The New Month Begins

As I look out the side window I see that we still have the pretty snow of a couple of inches from Thanksgiving, I realize that we have the door of another month of closing oh so quietly.  As the December window opens to let in the cool but crisp air as the sunlight reflect brilliantly bright on the undisturbed snow against the white fence of the neighbors fence. But as I look I can see that the wild rabbit has been to visit. Does he like the wild apples from the neighbor’s tree? Or is that the chipmunk that likes to tease the cats by running across the deck a mere inch off the glass doors?

I see that I haven’t posted since the 10th, but with the holidays and the swaps and the hand quilted baby quilt that is in the hoop; I would once again re-literary that busy is a vastly understated word and of course, without fail I must confess that I bring this on myself. Unfortunately I can show you any pictures of what I’ve been making right now but once the swaps are completed; it will be pictures galore!!

And the really bad thing is every year as the ball, cherry or apple drops, I tell myself that I will change, that I’ll do things differently.  But then the newsletters and e-mails start to roll in full of distracting pictures on BOM’s, new patterns, of a new swap that will be starting. you know the ones I’m talking about… the ones has us ohhing & ahhing and dropping that now new UFO flutters to the floor. The ones that has most quilters rushing to the nearest quilt shop or even worse – the computer.  Where they will lulled by the siren of quilting to look, click and buy more than the one thing they were looking for in the first place.  Now realize that I’m not complaining by in means. I personally believe it the quilters, crafters and such are the true stimulators of the economy. 

But anyhow- where was I going?  Oh yeah, this year as those distracting pictures are coming into my e-mails; I’m actually unsubscribing  from them. I’m looking at my yahoo groups & decided that clearing those out too would be a good move. Next on the chopping block will be the endless listing of blogs that I follow.  Most of those I picked up during a series of blog hops that I did.  Do I visit many of them or was it just a chance to win something?  I can spend days just reading those.  Yes I learn many things that I would like to try and do. Yes I have won a few things and yes I can still find a boat load of free patterns to take up the space on my hard drive where they will just sit without anything being done with them.

Then we have all those computer games that I love so much. It doesn’t matter the type they are albeit hidden objects, marble matching, bubble popping, alien invaders, they are equally represented in my ‘puter. Again another distracting factor for hours on end.  Humm… what it sound like is the possible cure for this problem would be to ask for a good old fashion kitchen timer. Something that I set for an hour and place across the room.  LOL.  Wow - now that is something I could really get behind of. Now I going to have to get me one.  Wonder if there is an acorn one? I would love a really cool one. hint hint ;)LOL.

But this next year is about less time on the computer and more on the “ME” stitching. Several people have brought it to my attention that everything I make is going out the door for some sort of reason.  Which means in truth I get nothing done for this house, my family or me. So now I going to be super choosey on what I take on come the new year.  I have decided that “Scrappy” is the word of the year.

I have two challenges that I offered up to my Wednesday morning quilt groups to help me accomplish my decision.  Starting Jan.1st, I will be implementing a “Start the New Year Scrappy” challenge. What this will be is that I’ll doing for that one is as the name says. So what is involved?

• On Jan.1st I’ll start making a scrappy queen size quilt for myself and have it COMPLETED by years end. Yes - I know that is a whole year but that is a simple goal.  Just one completed new project to start off with.
• It can be any pattern that we want to make, so I thought I would do something from the many blogs and free patterns that I have on my hard drive.  I have heard that Bonnie Hunter has some wonderful scrappy patterns to work  with.  So off I go to Bonnie’s website & I picked the Bricks & Stepping Stones pattern. 
• For the Bricks I’m going to have no repeat prints but the little 4- patches are using 2” squares so repeats are okay there. That is once I get enough black pieces.  I’m going to have to figure how to acquire them rather it be trading, bartering or some other means. 

As for the second one, I’m going to do an “UFO No More” challenge.  I have a list of projects that I’m going to do. It’s a simple challenge you would think; but it’s harder than I thought this current year.  So I’m grabbing the bootstraps and sticking to my guns!!!  Here is what the list looks like currently:

• Sunflowers and Crows. This is a personal design that I was hand quilting before putting the dragonflies went in.
• Homesteadingtoday.com Mystery.  This was my 1st mystery and I want to try to a ribbon border around it just to see if I can. 
• Next is a nine-patch scrappy swap from Homesteadingtoday.com group in 2012.  I have 25/30 blocks that I’m going add to and make into 1 of 2 twin size light weight quilts for the guest room. 
• Stitchin’ Stitches Round Robin.  Now this is a new project that is a new adventure for me.  I am wandering into the world of round robins.  I will be working in a small of group of 6 ladies on this. This should be interesting to do.
• Tulips from Wisconsin.  This is the tulips that Ms. M from Wisconsin sent me last year.  It’s the one where I’m hand appliquéing the blocks so it takes me a bit longer to do. It slowed considerably that it’s no longer a WIP but an UFO.
• The Q&N 2012 Challenge top which is in Phase 2, which is the appliquéd portion of the 1st added on sash to enlarge it.  I’m still working on it with Ms. D. of Canada and is a long term project.
• Hand Quilting Ms. P’s grandbaby’s quilt.  This one I’m doing as a special request so not really an UFO but a commitment.
• Of course I’m still working on the FWS blocks but once again that is a long term project as a BOW.  I need to catch back up on those blocks too.
• Then I have a cross-stitch flower project that has been in UFO status that has actually turned a decade older in my neglect.  There are so many errors in it that I can hide it in plain sight now.  LOL

Now I have a few rules that go along with an challenge.  For every 5th UFO project I will be able to pick a New project to start but it must be finished.  NO UFO status allowed before moving on to another new project. From the New I can pick any kit that I have assembled, received as gifts, whatever.  If no sewing has started on it, it’s not an UFO.  I must show the state in which each UFO is beginning with and another once I have finished it to show proof of it’s “UFO No More” status as the last step of completion. Seems simple enough right? We shall see.

I will continue to do my book reviews but I’m going to separate those as I have something like a half dozen to do right now. And they would take up just as much space as this posting is up to this point easily.

Now that I have put pen to paper, (so to speak) stating my goals with the turning of the old to the new, I hope that you might join me in my challenges.  Please feel free to share your goals in the comment area. If you have a blog link you can leave that too as a way of sharing.  Do you have a great way to store neatly stacks of scrappy squares and rectangles as I try to emulate Bonnie’s technique please tell me how you keep them that way.

Well it’s been nice to see y’all but I have some stitching to work on. Without much ado…

Tricia