Weekly Progress - Goodbye 2012

Ah, the end of another year. 2012...wasn't a bad year, but with my husband deployed or away in training for deployment for nine months of it, it wasn't a great one. It was more of a waiting year.

Some highlights:

Accepting a referral for our Korean son!

Three Disney Half Marathon medals, and one Route 66 medal

15 finished quilts - four of which were commissioned

2013 will be the opposite, and I'm looking forward to everything that has managed to cram itself into the coming year. It'll be crazy!

In progress this week

I complained about my sister wanting her book back last week. My mother should play poker, because she let me rush through some blocks without letting on that my sister got me the book for Christmas. Back on the back burner!

{UFO Challenge} After Christmas was cleaned up and the guests went home, I finished up some projects just so I could claim I finished some UFOs this year. Blue Bowties is done!

Sunkissed Jewel Box is done! But as it's snowing raining, it will have to wait for better light for pictures and a post.

{Design Wall} No change. Seriously. The wreath is even still there.

{Fifteen Minute Challenge} In a quest to start cleaning instead of just organizing what I have, I sorted through the scraps leftover from my t-shirt quilts. Let's face it - I'm not going to use them.

One of our local charities takes stained/ripped clothes for rags, so they're getting two garbage bags full. I saved a small rainbow in case I need to make running shirt logo/costume.

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
UFO Sunday @ the Free Motion Quilting Project 
Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 
BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 
Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story 
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Fourth Quarter Finishes

Even with a final push in these last few days, the Fourth Quarter/100 Day Hustle wasn't my best showing.

Bad Romance / Striped HST Spiral / Blue Bowties / PEO Wallhanging {never took a photo} / Sunkissed Jewel Box {post coming soon}

I started with 18 tops, and finished five. And added another top. And another that just needs borders.

To be fair, I also made three commissioned t-shirt quilts, finished piecing and completed a Saturday Sampler, made a Halloween costume and some doll dresses, and gifted a couple wall hangings and pillows.

But quilting the already-finished-tops? Not so much progress.

I'm tackling Fall-gyle now, so there's a chance of one more finish for the year, but since I don't have binding plans for it, it's not very likely. Especially since I'll need to take a nap tomorrow so I can stay awake until midnight.

Linked:
Finish-Along @ Quilter in the Gap
100 Day Hustle @ Kelsey Sews

Blue Bowties - Finished!

I decided to dedicate the last few days of 2012 to UFOs, since I neglected them in the Christmas sewing crunch time.

First up was Blue Bowties, which had binding prepped and ready to go. Easy peasy, right?

Yeah...

A while back, I had a conversation about my sucky corners with one of my LQS employees. She asked what size binding I used. I said I used to use 2.5", but now I use 2.25". She asked if all my problems date back to the size change. Uh, yes. She gave me a look like she would smack me in the back of my head if she were my mother, and I went back to 2.5" without any corner issues.

Except apparently I forgot all this and cut this binding at 2.25". I don't even know why - I had plenty of fabric.

So I had it machine sewn to the back and was sewing it to the front, made it halfway and decided I hated the corners so very much that I couldn't continue. Ripped it all off. Sewed it back on with a 1/4" seam instead of 3/8" seam.

Much better!

But then I was racing daylight for pictures, for a quilt that only needed binding and washing! Sigh.

Details

Fabric: Symphony of Blues from Connecting Threads & Kona Snow

Backing: blue flannel

Binding: Promenade by Andover Fabrics

Size: 36" square

Block Pattern: Charm Square Bowties by Sew Many Ways {reversed}

Quilted - straight echo by me

Quilt will be for sale on my Facebook Page once I get it over there.

Linked:
Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIFF @ Sparrow in Flight
Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts
Link A Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya Quilts

Weekly Progress - Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

This week was all about finishing up the doll dresses and mailing my boxes to the East Coast, then relaxing for a moment before cleaning the house.

A pile of dresses for my nieces.

{Beacon Lights / Broken Star}

My mother was sent to my house with specific instructions to rescue my sister's block book. So, if I finish three of these every day until they leave...or slash their tires...

Made a couple of these as leaders/enders.

Design Wall only has one addition in the past two weeks.

Still slacking on the UFO challenge.

Not slacking on the 15 Minute Challenge! After everything was sewn, I tackled the sewing room in little spurts - sorting the pattern pieces back into their proper places, clearing off the cutting table, and cleaning up scraps.

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
UFO Sunday @ the Free Motion Quilting Project 
Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 
BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 
Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story 
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

New-FOs 2013

Well, now that Christmas is mailed off to the East Coast, I can take a breather and start thinking about next year.

You know, the year in which we move. The year in which we bring the Little Man home. The year in which I have 3-4 half marathons planned in less than 90 days. The year I need to be the most awesome maid of honor at my sister's wedding.

Apparently I will have time to sew, too.

So, completely ignoring the pile of tops that are STILL waiting to be quilted, and the couple of commissioned projects...

New projects I'd like to start:

Double Hourglass with California Girl

Cat quilt with reproduction fabrics, modified so there are no partial cats

Spin Cycle with my Bonnie and Camille stash

The wreath quilt on the cover of this magazine, originally spotted on Sweet P's blog. Santa shops eBay for stocking stuffers.

A patriotic Lone Star

Spin City Schnibbles with Pez - I made a test block, but I still count it as a New-FO because it was just one block and it's not even sewn together completely...

So that's six - manageable  and I'm sure there will be things added to the list as the year goes on!

Linked:
Cat Patches New-FO Challenge

Weekly Progress - Doll Dresses

Quilter's Corner, a Connecticut quilt shop, is collecting pillowcases for the surviving children at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton. The tube method is super easy and I know I'll be making a couple.

As for sewing this week, it's been doll dresses, all day, every day. {Next year, I swear, I'm making one a month! Seriously! Okay, not really.}

This is my new model, Vivienne.

Two Cinderella dresses. Lamé is lame. These still need their velcro so they will fit better, and headband.

 Purple party dress.

Pink party dress. I need to find my scraps and make a fabric flower from the pink to cover the seam in the bow.

I still have a blue dress cut out that I need to sew, and a cowboy skirt and vest to make, and a leotard and tutu. Hopefully will get all that done today so I can mail off Christmas tomorrow!

Finished!

{Design Wall} No change, no new blocks.

Still insanely slacking on the UFO Challenge and Fifteen Minute Challenge. I've been doing a quick five minute clean-up every day before I start sewing, just to keep the cutting table semi-free of clutter, but that's it. 

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
UFO Sunday @ the Free Motion Quilting Project 
Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 
BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 
Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story 
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Saturday Sampler Quilt - Finished!

This might be my longest in-progress quilt! I don't really want to look to figure it out, so we'll call it that.

My local quilt store does two Saturday Sampler quilts every year - pieced and applique. Basically, you buy the pattern and get every block free as long as you show up for the monthly demonstration. I wasn't a big fan of the fabric, but I like free, so I signed up in January 2011.

Some of the blocks gave me headaches, but I learned super-accurate piecing with all the bits in each one!

I bought the panel with the fabric line instead of the finishing kit and made it my own, placing everything on point around the center medallion from the original pattern. {The cat also put his special stamp on it.}

I did not, ahem, intend for the words to face in and out on the medallion. I discovered the error too late to contemplate swapping it, though.

I adore all the cream. Obviously not appropriate for my house, with the kid and the black cat. But it's going to my mother-in-law so I think she can manage to keep it clean!

The binding is piped, via this method. I love how it looks...hate the process of making the piping...attaching it to the binding...all before the normal binding!

And now I have to figure out what to do with the scraps and leftovers! {I'm kidding. Tons of 1.5" strips in there. Obviously a log cabin!}

Size: 64" square
Fabric: Wildflower Rhapsody by Timeless Treasures
Pattern: BOM by Wing and a Prayer {and me!}
Quilted by Paula

Linked:
Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIFF @ Quilt Matters
Link A Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya Quilts

Weekly Progress - In Threes

Three finishes, three blocks.

Finished wall hangings/pillow cover

{Morning Star / Memory / Prairie Flower}
Three blocks for my 2012 Saturday Sampler. I love this set very much - bright and the added bonus of near-perfect seams.

 

They are now part of my Design Wall for the week. I have no idea how I'm going to finish this one. The pattern has an applique center medallion, which I don't like in the solids. But I have nine more blocks to make before I really need to figure something out.

I did nothing on my UFO Challenge and Fifteen Minute Challenge {Organization} this week. Too busy trying to get everything together for Christmas and mailing.

This week, I need to tackle doll dresses and bind last year's Saturday Sampler, so I can be done with Christmas. And then it's baking time! And cleaning my house before my parents come time!

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
UFO Sunday @ the Free Motion Quilting Project 
Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 
BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 
Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story 
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Giveaway Winner!

Um, wow. I wasn't expecting over 350 comments. Y'all must like the Beatles. Or Millie's Closet.

To drag this out...

Seventy-five different Beatles songs were mentioned.

{And yet six of you? Couldn't even find one you liked.}

"Hey Jude" won, hands down, with 76 mentions.

"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" came in second with 41.

"Eleanor Rigby" came in third with 24.

{Though it was close with 23 mentions of "Yellow Submarine." Which the majority of you blamed on your children. Or me for getting it in your head. You're welcome.}

Only one of you likes my favorite, "Across the Universe." Monica is obviously the most awesome person ever.

And the winner...

Judy - obviously a "Hey Jude" fan - of Sew, Rip, Repeat!

Congratulations, I'm shooting you an email!

Oh, and so you can start brushing up now - next giveaway will be your favorite Queen song. "None" will not be an acceptable answer.

Decorations for Christmas

{There's still time to enter my giveaway! Technically it ends tonight, but I'll be out, so you might have until tomorrow morning...}

Polished off three wall hangings/pillow covers this week!

The first is for my mother. It's made with tri-recs - well, the recs part, at least. I have little lights {found in the doll house section of your local craft store} but I'm debating if they're needed.

The Grinch made it in!

20x26", made from 3" finished recs

Second was originally a wall hanging, but thanks to a binding mishap, quickly became a pillow. And I do mean quickly. It is still wet in this picture, and it was still wet when I took it to the gift exchange. Luckily the friend who went home with it is also a crafter, so she understand the inability to make deadlines.

16x16", made from 2" finished HSTs

A wall hanging for my husband's deployment room. There's an PG-13 story that goes with it, but I'll refrain from sharing it. You're welcome.

24x34", made from 2" finished squares

{What? You don't have a WDW monorail as your Christmas tree train?}

And I still haven't made a dent in the Christmas scrap bin.

Linked:
Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIFF @ Quokka Quilts
Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts
Link A Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya Quilts
Friday Finishes @ Smiles Are Contagious
Deck the Halls @ Dreaming in Patchwork

Giveaway Day!

Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering!

Welcome!

The short summary {because I know you just want to get to the giveaway...}

My name is Kate. My dad calls me Katie Mae.

I have two sons - the Dude, who is in second grade, and the Little Man, who is still in Korea. We are bringing him home this spring.

My husband is currently enjoying an all expenses paid vacation to an undisclosed location.

I have two cats. One is very fat and lazy. The other is very annoying, which means he is involved in my sewing as much as he possibly can be.

When I am sewing, I finish tops. And then let them sit foreeeeeeeever instead of quilting them. The links at the top have some of my finishes. The links on the side go to my Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

When I'm not sewing, I'm running. I ran three half marathons this year, and next year, I'm going for three in 83 days in order to qualify for the Half Fanatics.

And finally, the giveaway!

A layer cake of Millie's Closet by Lori Holt/Bee in My Bonnet {Riley Blake}

If you want it, you'll have to work for it. I want to know your favorite Beatles song. If you don't have one, you don't deserve to win. No judgment - but if your favorite is "Yellow Submarine" - you are my son and not eligible to win.

Winner will be selected Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. CST, by Mr. Random.

Don't be no-reply. It's annoying. Make sure I can contact you.

International entries welcome!

Weekly Progress - Wall Hangings

Giveaway Day post up next!

{Binding} Just about all my sewing this week has been on three Christmas wall hangings - one for my mother, one for my husband, and one for my squadron spouse social.

{Design Wall} Tree #2

{Finished} pillowcases for the husband and a friend

{In Progress} pretty little party dress

{UFO Busting} Finished the quilting on Blue Bowties and prepped the binding.

{Fifteen Minute Challenge - Organization} I very dedicatedly did my 15 minutes this week, and most of the flat surfaces are cleaned up. And just in time to start the full-on Christmas decorating! I need to remember to keep up with the 15 minutes! I'm so much more organized when I'm...organized. Shocking.

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
UFO Sunday @ the Free Motion Quilting Project

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Random Sewing, Random Running

Sewing

Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day is coming! Lucky you - I'm cleaning up my sewing shelves and there will be something good.

I spent a little time this week making burp rags. They'll be listed on my Facebook page because I'm too lazy to deal with Etsy right now. Of course, OSU went and lost the Bedlam game, so I need to get moving on the OU ones.

My sister knit these for me. No, I don't know the pattern or the yarn shop {sister may need to comment!} - but I do know these are Wash socks. Not only that - they are "Curse your sudden yet inevitable betrayal!" Wash socks. Which is one of my all-time favorite show quotes EVER.

Which actually leads right into...

Running

...because I have been known to yell "I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar!" during races.

Immediately after I finished the Route 66 Half, I sent a nasty text about the thought of a full to my running buddy. And I do mean immediately after, as I sat in the med tent with a bag of ice on my leg, as the nurse yelled at me for texting instead of holding the bag of ice.

Apparently I've forgotten all about that in two weeks, because this race report makes me want to do the Route 66 Full. Again. Even with the actual knowledge of the hills. I didn't get beer or Jello shots! I didn't get to see the Route 66 sign! {I did see the "free hug" girl, but sadly didn't hug her.}

I started training again for my next half, the first of Bling Quest 2013. Current word is the babysitter will be returning in time for the Hero-thon in San Antonio, and if he doesn't, we have a bunch of friends down there with whom I can abandon the Dude. Plus, BBQ! The Alamo! BBQ! The Riverwalk! BBQ!

{Also, can I say what a relief it is to finally get a semi-set end date? We heard everything between January-March...and the husband was once told before the holidays, which he wisely kept to himself. It will be much easier to get through the holidays with the end in sight.}

And speaking of the holidays... It's Runcember! And I'm totally breaking the first two rules of Runcember. Walk or run a mile every day in December. Come on, you know you can do it. My training plan has me running seven sprints on Christmas Day - surely the rest of y'all can manage one measly mile. ;)

Linked:
Really Random Thursday @ Live a Colorful Life

Weekly Progress - Thankful

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! 

We drove 16 hours to see some friends for Thanksgiving - totally worth it for the fried turkey and raiding her fabric scraps.

Since I was out of town, I didn't get as much done this week, but I did manage to check off a couple things.

Cut out another doll dress just so I could use the scraps in...

{Design Wall} - a Christmas tree wall hanging for my mother.

 {Finished} - the blocks of the Chunky Log Cabin. Next up, the border. And I'm not going to stop and let this thing sit again, especially since I have everything I need to finish it.

{UFO Busting} - Sunday, I actually sat down and worked on a real UFO! Basted the Blue Bowtie and quilted it up. I'm trying to decide if I want to go for a third line of echoing.

{Fifteen Minute Challenge} - not only did I do NO organizing this week - I made it worse by moving a sewing machine and piling everything on the floor there to make room for all this...

So I'm going to have to really dedicate myself to the Fifteen Minute Challenge this week to get everything put away properly so I can share my work space with Santa.

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

UFO Sunday @ the Free Motion Quilting Project

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced