Border makes it better!

     After dragging the top to the local quilt store, I chose a border fabric. After cutting and sewing it on, it makes a huge improvement to the overall look of the small Lemoyne star quilt. I think the yellow and the made fabric look stronger. Glad I persevered.

Grand Illusion in the Box!

    After considerable hours of sewing (on the Singer 15-91 and Featherweight) and cutting and mild curses, all of the Grand Illusion pieces are ready for assembling. This box represents so much time. As the clues went on, I did improve in the triangle piecing and cutting. The Easy Angle ruler really did help. I think it is so much more precise that sewing the diagonals on a square and cutting in half. It took some practice. Clue 4 looks a lot better than the earlier triangles. Unfortunately, they are all going in the same quilt.
    I assembled one block to see how the other 24 will look. The only cutting yet is the 2" yellow border. I can't yet preview how the border will look. I am amazed that I am this far. I do love the colors and use of scraps.

It is all in there, the whole top

The first block laid out

Small Lemoyne top done, hmmm?

Does it need more or not?

     I have had this on the design wall for a while. I have used leftover scraps for made fabric for the star and blocks that were given to me. If I try and add more around the edges, the star and checkerboard get lost. It is about 52 x 54.

In with the new goals!

      New Year, New Goals here it goes:
1.   Comfort Quilts. Aim for one done per month and given away. Find a quicker way to get names of recipients. Get 2 more people involved in making them with me.
2.   Art quilts: Larger landscapes, denim landscapes, find good non-fusible methods to construct.
3.   Blog minimum three times per week. Get more readers, possibly linking to other bloggers.
4.   Watch Angela Walters Craftsy videos, other on line videos to improve my Free motion skills. Practice, practice.
5.   Paper piecing: finish Sea Urchin, buy fabric and make Art Deco pattern.
6.   Finish Mystery Quilts: from guild and Grand Illusion.
7.   Go to AQS Paducah in April. Bus trip booked. AQS Syracuse in July.
8.   Three quilt retreats. One booked in March, find 2 more.
9.   Find opportunities to teach others quilting, machine maintenance even as a freebie.
10. Equipment:
      Research, try and buy a long arm due to neck issues. Sell/trade Bailey.
      Continue to reorganize fabric/scraps. Look for better storage containers.
      New ironing board cover.
11. Fabric: fill out colors yellow, blues, greens, blacks, and reds.
12. Learn 2 new techniques.
13. Sew 4 purses.
14. Continue to make minimum 2 leader/ender, scrap quilts
15. Quilt all tops in closet.
16. Treadle Quilt challenges: Modern Twigs and Rectangle Island
17. Serve my Guild
18. Keep Machines serviced. Rescue/clean other people's machines.
19. Take 2 classes. I have found none yet.
     

Keeping track

    I have posted before how I try to document what I am doing. I do this, not because I love paperwork, but want to know where I am and what I have finished.
   All my info is kept in a three ring binder. I have a log I invented and just recently updated so it would be easier to keep and get info from. If anyone wants a log sheet, just let me know and I will send you the Word file. Why start from scratch? 
   Red dots mean the quilt is completed. Just a few sample pages are shown. After I do the log, I list particulars on notebook paper so I can figure out what needs doing at a glance. I like to do backing in groups as so much fabric has to be dragged out and auditioned. I also do bindings in group and cutting. When I get bright ideas of what I want to work on, I write them down, or they get lost in my mind. All of this is in one notebook, right on my shelf near my machines and cutting area.

Revised style

Blank log sheet

When these get too filled up and messy, I rewrite them on a fresh sheet

How about those goals?

     People thought I was nuts last year when I made 21 goals for 2014. My husband and I make goals every year together for ourselves, things together, financial and house projects. We take a couple of days to do this. My husband saves all the goals which we write on yellow paper and keep in separate file folders. This year, we did not accomplish what we decided was most important. I think because we were not specific enough and did not write down how we were going to do this and what strategies. We go away for a few days between Christmas and New Years and work on this over coffee. We usually go to Niagara on the Lake which is so peaceful and gorgeous. 

Just staring out at the Lake helps refocus and reflection

Great Skies

Shot through the window at Harbour House.
Knew I could not make it outside in time.

Past goals for 2014:
1.   Make more comfort quilts. I would like at least one complete with bag per
      month. Ideally, I would like to have others join me somehow.
     I continue to make and give quilts. I have a lot of unquilted tops. I buy the tote bags by the dozen. Only my mother is helping- she sews strips and all around squares that I cut and assemble into quilts. 
2.   Make a paper pieced quilt. 
     I started Sea Urchin by Judy Niemeyer. My friends, the twins, who are extradinary paper pieces taught me using the Charm Elements pack by Judy. I also helped with our guild's raffle quilt which is a paper pieced Karen Stone.
3.   Get a lot better at Free Motion Quilting. 
      I continue to get better. I use designs from Leah Day, the Inbox Jaunt, and am taking Craftsy classes with Angela Walters.
4.   Blog- regularly with information to help others along. Gain more readers.
     I would like to be consistent at least 3 times a week. I did get a lot of readers once based on a Giveaway link from Vicki Welsh. I have 15 followers which is up.
5.   Attend quilt retreats
     I went on retreats in February, May, and November.
6.   Take at least 4 classes.
     One block wonder with Cathy from my guild, Hudson Valley Art workshop with Rayna Gillman, QBL, Bonnie Hunter Crumbs class in September, and a Scraps class with Lynn Roddy Brown in Houston.
7.   Go to Houston for the International Quilt Festival in October.
    Done and totally overwhelmed. First time west of the Mississippi.
8.   Quilting by the Lake in July, class with Victoria Findlay Wolfe. Find a roomate.
     Was assigned a suite where I met Lynn Roddy Brown, Lisa Mason, and Encyclopedia Brown. Took 5 days of classs, met wonderful quilters and learned so much from Victoria.
9.   Teach people some quilt related skills, techniques.
     Did one workshop at my guild on the exploding squares. Was a guest blogger on Sarah Craig's blog. Want more opportunities 
10. Cut out, sew, quilt my daughter's choice of wedding quilt.
     All done, given on Christmas, at home on the bed in Meadville, PA
11. Equipment changes: one new large sewing table for machines, better lighting   (ceiling), better way to photo quilts, more fabric organization (did some scrap organization recently- photos to come), treadle cabinet refinish and machine installed, new large cutting mat.
      Bought a Bailey Home Quilter for the sewing table in May, new ceiling lighting. two Jansko lamps from Ikea, started using Bonnie Hunter's scrap saving system, refinished the treadle cabinet- just needs assembling as I can't figure out the spring mechanism, got a Martelli mat for my Christmas present, got a Featherweight for Christmas
12. More fabric- scraps, batiks, strips
    Did my share of shopping and lots of scraps and fabric donated to me for comfort quilts. Need to do more to keep on top of this and be better organized.
13. Serve my guild.
    Did a workshop, demo, worked on raffle quilt, worked on comfort quilts
14. Learn at least 3 new techniques.
     One block wonder, y seams, Lemoyne star, using Companion Angle, Easy Angle, Shape Plus cutter, paper piecing, made fabric
15. Sew purses/tote bags. I did a few, but want to expand.
     Only two
16. Do denim art quilts. One started on design wall.
     Need to cut the foam board to mount the backing and for pinning. Experimented with liquid thread instead of fusible. Learned some techniques from Grace Errea on the Quilt show. Got more denim. Pinned lots of denim ideas.
17. Make more scrap quilts.
    Lots more exploding squares, made fabric, Good Night Irene, strip quilts, Lemoyne Star, leader-enders
18. Do a challenge.
    Doing a guild mystery quilt, Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion, Vicki Welsh's HST challenge
19. Treadle more.
    Some, for made fabric, need to do more.
20. Do more art quilts- incorporate fibers, landscapes.
    Only managed a few small ones and ones for cards. Need to figure out how to make larger without fusible interfacing.
21. Keep my machines maintained and help others with vintage ones. 
   All machines are up to snuff. I cleaned/fixed two 66, a 401, a 301, an old Kenmore, two Whites, and my husband's grandmother's Red Eye treadle.

     Now, I need to list my goals for 2015. I think the more specific I am and try to say how I plan to do them, the better the odds at achieving them. 

Surprise presents!

   This year, I received two surprise gifts. One was from quilter that i correspond with online whom I have never met, but enjoyed friendship with her. She sent me a pincushion that is just super and practical and fun!

Just Adorable!!!!

     The second present, a total shock, even though he supports my sewing machine, um, habit, was totally unbelievable by my husband. He pulled this off with no help or hint. He had bought me a Martelli mat that I had to wait for till Christmas, but this was not in a Martelli mat box!

This is not yet polished or serviced. I did it this afternoon, but did not photo it yet. After fixing others, I have my own!!

Pretty amazing shape!!!