Potential Quilting Goals

Earlier in the month, I mentioned that I'd not really given myself over to making any meaningful quilting goals for the new year. However, in recent days, a few ideas have niggled at me rather strongly. If I do make a list - and I suppose that by posting here, I am in a way making a list - these quilts will definitely rank high in my efforts.

1. Grist Mill - This appeared on last year's list, and I still want to make it. I will be using my stash of dark navy and mustard yellow prints. Here's the pattern, which I've borrowed from my friend Terry. Won't this be a pretty quilt?

2. Wensleydale - Back in August or September, I bought the pad of foundation papers and made one block. Oh, gosh, it is so pretty! I have watched a few videos which contain tips for making these blocks, and I am ready. I will use florals similar to the sample block shown below.

3. Aurora - This pattern is from Laundry Basket Quilts. On last year's list, I made the goal of using "all the blues" but did not have a pattern in mind. Now, I think I will pair Aurora with these blues and neutrals to make this quilt.

4. and 5. - Continue diligently on Lake Effect and Grandmother's Flower Garden. I've written enough about these two projects; I must remain focused on the task of completion.

6. Year after year, I continue to put "use Winnemucca fabric" on my goals list; and again, I am adding it. I've never followed through before because I could never be satisfied with a quilt pattern I wanted to use. Now, I think I have an idea. What if, while I am making Grist Mill (above), I cut out the same pattern using my Winnemucca fabric? It would be sorta' cool to see what it would look like. I might play around with this idea for a bit; whether I use Grist Mill or not, I really, really do want to use this fabric.

7. Smoked Cheddar - I shared the history on this quilt in a recent previous post. Click here to read all the details.

I should probably stop here. If I go on, I run the risk of making so many plans that I don't have time to "play." And I definitely will play. I want to make clothes for Cate and Reagan, plus I've got 2 teddy bears to finish. I also want to make a Kaffe Fassett quilt with Sharon. Who knows, we might go crazy and make two!

AND. And. I must get that long arm machine going again. It's got a quilt on it now and the tension is all off - again - so I have to address this and move on. Too many quilts await!

I think I will be busy. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Official Bloggy Welcome to 2025!

We made it safely to Florida on Wednesday and Thursday; have spent the intervening days getting things situated and comfortable. And now it is time to get serious about blogging! I really piddled out last year; I hope to do better.

I have always like the beginnings - beginnings of months, of years, of projects. The fresh new days of 2025 are pumping me full of ideas and projects and plans - many of which are sewing/quilting projects and plans.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, however, I need to review 2024. Typically, I use one collage to do this, but as we are ending a whole, entire year, I made two.

This first collage represents my highlights for December. I tell you, I did so very little sewing! It saddens me just a tiny bit to think of those projects which were left unfinished. However, all the fun and fellowship I did have most assuredly makes up for it. And you can see from the snapshots in these pictures, people play a very big role.

TOP ROW: I will reiterate here what I've said often in the blog posts I've made since summer - we remodeled and updated our upstairs. These three pics show the three sleeping bedrooms - master bedroom, then bedroom 2, and bedroom 3. We remodeled in this order. The master bedroom was technically the project we set out to do, but it quickly became evident that in order to do it properly, the others would have to be dealt with as well. Bedroom 2 was formerly the long arm room, so major things had to happen which forced my involving the sewing room. Yikes! It was all so very daunting!

Bedroom 3 didn't get so much of a remodel as it did a severe clearing out. We had used this room as a catch-all, and it had gotten to the point that even walking into the room was an athletic endeavor. 

All three rooms still have some small things that need tending to. Art for the walls; hang a ceiling fan; install a TV on a wall mount; continued purging in that third bedroom - these would all be a healthy start.

MIDDLE ROW: Granddaughters took lots and lots of our time, which we never find to be a problem! Reagan and Cate are such darling girls, and we take so much joy in watching them develop and grow. Reagan is 3 months; Cate is 26 months. Cate is such a good little helper when Reagan is around, as illustrated in that center photo.

BOTTOM ROW: The first picture was taken at a family luncheon in Hillsboro - extended family on my mother's side joined us for fun and frivolity. My cousin and her husband are in the foreground, then my two aunts are behind them. That's me way in the distance. *grin*

The middle picture shows the one sewing project I finished in December - a Mondo bag to gift to Helen in our Frankfort Girls gift exchange. This may be about the 6th one of these I've made, so you'd think I would have finished it in a timely manner. Uh-uh. Nope. I was topstitching the night before the party. Geesh.

The last picture is of the Frienzies. We only had 5 present, but it was so much fun. We did a Progressive Day. We seem to always be so busy that when we do get together, we never get to truly visit with one another. So we devoted the entire day to connecting. We started with brunch at my house at 9am, then went to Pam's for coffee, tea and games. After that, we went to Susan's for lunch and a quickie project; then off to Hettie's for after-dinner drinks and dessert. It was a wonderful day, as we ended about 4pm. We got to see each other's houses decorated for Christmas, and we really took the time to enjoy the company. I hope we do this again next year!

Well, I have that other collage, but looking at the length of this post, I think it'd be a good idea to hold it off until tomorrow.

Happy New Year, Quilty Friends!

Jayne