So Many Great Things in the Works!

So many of the organized creative folks out in blog land are making plans for great activities in 2012!  I mentioned signing up for "Take a Stitch Tuesday" in my last post. Then I signed up for the Free Motion Quilting Challenge (see the button to the right). I really want to learn free motion quilting and figure a monthly challenge might just inspire me to practice a bit. Now, as a result of signing up for TAST, I have stumbled across a crazy quilt block challenge that I am oh-so-tempted to sign up for. What better way to practice those TAST stitches, right?  I haven't bit the bullet yet, but I have added the blog to my favorites and will think on it a bit longer - who knows what I might come across in the next couple of weeks! The internet is awesome, isn't it?!?

Last Day

I managed to spend a little bit of my last day of the holiday break in the sewing room. I almost finished another NYB block but when I went to square it up I managed to cut one side 1/4" short so I will have to replace the background piece. I really wanted to fix it right away but the family was starting to make noise about needing dinner so I had to leave it for another time/

I did finish my second Stars and Sprigs block, however:

I love the colors in these blocks, although I can't say that all of the Kaffe fabrics are the best for applique.  They aren't bad, but some are more loosely woven than I prefer to work with. I realized when I was prepping this block that I need two of each, so I saved the freezer paper from this one and will make it again in different colors next.

Not that I need more to do, but I read about a new free online learning opportunity for next year that I couldn't resist signing up for.  It's called "Take a Stitch Tuesday" or TAST.  I've had Sharon B's online stitch directory saved to my favorites for a very long time - she is an embroidery master.  I need to work on my embroidery skills and am looking forward to playing along.  The link to sign up is http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2011/11/26/the-big-list-of-2012-tast-challengers.html.  There are loads of people participating.  I can't wait to get started!

A Few Days Off

A few days off over the holidays has meant a little extra time in the sewing room. I probably should have used the time more effectively - picked a project and spent all my sewing time making progress on it - but where's the fun in that? So instead I spent the time on lots of different things and made little bits of progress on all of them.  I started my second block for Stars and Sprigs (still in progress) and stitched the first applique block for my Farmhouse quilt.

I also started the new Dear Jane I have been planning ever since seeing the photo of the one done in Kaffe fabrics...

I started with applique blocks, of course.  There aren't nearly as many as I remember - so many pieced blocks!  I would love to hand piece them but probably should stick with paper piecing so that I actually get at least a few of them done.

I also had a blast digging out an old project I started back when I first began quilting. I have always loved New York Beauty quilts, especially the bright ones.  I started a NYB quilt in a class at The Quilted Fox. I don't think I had much fabric at the time (boy, how that has changed!) so I purchased all kinds of brights to use for this project. I was shocked at how much fabric I found in those boxes!  My original thought was to sort it into my stash, but there is clearly not enough room in my drawers to accomodate it all.  I'll have to deal with what to do with it all later... In the meantime, I decided to get back to working on the quilt.  It took me a little while to get back into the swing of the paper piecing and curves, but I managed to knock out one block on Thanksgiving.

I now have 13 of the 30 the pattern calls for - still lots of work to do there, too. 

Other projects I worked on this week include my Runaway quilt (stitching binding) and the Ha Ha Tonka rug. I am the poster child for quilter's ADD!

TGIF!

Thank goodness it's FINISHED, that is!  I finally finished my Crazy Horse rug.  I bound it while watching several World Series games and put the last stitches in the binding tape in the last inning of game seven.  I won't let anyone look at those stitches up close - I was a bit too wound up to actually sew a decent stitch!

I really like the finished rug, and I am thrilled to be able to move on to something new. Now I just have to decide which UFO I want to finish next!