Waiting for light

Last night I worked for almost 2 hours on my star wall hanging that I am hand quilting for my moms Mother’s Day gift. I am paying the price this morning. Was going to take pictures, but let’s face it, the lighting at 9 pm at night is not ideal for any photo taking!

The lighting is still not that great, I tried flash but it just washed out the stitching. What you may not be able to see is the stitching in the center square and the stitching in the blue star points. That’s ok, I know it is there. If we ever have another sunny day I will try to take a picture outside. I am going to take tonight off from stitch because I way overdid it last night.

Here is a sneak peak at a secret project that I started working on last night.

This is the color palette for my next original quilt design. I started working on my test blocks yesterday and while I love how my first block turned out, I think I need to make a few tweaks to make it more manageable and easier to explain. Do you like the colors?

That’s all for me today! I will be taking it easy on my hands for the next few days…they are screaming at me today and advil isn’t helping…yet.

Oh yeah, and did you notice that I have disappeared from Google Friend Connect?!? Well I did, in fact one of my buddies only re-found me yesterday! The best ways to keep up with me are listed in my sidebar – Facebook and Twitter are where I hang out the most.

Goals

So, as I said in my post yesterday…I suck at finishes! I admit it. I can’t help it, a new project presents itself and I am all over it! The thrill of creating something new and different sets in and I toss aside my current project for the next one.

In light of this self-proclamation and putting it out there into the world that I have a minimum of 10 unfinished projects (and honestly probably more but I would have to sit down and really think about it) I have decided it is time for some goal setting.

For the rest of this week, every evening, I am going to work on my mother’s day gift. I am determined to have it done by the end of March. I can only work for about 30 minutes because it kinda kills my hands – the hand quilting that is.

Next, I basted one quilt yesterday and I am going to baste another one today. I also ordered thread from Superior Threads yesterday to quilt both these quilts. Let’s face it the worst part of any quilt is the basting, and since that is mostly what has been holding me back from finishing, then I have no more excuses!

Hopefully putting it out there for all to see and holding myself more accountable will lead to a few more finishes and getting some projects off my shelves!

How about you? Do you sent goals? How do you hold yourself accountable?

UPDATE: As of 1:00 pm (30 minutes in to nap time) my quilt is basted and my living floors have been mopped. I spent the morning tweeting with some of favorite ladies and they all convinced me to spray baste. I might just be a convert…depending on how it works with my sewing machine! Thanks Shanna, Debbe & Jenna!

 

 

TAG!

Jenny @ Sew Kind of Wonderful TAGGED me and I thought it would be fun to play along! Who doesn’t want to get to know someone a little better?!?

The Rules: Answer a few questions (well, 11 to be exact), ask a few questions (well…11 to be exact) and tag a few people (well…11 to be exact). Did you notice a trend? It is Cain’s 11-11-11 plan.

Jenny’s Questions:

1.) What is your favorite snack? I love a good bag of salty chips

2.) Besides quilting what your next favorite hobby? Knitting

3.) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Closer to my family…but they live in California and it is WAY to expensive there!

4.) Where does your inspiration come from? Mostly from my family and my fellow bloggers.

5.) How much fabric are you hoarding right now? Ummmm…I’m almost too embarrassed to answer this one…An entire cabinet (mine is a really pretty red though, so that makes it ok. Right?) full of fabric, three boxes full in my garage and the rest overflowing onto just about every surface in my sewing room.

6.) Do you wear makeup, and if you do, how often do you put it on? Not really, I mean if my hubs is taking me on a special date I will, but I can’t remember the last time

7.) What is your favorite part of the quilting process? Seeing the blocks come together

8.) Are you a part of any local Quilt Guilds? Not right now, with Anne and a complete lack of childcare it just isn’t really possible. Hopefully in the future though 🙂

9.) How many quilting projects are you currently working on? Another embarrassing one…there are no less than 10 projects that are in some stage of completion right now, maybe even more…Ok, I admit it! I suck at finishing!

10.) If we went to a movie, what type of movie would you pick out? Something funny and lighthearted. I have a bit too much reality in my life and I would like something that I can just relax and laugh at 🙂

11.) If we went out for dinner, what restaurant would you pick? I would pick Two Koi – my favorite sushi place. I haven’t been out for sushi is about a year and I miss it!

My Questions (in no particular order):

1. What is your favorite quilting toy (other than your sewing machine!)?
2. Who is your favorite fabric designer?
3. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
4. What is your comfort food of choice?
5. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
6. If you were forced to give up your craft of choice…what would you do with all that free time (and extra money)?
7. What’s for breakfast?
8. Easter is right around the corner – what is your favorite Easter candy?
9. What is your favorite Reality TV show?
10. What is your least favorite household chore?
11. Who is your favorite celebrity and why?

My Tags:

Jenna @ Sew Happy Geek
Susan @ History Quilter
Snoodles @ Lily Pad Quilting
Lyanna @ Purple Panda Quilts
Marlene @ KISSed Quilts
Michele @ Quilting Gallery
Kim @ Kim’s Crafty Apple
Katy @ The Littlest Thistle
Connie @ Quilting by the River
Sharon @ Craizee Corners
Debbe @ Pieces to Love

I tagged these bloggers because they inspire me and I hope they will inspire you too! If I didn’t tag you it isn’t because I don’t adore you – it is just that I was only allowed 11 (and it was REALLY REALLY hard to pick only 11)!!!

 

 

Intrepid Thread Highlight & Giveaway

Welcome all Blog Hoppers from Quilting Gallery! If this is your first time here please take a few moments to check out my tutorials section and if you see something you like I would love it if you would follow my blog (there are lots of ways to do so in my sidebar!).

Do you like fresh modern fabrics? Do you like excellent customer service? How about just a little fabric eye candy? If so, then The Intrepid Thread is the fabric shop for you!

Julie recently launched her new website and there are so many features that I love that I don’t really know where to start. The shop is split into 8 sections: Coming Soon, Fabrics by Collection, Fabrics by Designer, Fabrics by Manufacturer, Just Arrived, Patterns and Notions, Pre-Cuts and Bundles, and lastly but by no means least – Sale Fabrics.

To celebrate the Grand Opening of the new website Julie is offering a 10% off coupon GRNDOPN10 through March 22nd.

Julie started her own business because she wanted to create a fabric shopping experience that encompassed superior customer service and offered the top of the line modern fabrics. She has accomplished all of that and more. She has a reputation for her impeccable taste in fabrics and she is more than happy to put together a custom bundle and help customers choose coordinating fabrics. She did this for me recently, helping me pick out fabrics for my month in Sew Bee Blissful – she put a custom bundle together of Ty Pennington’s Impressions Line.

I LOVE Intrepid Thread’s Coming Soon Section. Here are a two of my favorite lines that are coming out soon:

Flying Free – Coming in April 2012

Kharma Baby – Coming in April 2012
(Please – one of my friend please get preggers so I have an excuse!!!)

Now Julie and I want to know what your favorites are in the coming soon section. You may be asking yourselves: “And what are you going to offer in exchange for our valuable opinions (yes they are valuable!)?”

How does a Fat Quarter Bundle of Desert Daydreams in Santa Fe Sky sound?!? This is the exact same bundle I used when I made my Desert Daydreams Apron that went out in The Intrepid Thread newsletter last night – now you can make one too if you like. Of course you can absolutely make something else too if you are the big winner!

There will be 3 entries available for this giveaway (to enter you must be a follower of my blog – this does not count as an entry):

  1. Head over to the coming soon section of The Intrepid Thread website and tell us your favorite line (1 entry)
  2. Like Sew BitterSweet Designs on Facebook – come back and tell me you did (1 entry)
  3. Blog, Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway, come back and share the link (1 entry)

UPDATED: for Friday March 16, 2012 – Desert Daydreams is on sale as a daily deal over at Intrepid Thread – check the sale section daily for more deals!

Make sure you head over to Quilting Gallery for more fun giveaways!

Blog Hop Party with Give-AwaysThis giveaway will be open through March 23rd at 9pm PST. I will announce the winner on March 24th. Good luck everyone and happy day dreaming over future fabric purchases!

Bee Blocks

I am participating in 3 bees right now where I exchange blocks with others: the 3×6 Sampler Mini Quilt Bee, 4×5 Modern Quilt Bee, and Sew Bee Blissful. I also am doing 2 charity “bees”: do. Good Stitches (Trust Circle) and Quilting for Kids.

All my blocks for this quarter and for March are finally completed and I thought I would share them all with you!

Do.Good Stitches – Followed this tutorial from SewMamaSew

Star & Dot – Block 1235 Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Blocks
3×6 Bee

Sawtooth Stars – 4×5 Bee

Sew Bee Blissful – our inspiration was Gee’s Bend

 

Asterisk BlockAsterisk Block for Quilting For Kids: Followed this tutorial: lollyquiltz.blogspot.com/2010/05/asterisk-crazy.html

That is all my sewing for other people this month. My month is in May for Sew Bee Blissful, I have my fabrics in hand and I need to start cutting and getting ready to mail it all out next month! What bees are you in?

Tomorrow is the start of the Giveaway Blog Hop being hosted by Michele at Quilting Gallery, make sure you stop by, I have something special in store for you!

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