January Bee Creative Block

I finished my actual Bee Creative block. It's not as bold as the other one, but I think it goes with the other blocks that everyone is making a little better.

For February we're making red and white pin wheels. I'm still looking for one I love. Any suggestions?

Bee Creative

I joined my first bee! Our first block is a Union Jack. We were supposed to do it in whatever colors we wanted. It's a paper pieced block, which is super intimidating to me! I decided to practice with this block. I forgot a few times to add the outside seam allowance to the pieces, and I had to unpick about 8 seams, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I don't love these color choices, so I think I'm going to use something else for my real block!

WIP Wednesday 01/11/2012

My first WIP Wednesday of 2012! I'm going to start my list fresh.

My favorite ongoing project! These are 1 inch hexagons. I've actually made a couple more flowers since I took this. If you haven't tried hexis, they make a great TV watching/car riding project.

This is going to be a gift for someone who reads my blog, I think, so I'll just give you a little taste!

This is an I-spy quilt top. It's only partly finished. I'm going to finish it. Really, I am.

Some half square triangles that I started months ago for a quilt.

Christmas HST destined to be stockings.

Forrest friends string blocks. I have everything cut to make more of them, so hopefully soon these will become a baby quilt.

Embroidery 101 quilt. Basted and just waiting to be quilted.

Birdie Stitches quilt. Top done. Back almost done. Needs to be sandwiched, basted, and quilted.

I spent a couple of days since New Year's Day cleaning up my sewing space after the tornado of Christmas hit it! I had just been sticking stuff where it would fit or just piling it up. I put each of the WIPs in a ziplock bag with all the pieces that go with it. It's much easier to keep them straight. Plus when I want to work on one, I just grab the bag. The only WIP I didn't get a picture of is my Skill Builder Sampler, which I am terribly behind on. It's in the top clear box.  

Completed Projects: 0
Currently in Progress: 9

Be sure to check out what Lee is working on at Freshly Pieced!

12 Lofty Quilty Goals for 2012

1.  Participate in a bee.  I'm already signed up for one and am very excited about it!
2.  Post a tutorial.
3.  Make 12 gifts.
4.  Catch up and finish the Skill Builder Sampler
5.  Make a twin sized quilt for my little boy's big boy bed (which I imagine he will get this year!)
6.  Make a queen sized quilt for our bed.  I have everything to make a Swoon quilt for us.
7.  Make something special for my husband.  He complains that I make stuff for everyone else!
8.  Make a dress and actually wear it somewhere!
9.  Make a twister quilt.
10. Finish the Birdie Stitches and Embroidery 101 quilts.  Both just need quilted and bound.
11.  Complete 4 unfinished projects or give them to someone else to finish/repurpose.
12.  Make a t-shirt quilt (January's Second Saturday Sewing project!)

There are my goals for 2012.  Totally doable.  What are yours?

2011 in Review: Part 2~ Lofty Quilty Goals

Last year I set some quilting goals for myself.  For me it was a nice thing to check back on throughout the year and see if I was really doing what I wanted to be doing.  I wasn't sure if I was going to stay into the whole sewing thing, so I set pretty general goals.  I think I did pretty well.

For 2011 I have a couple of quilts I want to try to make. First I'm going to try to do Birdie Stitches Block of the Month. I love to embroider and I like to quilt. Hopefully I'll end up with something I love. (I've finished all of the blocks and have them pieced together.  Just need to finish the border for the top and quilt!)

I also have all of the fabric to make The Orange Quilt. I have a bunch of orange and aqua Jay McCarroll fabric that I got on clearance at fabric.com. I love it and I think this would be a great quilt to use it! (Nothing on this.  I still have the fabric, but haven't cut into it!)

I would also like to make a zigzag quilt. Maybe a zigzag rainbow. (Done! I used the Punctuation charm pack below for this quilt.  I love it.)

I also have a Punctuation charm pack and Adoring Christmas one. I would like to make a gift quilt with the Christmas one and maybe a baby quilt with the other one. (See Above!  I didn't do anything with the Adoring Christmas.  I bought it on clearance and I don't love it, so I have a hard time wanting to use it.)

I have also gotten 30 30's reproduction fabrics. I'd like to make a 2 inch hexagon grandmother's garden with them. (Instead of a flower garden, I used these fabrics to make a plus quilt for my daughter.  We both love it.  It's my favorite project of 2011.)

I'm working on my list of goals for 2012.  I'm thinking 12 for '12. 

Handmade Holiday Winner!

Christy Ross! Winner! I'll send you a message!

2011 in Review: Part 1

2011 went so fast for me. I think there is something about babies that makes everything go in fast forward! My little man was still a baby at the beginning of 2011, but he's a little boy now! My sweet girl went from a little kindergartner to a big first grader with no teeth and quickly growing legs!
It was just after Christmas last year that I really got a sewing space set up, and it has made a huge difference! Even though I share it with the Wii and the DVDs and my husband's shoes, it's so nice to have a space for spreading out and making stuff. I finished 5 quilts in 2011.

I think my favorite was the zigzag. It was my first with a pattern that wasn't just squares. I also really still love the fabric. Daughter's plus quilt was a close second. It's by far the biggest quilt I've made...almost a double.

These are a few of the gifty type things I made in 2011. I think my favorite is the little princess dolls for my daughter. I made one to look like her, and she says it's her favorite. (I also made a set as a birthday gift and they were very well received.)

My 2011 bags. I gave 2 of these away for Giveaway Days and gave 2 as gifts. Daughter uses hers as her supply bag for Girl Scouts. My favorite is the Christmas tote. It was supposed to be a gift bag, but ended up being a great bag for carrying Christmas gifts, candy for the parade, and stocking stuffers!

My favorite sewing thing for 2011 has to be Second Saturday Sewing. When I first started it, I wasn't sure it would become anything. Maybe I was the only one who cared about making stuff. Turns out, it's a lot of fun. It's great to see 5-ish of my favorite people once a month. It's been awesome to see them grow in confidence and skill. I mean, my friend, Marie, hadn't ever really sewn and she finished a baby quilt for her first project! She made Christmas gifts and even got a new sewing machine for Christmas! I know it's a pain to drive to my house once a month, but thank you, ladies, for doing it!

I have lots of projects that I've worked on throughout the year that haven't been finished...yet. They'll be added to my WIP list for the new year. Come back tomorrow for my Quilty goals update. While you're here, why not tell me what your favorite finish was for 2011?