Faux Spring and Snow and Things

Hello Everyone.

I am sorry for the lateness of this post. I got wrapped up in a number of things and every day I would remind myself to get to it, but alas, I didn't. Next week my older son goes on break and because of the calendar his school uses he gets 2 weeks. We have plans so making sure all those reservations and such are in order took up a good amount of time. Plus it's been unusually hot here, so we've been outside ALOT.

It was all a ruse, though. Mother Nature dumped on us last night, and the school called at 5:30 this morning to let us know there was no school, so today I have an extra body here at home keeping me company. The weather is gallantly trying to redeem itself, it's already up to 55 degrees F, and most of the snow has melted. At least I won't have to water the lawn this weekend.

For those that follow me on Instagram, I have been posting my fade shawl progress, the mischief quilt progress, and recently some new patterns and blocks for the FRMQG charity quilt. I'll talk more about each of those projects in my YoTQ posts. For now, here's some planner porn from my IG feed.

Proof of Progress

This last week I posted that I wasn't sure if anyone actually reads these blurbs and then I got a comment or two saying that indeed there are consumers out there. So to you all, thank you! I really appreciate it.

I managed to be slightly more productive this week though only on a few things. I have been dividing my time between the hexies I am making for a swap, my fade shawl, and a new EPP quilt I got in the mail for a quilt called Mischief. It's been just those three projects.

It feels good to see progress. I struggle with WiPs, I think we all do, and right now I feel it's important for me to actually finish things and see those finishes before I begin anything else. I'm not going to plan to tackle other WiPs, that will lead to anxiety from having such a full plate, and I don't handle that the best. When my attention is divided I get less done, which is probably true for most of us, so better to be on task. 

This week I also got in my new planner. The Erin Condren I bought started at the beginning of this year, but I don't plan to begin using it until July. That's when my Get to Work Book ends. I have really enjoyed the GtWB these last 8 months, especially the project pages, but as I get more into using stickers and designing stickers, the EC is a better fit. 

I do have hope for next week to be very productive so see you all back next Friday!

Cheers,

Meg

Always behind, never on time...

When I was in school, even as recently as design school, I was on time. I didn't have this issue where things slip through the cracks and I am making do at the last minute. It just didn't happen.

Fast forward to now, with two children and two planners and a micro business and middle age fast approaching, and I cannot seem to get my sh*t together. What's going on? Why can I not think 'you need to upload that blog post', read BLOG POST in my planners, and then go do it? How is it possible that so many other thoughts and priorities pop into the way that I cannot just go push a darn button? Does anyone even read this or care?

I think the answer to that last question might be what throws me off my game so much. Who is out there consuming my drivel?

Well, if you're reading this and I'm not just talking to a vast void of cyber-nothing, then I want to let you know I am bringing this blog up to date this week, I think? I have posted the Year of the Quilter week for Valentine's week, hello, I am way behind, and written and post text for this past week, since it is fresh in my mind. I will go back into my planners, which I am managing to keep up in somehow, and pull the good stuff. I have been on Instagram consistently, so if you're wondering what's up, that's the best place to look.

Clean up and Create

This last week I focused on cleaning out and space planning my work room. I took stock of everything I have, organized my WiPs, and made room for my planner supplies. The bulk of my inspiration in creating this space came from Instagram. I still need to go through a library of books and patterns to weed out what I want to keep.

I have posted two blog updates today in my Year of the Quilter series. Tomorrow I have news about some secret sewing I have been doing. It has been a better couple of weeks, despite my lack of posting, but I have never been really good at blogging consistently. That I am still keeping track of it every week in my planner is a great start to this still relatively new year.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day.

GET UP, GET TO WORK!

I am so sorry for the absence of late. I am seriously having a time of it getting over this depression, but I get up every morning, and hug my sons, and kiss my husband, and get on getting on. It sounds depressing, and maybe it is, but I am actually doing better then I was when I first "caught" my descent. Dishes and laundry are getting cleaned and put away regularly, the house is clean and orderly, jackets are put away when they are taken off, shoes are in the closet or on the shoe mat, life is looking better then it did 2 weeks ago and my home reflects that too.

I also found these paper craft items at a Paper Source shop in Littleton. The wreath is all paper cut and curled to look like succulents. It is still sitting on my kitchen table but I plan to do that this weekend. The washi tapes, the two on the right in this photo, are from a Japanese brand called mt. My gosh, they are so neat! I want to go visit one of their stores someday and just go bonkers buying washi and all types of fantastic Japanese stationary.

I will find some time later today to post week 05 of my Year of the Quilter journey. I have some updates and exciting new since the first month of the Sarah Fielke 2017 BOM Down the Rabbit Hole released on the 31st! I haven't had a chance to take a look yet but if the images I'm seeing on IG are any indication it's fantastic!

Cheers, and Happy Super Bowl Sunday to all my fellow NFL fans out there. GO FALCONS [anyone but Brady, Please!!]

The New Year Blues

It's been a rough start to 2017 for me. My husband has been super busy at work and away on trips for 13 of the 19 days of this month so far. I'm not exaggerating and after having him home since Thanksgiving, it was a shock to the system. Last night I caught myself silently bemoaning the time I had just spent putting my older son to bed. I was thinking how lazy he is to want me to read a chapter to him when he is capable of doing it himself, and I froze in the hall and slapped myself. How horrible is that? I thought, and then I realized it was my chronic depression. My mind shutting down into itself.

It's why I am only just getting to this post on THURSDAY!

Why I have done nearly nothing this week.

And why I am behaving so selfishly.

Today dawned bright and perfect for the middle of January, so I hauled myself out of bed when the alarm went off. Took my baby to breakfast after dropping my older son off at school [a big deal since he usually rides the bus], and then we went to check out the new location of Colorado Fabrics. I've managed to catch myself on the edge of a depressive cycle, and while realizing what's happening is a good thing, I need to work every moment to keep out of a slump.

It's a beautiful day and all my shades are open, I even have a window open. Taylor Swift is playing on the stereo, I am typing up what I haven't done this week and planning for next week.

Time to Get To Work!

New Week, New Layout

This past week I did some research online into layouts. Basically, I visited blogs and websites I love and took note of their design, what works and what is confusing, and compiled a list of things I wanted to try out here. I am updating pages to be cleaner with better appearance on the mobile platform.

I added week two of my Year of the Quilter. I want to be more productive this week but know that my time is limited to what my kids permit. I read somewhere that setting productivity goals can be a creative impediment to some people and it made me wonder if I am one of those types. With an open maker schedule I can feel free to create at my leisure. Whether it's a dozen blocks of a quilt or a few rows of knitting, allowing myself the chance to enjoy the process again is a new element of making I want to add to my creative personality.

Finally, this week I have begun working on a small project that makes my heart beat a little faster. I am combining stickers and sudoku and quilting. Sound interesting to anyone? Give me a little time here and there and I'll have a completed concept to show you all soon.

Cheers!

Megan

Year of the Quilter

Hello Everyone,

Here I am, back in the saddle (so to speak) and creating again. Life was not condusive to quilting, knitting, or playing in my planner much the last six months. My two sons have been keeping me busy. I am now planning my quilting and knitting in advance, which brings me to this.

----> 2017 The Year of the Quilter <----

What is this plan I've devised? Well, simply put it's about quilting with the patterns and materials and techniques I know, and trust me there's LOTS of each in my stash/head! I have planned the general things I want to accomplish this next year. It all might be too grand, or maybe be too lean, but these are things I want to do to help me find balance and clean out my studio a bit. 

There are so many yards of fabric and yarn, books and magazines of patterns, and techniques for assembly in that poor small space. I have a sewing machine I haven't touch in way too long and a NEED to sew or knit or make!

2017 is my year, The Year of the Quilter, and also my last year in my 30s. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis, maybe I just want to show my husband I do more then curate a collection of materials that border on a serious fire hazard, but this year I want to make more.

I have a manta for YotQ:

Be a Maker. Use the Stash. Practice your Craft.

So simple. This is a dedicated choice, by me and anyone who wishes to join along, to make with what I have. The patterns I have, the materials I have, the knowledge I have. Some of my work will be derivative, (hehe I have a special project for this), and some of it will be WTF? originals.

I am going to try. It may not be pretty or I may end up with some great gifts for friends and family next December, but I will make the effort. 

Who's with me?

Making Modern or Modern Making

What is "Modern Quilting"? Am I a modern, contemporary, or traditional quilter? Do I have to be one of just those three? Can I just be me?

There are over a dozen different established definitions of "Modern Quilting". They are put forth by national guilds, local guilds, sewing circles, publishing groups, and individuals. I am not adding to that I am just wondering why quilting is being defined at all. Isn't it really about people making and loving what they make and sharing that with others? When did we get into the nitty gritty of 'How much white space' and 'All the technical quilting' and 'Did you use designer fabrics or generic'? It's all very cluttered and specific for something that is supposed to be simple and free-form.

Once you move away from defining the movement and start trying to pigeon hole quilters into it or it's fellow styles, that's when the panic sets in. Am I modern enough? I really love this novelty print but it's too contemporary... How do I change this traditional block to be better? These insecurities are infuriating! We are making quilts, not preforming brain surgery.

If you love that cute kitten novelty print then fussy cut it to bits. Maybe you frame it into a Ohio Star you found on Pinterest with some solids to highlight the bows on the kittens, or maybe you just checker board those pieces together with some ombre solids. If you love it then it will be perfect, no matter what, and yes it's modern.

We are living in 2016, and part of the current definition of "modern" per Merriam-Webster is ":based on or using the newest information, methods, or technology" so provided we are talking about a quilt you have conceived, pieced, quilted, and finished in the last 10 years or so, it's modern!

Just be you, just have fun, just let all that clutter and talking and labels go. See something you like, give it a try. Can't figure it out, look for a pattern. Find a different way to create the same effect. Paint with thread. Paint with paints. Make your quilt huge or make a thousand and one mini quilts to cover every inch of wall you have. Make a quilt using just techniques, tools, materials that people say are not allowed or are wrong. Who says they're wrong? The Quilt Police? Ooooo, scary.

The people that don't like your work won't follow your progress. They won't appreciate the time and love you put into something. They will always judge, so just let them. It is the same principle as 'be yourself'. Well, let them be themselves and don't let their weight drown you. Cut that line, metaphorically, and live for yourself, in this modern age, and quilt.

I have been stewing this in my head for too long. I needed to get it out so I can make room for something else. Something better. There are too many WiPs up in my studio to be completed and I had to wonder why. Why haven't I finished this or that? Why? Because I was afraid it wasn't good enough. Forget that I LOVE the colors, fabrics, patterns, and design of each of those projects, I had set them down out of fear.

Well, today I take them back up, one by one, and finish them and keep them all to myself. I will hoard the beauty and the love for just my family (and maybe my Instagram family) to enjoy. I will not let the pressure of another's opinion, good or bad, sway what I put of myself into these projects.

I am a Modern Quilter because I am quilting today, right now. Later all...

Organization and Realizations

Over the last two months I have come to some realizations in my life about how I want to be. These are born from watching what's going on around me in my home, my community, my nation, and on the world stage. So much change...

Change is a good thing but I believe that you need to realize it's there otherwise you will be unable to move with it. When we first brought my second son home there was one night that my older son had a mild panic attack. He wasn't able to adapt to the change of having a baby in the family as readily as his father and I, and so his little brain did a small reboot. We managed it, we learned from it, and we haven't had a repeat performance yet. I say 'yet' because you never know what's coming and with kids there's always a 'yet' peeking around the corner ahead.

I will be changing this blog. I want it to be cleaner, more engaging, and current. I have made the conscious decision to participate in a limited number of electronic and analog media, let my FOMO [fear of missing out] go, and be more present for my husband and children. I am still passionate about the subjects I've featured here before, but it's not my main focus right now. I want to show you what is and how I am expressing that, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

The New: Bullet Journal, Get to Work Book, Quilt Pattern and Instructional Writing, Calligraphy and Handwriting, and Surface Pattern Design.

The Old: conservation, knitting, quilting, and sewing.

The Out: Facebook and wasted time on/with electronics, procrastination...

500 Instagram Followers

It's been a slow week which culminated in snow here in Denver. Yes, I said snow. The second earliest snow fall in recorded history as a matter of fact. We got up this morning and excitedly checked, then all stood quietly at the window watching the little white flakes float down from the sky. It was so beautiful.

Before I get to the my big news and the giveaway, a little about other crafts that I worked on this week.

First up are the key fobs, one for myself and one for little boy. The materials for my fob came from Issue 11 of Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine. This magazine is from the same publisher as Mollie Makes and they are my favorites from the UK. I plan to use a pattern set from one of the previous issues for my Urban Home Goods Swap later this year.

The second fob I made using some team logo fabric I found at Joann Fabric. Now, I am more a fan of certain players then of a whole team with the exception of the Seattle Seahawks. If you follow American football at all then you know that being a Seahawks fan living in Bronco country is a hard thing right now. Enough on that though, little boy wanted this fob so badly, so I caved and made it for him. It's been two days he's had it on his backpack and already I have heard from one of other parents asking where I got it, so I can see there will need to be some in my shop soon.

I also made these quilt hangers. They are super easy just double sided velcro glued to wooden clothes pins. Since none of my quilts have sleeves, finding ways to hang them for photos has been a creative challenge of its own, but now all I have to do is strap the clothes pins over the banister/branch/rod, clip in the quilt, and away I go. Below are two quilts of mine, Paper Hearts completed at FRMQG Retreat in Feb. 2014 and one of the first quilts I ever did, Roman Blocks, both making use of my new quilt hangers.

Finally, my big news is I have hit 500 followers on Instagram! 

This is amazing and awesome and just cool cool cool. It means so much to me knowing that so many people, both friend and complete strangers, find what I am doing interesting. Thank you all, your attention is greatly appreciated!

In celebration I am doing a giveaway on Instagram. All you have to do is take or tag a picture of your favorite finished object from the last 500 days (so since May of 2013) with my name @ayragon and #500IGfriends . I will pick a winner next Friday, Sept 19th 2014, and send out a happy mail package with some fabric and thread and miscellaneous goodies. I take so much inspiration from all the great images on Instagram that I want to give back to those that lend me their advice and that online window into their lives.

Block Number 37

Just a quick update for all, I finally made a Number 37 block that is 6.5" square. I updated the workaround posted over the weekend and below is an image of the finished block and the other two.

Also, here is the finished block and the 4 1" HST that were extras. I see I may have to make a fourth block since my greens are very close in value (center block). (Sigh) No rest for the weary.

Moda Modern Building Blocks

I am so excited that my first month's subscription for the Moda Modern Building Blocks quilt pattern came at the end of last month. I managed to restrain myself from cutting all the fabric that came for the various blocks and just started with block num.37. Good thing too, because I could not for the life of me figure out what I was doing incorrectly.

The block is too small. For a 6" finished block I need a 6.5" unfinished block to account for seam allowances. It is assembled using triangles, which can be tricky because of bias sewing, but I measured carefully and followed the limited directions in the pattern. My points do not line up and the block is messy. You can see how the HST in the corners run off the edge and how some of the points are staggered. Not pretty.

After a few days of planning and hypothesizing I decided to try the pattern instructions again but being super careful of my technique.

• I used only one ruler, instead of my square ruler and long ruler
• I checked and marked my 1/4" seam allowance on my machine and used a scant 1/4" seam allowance when sewing, replaced the needle, and oiled the machine
• I pressed with ample steam on high heat being sure to pin bias seams to prevent stretching
• I trimmed dog ears and pressed seams to nest and avoid bulking

As you can see, despite my best efforts, the pattern instructions just yield a small block and the points do not line up. I am sure there are a number of extra things I could do to prevent the fabric from distorting, such as pre-washing and using starch spray, and I may have to consider some of these going forward, but really the pattern should produce the resulting block for all fabrics and quilters. 

I did note in the construction the second time that the center square (yellow in blue) measured only 3" square instead of 3.5" and that the geese on the side were only 1.5" tall instead of 2". This pattern has a number of 1/8th inch increment cuts and triangles, which are not easy to work with. Though it calls for more planning, there are ways to create these blocks (not just num.37, but all the blocks) using squares and rectangles, making 2 HST or 4 FG at a time, which result in more precise blocks and less heartache.

As I make this pattern, I will document it here under the Modern Building Blocks link on the right. I foresee having a number of orphan blocks at the end of this quilt which will all go into the backing. As a note to those that bought the kit, my construction changes may eat up more fabric than your kit provides. I will do my best to stay as true to the pattern as possible, but I am neither an employee or a pattern tester for Moda, so the changes in construction I make are to be used at your own risk with the pre-packaged kits.

Other than MMBB I have been working on this large block quilt made of Cotton & Steel. The bright teal is Julianna Horner from Joann Fabric and the white background is from Bonnie Christine's new line, Winged. I wanted to make a quilt that was just a large block and as it grew, I realized I needed to make it more, so it is not done yet while I decide on the next border. I am thinking blue diamonds and pink pluses but that could change on a whim.

What an exciting first week of fall and the rest of the month is looking up too. In two weeks my guild will be holding the first ever Fall Retreat at The Hideaway in Monument, CO. I am excited to be part of this retreat and will probably take the time to finish projects in my studio instead of starting new ones. We shall see.

Have a Happy Labor Day

It has been one of those weeks when the anticipation of a long weekend seems to have worked against me and my little boy. We are exhausted after his third full week of school and ready for a little time home with my husband relaxing and not needing to do anything.

This week has been about finishing my Kitty Mini Quilt and the Sew Together Bag that will hold all the other goodies I'm sending to my partner. After this I am not doing any more swaps for 2014. I have a monthly subscription for the new Moda Basic Building Blocks quilt and want to devote more time to projects I should finish by the end of the year. I think my 2014 UFO October list will include a certain t-shirt quilt, a couple of kits that just need to be pieced, and at least two knitting items.

I am still mulling over the surface pattern design I want to create using what I learned two weeks back in Bonnie Christine's class on CreativeLive. See my previous post for links and more information but mostly I am probably a little too unfocused to actually commit to design even six prints right now but I still want to try.

Finally, I'll make this short and sweet ending with this yarn I dyed last weekend. I was working on a blanket I have had in my basket for months now and decided I wanted something with fall colors and in a fingering weight yarn so I could make a shawlette to wear when the weather starts to turn cold. Since I don't belive we are too far away from our first snowfall I want to have something fun and custom to be able to whip on in a second. I also ordered yarn for a more ambitious project that I will start probably in a month or so that will be for when the real cold comes in November.

KittyMiniSwap and Gracie Queen

It's blog post Friday, as promised and though there's not much, there is something.

I have been working on this mini quilt for the Kitty Mini Quilt Swap being hosted by Felice over at Sew ScatterBrained all week long. It was actually in the works last week and then I scrapped the whole concept direction and rerouted to these adorable flying geese. Now, as a secret swap I cannot name the intended recipient, though she has seemed receptive to the direction I am headed in, so I am pretty sure it will be a well received object.

Along with the quilt I have collected a pile of little goodies to include in the swap and may or may not have a SewTogether Bag to add for carrying all the goodness in. That will be next week's project and may remain a true secret.

The only other thing of note this week was I found a quilting frame that is not only a fit for my machine but is actually sold in tandem with my machine by the manufacturer. On three different sites I can find The Grace Company Gracie Queen and King quilting frames with my machine as the intended work horse, and I even so conveniently know of a shop that reps them that is, get this, a five minute drive down the road from my house. It's a match meant to be so I am now actively saving to be able to purchase the frame later this year or early next year. At $700 to $900 depending on bells and whistles it's not an enormous purchase but it's a far cry from the $10K tag on some long-arms. Added that I am not ready for a long-arm, the fold and store mid arm frame will be best for me.

Now I am off to working more on this mini and the extras for that swap. Figures I might be done by the end of August and it's not due to the USPS until the beginning of October!

Past, Present, and Future

Hello again. It's been a quick summer break in our home. Now, with the first week under our belt, I am doing some back to school organizing.

First up has been this poor neglected blog. It was May the last time I posted which is unacceptable. So, today and going forward I am going to commit to posting on Fridays. It may not be a real juicy or productive post most weeks, but it will be consistent and let's be honest, even if I have just a new zippered pouch to show, then at least I am creating.

Next is a quick note about this quilt. This is the Kate Spain line Daydream. I bought a charm pack of the fabric a while back and put it all together in this small sample piece. I call these sitting mat size because it is not large enough to be a crib or baby size but it is too big to be considered a true mini. I use this piece to find filler fabrics. The great functionality of this line is that there are prints both large and small in scale, high and low in volume, and in a whole range of colors. Even if I am not using that fabric specifically, I have an example to give me an idea of what I want or need for other projects.

Second for this blog post is the amazing class I have be in the last three days. From Creative Live, Bonnie Christine of Going Home to Roost Blog has been teaching all about Surface Pattern Design which is pretty much the art of making patterns. She uses Adobe Illustrator and in the class shows us how to start with a sketch and get all the way to a finished print line. This is HUGE to me because it steps me through everything! It has been a great three days and I bought the videos so I can go back anytime and review what I learned. It was well worth the money and since I already have a Creative Suite from Adobe, now I can get the most out of the programs and actually start producing surface patterns for my own use and maybe more.

Now this next quilt is also a sitting mat size and came from a collection of random gray shade fabrics I got in a swap a couple years back. Truth to tell this was my first mail away swap ever and it was so fun I jump to participate in these types of swaps. The fabric was originally charm size and then I manipulated it some more to get this overlapping weave. This quilt has served as the construction and design foundation for my BasketWeave quilt pattern.

 Finally, I want to finish up this post with a few more finished objects. First is a quilt near and dear to my heart, Beautiful Mess. This quilt is throw size and I use it on my bed every night. It is backed in flannel so it is warm and cozy. The block is the Japanese x & + from City Stitches Blog and all the fabric with the exception of one + is from Birch Fabrics. Perhaps it is the organic cotton, maybe it's the flannel, but for whatever reason I sometimes have to go hunt down this quilt in the evenings because everyone seems in my family seems to enjoy spending time in this quilt too.

Below is a table runner that has ended up on the fireplace hearth of our master bedroom. Now, we don't use that fireplace because it is currently blocked by other furnishings, but the table runner covers the stone hearth and softens that portion of the fireplace. Also below is my Boat Tote. This bag is large enough for a two rolled beach towels but currently I am using it for some knitting projects. The inside of the tote is lined in a laminated fabric so that it is easy to clean out after having damp items in it.

I am off to practice some more surface pattern designing and to finish a couple of blocks for tomorrow's FRMQG meeting. I recently joined the national Modern Quilt Guild and have signed-up for a Michael Miller fabric challenge so watch for that too. Have a great week, everyone and see you next Friday!

Making the most of myself

As Mother's Day swiftly approaches I find myself in the unique position of working on a number of projects for other people and yet nothing I can show you.  Soon, after the third Saturday this month, I will have the Colorful Colorado Challenge quilt to blog about, a special few t-shirt quilts to share, and a very secret wedding gift to surprise a new couple with.

It's all so much fun to get into my studio every day and have so many fantastic projects to dive right into. I will be back in a couple more weeks to post photos and share stories but for now, Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there!

The Denver Driving Mitts

Hello again everyone! Two posts in one month is some kind of record for me, right? I just wanted to put out there that the link to my Denver Driving Mitts pattern is live!

From the blog you can download it directly without having to go to Ravelry, though I do encourage you to go check them out. Ravelry is a yarn arts site with patterns, over 100,000 of them free, for knitters, crocheters, and yarn artists of all levels and creativity. I first joined the site almost two years ago to search for knitting patterns, and through the friends I have made and the knitting experience I gained, I am now confident and comfortable to post my own pattern. Enjoy!

Long weekends and short deadlines

Hello everyone and Happy Holiday Weekend to you all. I find myself busier this weekend then most due to the little man's Valentines Party on Friday, the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild meeting all day Saturday, swimming and LEGO Movie today, and no rest for this lady with extra days off from school for the President's Day federal holiday and a flex day out of school on Tuesday. Goodness, it's a good thing our annual quilters' retreat is fast approaching because I am going to need three days off after all this!

I have been happily knitting and quilting away since my last post at the beginning of January, completing the second Globetrotting BOM inspired by Venice. I have been to Venice once back in 2002 with my husband, though he was then my boyfriend. We did a month long tour of Europe via train, hitting cities like Paris and London, Amsterdam and Zurich, and ending in Venice and Rome. It was magical and a trip I hope to repeat with my husband and son someday when little man is older and better able to enjoy museums.


I also managed to complete a quilt of my own design for my son's PTO to sell. The funds are for the school so the children do not have to sell magazines or wrapping paper. I called it Hand Burst and will put together a quick tutorial. It's super simple and going to a good cause.


As other projects are completed I will continue to update my FO page. Right now I am thinking I might try to complete at least one quilt a month for all of 2014. Wish me luck and happy holiday to you all!

The first 7 days

At the end of last year I was amazed by how quickly 2013 seemed to pass by. Wasn't it just yesterday we were all doing Scrappy Trip Along quilts and getting our Pay it Forward 2013 lists filled? And now it's 7 days into 2014, that's a whole week!

And what a week it has been. I managed to compete my Japanese X & + quilt, Beautiful Mess, a set of pillowcases, and a few miscellaneous other items I cannot post just yet [they are gift sensitive]. Here are a few images of the quilt and the pillowcases. I used the tutorial from City Stitches for the quilt and the pillowcases are just the regular old one yard pattern.

I hope everyone else had a rocking holiday season and that the new year has started off well for you.