Stitching Resolution Blog Hop

 

This is a first for me--being part of a blog hop.  I have visited many blog hops but have never been a destination.  Since I love starting the New Year with goals and plans aka dreams and wishes, I spent the last week of the year making lists and then I make lists for the lists. 

Carla of Creatin in the Sticks posted about a blog hop that simply asks:  

My stitching resolution for 2021______________. 

One word simply wouldn't do.  USE IT UP--my new anthem.  But what do I want to use up and how will I do that.

To begin:  I will put my hand on every piece of fabric that I own.  I will love it or gift it--nothing in between.  And while handling this lovely fabric, I want to give some thought as to what I will do with it.  Will it become a quilt, a pillowcase, a project bag? 

I am a kit and BOM collector.  My latest count is 42 although I think some may hiding.  Most have been started but all need to be finished.  Most of these projects have some or all needle turn applique.  They take time but I motivated to put a serious dent in these projects.

In addition to needle turn applique, I enjoy other needle work as well.  I have always wanted to make a crazy quilt and this is my year.  The blocks for a French Soap Label Quilt are ready to be embellished to within an inch of its life.

I am so excited to part of the blog hop.  I am star struck with the company I am keeping.  Please visit the blogs of the participants.  I know I will learn a thing or two or three.

Wednesday, December 30th

Just Let Me Quilt
MooseStashQuilting
Words & Stitches
 Sew Many Yarns
Websterquilt
Cocoa Quilts
QuiltFabrication
Stitchin At Home
Ms P Designs USA
Life in the Scrapatch
Kathy Kwilts and More
Karen's Korner
Quilt Schmilt
selina quilts
The Joyful Quilter
Becky’s adventures in quilting and travel 
Karrin's Crazy World
Quilting and Learning: What a Combo
VroomansQuilts
Cynthia's Creating Ark
PamelaQuilts
Quilting Patchwork & Appliqué
Kathleen McMusing
Quilting Gail
Homespun Hannah's Blog
appliqueand...
Songbird Designs
Storied Quilts
Susie’s World

She's Stitchin Again
Creatin' in the Sticks

                                                                

End of the Year Plan

There is a strangeness and surreal-ness about this last week of 2020.  But as in years past, I have started planning for my fiber and fabric goals for the New Year.  I want to de-stash more and stash less.  So this week I will tidy up some loose ends.

Cast on Elementary Twist hat for Meg using Dream in Color Alpaca Blend

Shell Stitch Baby blanket--I need to purchase 1 or 2 more skeins of Plymouth Dreambaby DK.

Shell Stich Baby Blanket

Quilt and Bind Home Tweet Home

Home Tweet Home

Hand Applique Block 9

Block 9 of Joy of Life

PhD 2021

 I had high hopes for 2020.  I was going to "get it done" and put a big dent in my PhD's.  I managed a few finishes but did no the progress I had hoped.   But 2021 will be different--maybe.   My twelve top projects to finish in 2021 are:

30's Euro Swap--I think it needs a border.

Dino Strippy 2

Guild Sampler

Home Tweet Home

Joy of Life

Vintage Rouge

St. John's BOM Ohio Stars

Hog Friendship Quilt

Unity Quilt

Aunt Millie's Garden

Turning Twenty 2

Camp Oda May Version A

I am off to link up with Quilting Gail.

Quilting and Blogging Plans, Goals and Resolutions for 2021

 Every December I get excited to look ahead to the New Year and to start planning my projects.  So I am going to participate in Quilting Jetgirls's Planning Party.

QUILTING

PhD's (Projects Half Done)

Join and PARTICIPATE in Quilting Gail's PhD 2021.  I fell off the wagon with this one but I enjoy following what everyone is doing.  I will be identifying 12 projects I want to work on this year.  I have a total of 46 projects in various stages.  But I will choose 12 to concentrate on.  Gail has an amazing spreadsheet to keep track of things.  I love spreadsheets although I am not very good at designing them.  I rely on the talent of others.

CRAZY QUILTS, WOOL EMBROIDERY, NEEDLE TURN APPLIQUE

I am going to sign up for Kathy Shaw's  Basic Crazy Quilt Class. One of my PhD's is a French Soap Label Crazy Quilt BOM that I purchased a gazillion years ago.  I also have three wool embroidery kits waiting for needle and thread.  I took a break from needle turn applique and have recently picked it up with renewed passion. 

KNITTING

I have jokingly referred to my fabric and yarn stash as my 401K plan.  But it is now time to stash down both stashes.  While I am not planning on going to my heavenly reward anytime soon,  I am not getting younger and I can't take it with me!  I especially want to make sweaters for me.  I finished one this year that I love.  It fits and I am happy, happy.  And to help quantify my progress, I will track yardage in and yardage out and aim for more out than in.

BLOGGING

I will blog at least twice a week on quilting and knitting.  I especially want to keep current with linky parties that I join. 

Final Christmas Project

 The newest grandbaby now has his own Christmas stocking.  I haven't done much stranded work but I will keep practicing.  

I don't think I will have anymore finishes this year.  These next two weeks will be lots of holiday cooking.

Missing my Needle and Thimble

 I have been neglecting my quilting projects in particular my hand applique.  In anticipation of 2021, I am devoting more time and attention to my applique PhD's (projects half done).

Joy of Life Block 8

I definitely stalled out on this project.  But I am working on block 8.  There are only 9 blocks in this quilt.  And I aim to keep going.

Another Big Finish

 This is the last big knit for 2020.  This is the Leftovers Cowl and it made me fall in love with fair isle knitting.

My attempt at a selfie.

One Monthly Goal Finish for November

 A little baby strippy quilt done and ready to gift.

OMG November

 My goal for November is to complete Dino Strippy Quilt I

Dino Strippy Quilt I
On the Left

It needs a few borders, quilting, binding and label.  Wish me luck.

OMG Finish for October

 I did it!!!  Little Miss Vivian's quilt is finished and mailed.

On My Needles

 Even though I knit every evening, I haven't finished too much.  But I am slooowly moving along and enjoying my projects.  Several years ago I purchased an Advent Kit that has been languishing in my stash.  I decided to use it to make the Leftovers' Cowl.  I haven't done much fair isle and thought this would help me master it.

I have always wanted to try my hand at thrummed mittens and found a KAL to participate in. I definitely need more practice.  My initial thrumms a little to fat.  

OMG for October

 Of all of the things on my to do list this month is to finish  Miss Vivian's Quilt.  She was born in April and want her to have it SOON

September Finish

 I thought my September Goal was very doable.  But nothing like waiting until the end of the month to finish the last two blocks.  But I am all caught up.

For the Sister's QAL I needed to complete August and September:

September Ribbon Star

August Bronco Star

And for A Quilting Life I had July, August and September.

July Star Puzzle

August Connecticutt

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

Off My Needles

 Finally able to post a picture of my finished Brookings Pullover.  These are the details on my Ravelry Page.

Whiskey Barrel Brookings Pullover

Monogamous Knitter

 Sometimes it is best to just move on.  I rarely frog any knitting project.  I was being creative learning how to knit toe up two at a time socks on two circular needles.  But I added a new-to-me heel and made a jumbled mess.  

I am actually relieved that I frogged.  It felt very liberating.  The yarn has been returned to stash.  

I also came to the realization that I am a monogamous knitter. So no more multiple projects at any one time for me.  I am going to concentrate of finishing my Brookings Pullover.

Brookings Pullover

One Monthly Goal September

 I am a little behind on two BOM's: 

1.   Sister's QAL BOM-- August and September.  

2.  A Quilting Life--July, August, September

My OMG is:  complete 5 blocks.

PhD Finish

 Slowly but surely I am making my way through my unfinished projects.  This is a guild challenge from a few years back.  The challenge was to design a decorative element for the center square.  A theme was given each month.  This quilt was made entirely of stash fabric.

A BIG Finish for August

 My Norah's Vintage Afghan is finished.  It will make someone nice and toasty this winter.  But I think I am finished with afghans for awhile.  They take forever!

On the Needles Friday

While I may have waaaaaay too many quilt projects in progress, I am fairly restrained with my knitting.  I always like to have something to work on when in the car and maybe one project that isn't good to work on in the car.
I am try Toe Up, Two at a Time on Two Circular needles for the first time.  So far, I am enjoying it with no major mishaps.  I am using Sockmatician's recipe for the pattern.

And my "at home project when I need to concentrate" project is Brooking's  Pullover.

PhD Progress

For the past several years I have signed up for a few quilting and knitting destash challenges.  (I am very motivated to begin a new year with a well formulated plan.)  One of my favorite quilting blogs is Quilting Gail and she hosts a yearly PhD challenge.  I take pictures and identify what I want to finish and post about it.  So far so good--right!

I started to set up a calendar with weekly and monthly posts that I wanted to participate in.  That working calendar is no where to be found on my desk or in my files (maybe it was a dream).  What could my excuse be this year for not following through?  With the pandemic, time stood still and it has been only been a day or two instead of five months or whatever we are up to now.
Like everyone else, I have cleaned every closet, drawer and shelf at least twice.  I have inventoried every single skein of yarn and gathered all quilting projects in one place.  In a moment of pure embarrassment I found not 20 or 30 PhD's but 42 of them.  This is my mid-year re-commitment to GET IT DONE.
I do like using Gail's Tally Record to keep track.

But I will finally share a finish for July.

Turning Twenty blocks made into a lap quilt.

Quilting done on my embroidery machine with a design by Amelie Scott.

Now I only have 40 projects to GO.  Wish me luck.

A Quilting Finish

Fortunately I have been making the most of this quarantine time.  I had made twenty Turning Twenty Again blocks more than ten years ago.  There is no rational explanation why it was never finished.  But split the blocks up to make a couple of lap sized quilts.

Turning Twenty 2

Quilting for Turning Twenty 2

I am getting a head start on some charity quilts for next year.  The quilting was done with my embroidery machine and I used one of Amelie Scott's contiuous line quilting designs.

Another BOM

These are the blocks for the first months for Sisters BOM QAL from Abyquilts.

 

 

The palette is similar to the blocks I posted a few days ago.  I may do some mixing and matching and make lap quilts for charity.

A Little Confession

Nothing like a little quarantine to help me realize that my quilting adventures are out of control.  I took a serious, detailed inventory of my yarn stash.  And I am patting myself on the back that my purchases are under control and I am knitting from stash.  But I came across this KAL.  My resolve is weakening.  I have been wanting to try this yarn.  I will keep you posted.

Now on to my quilting projects.  I thought I had a good handle on my WIP's.  But I was seriously deluding myself.  I think I have finally identified all of the projects that need to be finished.  You can see them here.  I made a promise not to start any new quilts this year.  But found not one, not two but FOUR BOM's for 2020.  My rationale is that I havee fabric that needs to be used up. 

The first of these BOM's is Sherri from A Quilting Life.

 

 These are the first six blocks.   I will share my other projects in the coming days.  And most importantly, develop a plan that will help me finish what I have started.
But first off to agonize over some yarn!