Categories
goals quilting rainbow scrap challenge

Out with the old, in with the new

I set 5 goals for this year…and I did manage to keep track for most of the year. If you would like to read my original post, it is here: Jumping on the Resolution Bandwagon. After our spring break in April up to the end of May, my head exploded as my husband and I were preparing for retirement for both of us. I had 32 years worth of elementary teacher crap that I had been using, keeping and hoarding that I had to share with others. I found a home for all of my treasures…not just in a trash can. The people who accepted my gifts may have trashed them, but I don’t care. I left my classroom vacant and ready for the next teacher. Here is my synopsis of my 2022 goals:

Goal 1: Quilt top finishes

I love making tops. I have made more of these this year! Somehow the quilting seems like work. I know that I could outsource this part, but as a new retiree, I can’t afford to do that. This goal should have been easy to meet. I started out so well…then nothing.

An example of a new top…made with 6 inch blocks…256 blocks to be exact!

Goal: Turn a quilt top into a finished product every month.

Summary: I finished a quilt in January 2022. One quilt for the whole year finished. That is 8%. I can do better than this!

Goal 2: Blog more

In 2021, I wrote 5 blog articles.

Goal: Publish 2 blog articles a week.

Summary: I wrote 37 articles. If I count weeks that I published twice a week, I met 27% of my goal. I did a better job writing, but need to rework this goal.

Goal 3: Sew more for my own sanity

Goal: Complete a sewing activity from the list at least 80% of the days in the year…that is 292 days.

Here is my list of activities:

  • hand sewing (applique, binding, English paper-piecing)
  • machine sewing (quilting, piecing)
  • hand embroidery
  • machine embroidery
  • writing patterns
  • ironing/ pressing
  • cleaning/ organizing my sewing room
  • cutting fabric
  • sorting fabric (I have been collecting fabric for retirementl and I am a scrapaholic.)
  • reading something related to quilting

Summary: I completed some “sewing” on 220 days this year. Remember that I temporarily lost my mind for 6 weeks while preparing for retirement. I met 60.2 % of my goal for the year. I was working from January until the end of May while I worked towards this goal. I think I can increase the amount of time sewing based on the list of tasks.

Goal 4: Read to self

My library still looks like this picture…maybe worse. I have added new books. Some from school, more from my wonderful mother-in-law.

Goal: Read at least one book a month.

Books, books, and more books…I need a librarian miracle to organize this mess.

Summary: My goal was 12 books this past year. I read 16! That is more books than I have read to myself in any given year in the last decade. I have been reading a lot my entire life…articles, aloud to children, to teach reading to children, etc., just not entire books or novels. I met this goal 133%! I do have to admit that I read extras on some months and part of a book one month and finished it the next. Life does not always operate by the calendar!

Recently, we watched the movie Equalizer. The main character promised his wife that he would read the books on the list of 100 books you should read before you die. Just something to ponder. How many have you read? I also found a more modern list of 100 books, too.

Goal 5: Read Aloud

Goal: Read to each other at least 2 days a week.

Summary: Out of 52 weeks, we read aloud twice at least 40 weeks. That is 77% of the weeks this year. I don’t know what happened during the retirement preparation weeks. We did read some, maybe. The even better news is that 56% of the weeks we actually read 3 or more times.

This is one of my favorite activities. It is one of the best ways to “unplug” that I know about. Going for a walk is another way. It would be great to combine the two, but the seating is not always good when you are out and about.

Rainbow Scrap 2022

I have started the rainbow scrap challenge for the last 4 years. Yes, I said 4 years. Because I was working, and traveling, and life sometimes ran me down, especially during shut downs, etc., I never made it more than 2 or 3 months.

This year I completed the color challenges for January, February, and March. I chose fabrics for April…but we know that life interfered. In retrospect, I completed more this year, but still fell short of my goal. I used the crazy quilt 6 inch block from Accuquilt. I made 10 of each color.

Red example block

Accountability

I used this great blank book to keep track.

I calculated and tabulated. Now it has 2023 added!

Have you evaluated your goals from 2022? Are you revamping those goals for 2023? I will be back with my new goals, slightly modified and updated, soon!

Later,

Lorrie

Categories
quilting rainbow scrap challenge

RSC yellow update

The color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for March was yellow/ gold. Sadly, I was not as productive this month.

10 accuquilt yellow blocks

I only need one more of these scraptastic blocks to make a quilt.

This picture shows the basted block…

This was an experiment with hollow cubes…my measurements were a bit off. Notice the crooked bottom right corner. I know where I went wrong and need to fix it next time.

Hollow block with a twist…

I did not get a feathered star block made this month. I picked out fabrics, but it didn’t get cut out. Such is life!

April is pink. Time to dig into the scraps and get busy.

What projects are you working on month by month?

Later, Lorrie

Categories
quilting rainbow scrap challenge sewing

Basted and Ready

I meant to post this yesterday, but my motivation got lost along the way. Oh, well, it gave me something to do today!

This is block 11 of 12 for my dresden crumb block quilt.

Also works as part of this month’s rainbow scrap challenge…

I pieced this block last week. It was not a total success, but it was not an epic failure either! I thought I could piece this using shapes cut with an accuquilt die. You will notice that it is no quite square. I wish I could blame it on something…drunk quilting, maybe…but I can’t.

Wonky 3-D square…

This is what I have learned about basting. Sometimes the prep work is well worth the time it takes to get it done. Thread basting is much less painful than pinning with applique pins. It is also quicker and easier than glue basting…no glue to wash out later.

Have you basted or appliqued anything recently?

Later, Lorrie

Categories
rainbow scrap challenge

Gold at the End of the Rainbow

I was hoping that the RSC color for the month of March would be green. Not my lucky month. The color for March is yellow/ gold…hopefully, that is what I will find at the end of the rainbow!

A fluffed up bin of yellow pieces

My scrap collection does not have much yellow/gold. So I dug in the tubs of yardage to find more…still lame. I seem to have a lot of solids.

Not much better!

Look what I found mixed in with the scraps!

Cute 2 1/2 inch blocks…a little baggie of them!

Hopefully, I will be able to get as many blocks as I have for the past two colors. We shall see!

How much do you have in your yellow scrap bin?

Later,

Lorrie

Categories
quilting rainbow scrap challenge sewing

Monthly Goals: February

I am revisiting my resolutions that I made in January…for better or worse.

  1. Finish a quilt top every month…didn’t happen this month.
  2. Post to blog twice a week…almost…I posted three times one week and 1 time the week before. I am counting that as on track, because it averages out to twice a week.
  3. Sew 80% of the year…still on track for this.
  4. Read to self…one book a month…more like half a book this month.
  5. Read aloud twice a week…we are crushing this goal. This is much better than the crap that is on TV. We just finished an Agatha Christy mystery. Now we are reading John Jakes.

February is teal/aqua for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This month I made several blocks.

Scrap to treasure…
Accuquilt crazy quilt blocks
Accuquilt feathered star

Remember, I said that I was not the only maker. My DH made this for one of my sister’s co-workers, who just lost her 30 something son unexpectedly. Tragic. He graphed out a poem that she had written and added butterflies from another pattern. He is amazing.

How are your resolutions shaping up this month? or for the year so far?

Later,

Lorrie

Categories
quilting rainbow scrap challenge wildlife

RSC 2022: February is teal, aqua

My favorite colors! I should have a LOT of scraps in these colors, right? Uh, no! I had to dig scraps from the green bag and the blue bag to find something to work. This is a much smaller selection than the red basket in January.

Scraps…I will have to make more!

I started with some Dresden plate blades this morning. They always look better when they are trimmed. I foundation piece these to scrap paper that is trimmed on the accuquilt cutter.

Untrimmed pieces

I have been home today with an ear ache. I have never had an ear ache before…now I know why small children cry when their ears hurt! OMG! While I was sewing and recooperating, I could hear a turkey. One of the neighbors has a tame turkey. It spent a considerable amount of time on my porch…and being stalked by another neighbors’ cat!

Notice the mighty hunter in the background.

Turkeys are not smart, based on the amount of time he spent on the porch. I am really glad it is the neighbor’s turkey and not her rooster!

What RSC project are you starting for this month? Turkey dinner anyone?

Later,

Lorrie Shore