Fun Finishes and New Goals

 I'm so tickled with my recent finishes! I'm super determined this year to get neglected projects finished and starting off with some smaller ones is encouraging and fueling my determination. So, here they are:

First up is the My Sewing Room sew-along from Jennifer Reynolds which just needed to be assembled and lightly hand-quilted.

I added a few quilting-related pins and hung it above my sewing machine. I'm loving it, even if my photography wasn't so great. 😐

This next project has been in the works for quite some time, is also based on free patterns from Jennifer, and really brings me a lot of joy. It's a fabric book, built on thrift store placemats with a table runner for a cover.

The peach teacup was part of a silk scarf that my daughter dyed in a community art class.

More of said scarf.

The pieced teacups were made by another daughter in a project with friends.

I really am pleased with this book and hope that someday it will become an heirloom for my oldest granddaughter {who is too young to truly appreciate it yet}.

I've also made good progress on my Everyday Embroidery.

And last, but not least for today, I got my blue blocks made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and hung them up to "purty up" my wall {and not lose them}.

So, despite having the winter blues {or more accurately, the grays & whites}, I'm happy to be getting these projects done and am eager to set new goals for this week.

At the machine:

* Figure out something creative to do with these recently found blocks in order to made a donation baby quilt

* Turn these six thrift-store-rescued blocks into a flimsy. There was a seventh block that was already machine-quilted that I turned into a little wall hanging for my sewing room.

In the Embroidery & Handquilting Chair:

* Finish at least five rectangles on the Everyday Embroidery

* Finalize plans for the next fabric book

* Begin handquilting the My Cozy Kitchen wall hanging that I finally got sewn together to my liking after several rearrangements

On the Homestead:

* Keep the newly hatched {and constantly in motion so not photogenic} quails alive 😊

OMG and Winter Wonders

Well, I looked at my goals list for 2025 this morning and sadly discovered that I'd not finished nearly as much as I would have like. In my defense, however, I did have a lot of fun exploring new art genres like making an altered book junk journal in which I took notes at our art conference and in which I'm continuing to make notes on the book Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura:

And I had a super nice day trying air-dry clay projects with my friend, Trish:

 So, I revised said list & printed it for easy reference and to be able to add to it:

I plan to hang it above my sewing machine in my newly organized and beautified craft room so hopefully it will help me stay on track better. 😄

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So, here are my monthly and weekly goals:

Monthly quilt - Mug Guest Room Skinny Twin Size

I want to finish the borders on this and get it to a long-arm quilter. It's for a skinny Jenny Lind antique bed, so I don't have to make it very wide.

Monthly Hand-work - Everyday Embroidery and December Xstitch

I'm not going to have the goal of finishing the Everyday Embroidery this month, but I want to average 10 blocks a week for this month.

I'm very close to done with the December cross-stitch which I'll use as part of my monthly decor change-up, so I want to get it done this month for next year's use.

Week's Goals

Mug quilt - Get 'er done!

Everyday Embroidery - 8 blocks this week since I'm getting a late start

December Cross-stitch - Finish and put away

Crocheted headscarves - List on Etsy & wait to see what happens

Decision-making - How do I want to finish these two landscape fabric pictures made on another fun craft day with Tricia? 

            And what do I actually want to do with these Christmas blocks?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I'll send you off into a hopefully delightful rest of your week by giving you a little taste of our winter visitors. They love the seed droppings from my birdfeeders.

Christmas Celebrations and Continued Crafting

 

I have had the enjoyment, work, and privilege of writing, directing, and accompanying our church's Christmas musical program. I used some older Michael Card songs, some newer Keith and Kristin Getty songs, and the tried-and-true old carols. We went through Jesus' birth all the way to why he came and the hope given through his death and resurrection.

My sweet and talented husband was willing to direct the choir numbers since I certainly can't do that and I was at the piano. I was blessed by the willing and excited participation of choir members and willingness to do duets, trios, and smaller ensembles. What a joy! {And they thanked us. 🙄Sheesh! No thanks needed; it was a delight and blessing, though lots of work.}

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So, what crafting/sewing took place in between practices and after?

I got the new {gifted} sewing machine set up and organized. I was given a bunch of notions along with it. I also got the online manual printed and ready for studying.

Wondrous dehydrated apples were made and gifted. Now I need to make more for Lovey and me. 😊

I'm enjoying reading a friend's copy of Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura, an artist who speaks on the beauty and necessity of good art to the glory of God. I'm taking lots of notes in my junk journal.

In my reorganizing of my "studio" I found this wall hanging made with Joy's Christmas in July instructions and decided it was time to bind and gift it.

So, it's done and will be mailed to my daughter tomorrow when I go into town.

I crocheted this head-scarf from some sock yarn I found at the thrift store. I'm debating whether or not to try to sell it - not sure if I should re-open my Etsy store, or just put it on FB Marketplace, or Ebay, or what. I've gotten several compliments from even younger folk when I wore mine recently. 

I've also gotten my indoor salad garden going again and will be happy to use the pea, broccoli, and clover shoots in our smoothies and salads. Hmmm, maybe in our chicken burritos tonight.

As you can see in the photo above, we are pretty assured that we'll have a white Christmas. We've had a lot of snow, even for our snow-blessed{?} area. Since I am not a big fan, particularly of cold, I'm happy to stay in, keep warm, drink lots of hot tea, and catch up on sewing. 

So, on to my week's goals {trying to be moderate because I'm having a friend for homemade soup lunch on Wednesday, hosting a ladies' tea Thursday, and a craft day with another friend on Friday. Whew! and I'm an introvert. 😁}:

With Sewing Machine:

* I'd really like to put together the Sewing Room wall-hanging that Jennifer had as a BOM earlier this year because I'd like to hang it right above my sewing machine in my newly organized and beautified sewing room. 

* I also want to make four more blocks for this quilt top {hoping I can find the pattern in the here-to-fore unsorted pile. I found some fabric for the backing and am eager to get it done and on my Jenny Lind narrow guestbed.

With Needle and Thread

* Finish the arch in the Everyday Embroidery which I should have put in before I did the climbing rose and move on to doing the rest of the Elefantz Books and Roses BOM blocks for that year.

With Crochet Hook

* I might make another head-scarf since I have another skein of sock yarn and won't use it for anything else. I can always gift it to my daughter who loves them.

May your craftings and celebrations be full of joy and hope, 

knowing that God loves us!