Shake off those Winter Blues!

It's another Monday, a new week with new challenges, new tasks, and a new blog hop!  The focus is on Blue with the Winter Blues Blog Hop, hosted by Carla of Creatin' In the Sticks.  I'll be posting on that for Tuesday and I can't wait to share my project with you.

Then on Wednesday I'll be sharing what I got in my first Island Batik Ambassador Box for 2020 - so much quilting goodness!

Speaking of goodness I was happy to get an order from Fabric.com this week - it all started with a yard of linen that is going to be made into an artist apron for one of my daughters.  Then I needed a yard of Island Batik for something I'm working on, and then they had a really good sale on some other pretty fabrics plus I found the coordinating fabric for yet another project, and by that time I might as well order one more yard of something for free shipping! 

I think I ended up with a total of 9 yards of fabric for $50.00, so a very good deal, and I will put it all to good use.  I need to keep a list of backings for all my UFO's that I'm working on so I can purchase those when I need to level up an order for free shipping next time.

I didn't do very well last week on working on the projects I planned to work on, but I did get a lot done on some other projects.  This week I'll do better!  I did get one block done for Crazy Jane.  I cut out the templates for another one, but ended up dumping water on them, so I need to make a new set.  Will I ever learn?

I also got a pattern written up last week, so that's one of my goals for the month.  Friday night I taught a class for a friend.  We used Mod Podge to glue fabric on the back of clear plates.  They came out really pretty!

This clever lady brought a sticker to add words to hers!  I'm not much for glue or paint, but this was actually pretty fun! 

This weekend I worked on the sashing for the 2019 Color Challenge - so fun!  Lots of sewing, but totally worth it!

Isn't this sooo gorgeous?  That black and white sashing just takes this quilt to a whole new level, I think!  You can read more about the sashing here.  I used all Island Batik from my scrap bin for this quilt, plus the solid black and white for the sashing - love how crisp it presses for those checkerboards!

Jen is starting a new 2020 Color Challenge this month, so you might want to sew along.  It's really easy, just a block a month and at the end you have a quilt!  Great for using up scraps and just having fun!  This year's blocks are inspired by birds.  I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy playing along with her.

I'll be back on Tuesday with the Winter Blues blog hop - here's the schedule for the week:

Monday, January 20th

Just Let Me Quilt

Bumbleberry Stitches

QuiltFabrication

Mary Mack Made Mine
VROOMANS QUILTS
Just Because Quilts
Kathleen McMusing

Den syende himmel
Beaquilter

Tuesday, January 21st

Quilted Delights

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Farm Quilter

Homespun Hannah's Blog
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Quilting & Learning: What a Combo
Life in the Scrapatch
PamelaQuilts
Home Sewn By Us

Wednesday, January 22nd

Little Bunny Quilts

For the love of geese

The Joyful Quilter

Ms P Designs USA
Quilt Schmilt
Karen's Korner
Made By Marney
Podunk Pretties
Sunshine in the Attic

Thursday, January 23rd

Websterquilt

Songbird Designs

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Storied Quilts
Patchwork Breeze
Seams To Be Sew
HeARTsCreations
Becky’s quilts and adventures
DesertSky Quilting

Friday, January 24th

MooseStashQuilting
Selina Quilts
LimeLeaves Design
Karrin's Crazy World
Sew Many Yarns
Domestic Felicity
DayBrook Designs

Creatin' in the Sticks

Have a great Monday!

Color Challenge Blocks are done!

I am very happy to say that I've caught up on the last three months of the 2019 Monthly Color Challenge Blocks!  Here is May - the floral inspiration was a lime green spider mum - which made a very pretty block - I am glad I had a good green in my Island Batik stash for this one.

This one went together with no problems at all on my end, thank goodness!  So then I decided to do the June block.  This one was orange - in dark medium and light.  I did have to dig a bit, but found three good oranges for the block.  This is a good old favorite - Card Trick.

Not super bright, but I loved the peachy shades I chose.  With these blocks behind me, all I had to do to be all the way caught up was to finish the July block!  I'd never seen the beautiful Jade Vine that inspired the aqua color for this month - what a lovely flower!  Aqua is a favorite of mine, so it was fun to choose fabric for this block.

So now I am all caught up!  Just in time for the link up, too!  I'm all ready for the August block to come out next week - can't wait to show you my block!  Red-orange is a great color for August.

So glad to be caught up, and hopefully will stay up to date for the rest of the blocks :)  It took a commitment to putting my foot down and getting these done, so I'm linking up with Denise for Put your foot down Thursday!

Monday Motivation - Beauty in the Midst of Busyness

I unburied my Quilter's Planner this morning in the hopes of attempting to get my crazy life under a bit of control again - and because pre-orders will be coming up soon so I need to be using the one I have in order to justify ordering a new one for 2020.  (Who am I kidding - it's a given that I'll order it anyway, after all August is my birthday month, so any wants and desires are purchased as a "present for me").

What's nicer than a fresh clean calendar page before it gets filled up with all the to-do's of life? 

Maybe a pretty block fresh off the ironing board?  I do not know why this block gave me so much trouble, but I finally got it completed!  This is the April block from the 2019 Color Challenge Quilt.  Yes, I am that far behind, but am catching up so I can be ready to help blog about it for August ;)

The first time I tried to make this block I got out fabric, then a squirrel came around and distracted me.  Not a real squirrel, just another project.  Saturday I got back to it, then ended up cutting the squares for the hourglass units the wrong size and had to re-cut them.  Then I realized that I forgot to cut the squares for the background corners.  Of course in between each of these steps I had put all the fabrics back into the closet, so had to get them all out again.  Grrr.  But the block turned out lovely despite all my silly issues. 

Beauty in the midst of Busyness. This line stood out to me when I was reading this morning.  I don't want to be so busy that I don't see the beauty.  That I don't enjoy the creativity that each day brings as I sew and plan the next project.  That I don't allow my frustration at times to cloud my appreciation of each small step in the progress, and that I know that the end result will be worth persevering through the struggle at times.  And I hope these thoughts will carry over into the rest of my life as well.

Hope you find some beauty in your day as well!

A Month of Fnishes...

Whew, there's been a lot of sewing going on in my sewing room this month, and a whole lot of finishes! I'll note which projects include fabric from Island Batik as I go through them all.  First finish this year was the first Project Quilting challenge:  Hope Springs Eternal:

This quilt featured Island Batik fabrics, was cut with a GO! cutter from Accuquilt, and featured Aurifil Thread and Hobbs batting.

The next finish was my quilt for the Black and White blog hop:

Deonn at Quiltscapes was inspired by the same tile pattern as I was, but she made a different project!  This one also featured Island Batik fabric.  This quilt used up the last of my cone of Aurifil thread in white, and also used Hobbs batting.

I also quilted my Whimsical and Wonky top :

These are those fun Check it Out fabrics from Island Batik that I used for my December Challenge.  I used four of the blocks for the table runner, and made this fun lap quilt from the remaining 12 blocks that I made.  I used Aurifil thread and Hobbs Batting in this one as well!  

My next finish is my Project Quilting 10.2 challenge.  This one was made with assorted cotton fabrics from my stash.  I'm happy to say I used up a good amount of the patriotic fabric I've collected in this one!

Then I finished my blog hop project from the French Blue Collection.  You still have time to enter my giveaway by going and reading my blog post from Monday

This was also my OMG for the month!  I'm sure happy that I got it finished on schedule and was able to meet my final commitment for the 2018 Island Batik Ambassador program!

This weekend I finished the lap size quit made from baby clothes:

I also finished the twin size quilt today!

Isn't that robot quilt perfect?  Such a great little boy quilt!

I don't think I'll manage finishing 7 quilts every month, but it's a great way to start 2019!  I was so excited to finish the quilts, that I got busy and finished a couple blocks for different sewalongs.

This is my center for the Quilter's Planner's sewalong for this year!  Isn't that tree print pretty?  I'm going to do my quilt in blues with white background, and just use stash fabrics.

And here is my green block for Jen's 2019 Color Challenge!  I didn't think it was going to happen, but it did - love this block!  You should join in - it's going to be fun!

So, all in all a great month of quilting, lots of finished projects and I made progress on a few other items.  Now to make my list for February...