Thank You

Last post of 2014 and I'd like to simply say THANK YOU!

THANK YOU for following along on my quilting journey.

THANK YOU for taking the time to read and comment. In these days of instant everything I really appreciate the time taken to read and especially comment on my posts. I love hearing from you.

THANK YOU for all the great things you post on your own blogs. I love feeling connected to the greater quilting community at large. I'm inspired by all you do and I've enjoyed seeing the recaps and finishes that many of you post. It's motivating to see what you've accomplished.  I'm also really excited to meet many of you in person at QuiltCon. Anyone counting the weeks yet?  Seven weeks from today I leave for Austin. Are you going too?

With the NewYear just a day away, I've been thinking a lot about my own personal plans and goals. Plans for this blog and my quilting journey. Perhaps a quilt along. Perhaps some tutorials. Definitely definitely more quilting.

I have yet to review my own finishes for 2014 but I'm sure there will be some mix of satisfaction and a tinge of disappointment. I accomplished some of what I set out to do and in other areas fell flat. That's life and I have no regrets . . .  only future plans and dreams.

One overriding theme for 2015 will be GRATITUDE. Gratitude for my family and this wonderful life and all it holds in the coming years. Gratitude for all the quilty friends I've made these past couple of years through blogland and through our new guild. And gratitude for all the beautiful fabric I have to play with.

I'm looking forward to sharing more of my quilting journey with you.
Have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. May all your dreams and plans come true . . .   : )

PS.  Kitty bed update . . . both kitties are sometimes using their new beds. We've progressed from Leo using and Opal resisting to both using but with the old towel nearby. I guess it's a little like weaning a toddler off a security blanket.

                                                       

Christmas Projects / Kitty Beds

Well, the kitty beds are finished and they came out pretty well.

I used this tutorial with my own modifications. Rather than felt like the tutorial called for, I repurposed an old fleece blanket that the kitties often slept on in my studio along with some leftover home decor fabric from years ago. For stuffing I used scraps of fleece and batting instead of fiberfill. I want them to be completely washable.

With the multiple layers of fleece and decor weight I had to wrestle the curves quite a bit to sew the sides to the bottom. Using those nifty little red wonder clips would have been easier than pins but I only have 9 of them. Wish I had a big box of 50. Hmmm . . . hint hint family. Christmas gift alert.

Since I was using fleece and home decor fabric I thought the sides would be firmer than they turned out. I wish they had a little more body so they would stand up a bit. They are quite floppy but the sides do roll down nicely . . . just not as stiff as I thought they'd be. Ha . . . what am I saying, they aren't stiff at all. Oh well. If I ever make them again I'll add some interfacing for more shape.

Now if only the kitties liked them . . . . so far they prefer the cardboard boxes.

This may very well be the only real Christmas project I get done. There were a few other maybes on the list but I don't see them happening now. Did you get all your holiday projects done or did you have abandoned ideas too? I always think I'll do so much more than is realistic.

I'm linking up with Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts.

WIP Wednesday . . . Look What I Found

Look what I found in my scrap drawer this afternoon. Meet Opal. She and her brother Leo have been with us for one whole year now.



































Can't believe how big they've gotten. Wish I could shrink them back to tiny kitten size. They both like to hang out with me in my studio. I love the furry company even if they do get into places I'd rather they stay out of. Today I came back up after lunch and was at the computer when I heard a sneeze, looked over and realized there was a kitty under the fleece throw on my rocker. Just a small little lump  moving around completely under the throw. Later I found her snuggled up in the scrap drawer.

As for WIP's . . . there are several things in various stages and a couple of things that need to get done by the end of the month. I'm in the midst of my next pattern and trying out some of the options I include in each of my patterns. This is a sneak peek at one of those options. I've loved the pink/yellow color combination ever since my daughter was little and had these colors in her room. So cheery and bright.

With the end of the month looming, it's also about time I get started on my Mid Century Modern Bee block for Linda at Buzzing and Bumbling. She lost her home to a fire last year so she requested a house block from each of us to commemorate her "year of the house" as she is calling 2013. A new home is in the works and we are all wishing her the best. She has maintained an amazing attitude through the whole ordeal. These are some of the fabrics I've pulled to build my house for her. Must make up my mind and get it done and in the mail.

I'm curious . . . do any of you have as much trouble as I do choosing fabrics for bee blocks?

We use our stash and scraps for this bee which is wonderful as we don't have to cut and ship fabric. Just make the block in the colors requested and send. Using modern fabrics is a given with this group. But sometimes I can have the hardest time deciding on which fabrics to use. So many choices. Will my choice work with the other blocks? Are they modern? What is modern?

The good thing is I'm challenged to view my fabrics through someone else's eyes.
I get to see how the others interpret each block request. It's a great opportunity to learn about my own fabric selection process, explore my stash and even loosen up on my tendency to hoard certain fabrics. Can you relate?

I'll be linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday. Hope all your WIP's are going well.  : )

Organized!!

I posted recently about my need to get my scraps organized.
I save EVERYTHING . . . even the tiny tiny scraps and it was out of control.

Today I went from this . . . plus four more plastic boxes I didn't take pictures of.

To these lovely piles of color  . . .

I had a little help from these two . . .

It all fit nicely into these great carts . . .  kitties wondering where all the fun went.

I even threw some away which is amazing for me . . . from now on I'll be more discerning.

Now I'm all set to start something new tomorrow and it feels great.