reflections

This is the time of year that most of us reflect on the ending year and whether by list or mental notes, make a plan for the new year.  Last year around this time I joined Susan http://www.blackberrycreek.typepad.com/ to finish some UFO's.  Susan, I must say, stayed on top of her list of 43 and finished 12 of them and made a start on a few others.  I, on the other hand, didn't do so well. I completed the Batiks quilt for our family room.  Finished piecing my fall quilt.  That's it....but wait in all fairness I did finish a few new quilts.

Next month is my one year anniversary with the Sarah http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/and the Sewing Sister.  I have had so much fun with these ladies and their dedication to a glorious quilt ministry. 

I pieced 5 flimsys (might have been 7, I know I didn't take a picture of every one) for the quilt ministry,

a few of those I quilted.  I quilted 2 flimsys for Sarah when things were running behind. 

I quilted Sarah's quilt that the Sewing Sisters made for her. 

I did not keep up with the number of quilts I made this year, I knew there had been a few, but never in my wildest dream would I have believed (I finally counted)

33!!!

I even managed to spent time with Stevie, take a few weekend trips, sod my yard,

 mow the sod (what was I thinking) clean house, laundry and cook meals, oh and I forgot a
40 hour a week job to help with my quilting addiction.  No wonder I am tired.

But you know what I enjoyed every minute and wouldn't change a thing.

Sarah usually host Whoop Whoop Fridays, but today she ask us to share our most memorable

quilt in 2011.  There have been so many this year...H2H quilts, Down Syndrome baby quilts, ministry quilts, retirement and wedding quilts, baby and toddler size quilts but my most memorable quilt in 2011 is

TA DAH...

The quilt for my friend at work, whose father passed away, made from his father's shirts.  A star for his father, log cabin for home, red center for love and mother, one star for each child, pinwheels for each grandchild and great grandchildren.  He loved the story the quilt told of his father's life.

Maybe not a masterpiece, but I loved making it for him and he loved it and very proud of it.

Shirt lapels on back and a

pocket label.

I still need to write the story down and attach to the back of the quilt.

This year I hope to do as much, I would like to learn more longarm quilting and master the new rulers I received for Christmas.

First on my list is to finish my bosses quilts that were for Christmas (one is out of town until Jan 13th, so I have until then)  instead they received a box of candy with the note

Santa is running behind,

So your present didn't arrive on time

This will have to do...

until your present arrives to you!!

I think they liked the poem better than the candy.

Looking forward to a new year and all that it brings. 

I have enjoyed and think a lot of my new blog friends and hope that those friendships will

grow over the years. I normally do not make list, because I know I won't follow them, but one thing I want to do this year is attend the Paducah quilt show and maybe take a class or two.  I will have to drive back and forth, if I go more than one day, because of Stevie, but I still want to do it.

I hope you have a

Happy New Year!!!!

This elf is tired, are you?

Taking a short break to share and link up with http:confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com

I made this notebook cover for a Dirty Santa gift exchange  with the Sewing Sisters.

This is Sophie's, my great niece, Christmas quilt.  Made with Cat in the Hat fabric.  She will start daycare in Jan and needed a naptime quilt.  i just love how it turned out.

My favorite part is the name and the black and white stripes




 Of course, Vinny, my great nephew, needed one also.  Made with the same fabric but alittle different.  I also included The Cat in the Hat book.

A look at the backs.

I hope they like them.  I have two more, just  like these, to make for a lady at work for her grandchildren.



In addition to these I have made two more t-shirt quilts.  I failed to take a picture on one of them, made with 30 shirts.

This is a Christmas present for a young man.  His father is friends with a lady at work and after seeing her son's t-shirt quilt he wanted one too.  First time I used jerseys, but they worked out fine.  His father cried when he saw it. 


I have another commission t-shirt quilt to make and two quilts for my bosses at work before Christmas.  I have the tops pieced but want to do custom quilting.  And yes, I do know Christmas is a week away.

Stevie was the Stink bug in the school Christmas play, titled A Buggy Christmas. Now you might be like me and wonder what a stink bug or any bug has to do with Christmas, well you'll have to keep wondering because I didn't understand it either.

Well,I guess I had better get back to work, oh I mean quilting.

This Santa elf is working hard

Been alittle while.  Like a lot of you I have been very busy.  I made a t-shirt quilt for a friend of a friend.  30 t-shirts to be exact, this quilt was huge.  I think it was 95x126.  It turned out a lot better than I thought it would.  You will have to take my word for it because it was so big Mister quilt-holder-upper couldn't hold it up.  I brought my camera to work so someone at work could hold it up, but everyone was too busy looking to take a picture, but it didn't matter because my camera wouldn't work.  When the lady came by to pick it up I was going to use my phone, but she was so excited I forgot to ask her for a picture.  Sooo, no picture.  Take my word for it, it was pretty.  I'll post a picture if I can talk her into bringing it back.

This is my To Do list until Christmas...

1. piece and quilt Anthony's t-shirt quilt.

Has been pieced, along with the back and

 is on the frame half quilted. 

2. Piece and quilt 2 quilts for the Bosses at work.

Everyone pitched in for material cost but I have

to make them.

Not even started.  In exchange the ladies at work

will make up the candy bags for Stevie's classroom so

that I have more quilty time..

3. Piece and quilt another t-shirt quilt for a friend of a friend's friend.

4. decorate the rest of our house.

Christmas tree is up, no other decorating inside.

Half of the outside lights are up, ran out, had to go buy more.

(trees and bushes must have really grown.)

5. close out year at work, inventory, etc.

Working on it (inbetween blogging).

I have decided this 8-5 job really interferes.

But I do like a place to sew and I do like to eat so I guess I'll

keep it.

Mister (disabled) quilt-holder-upper says he will wrap presents and

cut out letters for bosses quilts since he can't help me with physical work.

To everyone who is in the same boat,

Get- R- Done!!

So glad all of my shopping is finished.

Check this out

http://catpatches.blogspot.com/p/occupy-your-sewing-room.html

(I don't know if I did that right)  I can't occupy my sewing room for a whole day but I have to use every minute I can.