing the same.

August Goal

My quilt guild has a challenge this month and I started it awhile back... so I drew up what I wanted but that didn't work out.  At this point, I am committed to doing the challenge so I need to figure something out.  The theme is "what Enchanted California means to you."

It is my goal this month to complete my Enchanted California Challenge project.

For me, California has always represented the end all be all of where we (my husband and I) wanted to be; what we wanted for our lives.  Through our visits, we've discovered the majestic forests, picturesque beaches, rich history and diversity and the glamour of traveling historic route 66.   I want to throw all this into my project without being too literal such as in a fully appliquéd project.  Below is a sketch of what I am thinking.

The top block is a snowball variation called "New Snowball" that appeared in the boo 5,500 Quilt Block Designs, and will represent a historical take on the gold that the 49'er flocked to California to find exactly how we relocated to California for our own golden opportunity.  That opportunity was a once and a lifetime for my husband that believe it or not, came around again. That opportunity was a job at Apple, Inc.  I will appliqué a small apple logo inside the center of the blue block as a nod to the amazing opportunity.

The bottom block is called "Road to California" and will represent the historical route 66.  It's been the path of many seeking their own California dream and how we got here.  The beige/oranges are my interpretation of the desert scenery we passed through while traveling Route 66.  I intend to appliqué a route 66 highway sign on one of the half blocks.

Lastly, I want to put these blocks on point and frame them with a dark green fabric and some appliquéd redwood trunks.  The first site we totally fell in love with was the redwood forests in Northern California and it's always been one of the main reasons I wanted to live in the state.


The required fabric is the below blue/yellow Australian fabric.  The yellow fabric below it is some scraps left over from the Fun Day apron I was required to make and plan to use in this project.

July Goal

I am desperately trying to clean up my quilting room so I can be efficient and well... it's not going well.  In my pile of "to dos" I found two tech shirts that I got for completing 10K's last year.  Both are unisex size, which probably wasn't mentioned at the time of race signup so I ended up with shirts that are too big in the boob area and long. My goal for this month is to make them fit like I did with the below race volunteer shirt.

 

The offending shirts:

 

June Goal

Well my June Goal was a complete toss up because I am currently sewing like a crazy momma to finish 12 reversible capes for my son's Superhero Birthday Party on Sunday, the 8th and that seems like a good goal that I am sure to finish.  BUT that just too easy because at the time of writing this, I am about 50% done with this project.

The biggest challenge this month is not to actually find the time to quilt or sew... it's to get it done while visiting my folks out of state without my sewing machine.  We leave a few days after the birthday party and will be there until the end of the month.  I can't imagine how I am going to manage 2 kids, 2 carseats, 3 backpack carry-ons and 1 checked bag to the airport so I am going to live my sweet Sister (Brother Innov-is NX-450Q) at home.  Even though my hubby bought me the most amazing Birthday/Mother's Day gift.

My Birthday/Mother's Day Gift

I have plans to make little Doc McStuffins doctor bags for my daughters Doc McStuffins Birthday Party when we return but thought, hey why not work on them at mom's house... she has a sewing machine?! So I talked with my mom about borrowing her machine and she not only offered to let me use it and give me time to work on the projects while she entertains the kids but will also help me figure out the pattern.  If you know me (or read my Facebook posts), you know that patterns and I DON'T get along.  Even the ones I make turn out horrible and the finished product, even worse!  I have given up on PJ pants and curtain projects because I couldn't figure out the pattern.  My mom said she just needs an example so, I went hunting through my daughters toys and found the below bag from last year's Halloween costume. Hopefully it will make it in the luggage, to grandmas and not be stolen by a little girl who now insist on carrying it everywhere since I "found it for her."

My June Goal will be to make at least 4 Doc McStuffins doctor bags something like the one below. Wish me luck!

May Finish

I am so excited to announce that I FINISHED my May goal.  My sweet little cousin will love it! The front is very girly pink and purple, a pattern that I found in a magazine and adapted... I don't remember which one.  The backing is black with multi-colored owls and the color of the owls match the stripe fabric.  I stitched in the ditch and used the stripe fabric as the binding.  It's a little smaller than twin size.

I love how the stripe fabric worked for the binding and I was very careful to make sure it wasn't stretched so that it was vertical throughout rather than a candy cane stripe.

This quilt was not without it's issues, I started the top around 9 years ago when I first started quilting and I still had a lot to learn.  Many of the cornerstones and strips on the top are wonky (stretched or not pressed correctly).  It was defiantly a challenge quilting it because the ditch I stitched in was wavy.  In all, I don't think most of the mistakes are too noticeable and I am sure she will love it anyway.

Ready to be shipped! But it'll have to wait until Christmas.

May Goal

Third time is a charm right?  I will yet again try to finish this adorable quilt.  Last month I was able to get it basted and started quilting it but then I got stuck because we went off to Hawaii for the last week of the month.  SO this month I WILL finish quilting it and bind it.  Here it is in it's current state.

Linking to: 

April Goal

I failed at my March Goal... just didn't have the time so I am now making it my April goal to baste, quilt and bind this quilt.

My guild's Fun Day is now over and many people enjoyed it. I worked hard along with the remainder of the committee to make the event successful and I'd say it was despite our shoestring budget.  We also made enough to seed next years committee so they won't have to make do like we did.  Now that the event is over and the quilt pattern revealed, I can now share my quilt.  Here it is in all it's glory. 

Linked to: 

March Goal

This month I have a lot going on so I am looking for a easy to finish project but if any of these projects were easy to finish, I'd be done with them already. Right?!  I finally decided on a quilt top I started for my husband's God-daughter who has now outgrown the girly quilt fabric.  I think my mom's half sister's daughter would greatly appreciate it so I am going to finish it for her.

The quilt top is complete; it just needs to be re-ironed because it's been in storage so long, sandwiched, quilted and bound.  That will be my goal for the month of March.

I purchased a fabric for the backing while back that I am now seriously reconsidering.... I don't know what I was thinking.  The fabric that I am questioning is the pink with butterflies in the below photo.

 Aside from the questionable butterfly fabric I have a good bit of fabric left from each portion of the quilt as well as some appliqué cut outs that I intended to be the label.  I defiantly think the pink/white/purple stripe would make a striking binding so I am going to try to avoid using it for anything else then perhaps buy a purple backing... a light lilac batik might be pretty.

Linking up to: 

February Goal Complete

I can't believe it but I actually did it.  I put together a quilt top in one month... only because I had to.

Here are my fabrics->

Super Bowl Sunday, I had a nice little setup in the living room to cut during the game.  At one point I tried to haul my machine into the room to sew while I watched the game but quickly retreated when my husband gave me a nasty look.  

I even remember to collect my clippings to donate to the gal over at my LQS, she uses them as stuffing for some of her projects.  Now I just need to remember to drop them off.

The only way I can work on a quilt non-stop is to munch on sunflower seeds.  It helps keep my mind focused.  Here is my quilting table (in my quilting room, not my temporary side set up in the living room) with my left over fabric, seam ripper and Ranch sunflower seeds.  A recipe for success.

I absolutely love my focus fabric for this quilt, which I also used as my borders.  Check out the amazing marbled colors of blue, turquoise, brown and gold.  

I got hung up the organization of my quilt blocks and ended up changing my initial plan and while I love the finished product, it is not what I expected.  It took me several days to come to a final decision, which held up my progress but a few late nights were all I needed. Here I am working away while watching a movie... notice the laptop screen to the left of my machine?  That's so I can hear and see the movie while still keeping an eye on my 1/4" seams.

As I mentioned in my Goal Setting post, the pattern is a secret so I won't share the finished product with you yet (Melissa & Shanna, check your FB PM's for the finished picture).  I promise I can share it soon, the Fun Day event is Saturday, April 5th.  I will show off the finished quilt on the Facebook group because I love it and want to brag :D

Linking up to:   

February Goal

I decided to volunteer for my quilt guilds' Fun Day Committee.  Our Fun Day is a day long event where attendees enjoy a day full of quilting and party fun.  The committee picks 1) a mystery pattern that is not known by any members until the day of the event and 2) fabric for all participants with a color theme of their choice.  Most patterns are for a wide range of experience levels so that everyone can enjoy the event.

Each committee member is responsible for making a quilt in the mystery pattern (it can have multiple variations) to be displayed at the event to help members choose their preferred pattern.  The event is being held April 5th this year. My goal for the month of February is to get my quilt top pieced for display at the event.

I choose the below batiks as the basis for my quilt top.

January Finish Complete

I know it's hard to believe, but I DID finish something. I completed Dyson's rocket quilt based on The Little Rocketeer pattern in the July 2009 edition of Quick Quilts.   I started this in April of 2011 (the original post here); worked on it or set a goal to work on it in March 2013 (1) (2) (3), April 2013, May 2013, June 2013, January 2014 and finally put the binding on it for this Month of A Lovely Year of Finishes.  With as long as it took me to make this quilt, I hope my son enjoys it for many years.

January Goal 2014

So another Year of Lovely Finishes begins.  Last year I only completed 3 goals, this year I am going for twice that many so 6 for 2014.  Aim small, finish big... but we will see what life holds this year.

I was thinking I would use my Fun Day Committee quilt as my January finish but that seems like a lofty goal.  After much thought, I decided to start with something a little easier to help me feel accomplished in this new year.  I am going to start with the finish of Dyson's Rocket Quilt that eluded me in 2013.  As it sits right now, it has been quilted and needs 1) trimming/squaring up 2) binding cut and prepared (double fold french is my preference) and 3) binding complete.

I have so much going on this month but I don't think this project is un-finishable at this point.  Here's just a taste of what's on my plate this month.

• Potty training baby girl
• Beginning of Half Marathon training
• Organizing MH Mom's Get Fit Challenge
• Babysitting for busy momma (her busy time)
• Fun Day Committee