Joy in the New Year Challenge

I'm a little late to the party over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio, but Jacquie is hosting a challenge to finish as many UFO's as possible before the new year. I have seven. That's not counting anything I want to make for Christmas presents. I'm excited to have some new motivation!

Here's what I've got as of today:
1. Rectangle Bobble Bag (crochet)
2. Green Gable Sweater (knitting)
3. Second Cotton Sock (knitting)
4. Mother Bear Project Teddy Bear (knitting)
5. Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt Top
6. Fresh Cut String Quilt
7. Summertime Nightie (sewing)

New books and a string quilt

I've been adding to my craft book stash on a regular basis lately.  I probably spend more on books than I do on fabric or yarn.  Here are my most recent purchases.

I pre-ordered One Yard Wonders and it's a beautiful book.  It's spiral bound, so it lays flat.  It came with patterns and is nicely photographed.  But, there aren't as many fresh ideas as I had hoped to see.  I think it would be great for a beginning seamstress and would serve as a great reference for loads of basic patterns.  I can't wait to make the fabric origami box (on the cover).  


The Sweater Chop Shop was worth every penny.  I love it.  I've got a stash of old sweaters that I started collecting a few years back for felted projects, and this gives me some great ideas.  I highly recommend this one.


Color Your Cloth is another gorgeous book.  Even if I never dye a single piece of fabric, I'll enjoy having this one just because it's beautiful to look through.  I love the colors and can't wait to try some of the techniques.  I have a friend from Indonesia who brought me some batik wax and a Tianjin from a recent trip home.  I just had them on display, but now I think I'll use them!


On another note, here's the string quilt I started a few weeks ago.  I'm going pretty slow, but I love the way it's coming together.  I cut into some of my Heather Bailey stash (Fresh Cut) and I'm glad I did because I love the subtle colors.  I think I've got fewer than 50 blocks to go.  

I'm anxious to finish up some UFO's this week.  I want to quilt my scrappy log cabin and try to finish the Green Gable sweater I started last summer.  Maybe I'll go look for something to finish right now.

Flea Market Fancy Giveaway!

Penny at Sew take a hike is hosting the most awesome giveaway!  Check it out here:

Playing blog catch-up...

I haven't been in the mood to blog lately, but I have been working on a few projects. I can post the current things later, but here's some of what's been going on...

A quick baby blanket for a couple at church. It's lightweight with cotton on the back and no batting. She was a Texas summer baby, so I thought this would be appropriate. It's the first quilt I hand tied rather than quilted.

Here's another baby blanket gift for a couple at church. It's a rag quilt; my first one. I did it without instructions, so I'm sure there's an easier way, but it turned out cute and I saw them actually using it. I LOVE seeing these things actually being used!

I made a little pin cushion for a sweet friend.

Shea made a pillow case. I love to see her sew!

I knitted Shea a sock on the way to Florida. This was in the hotel room. I'm not sure what I got distracted with on the way back, because she still has only one sock. Humm.

I got my sewing space set up in the temporary house. It was kind of messy in this photo. I'll take another when it's been picked up.

Gizmo, my 12 year old Yorkie with cataracts, found a cozy place to sleep in the sewing room.

I made a test block for a string quilt. I love it! I started on one using some of my Heather Bailey fabric. I'll post it later.

I made this necklace for a wonderful woman who speaks at my church's ladies fellowship each month. It's an empty tomb and says "he is risen". I don't have upper-case alphabet stamps yet, but I'm sure He understands.

I finished a re-upholstery project I started about three years ago. And I found another chair just like great-grandmother's chair at the antique mall! I snatched it up and can't wait to finish it so I'll have a pair! It's a Kroehler chair from the early 1950's.

And lastly, on November 1st, I ran the New York City Marathon.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

I realize now there have been a few things I've done that I don't have photos of, and some of those have been given away.

I've got the jewelry studio operational again and have done some painting too. I'm back in that spot where I have so many things going that I don't know where to start!