Under the Needle: January

Boy Howdy! What happened to January?! If this is any indication of the year to come, I had better take a deep breath because the first month of the year just blew by. I am digging my heels into the dirt in an attempt to slow down time. I know...I know...it's not working. Even so, I get to spend so many of my days as I wish...riding shotgun with DH, trotting down the trail with Skeet, puttering outdoors, keeping the home fires burning, keeping the feathered flock in line, mucking out closets and shelves, enjoying a few road trips, celebrating a birthday, soaking in the kids when they visit, dishing up vittles, keeping pickup seats filled with cookies, and sewing a stitch or two between it all. I guess life has kept me away from the computer and my blog has suffered, but it's been a good month.

This month I worked on turning scraps into blocks for a quilt I am making for a friend - I'm about half way there:

I also left 2 baby quilt top with Jackie and picked them up yesterday - I love having quilts to bind:

I cut out the Zoologie quilt

 I turned the monkey fabric

into a quilt top that still needs a border:

And I pulled out these fat quarters, pressed them, and began cutting for a new project:

It seems I have spent the month making a little progress on a lot of projects, but eventually that ought to yield some finished quilts.

2019 Quilt List

Last year I made 9 quilts. The year before it was 14. I guess life was busy, but this is not a race and although the list of quilts I want to make is never-ending, I am determined to enjoy every stitch. I love making lists, but this one changes all the time as I am inspired by new quilts that come to my attention or a need arises. Still, it's fun for me to begin the new year with a fresh list.

1. The scrap quilt I'm making for a sick friend.

2. A baby quilt for our girl's college friend's 1st child

3. A western scrap quilt to donate to the WRCA's auction - pattern to be determined - maybe this year I can close the lid of this bin

4. A flannel quilt using this FQ bundle I've had in my stash for years

5. A QOV or 2 - I have a Carpenter Star started and hope to build on it:

6. Wildflowers - I haven't decided on fabric for this yet. It calls for  a Layer Cake, but I'm planning on pulling something from my stash

7. Dizzy Daisy - using the Garden Delights Layer Cake I have

8. Modern Greek Cross - using the Ella and Ollie Layer Cake I have

9. Economie Zoologie - this was a kit I bought from Craftsy a few years ago

10. Jellystone - from Miss Rosie's Spice of Life book - I still need to cut the background, but the rest is cut - using fabric from my stash

11. A kid's quilt using this fabric because I'm cleaning out, this bin is also full, and this fabric wouldn't fit

I could easily double...or triple... this list, but I think this is doable and I've still got 9 quilts at Jackie's that will need binding when I get them back. I think I was pretty good about not bringing too much fabric home last year, but I'm hoping to bring  in even less in the coming year. Don't all quilters say that? 😏 I am not bringing anymore Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls or kits into this house though. Let the stitching begin

Jumping into January

It took 2 days, but the Christmas decorations have been stashed away in their respective bins and hauled out to the shed - the way time flies, I'll be dragging them out again before I know it. Now I just need to find a new home for the dog toys:

DH's birthday is New Year's Eve. We began the day with a 4 hour round trip to haul our beef in for processing and then we celebrated with his favorite -a prime rib supper that evening:

But the day's not complete without birthday cake:

As far as sewing goes, it's been a while since I sat down at my sewing machine. I've got to get busy on a quilt for a friend dealing with some serious health issues so that's my first quilt project for the year:

I'm also tackling a non-sewing project. DH works ALL the time and I've been wanting him to spend a little time on a hobby so I'm cleaning out our office and helping him turn it into a reloading room. It's going to be a big job because I've got to find a place for the things we've stashed in there. I started with the closet at 4 this morning and I tackled 2 shelves. Lots of homeschooling and scrap booking supplies as well as 6 big black photo safe boxes filled with pictures - organized by date.

This project also means cleaning out the kids' closets and sending all their things back with them. I'm building a big pile to take to my mom's in a few months as well.

And contrary to the visual evidence, I am not a hoarder, but stuff has GOT to go! Mom is planning a garage sale and garage sales in her area are always a huge success. I'm also researching ways to sell scrapbooking and homeschooling supplies, I'm donating a lot, blessing someone else by giving it away, and making multiple trips to the dump. So, I have a plan, but now I need to implement it! I struggle with getting rid of things for a few reasons: It's perfectly good stuff. I might need it or find a use for it at some point. I could sell it and make a little extra money. Alas, there comes a time when I reach a point where I just want it GONE and that time has arrived. I'm excited that DH is finally getting his much deserved space and that spurs me on to empty the next shelf.