New Month - New Goals

It's April already and we are into the 2nd month of Autumn and yeah its actually cooled down a little. We slept under the quilt last night, for the first time since probably October.

Usually I post my goal wrap up and my new goals in the same post but I didn't yesterday - just wanted to get the wrap up done and no time to think about what I want to achieve this month.

We are away for a lot of this month but I still intend to do a fair bit of sewing... anyone who knows me won't be surprised. The deal I made with my husband when we decided that we would do some big trips in our camper trailer and now caravan was that I could take my sewing machine with me. I bought a smaller more portable sewing machine as part of the bargain. Now its have machine will travel. 

This trip is not in either our van (which is still being repaired from a bingle we had a few months ago) or our camper trailer (which we are still trying to sell) but is in our car. The machine is still coming with me. (actually its already in Brisbane awaiting my arrival as I am flying down to Brisbane a week or so ahead of Fixit Guy). However socialising and travelling does cut into ones sewing time (a sacrifice I know but one has to concede sometimes).

In planning my sewing related goals I need to take into consideration the restrictions that being away from home will impose.

This is also April (I have mentioned that and you probably already know that) and for the 3rd year I am taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge where participants undertake to blog every day apart from Sundays, for the whole month. The added challenge (the A to Z bit) is that the first day we blog on something starting with A, and the next with B, then C etc. This year I have chosen to blog about patchwork blocks starting with each letter of the alphabet and not just blog about them but sew them too. Ok I admit... I have already sewn them. And I have mostly written the blogs but need to edit them all - zush them a bit. So that is my first goal for this month

1 Complete A to Z challenge - blog every day. 

Not only that. I want to have the quilt completed by the end of the month 

2. Complete A to Z quilt (I have already put the top and backing together. Have to quilt and bind it) This is my OMG (One Monthly Goal) Goal. I have been asked about a photo but I can't reveal it till the end of the month as it will be the Grand Finale for my month of blog posts. So No Spoilers Here.

3. Complete 2 secret projects. No more details as they are surprises for people who just might read my blog. By the end of the month I will be able to reveal all. (again No Spoilers Here)

4 Work on Labyrinth Walk quilt. I have fabric bought and cut and it is going to be my main sewing project on the trip so I am really hopeful I will get lots done.

5. Prepare a stack of items for my Comic Con stall to take away with me. Cut out, iron on interfacing, choose zippers, sort out hardware etc.

6. Complete 20 items for the Handmade With Love Comic Con stall. I want to make more of the messenger bags of both sizes (big enough for a lap top = large, big enough to carry an ipad = small) and will make more of the small zipper pouches from the scraps. Also the cosmetics purses. I am also thinking about making some of the pencil cases I have made previously. Am considering making  pot holders and kitchen type items but may leave those till next month. I am going to be visiting Supanova on the Gold Coast later on this month to get a feel for the types of items on sale already and the age and interests of attendees.

That is going to be more than enough I think. If I manage all that - and socialise with my family and friends, go to shows, travel etc etc... I am going to be doing pretty well.

End of the Month Goal Wrap up

Its suddenly the end of the month and time to wrap up my goals. Its come as a bit of a shock. This past week has been a bit lost. I was actually thinking last week it was almost the end of the month and that I only had a week till I was heading to Brisbane and then I realised I had another week ... but suddenly it has gone, it really is the end of the month and I basically just lost this last week.

Well maybe not the whole week but some of it. Our area has been affected by Cyclone Debbie which has wreaked havoc along the coast of my state. Cyclones, like many weather events are somewhat unpredictable. It was originally predicted to be hitting the coast around Townsville or North of there but it gradually drifted South and eventually crossed the coast between Bowen and Proserpine. We have a lot of friends who live in areas badly affected so it was a worrying time. We have heard from all of them and they got away with minor damage. 

Anyway - the rain depression drifted over us, and we got some heavy rain for a day or so, but no where near as much as many other places so we have been thanking God that we were spared. It put out a lot of things - no one came to our sewing day on Wednesday (including me... I ducked up to grab some more needles as I had left my spares in the club rooms) and so I didn't get a couple of projects finished that I was going to work on in the club rooms. So I am a little behind in a couple of my projects for the month.

My monthly goals were 
Complete A to Z  quilt top and make backing. This was my  OMG goal. I got the top and backing completed and I was hoping to get it quilted as well but that will have to be pushed back a month as we are on the last day and I wasn't able to get anyone to help me load it onto the quilting frame. (all that rain... everyone was staying home).

Complete March clue for Charlotte's mystery quilt This was done! All the units for the quilt are now done and we await the revelation of the next clue which will tell us how to put it together.

Make 20 items for Comic Con stall I have met this goal well and truly.  I've made some Easy Cosmetic Purses, 2 large messenger bags and a small one,  Some teeny tiny zipper bags and a pile of ear bud pouches. That's a total of 45 items all up. That goal was SMASHED.

Complete my mystery project This is the one things that I haven't quite completed. I just have to sew on the binding but with no sewing at Patchwork this week I didn't get it done. Perhaps I could slip up there tonight and get it sewn on... otherwise I will do it tomorrow. I am determined.

Work on En Provence. I got this completed. I am not sure what I am going to do with it but its done and folded up ready to go to where ever I deem it needed.

OMG Linky party can be found here

WIP Whoopsday -

I'm running late again with my WIP post but its still Wednesday somewhere in the world.

Having been away for part of the week and travelling for 2 full days I haven't accomplished as much sewing this week as I would have liked. I did take my smaller sewing machine with me to Brisbane (and have left it there to use when I am down in a couple of weeks time). I had planned to do the March clue in Charlotte Hawks mystery quilt which had been due to be released the day before we left. However due to severe storms taking out power and cable services in the area she lives in she was late in getting it posted. It was released the day we left to come home.

I did work on the backing for the A to Z quilt, getting the 3 blocks (2 remade and the Z block) pieced together with left over fabric from the second border and lots of letter/school/writing related fabric from my stash.

I bought some word fabric to complete the backing 

and have realised that I didn't get enough so more fiddling about to get it big enough

I made 3 items for the Comic Con stall - 2 Easy Cosmetic Bags and a boxy zipper bag. The boxy bag looked so bad it didn't rate a photo.

Once home I was able to get the March Clue completed in Charlotte's Mystery quilt. All the units are now assembled and next month we are to be told how to assemble the units into blocks. They are looking really great and I am looking forward to seeing the completed blocks and quilt.

Its midway through the month so its time to review the monthly goals I set myself.

  1 Complete my secret project I've made good progress on this
  2  Make 20 items for Comic Con Stall I've made good progress here too. The 8 teeny tiny pouches, one ear bud pouch, a large messenger bag and 2 easy cosmetic purses. So I've made 12 items - over half way. I am now awaiting delivery of more of the lobster swivel clips and zippers so the small pouches are on hold but I can get on with more messenger bags cause the magnetic clips are here.

 

3 Complete March clue of Charlotte's mystery Quilt.I got this done over the last 2 days Yay

                     

4 A to Z Challenge quilt I've started work on it (as detailed above) The top is completed and I'm working on the back. 

5 Work on En Provence. I have organised to quilt this on Friday using our club long arm. Lorraine is going to help me load it on the frame and then I am going to try to do a pantogram for the first time 

So - I'm making good progress with all 5 of my goals 

Linking up with 

February Goal Review and setting some for March

February always confounds me. I know its a short month but somehow i still get a shock when it goes from being a week to go till month end till NOPE its the end of the month boom!

End of the month means its time to look at those goals I set back at the end of January and see how well I have gone with them. And of course set myself some more for March. I love the process of setting the goals and even more so the delight in ticking them off. I know I get way more done when I set the goals and admit to a certain irritation with myself when I complete a project that I hadn't listed on my goals for the month.

Anyway this month I get to crow with delight and say that I got them all done in good time. Yes. They are ALL DONE

I  made 12 items for the Comic Con stall, not the 10 I set myself. I made 5 zipper pouches and 7 small Messenger bags.

I not only completed the backing for Stringen Em Along (My String X quilt) but I finished the whole quilt - quilted and bound! This was my OMG goal and I reported about the finish here

I not only attached the borders for Handwork Heritage, I made the backing, quilted and bound it... and labelled it.

I quilted not one but 2 quilts on the longarm at our club. I got Hexagon Garden and Handwork Heritage both completed.

I assembled the blocks for A to Z mystery quilt. Currently contemplating what I will do for borders and backing.

I worked on En Provence Mystery Quilt. I got the top together and have made the backing. I have cut the batting and hope to organise a time when I get load it onto our club longarm and get it quilted. (I fixed the top border which is upside dwn in the picture)

I got the February clue in Charlotte Hawks mystery quilt completed.

And the extra projects - well I started a secret project I can't talk about here as the recipient reads my blog sometimes. I made a denim raggy quilt. I finished a Sparkle baby quilt, I finished Chillingworth Mystery quilt (formerly known as our club mystery quilt).

See ALL DONE.

Now for March.

Complete A to Z  quilt top and make backing. This is my goal for OMG. I need to buy the fabric for the borders (I am looking for some alphabet fabric) And then work out what I will do for the backing. I have some around the world type fabric which isn't quite A to Z. I have to put the Z block on the back and plan to incorporate the 2 blocks I remade as well. I am thinking I might put in an alphabet strip - 26 pictures of things starting from A to Z. I used to make baby quilts that featured eye spy pictures chosen for each letter of the alphabet.

Complete March clue for Charlotte's mystery quilt

Make 20 items for Comic Con stall

Complete my mystery project

Given that I will have a few days away this month I might have to declare that enough on my list. Mind you I am taking my machine with me when I go to Brisbane to visit our children but I will lose 2 days in travelling there and back. We also have a day out this coming Saturday travelling to Rockhampton for a 60th birthday party. 

Friday Fitness and February mid month Goal review

I've started riding my bike again. When Fixit Guy and I travel to Europe in August we are going to go on a Barge Bike cruise. Not 100% sure which one but at the moment are favouring one that starts and finishes in Prague.

Anyway in preparation for that I need to get bike fit. I want to be fully able to enjoy the ride and not be worried about not being able to complete the daily rides or being too sore in the legs or bottom to be able to enjoy the rest of the trip. So far I have only had a couple of very short rides but I plan to ride as far each week as we will be riding on the tour (A little under 200km if we go on all the proffered bike tours.) So... need to get a bit fit.

Its been very hot here all week and whilst I have been mostly over the fatigue I was suffering from we have been going to bed a bit late so getting up in time to do a morning walk hasn't worked out. We have walked every evening at least. *Except Wednesday. I was sooo tired from a full day on my feet at Patchwork I came home at 5 and slept till after 7

We walked at the Windmill Park, as it is commonly known on sunset one day. A storm was coming - or so we hoped but it went around us again

I haven't been monitoring how many steps I have been getting although on at least 2 occassions I made my 10 000 steps. These were days I was working on the long arm quilting machine. I was on my feet for the whole time so lots of walking up and down must have added up.

I didn't weigh myself this morning. I am not sure how I have gone weight wise this week.... don't think I made great strides in loosing any.

And as far as my Mid Month goal review... I had 7 goals for this month. With 11 days left in the month I am delighted to report that I have completed 5 of them, I have just one more item to make for Comic Con and I will have completed that goal leaving just one goal that I have yet to start on. That is Assemble the A to Z quilt. I bought the fabric for the sashing Wednesday so hope to start on assembling it today perhaps.

February Goals

• make 10 items for Comic Con Stall - 9 done
• Complete backing for Stringen' Em Along DONE
• attach borders to Handwork Heritage DONE (in fact the whole quilt is DONE)
• Complete February Clue on Charlotte's mystery DONE
• quilt one quilt on the longarm- hexagon quilt DONE
• Assemble A to Z challenge quilt 
• Work on En Provence- top together

Mid month Goal Review

There is one goal that I should have put up this month. Its one I have been working towards. I really really want to get back into the black as far as my stash report numbers go. 

Back at the beginning of the month a trip to Make In Sew in Brisbane at which I purchased lots of fabrics in the pop culture line saw me well and truly into the red. I bought the fabric in order to sew things for the stall Handmade With Love will have at the Brisbane Comic Convention in September. It was under 9 metres so not a huge amount (although it cost enough believe me) 

However that bigger purchase combined with my mystery lethargy/fatigue has seen me not completing any major projects. I started the year working on a few small UFOs and also participating in a couple of mystery quilts so finishes have been small. As I write this I am still in the red by 1.57m - I am so close to the black I can smell it.

Then last week the fatigue started to lift and I was able to get back into the big sewing. I worked on a number of projects (see this week's WIP post here) as well as a few more smaller projects - items for the stall. 

That was working towards one of my goals as well - Make 10 items for Comic Con Stall. I am up to 5 items made (1 zipper pouch and 4 messenger bags)

One of the WIPs that I made progress on accomplished another of my goals. Complete backing for Stringen' 'Em Along. I have not only completed the backing but now have it pinned and ready to quilt. I have already made the binding as well.

Another of the WIPs I worked on was the Handwork Heritage and in doing so completed another goal. Attach the borders to Handwork Heritage. I attached the borders, made the backing and made the binding. I am hoping to quilt it on the long arm next week.

I have also worked a little on En Provence and plan thus completed the goal Work on En Provence. I have cut the 3.5" squares that were needed to complete the blocks. I have laid a couple of the blocks out to see how they look. 

I have yet to start sewing them together. Perhaps next week.

That leaves 3 goals that I haven't made any progress on (but it is only the end of week one so I can be forgiven)

Charlotte's February clue is not yet released  so  I can't yet Complete February clue on Charlotte's mystery. 

I will be quilting on the long arm next week and hope to get 2 done (that will make up for the one I didn't do last month) Quilt one quilt on long arm.

The last goal for February was A to Z Challenge quilt - Assemble. I can't assemble it yet as I need to buy some fabric for the sashing. I don't really have anything suitable in my stash and I want something that will tie all the different blocks together. And I don't want to buy more fabric till I am back in the black again as far as my stash report is. One of my little conceits

Its been a white

I haven't written a blog post for a little while. I went away for a week and whilst I took my computer with me I didn't take the cord with me and so I couldn't charge it. In my defence I did look in the bag before I left and I thought it was in there but what I saw was actually the HDML cord and the car charging cord (part of which was missing). So once the computer went flat that was it! 

So... no blog updates whilst I was away. I did have my iPhone and iPad and in theory I could have used those but I find them difficult to work with so.... I didn't.

Now I am home again. The computer is charged up and here I am.

I haven't written a Fitness Friday for a while and that is probably because... I would have had to write an unfit Friday post. Hoping to turn it around this week so come back next week and hopefully I will be able to write something positive.

Stash report will have to start tomorrow. Sigh. I bought a heap of fabric this week from the geeky shop near Fangirl's house. I will have to add it all up and photograph it and put it on the spreadsheet for this year. I have at least got the spreadsheet up and ready to fill in... just can't face all the entries I will have to put in (not to mention really don't want to start off with a negative but that is what is going to happen.... sigh).

Since its middle of the month I am going to do a goal update whilst I am here.

1.Work on En Provence clues as they come out I am still working on these. I didn't take enough fabric with me to Patchwork when I was working on them and then despite my best efforts I didn't take enough with me when I went away either. What a dingbat I am. Still I am making the 2 lots of 1/4 square triangles that make up the last 2 clues. They aren't working out perfectly but they are getting done.


2. Set up Excel spreadsheet for fabric tracking 2017 I've done this... the spreadsheet is saved but nothing filled in yet.

3. Complete clue for Charlotte Hawks Mystery quilt "Surrounded By Scraps" Charlotte has released the first clue but as yet I haven't started to sew it. My fabrics are all cut ready to start though


4. Complete 8 blocks for my A to Z challenge this year (My OMG for January). Have chosen the 8 blocks but haven't started any stitching. Am still wondering about the colours I am going to use... whether I am going to do it totally scrappy or go with colours. I think its going scrappy.


5 Quilt one quilt on the long arm Nothing done here yet.

6. Tidy the craft cupboard I've started on this. In the process I have started going through the fabric boxes, refolding stuff and pulling out the scrappy bits and put it into scrap basket. It ended up overflowing once again.

I have since then managed to cut my way through the scrap basket and its empty once again. That was a big effort. Now to finish the cupboard.

7 Work on one project on my UFO list Not yet.

Quilting Goals and Resolutions for 2017/January

Sandy, from

 

has chosen the word Balance for us to work our resolutions around this year. She has suggested 2 ways of looking at it...

• How can your quilty life bring more balance to your life?
• Do you need to address some imbalance in your quilty life?

To be honest I feel I have it pretty well sorted. I get to sew as much as I like really. My children have all left home, my husband is retired and also very accommodating. He is happy for me to spend as much time as I want in my sewing room stitching away. (at least he doesn't complain) He is very competent in the house and as well as participating in our weekly house cleaning morning he makes lunch most days, tea quite often, does the washing regularly and the shopping. What a man. (No you can't have him.) My biggest imbalance might be that I neglect him and the family when they are home to sew.

I sew for my own pleasure mostly. I donate many of the items that I sew to a group I support "Handmade With Love" whose profits go to Our Rainbow House, a school for disadvantaged children in Zambia. Our group sponsors 2 children as well as supporting the school in other ways. I also sew quilts for special people in my life. All my great nieces and nephews get a quilt when they are born, as well as babies of close friends. I make a quilt for my siblings and their partners when they turn 70 (4 down, 9 to go ) And then there are quilts for random other reasons. (like I wanted to try the pattern).

My biggest lack of balance I suppose is my desire/willingness to try new things. Despite being a quilter of 15 plus years I am still pretty hit and miss with accuracy. Done is better than perfect is a motto I have probably taken too far at times. I have mastered a few new skills over the last couple of years... inserting zips is one and paper piecing another. Perhaps this year I will add button holes... and greater accuracy. I would also like to master the Longarm at our club and use the laser guide on it to do some pantographs. That might have to do me...

Balance out my skill base with 

1. learning to do button holes
2. increasing my accuracy
3. increasing skills on Longarm.

Arghh - what have I done. I hope I can live up to these. I shall not say I will try to do them. I need to remember my word from the last year "DO" From Yoda... Do or Do not, there is no try.

Wish me luck.

Oops posted this without doing the January goals so editing it now

1. Work on En Provence clues as they come out

2. Set up Excel spreadsheet for fabric tracking 2017

3. Complete clue for Charlotte Hawks Mystery quilt "Surrounded By Scraps"


4. Complete 8 blocks for my A to Z challenge this year. (I plan to make a block starting with each letter of the alphabet. Since April is going to be busy and full of travel I need to start NOW) This is going to be my OMG goal


5 Quilt one quilt on the long arm

6. Tidy the craft cupboard

7 Work on one project on my UFO list

Review time... time to review my monthly and yearly goals

The last day of the month and the year. Tomorrow is a sparkly fresh new month and new year. A chance to set some new goals and to start with a fresh sheet of paper.

I started doing monthly goals a few years ago and it came from joining in Sandy from Quilting for the Rest of Us challenge to set some goals for the year. I joined in with very concrete goals and reported in on them regularly and after just a few months I had accomplished all of them so I started setting myself monthly goals and I was away. I have found it a wonderful way of keeping track of what I want to accomplish - by blogging about it I kept myself accountable.

Looking back at my annual goals set back last January I am somewhat ashamed to admit I lost track of these goals somewhat although by default I have accomplished them to a large degree. My goals were

1.Keep my scrap bin emptied/under control - work on doing that monthly Well that didn't happen - not on a monthly basis anyway. For a few months at least I did work on it but then it got away from me and for probably the last half of the year I didn't do it at all and as a result it grew to be a mammoth task. However I determined before Christmas that I would work on it and get it emptied by today and I accomplished that 2 days ago. The basket is empty and all the scraps cut into useful units and put away in the drawers I sort them into

2.Ensure my WIPs/UFOs list on my blog page is up to date. Release any that I am just not going to work on Hmmm well I have tried to do this ie keep them up to date but haven't always succeeded and I just couldn't let any go. I didn't really examine them properly and try. This is the list as of today

3. Continue monitoring my stash - purchasing fabric thoughtfully with purpose.... using an Excell Spreadsheet. I have monitored my purchases and usage all year on the spreadsheet and have regularly reported in on the Sunday Stash Report Linky at Patchwork Times  I mostly purchased "Thoughtfully with a purpose" but have to admit to having a massive blowout when my friend Jodie took me shopping on the Gold Coast in August and took me to 4 patchwork fabric shops several of which were having massive sales. I bought 23m I think it was BUT I have made great inroads into them with my sewing projects since. A lot were used in projects I made for Handmade With Love and the purples I couldn't resist came in so handy with my En Provence quilt.

So really I haven't done too badly.

My word for the year was Do, (From Yoda in Star Wars "Do or Do not, there is no try) It was a repeat from the year before. I have done pretty well this year, completing lots of projects.

As to my December goals

1. Work on En Provence Mystery quilt. I have kept up to date with each clue as it was released. New clue came out yesterday and so far I haven't started but the plan is to work on it this afternoon. I have blogged about each clue here here here and here 

 

2. Put Stringin 'Em Along together The quilt top is together including the borders. Next step is to make the backing and get it quilted.

3. Complete Potholder Commissions I made my friend Alison 2 more sets of Darlek potholders to give as gifts to friends. I haven't heard how they went down. She was expecting the recipients to be thrilled.

4. Complete secret commission for a friend. This secret commission was to make a bag to carry an ipad in, one that had a strap. I used a kids messenger bag pattern and TARDIS fabric (not all my friends are addicted to Doctor Who, a few of them are boring types. LOL) Her step daughter paid me to make it (well paid Handmade With Love) and gave it to her for Christmas. She was suitably delighted.

5. Make backing for Alison Gibson BOM quilt - quilt DONE. This project was a long time in the making. It was a couple of years from when I watched the Craftsy video till I started making the blocks and then the blocks themselves have sat completed for another year before I got them put together. However this month I pieced the backing and got it quilted and bound. Still have the thread tidying up and the label to go. I haven't come up with a name for it so no label quite yet.

6 Quilt Hexagon quilt. Great intentions came to nothing when the longarm at the club rooms played up. Its going again now so perhaps this next month I will get it done. Unfortunately in the course of dealing with this quilt this month I have come to realise that I don't like it. Its been a lot of work but... its too gaudy for me. Not sure what I am going to do with it now. Blogged about my feelings towards it here

7 Work on Handwork Heritage quilt. I got the borders pieced. Now to get them attached and work on the backing.

How have you gone with your challenges and goals this year? Did you make good progress? Did you abandon them completely? Whatever you achieved I hope it satisfied you and that you are inspired by the new year to go out and accomplish great things... or at least something?

Wishing all my readers all the best for the New Year. May it be a time of progress and satisfaction.