Planning for 2009

I have been taking inventory of my projects and thinking about the things I want to accomplish this next year. I want to finish the Sister's Choice quilt top next, I will baste it tomorrow. I have the 4 patch posies to finish and the Road to Washington block exchange to finish. Then I think I will bust my stash by making some raggy quilts, I have tons of batting pieces and odd pieces of fabric perfect for that design.





Then I want to finish my white felted tote bag. Finish my striped tote bag. I found a box of knitted hand towels that I need to weave the ends in. I found a cosmetic bag I knitted that needs a zipper (just purchased one for it), those finishes I hope to have done this week.





Then I found a few items on Ravelry.com that I want to make. I really am taken with Amigurumi toys that are usually crocheted. I have a teddy bear pattern printed. This one is from a free pattern from amigurumi along.

I signed up for a pincushion exchange on hand did and I want to do this one:


http://monkeyroom.blogspot.com/2007/01/tutorial.html


I found some cute gnomes on the net to make from wool felt on http://www.weefolkart.com/. Wow, I have lots of things planned. Now I need to organize my ideas on the blog to get things accomplished.





We have some quiet time through the New Year and then the usual working week starts next week. I am still reviewing my resolutions. I have the above craft goals but I need to make more efforts to lose weight, exercise, get organized, have fun and live every day to it's fullest. Hmm, sounds really hard. I am starting with small steps... like exercise 4 times a week. I have been going twice.

Lots of resolutions, I am also joining the stashbusting pledge see the side for details. I don't need to buy much to do my plans. I don't need lots of extra time. I think of the old story of the tortise and the hare. If I work on things in a slow and steady fashion, the race will be finished. I am not really sure I need or want to win!!

100 inches of snow and counting. My sister sent me this photo and it is sooo true to how we feel right now. We need to shovel the roof this weekend, well, DH needs to shovel I will supervise from the ground.

I finished the calendar quilt and it is for my friend. I recieved some charm packs for Christmas from my Mom and now Iam thinking about a new project. Disappearing 9 patch? I have some books to look through.

Great Christmas had by all.

ttp://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2008/12/28/news/lewiston/doc4955281b01c89182230438.txt

link to local article documenting the total snowfall

I have been snuggled down in the house this afternoon,brrr it's cold and snowy here. We are just enjoying relaxing and watching TV. DD and her DH made it from college and they had some bad weather but all ended well when they got here. Long drive from Texas to Michigan on a good day but especially in December.

I played bass in the Youth Orchestra's concert to fill in for a vacationing bassist. After the kids played, the opera "Ahmal and the night visitors" was performed. I loved it and the males tolerated it. I am in a minority around here. I borrowed the image from the net so the date is wrong.

I have been working on the calendar quilt. It is ready to bind. I have also been knitting on the white bag. I haven't made a lot of progress but that is ok. I have decided that I am not overdoing it and making my hands hurt and getting stressed about completing on a self imposed deadline.

I am on vacation all next week. I am only working 2 days the next week so I have lots of creative time. Lets see cookies, quilting, knitting, crafting...and most of all RELAXING.

Another PSA (public service announcement)

Crock Pots and back seats of mini van's do not mix.

I had a scalloped potato-crock pot disaster today that took a considerable amount of time to clean up. It froze to the carpet and then I had to warm it up and then soap it up. Then I had to clean the storage compartment in the door etc...ugh

Did I ever mention that I really don't like potlucks? It is kinda funny now that it is over....

No crafting today, just a public service announcement

I helped one of my husband's relatives move today. Remind me when the spring is here-- and we have extra garbage pick up-- of this day. I need to clean out my closets. I have my stashes of items that I am not ready to part with. But, if I were perfect I would have Kristen Cunningham stop by to organize me.

That being said:

I had the worst 2 days of my life this year moving relatives, today being one of them. It isn't the moving that was the problem, it was the junk and filth that we had to wade through to find the items being moved. I don't understand how people live like that but they do and if they are older , stubborn, refusing help and occasionally sick... enough said.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: clean up after yourself! Throw out anything that is not useful, expired or broken. Disinfection of our homes, persons and items is manadory for the sake of other human beings! Don't put off these project and leave them for your relatives to come and do it for you. It isn't fair to anyone.

Sigh, after a long and stressful day, I showered and washed twice. Now I pray that I don't get a strange and incurable disease. Good thing I am already on antibiotics for a sinus infection.

Thursday

The white lights at the top of the tree are out. I am going nuts trying to find the burned out one so the rest of the string will light up. Isn't there a better way?? I spend alot of time annually doing this task.

Thursday

This is Dexter. He should have been called Chewbacca. He is being a petulant child. He is spoiled and runs the show much of the time here. He gets his hair in my quilts, and eats my quilt blocks. I had to rescue a 4 patch posie from his jaws last time I was sewing. I let him outdoors. Upon returning in the house, he bolted to the sewing machine on the table and grabbed my block. Evidently, I had been spending to much time on the quilt. I was able to reach his collar and started to open his alligator like jaws when he started into doing the gator death roll. I had to carefully open up the jaws and retrieve my block from his gullet, ugh. I steamed it out so the block was ok. I have to keep everything out of his reach but he is getting better about letting me sew and do my craft thing. If I'm not telling stories about what a challange it is to live with this dog, I am spending lots of time enjoying his companionship.

Just working on prepping the quilt for a border. I have been knitting on my tote bag. I have been really getting into using wool felt for projects. I have many ideas for it's uses since the ornie exchange. Hmm, another project, another media. Yeah for craft stores and free patterns on the internet!!

The decorations are up!

I had help with the tree and decorating. I think our efforts paid off. I know you may laugh at my tall skinny tree, but it is great. It has hundreds of branch tips to hang ornaments on. It is the perfect shape for my 100 year old house as all the rooms are tall and skinny. We put it out in the "front porch" which was totally enclosed many years ago. This room was chosed for visibility and protection from the dog. The blue lights are a new addition. My son wanted to add the blue, I like it because it reminds me of my Grandmother. She always had all blue lights.





There is a "picture window" still intact and I can enjoy the tree from my chair. We put lights in the living room and in the dark is my sofa with a Christmas quilt on it.






Here is my little village my sister painted for me. I love the little battery operated tealights. They are a great invention. She also made the snowman. Ahh, all this has helped my get into the spirit of Christmas and shake off the Sunday pm doldrums. (And work was horrible today.)



By the way, there is another 12 inches of snow in the forecast for the next two days. We need to shovel the roof soon, the weight gets to be too much. Sigh, I think it is going to be a long winter.



I completed the light handquilting for the Calendar quilt 1. I plan to give this to a friend for Christmas. I will work on the Sister's choice next. My problem is that is a flannel top and I had a hard time hand quilting the last flannel top I made. I may jump in and try to use my machine to quilt it. It would be the biggest project ever for my machine experience. Deep breath, I think I will take the plunge.

Sunday Nights are so depressing!

I have the "I really don't want to go to work" thing going about tomorrow. I did get my tree up today and some of the decorations around the house. I have one more block to quilt and I will be ready to bind the Calendar quilt 1. At least we had the sun out for several hours today, it felt so good.

Snow Day for the kids!

We have feet of snow that has fallen on us this week. Yes, I am going to work. Good weekend to finish a quilt. I am going the hockey game tonight if it isn't cancelled.

Forecast: 12-24 inches of snow by Friday am

Enough said.