A Lovely Year of Finishes

A Lovely Year of Finishes – August Goals Party

ALYoF2014Welcome to August!  I am not ready for this month. We have some big things going on that I am just not emotionally prepared for right now. That being said, sewing and quilting help keep me grounded so this month I am going to sew Anne a new Elsa dress. I know Halloween is months away but ever since we went on our family vacation in July she has been living in princess dresses. Time to make her one!

Elsa Dress Pattern - https://test.sewbittersweetdesigns.com

What is your goal?

You have two requirements to be entered into the prizes this month.

1. Link-up {on this post} the first 7-days of the month

and

2. Link-up in the last 7-days of the month.
Add your blog post or flickr photo (with appropriate descriptions) to the linky party below.

Please grab a button or link back to Shanna and I so other people can join in the fun!

**Please note, the linky party is the same here and over at Shanna , so there is no need to enter twice **

 ~~~

 Here is a list of our generous sponsors for August!!

1. PDF Pattern from Katy – The Littlest Thistle

The Littlest Thistle - https://the-littlest-thistle.com/

2. PDF Pattern from Persimon Dreams

Project QUILTING

3. $15 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop

4. Green Fairy Quilts – 3 pdf patterns

5. One pdf pattern from  Sew Sweetness

 Sew Sweetness

6. 1 Charm pack or $10.00 gift certificate to

Stitches n’ Giggles (winners choice)

7. Thread Prize from Aurifil

8. 9. TWO winners each getting to choose one pdf pattern

from Sew BitterSweet Designs ($10 value)

 https://test.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/

10. Thimblepie’s Quilt Supplies – Custom fabric package, 4 yards (worth $20) plus free shipping

11. One PDF Pattern from Meadow Mist Designs

 Meadow Mist Designs Button

12. 13. One pdf Pattern from Clover and Violet

 cloverandviolet

14. $30.00 credit towards Long Arm Quilting Services
from by Orchid Owl Quilts

250

 



Week 31 Goals

This week I just want to finish a quilt. The one I posted about last week for my Do. Good Stitches group. I am about 3/5 of the way done quilting, then I just need to trim and bind it. I am working at our local county fair on Wednesday and I would love to have a binding project to work on while doing my 3 hour shift. Anne will be with me too and I’m planning on bringing her DVD player to watch a couple movies on.

Do Good Stitches HST Quilt progress - https://test.sewbittersweetdesigns.comAre you working on your July Finish? I have to admit that I don’t think I will get mine done, this has become my number one priority and I’m ok with that!

Have a great Monday!

signature

A Lovely Year of Finishes – July Finishes Party

ALYoF2014

Can I just be the first to say that July has been a month? I mean seriously! Traveling for two weeks can throw a girl off her game and then coming home and trying to get back into a routine with a 4 year old who is on a Disneyland high, talk about a challenge.

This was my July goal: to finish my Simply Style hexies.

Simply Color & Style Hexies - https://test.sewbittersweetdesigns.com

I did make a lot of progress, but I am about 80 shy of my goal right now. We will see if I make it, if not, I am going to completely forgive myself. After all, piecing these will probably take me a year so what’s another month!

What about you? How did you do?

You have two requirements to be entered into the prizes this month.

1. Link-up {on this post} the first 7-days of the month

and

2. Link-up in the last 7-days of the month.
Add your blog post or flickr photo (with appropriate descriptions) to the linky party below.

Please grab a button or link back to Shanna and I so other people can join in the fun!

**Please note, the linky party is the same here and over at Shanna , so there is no need to enter twice **

 ~~~

 Here is a list of our generous sponsors for July!!

 July prizes include:

1. A fat quarter bundle from Riley Blake Designs

2. Green Fairy Quilts – 3 pdf patterns

3. $30.00 credit towards Long Arm Quilting Services
from by Orchid Owl Quilts

250

4. One pdf pattern from  Sew Sweetness

 Sew Sweetness

5. Thread Prize from Aurifil

6. 1 Charm pack or $10.00 gift certificate to

Stitches n’ Giggles (winners choice)

7. 8. TWO winners each getting to choose one pdf pattern

from Sew BitterSweet Designs ($10 value)

 https://test.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/

9. PDF Pattern from Persimon Dreams

Project QUILTING

10. 11. Honey, Bunny and Doll – 2 Patterns

Honey, Bunny, and Doll

12. One PDF Pattern from Meadow Mist Designs

  Meadow Mist Designs Button

13. Thimblepie’s Quilt Supplies – Custom fabric package, 4 yards (worth $20) plus free shipping

14, 15. One pdf Pattern from Clover and Violet

 cloverandviolet



June Winners – A Lovely Year of Finishes

ALYoF2014We announced on our Facebook group that we would be a tad late announcing the June winners, thank you for bearing with us. Shanna and I both left at the beginning of July to spend some time with our families and had wonderful vacations. It was a lovely break, but it is time to get back to business as usual! On with the winners!

 1.  Green Fairy Quilts – 3 pdf patterns

Andrea – Flickr

2.PDF Pattern from Persimon Dreams

Project QUILTING

Jody – Flickr

3. $15 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop

Kris – Sew Sunshine

4. One PDF Pattern from Meadow Mist Designs

 Meadow Mist Designs Button

Deb – Deb’s Doodling

5, 6. One pdf Pattern from Clover and Violet

 cloverandviolet

Ellie – Color My World
Patty – A Stitch In Time

7. Thimblepie’s Quilt Supplies – Custom fabric package, 4 yards (worth $20) plus free shipping

Lisa – Flickr

8. One pdf pattern from  Sew Sweetness

 Sew Sweetness

Moneik – Moneik Quilts

9, 10. TWO winners each getting to choose one pdf pattern

from Sew BitterSweet Designs ($10 value)

 https://test.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/

Tammy – Karamat Sew
Heidi – Red Letter Quilts

11. Thread Prize from Aurifil

Kristyn – Melon Patch Quilts

12. Quilting Patterns designed by Quilting Lodge

 

Nicole – Quilting Like a Maniac

13. 1 Charm pack or $10.00 gift certificate to

Stitches n’ Giggles (winners choice)

Sandy – Sew…This Is My Blog

Congratulations to all of our winners! Keep up with your finishes!!!!

signature

A Lovely Year of Finishes – July Participant Highlight

ALYoF2014July has been a busy one for Shanna and I, both of us have had lots of travel!  We are finally getting back into the swing things. Winners from June will be announced soon, Mr. Random has selected them we are in the process of notifying everyone.

In the meantime, we would love to introduce another awesome participant to you! Jess from Quilty Habit!

Blog name: Quilty Habit
Blog address: http://www.quiltyhabit.com/
Name you’re known by throughout quilting world: Jess @ Quilty Habit

What’s your ALYoF goal this month?

I want to finish my orange peel baby quilt, a quilt I designed for the Orange Peel Quilt-A-Long! This goal isn’t very lofty because: 1. I’ve already had a huge head start on the top, and 2. I’m in head-over-heels in love with the fabrics I’m using (Pretty Potent by Anna Maria Horner). I’m sure to get this one done quickly. I am already thinking about how I’m going to quilt it and what my next orange peel project will be!

Orange peels

Shameless plug – if anyone wants to join in on the fun, I have a page dedicated to the QAL, which runs until September 8. There are three size categories and prizes, as well as a Viewer’s Choice award – so come and design a quilt with orange peels! They are way too much fun, promise!

Orange Peel QAL resized

How do you approach your sewing goals? I have a lot of trouble following through with goals, mostly because I hate to put too much pressure on myself for a hobby. Granted, I sew for at least an hour even on my busiest days, so it’s a big part of my life, but I feel like that doesn’t mean I *have* to get certain projects finished all the time. I am a big follower of inspiration urges – I only work on projects I feel inclined to work on. Yes, deadlines are important (see below), but it’s not fun to me anymore if I force it (and it is supposed to be fun!). I do set monthly and quarterly goals now thanks to ALYoF and the Finish-A-Long, but otherwise, I try keep myself open to whatever comes up.

How do you organize/prioritize your projects?

My typical approach to life is this: whenever I feel overwhelmed, I make a list. If I’m feeling extra antsy I’ll write down all the deadlines, even if I know when the are. I’m primarily a visual learner so any cues (dates, huge underlines, very bold pen marks, smiley faces) are helpful. 🙂 In terms of deadlines, I try to reward myself. For example: “If I finish this quilt top that’s due on (x), I can take a small break before quilting it to work on this selfish pillow/quilt top/what have you.” I’m like a little kid: rewards go a long way around here. Milkshakes made or brought home by my very supportive husband work, too!

Here is a picture of Jess and her Husband with their wedding quilt:

our wedding quilt

What is your current favorite project that you are working on? Will you share pictures with us?

My current favorite project is actually in “time out” – my (predominantly) Anna Maria Horner medallion quilt. I’ve been snooping on and scheming up medallion quilts for a while and decided to design my own, border by border. I have a general sketch in my notebook but I’m still deciding what to do next. Besides the fact that I’m using my favorite fabrics, it’s also been such a blast to really dig into the creative process and do whatever I want. It’s in time out because I just need time to decide what’s next!

Medallion 1

What is your dream project to work on?

Oh, wow, what a question! I have two. One, I would love to make a double wedding ring quilt or a really intense Irish Chain quilt one day. I haven’t psyched myself up to all the little DWR templates yet. Maybe that’s a project for next year. Two, I would love to collaborate and piece, quilt, bind, etc. a quilt with a friend (the whole way through, in person, together).

What is your favorite time of day to sew?

I love to sew in the afternoon when I can! I get pretty good natural light in my sewing space then, and that makes for optimal precision. I worked a job in the morning and a job at night for the last year, so midday was when I had the most free time to sew. It works out!

What is your favorite quilting/sewing accessory?

My current favorite is those seam rippers with the rubber or plastic on the cap. A friend recently showed me how to sweep away the threads from your seam ripping using the cap, and I *had* to have one! It’s funny – as a self-taught quilter, I feel like I have missed out on a lot of tools and knowledge that others have, but that’s okay. My guild members are always pointing out new things to me, and I so appreciate it!

What is your number one quilting/sewing goal for 2014?

I want to submit three quilts to QuiltCon, so my goal is to get the last one done. It’s a progressive quilts from a bee my friends and I created, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts. A couple of the quilts are still going, but we hope to open up more rounds afterwards. My quilt top is finished and just needed to be backed, quilted, and bound! I am amazed by the sewing prowess of my friends. It was so cool to see a quilt evolve from my starter into a modern kitchen sink quilt in the colors I chose!

DSC00415

What is one technique you really want to learn?

I would love to learn how to quilt on a longarm. My friend Jess has one and has promised I can practice sometime. 🙂 I’ve done a lot of FMQ on my home machine and I l.o.v.e. it, but for certain quilts (like the medallion quilt) I really want to give special treatment/try something new.

Here is a picture of Jess’s Sewing Space – I love seeing other quilter’s spaces!

Sewing spaceThank you so much Jess for joining Shanna and I, we loved learning a bit more about you!!!

signature

Scroll to Top