What 2017 Brings. . .

I'm not sure what will be in store for me this year. 2016 was full of changes and surprises and I expect that 2017 will bring more of the same.

We are still homeschooling both kiddos. They seem to be thriving and enjoying the journey so far. Danger asked last night if we could homeschool him for college. My husband told him that probably wouldn't be an option but that he could live at home for college if he wanted. I love that at 6 he's already thinking that far ahead!! On the other hand, Chickadee is over thinking college. She's only 12 and yet manages to stress herself out trying to decide not only which college she will go to, but exactly what she plans to study when she gets there. We need to help her find a balance somewhere between sloth and panic.

Work-wise, I'm still a Realtor in my local area. It's been keeping me extra busy in my "spare" time. I even managed to get a few knitting commissions! People at work saw me knitting at my desk, wanted Christmas gifts, and were willing to pay a fair amount for the work. Working and knitting? Heaven!

My YOTH (year of the hat) 2016 is over. I made 10 hats and 2 pairs of mittens before Christmas. In between I made another Lady Eleanor and a split brim hat for Danger. Not bad for this busy Mama.

In 2017 my plan is to use up the sock yarn I have hoarded over the years. You know, the "good" stuff. There's some "just okay" yarn in there too, I'm sure. Obviously my first choice is to knit socks. Any leftovers will make preemie hats. And leftovers after that are going to make some linen stitch scarves. I really love the way linen stitch looks.

I have some sewing goals as well. Unfortunately my time to sew is limited. Having a "real" job is eating my days! I'm sure I'll manage to make some room in the schedule somewhere though. I'll keep you updated. . .

~A

YOTH #2

So, my last post was awhile ago.  That's about all I'm going to say about that.

Anyhow, last year I had a great time making a list of all the small projects I can make to use up the bits of yarn I'm not so secretly hoarding.  There are still a ton of things on my list that I haven't gotten to yet and that I still want to knit.  So here goes Year of the Hat #2.  I cast on my first hat last night and finished it up this morning.

Here it is:

The yarn is The Fibre Company Tundra (Alpine) and the pattern is "Betsy" by Jane Richmond.  I love the way it turned out.  It looks so ready for fall!   My plan it to make another hat using the same pattern and yarn but in a different color, Glacier this time.

Both hats will be adorned with faux fur pom-poms for that extra chic look.  And because I hear it's cool these days. Even if I am not.

This is my list for YOTH 2016:

Fallberry Mitts by Anne Hanson
Latu by Meiju K-P
Close cables hat / Tett i flett-lue by Anna & Heidi Pickles
Snowtracks Cap by Timothy Peters
KitKat Hat by Andre Sue
Cable Rouge by Marisa Hernandez
Pome by Agata Smektala
Spring Beret by Natalie Larson
Claudia by MJ Kim
Lina by Johanna of Joko Knits
Double Rib Toddler Hat by Torunn Espe
Foliage by Emilee Mooney
Zig Zag Chevron Hat by Ashlee Schleicher
Noro spiral one-skein hat by Manuel Ducret
mont-royal by tshep
Herriot Hat by Nicole Montgomery
Sitka Spruce by tincanknits
Wintered Wheat Mitts by Melissa Schaschwary
Beeswax hat by Amy van de Laar

Looks like I better get knitting!!

~A

YOTH

Lately I've been in a clearing out mood.  Too much stuff, not enough storage, you know how it is.  So I made a decision, any yarn or fabric left in my possession after Christmas of 2016 is to be destashed by February of 2017, anything left after that will be donated.

This timeline gives me plenty of time to make the things I really truly want to make and the opportunity to clear out the things I haven't and won't use.  As I type I can see fabric that I've had in my stash for at least 10 years.  If I haven't used it by now, chances are I'm probably not going to. No matter how much I "love" it.

At first, I was going to limit my purge to fabric, but I was looking for a baby hat pattern on Ravelry the other day and I saw so many delightful hat patterns.  Most of them were free too!  It was one of those "Aha!" moments.  I started queuing all of the hat (and some mitt) patterns I liked. My plan is to start with the first one in my queue and work my way down. My rules are: go in order, make at least one hat per week, and only use yarn from my stash. I'm calling it "Year of the Hat" or YOTH for short. And Yoth is fun to say. Try it, you'll see. Yoth.

What will I do with 1,000,000 hats?  Good question! Chickadee has already claimed several. But since she only needs so many hats, I'm going to let the kids "shop" in the forthcoming hat bin for Christmas gifts (surprise relatives and friends!). The rest will go to a local charity.

My first hat is already done!

"Barley" was a swift little beauty.  Of course I made the mistake of not reading the whole pattern, so there's a rather large mistake. I ended up with a purl section instead of a garter section, but the hat is still attractive, so I'm going with it. Next up, Antler hat. Time for some stash diving. . .

Anyone else up for some major hat making for YOTH? 

Orange Binding

I must really like orange binding.  I finally finished my Cheer quilt from {insert random mumbling here} with orange binding and I bought this orange fabric to finish another Cheer quilt.  

It feels good to finally have a completely finished quilt to send off.  I'm looking forward to getting the others done very, very soon, so that I can move on to other projects, guilt free. What other projects you say?  One out of necessity, and one out of desperation. Desperation on so many levels.  

First, I pulled this fabric to make myself a new wallet.

 It's classic, summery, patriotic, and perfect.  My old wallet, which I loved, literally fell apart last week.  I was in denial about the sad shape it was in and I'm still in a little bit of denial that it's actually gone.

Second, I'm jumping on the bandwagon with Blue Elephant Stitches, and quilting through Simply Retro.  I was going to go with her first choice, Sunday Morning Quilts, which I already own, and my first choice, but I checked Simply Retro out at the library and fell in love.  My only rule is that I cannot buy any new fabric.  Not even when it's "necessary" to finish a quilt.  I HAVE to work from my stash only.  Even if it means that my quilt will not be "perfect".  I have so many lovely, and not so lovely, fabrics that I need to use up. I know that it will feel good to purge in such a delightful way.  I pulled these fabrics for the first quilt in the book, Swell:

I bought this set from a quilt shop that was going out of business a few years back. At the time, I "loved" this fabric. Now, not so much.  It's just too dark and not my style.  Of course I bought yards, and yards, and yards of it.  I'm hoping that one quilt will be sufficient to eat up all the yardage.  It might be a large quilt. . .

With all of this sewing going on, I'm starting to feel a wee bit better.  Let's hope I can keep it up, orange binding and all.

Living Joyfully

Live joyfully.  That's my mantra lately.  It's hard to actually do though.  Especially when everyone else seems so, not joyful.  Miserable actually.  Mama is unhappy living with us, the kids are stressed, and I feel like all the eggs keep falling out of my basket.  I'm barely holding it together here people. I am not naturally exuberant.  And yet. I'm trying to stay calm and cheerful.  I'm falling dreadfully short of the "joyful" that I'd like to be, but I feel like I have to balance the gloomy, spiteful, melancholy, self-pitying beast that comes out at our house sometimes.  

Wow, I'm such a downer today.  Sorry about that.  It feels good to vent just a little bit though.  Let's move on to actual joyful things, shall we?  First, THE LIST.  I'm feeling great about that.  The Wizard of Oz is over!!! Yay!! We all survived and nobody had to go on stage nekked, so it's basically win-win.  The difference between naked and nekked, you ask?  (You didn't but I'll tell you anyway.) Naked = no clothes.  Nekked = no clothes and you're up to something.  Yes, I do need a cup of coffee right now. Back to the list, revised of course.

1. February Bee Blocks  
2. March Bee Blocks  
3. Star quilt (just need to finish binding)  
4. Green quilt (top is done!)
 5. Shirts for my boys
6. Plus quilt (top is done!)
 7. Renae's quilt (needs to be quilted and bound)
8. April blocks and quilt
9. May blocks

I have about a zillion things to add, but I want to get through this particular list first.  Then, maybe Jolene over at Blue Elephant Stitches will be ready to start that quilt along. . .

Forward Progress

Phew!  I'm finally feeling like I'm on track again.  I managed to squeeze at least half a year's worth of sewing into a day.  It was so very therapeutic.  I still have a long way to go but at least I'm on the right road again :-).  Here's my updated list.

1. February Bee Blocks
2. March Bee Blocks
3. Star quilt (just need to finish binding)
4. Green quilt (top is done!)
5. Shirts for my boys
6. Poppy skirts (Wizard of Oz play)
7. Glenda dress (Wizard of Oz)
8. Munchkin shorts (Wizard of Oz)
9. Munchkin shirts (Wizard of Oz)
10. Plus quilt (top is done!)
11. Renae's quilt (needs to be quilted and bound)
12. April blocks and quilt

My February and March blocks are not only finished but actually in the mail and on their way!!  Look

Beautiful March blocks for Cheer!  I think I need these on my mantle permanently!

April Blocks

+ & X Quilt from last year

Plus quilt from October

 Oh, how I needed that day.  It was grey and rainy and the kids were busy cleaning their room.  CLEANING THEIR ROOM. Together.  Not fighting. Mama was napping, I think.  More likely she was watching T.V. in her room. It was blissful.  Spending a whole day sewing again.  Avoiding the chores that still need to be done.  Which I need to go and do now before our company comes in tonight.

Upheaval

Upheaved.  That's how I feel today.  I was already so busy and then Mama asked to move in.  How could I say no?  I think I underestimated how time consuming it would be to have her here.  And how demanding she would be.  She needs to have everything done RIGHT NOW.  It's getting better.  We're settling into our routines and getting used to living with each other.  Still.  It's been a more difficult adjustment than I expected.

 I have learned some things about myself so far in this new adventure: 1) I am (slightly) OCD, 2) I truly value my time alone, 3) I crave making things, 4) It is possible to (slightly) resent one of your favorite people. I'm sure that there are other lessons for me to learn here too.  Like patience and understanding, that I'm in desperate need of but that's a story for another day.

It hit me while browsing through some quilting magazines at the local bookstore.  It was like a wave of nostalgia from out of nowhere.  I realized that I missed sewing.  I miss the colors and creativity.  I miss it because my time to sew has been limited to absolutely zero lately.  Every spare minute is dedicated to keeping the house running, the bills paid, the kids clean, clothed, fed and schooled, and Mama.  I do manage to knit a tiny bit while the kids have their swim lessons or waiting at doctors' appointments but it's not enough to soothe my soul.  And boy, do I need some of that these days.

I realized in the past few weeks that to keep my sanity, I need to sew.  So, this week I am reclaiming some time for myself.  Mostly I'll be catching up on projects that have been marinating way too long and my bee blocks for the Cheer Circle.  So that I can (hopefully) stay on track, here is my master list of projects in order of priority.

1. February Bee Blocks
2. March Bee Blocks
3. Star quilt (just need to finish binding)
4. Green quilt
5. Shirts for my boys
6. Poppy skirts (Wizard of Oz play)
7. Glenda dress (Wizard of Oz)
8. Munchkin shorts (Wizard of Oz)
9. Munchkin shirts (Wizard of Oz)
10. Plus quilt
11. Renae's quilt (needs to be quilted and bound)
12. April blocks and quilt

That should at least get me caught up and feeling good again.  I'm hoping to get a great big chunk done this week.  Barring any other intrusions in my already overflowing schedule of course.

Easter Week

Easter week was so, so busy!  I actually managed to get a good bit done.  We even made it to the 6:30(AM!!) sunrise service at church.  Here's a little montage of our week, if you will.



I finished about a million acorns.  Okay, it was like 15.  But still.  That giant one counts for at least 10 right?



I made this Easter outfit for Chickadee.  The top is an Oliver and S pattern (Ice Cream Dress) and the shorts are from Brownie Goose on Etsy (Sailor Shorts).  Both patterns were fantastic, with easy instructions and they came together amazingly well.  For the shorts, I added pockets following this tutorial.  The only modification I made was to make the front of the shorts a little wider.  Best of all Chickadee *loved* it! 


Back detail.



Pocket trim.




I made the Staple dress for myself.  It looks great with the belt.  Without?  What do you think?



Yeah, not so much.




We made some Italian Easter bread.  I used a challah recipe from my "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" cookbook. (Thanks again Peggy!)  The eggs are a lovely, natural blue from a local farm.  Danger is putting on the egg wash.  Such a great helper!




And we grew our Easter grass.  It grew so fast!  It's actually still growing.  We're going to cut it soon for smoothies.  The kids and I had a great time growing our wheat grass and Chickadee even "homeschooled" a bit without knowing it, even though we're officially finished with our school year.  She was measuring five blades of grass a day and then averaging how tall it was and how much it was growing each day.  She is not a fan of math so the fact that she thought this was fun was truly worth it!  This is definitely a new tradition. I hope your Easter was as wonderful as mine was this year!

Spring!

Ah! The welcome sight, sounds and feels, of Spring!  So refreshing after that long, cold, bitter winter we're recovering from.  Of course, with Spring comes Easter.  Yay!  

This year, I'm trying to get away from plastic eggs, plastic grass, plastic baskets full of candy, and junk in general.  Hey, I grew up with all of that stuff and I turned out just fine.  This year I  just want something more. . .lasting. 

Of course it wouldn't be a proper Easter celebrations without baskets full of goodies.  I just had to figure out what I felt was "good".  Here's what I came up with.

First, the baskets.  These baskets are from a company in Africa, the proceeds go to help mothers raise their children and make a better life for themselves and their families.  They are called blessing baskets.  I got mine from Bella Luna Toys.



I like that the baskets are so vibrantly colorful, the swinging handles, and that they are so versatile.  I also like that at the bottom of each basket is the artist's name and assigned number.  The kids and I were able to go online and track our basket.  From when it was made to when it shipped to our house.  The kids thought that this was incredible!  

To fill the baskets, we're growing wheat grass in pots to nestle our goodies in.  That way, after Easter, maybe even long after Spring, we'll be able to "mow" our grass and use it in smoothies for some extra nutrition.  Two good things in one!

Next, I needed eggs.  Trying to abstain from the cheap, plastic, throw-away kind, I found painted wooden eggs on Etsy.  Mine are from a wonderful seller, The Indigo Forest.  She has lots of lovely Waldorf-inspired stuff.  



While I was there shopping, I also picked up some little felted geodes and a couple of play silks that the kids have already made good use of.  Everything came in it's own little muslin bag which was wonderful.  

 



This week, I'm working on making several little knitted acorns.  Ideally, I'd like to make at least a dozen or so for each child.  All different colors of course.  We'll see how many I actually get done.  I have two so far.  



Of course, I would be remiss to not include a chocolate bunny in everyone's basket.  Especially mine!  What great things are going in your Easter baskets this year?

Projects

Here is what I'm working on today.

A smattering of this. . .

A smittering of that. . .



Nestled in between schoolwork, house cleaning, lunch, and dinner, hopefully I can squeeze a few more hours of sewing in.   Right after the previously unscheduled bath Danger needs.  Right now. 

What a Quilt Wants

It has been such a joy to participate in the Cheer Circle of do. Good Stitches for the past two years.  I love seeing the creativity of the other quilters and stitchers in our group.  I just wanted to take a minute to share my Cheer quilt from October that I finally (almost) finished. I love the bright, random colors.

 

 



It took awhile to figure out how to quilt this one.  At first,  I thought I would do organic, straight(ish) lines.  But, the darn quilt wasn't cooperating.  Or maybe I wasn't cooperating with the quilt?  Whichever way it was going, it just wasn't working for me.  Or the quilt. 

What the quilt really wanted was to be hand stitched.  I balked.  Too time consuming.  Too aggravating. I have to buy more pearl cotton. Wait, shopping?  Okay, that one's not so bad.  But still. Hand stitching?

 






Really, I love hand stitching.  I love the rhythm of it, the meditative quality, the simple pleasure.  But. It does take more time than machine quilting. Still, the quilt was begging.  So, I finally caved.  In this case, it was totally worth it.  I am really, really happy with how this quilt turned out. Now, it's ready to be bound and sent off to Project Linus and into the hands of a totally deserving kid.

I'm so happy that April is my turn to quilt again!  These are my blocks so far:




So exciting! Those deep, saturated greens mixed with the low volume prints that are so versatile, just make me happy today.  The colors scream SPRING!.  And I am so ready for that.  

Thumbs

You never really think about your thumbs.  At least I didn't.  Turns out, they're pretty important.  Unfortunately, I learned how important when I couldn't use my right (dominant) thumb.  Let's just say it involved a tiny rotary cutter, a slip, my thumb, and four stitches.  I won't gross you out bore you with the gory details. 

So, there was no sewing, typing, dish washing, or any other fun (or not fun) thing involving the use of my thumb for awhile.  Fortunately my stitches were out a couple of weeks ago and I'm finally able to catch up.  Phew!

Just in time to get my bee blocks sent off to the March quilter from the Cheer group.  And in time to finish my Cheer quilt from awhile back.  I did get some lovely fabric in the mail to make my block.  Want a peek?  

From the top: 
  Mini Mustache in Black and White, Sprinkled in Morning, Suvi in White, Line Leaf in Khaki, Maison in Nite, Graph Paper Garden in Charcoal, Little Blomster in Mist, Pearl Bracelet in Taupe Pearlessence,

I've needed some low volume fabrics for quite awhile now and just haven't gotten around to ordering any.  I was searching for the perfect already-made bundle but it wasn't happening.  There are some lovely low volume bundles available, they just weren't calling my name, if you know what I mean.

  Then one day, I opened the home page over at Hawthorne Threads and there was an amazing group of low volume fabrics.  Ah! Perfection!  I ordered several half yard cuts and promptly made these blocks for my March assignment.  


 
Cute, right?  

April is my month and I'm so excited!!!  I've chosen to do the popular X & + quilt in fresh, springy greens.  Like so:





I can't wait to get all that happy mail.  I promise to share the goodness as they come in this time.  Until then, watch those thumbs. . .

Our Homeschool

Homeschooling is not what I expected to be doing.  Pretty much ever.  But, here we are in the thick of it.  Our journey so far has been hilly, rocky, tumultuous, scary, and wonderful.  This year has been a constant work in progress.  I'm trying to blend a classical education with a Waldorf philosophy. Don't laugh, it can be done.  Maybe not by me, but someone.

I recently started reading "Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children" by
Sharifa Oppenheimer.  It's the only parenting book that didn't make me feel like I am doing everything wrong.  It has been such a joy to read so far because it emphasizes what I've been doing in our home already. Especially the idea of having rhythms in your everyday routine.  That is definitely something that I've been striving for.    In this book Sharifa Oppenheimer illustrates how to raise young children within the framework of the Waldorf Philosophy. 

I became interested in Waldorf education back when my little Chickadee was, well, little. I really became hooked when I learned that they teach knitting in school.  First or second grade I believe.  That discovery led me, all these years later, to research some more (it had been awhile), mostly so that I could use some or all of this way of educating in our own homeschool. 

In the beginning of "Heaven on Earth" Oppenheimer suggests keeping a journal so that you can see progress as you journey through her ideas and suggestions, following the Waldorf tradition.  I plan to post here every Saturday in lieu of a handwritten journal.   I think it'll be fun.

Homeschool

Homeschooling with his busy box.

Early April Fools' Day?

Seriously people, this was the view from my back door on Tuesday. 

Isn't this March?  Springtime?  END of March even?  Why the face?  I can't believe that it's still cold enough for snow. At least I can look at my lovely pile of fabrics to cheer me up. 

Anna Maria Horner Voile, oh, so buttery soft!

See? Don't you feel better now too? 

At least the snow is all melted again today.  It's still frigid outside, but it's sunny and bright, reminding me that good days are coming.  Promise!

Working From Home

I am in love with fabric.  That's probably not news.  Lately I've been dreaming about making quilts with it.  Lots and lots of beautiful quilts.  There are so many wonderful new fabric lines that are calling my name.  But.  What has been taking up all of my time these days is my tiny little Etsy shop.

It started very slowly.  It took over two months before I had my first order, but suddenly I feel like it's exploding.  Well, if you can call a few orders a week exploding.  I feel like it's busy because my stock is so low in the shop and my sewing time is so limited nowadays. I've also been selling outside of Etsy which is wonderful.  

Of course, it's not just the making that makes running an Etsy shop so busy.  As any small business owner can tell you it's the paperwork, the bookkeeping, the marketing, the ordering and setting up that eats away at your day.  Combined with working from home (while homeschooling), it can be pretty crazy around here.  And I tend to feel a bit overwhelmed a good bit of the time.  I feel like I'm always behind on something, the housework is neglected more often, the laundry piles up, schoolwork needs to be done and graded, and there is never enough time to sew.  Or take a break.  Although sewing would be a break....

All in all, I feel lucky to be able to have a little shop while still at home with the kids.  As a former owner of a brick and mortar yarn shop, I can say that there's certainly less commitment and less risk with an online store.  There's virtually no overhead cost.  We have to pay the rent anyway.  I already had all the equipment that I need.  My only start-up costs were the initial Etsy fees and a few supplies.  Not too bad for a burgeoning business. 

So, what am I making these days to sell?  My original goal was and still is, to sell quilty things,  quilts of all sizes, pillows, maybe some cute little dresses.  What I'm actually selling is g-tube covers and belly bands.  These are not things I ever thought about making.  Heck, I didn't even know what those were until my sister-in-law asked if I could make them for my niece.  Here, take a look.







My aim is to make something that is comfortable, useful and beautiful for the people who need them. I only sell the things I have already made.  I will take special orders, but I don't want to run my shop that way.  It's much less stressful for me to just package up an order and drop it in the mail that it would be for me to struggle to find time to sew on busy days or during especially hectic weeks.  I like this flexibility.  

The income isn't great.  I'm still at the point where every dollar I make goes back into the business.  I'll never get rich with this Etsy store or buy a fancy house.  Eventually, I am hopeful that I can bring in a little extra for my family.  Maybe save up for that trip to Paris for Chickadee's 16th birthday, still far enough away that it's not terrifying.  And between now and then, if I can make things that help out just a bit, that's pretty satisfying.

~A

Sooo. . .

Finally!  I finally got a new card reader for the new camera.  Now I can share all of the crafty things!  Yay!

This post is picture heavy, so prepare yourself.  Seriously.  Go get a cup of coffee, tea, wine whatever and settle in.

Okay, ready?

H's Monster

C's Monster


R's Hat


Chickadee's Hat


Gnome Houses.


I's Duffers.


A's Bitty Bump Sweater.



S's Camo Hat.

All of these gifts were made between Thanksgiving and New Year's.  YIKES!  That was some crazy knitting time.  There are a few things that aren't here yet but only because I haven't had time to take more pictures.  

Thanks for spending some time with me today.  I hope that your holidays were simply wonderful, and wonderfully simple.

~A

Handmade Christmas

Every year I make a list of Christmas gifts to give, full of wonderful handmade things.  I make this list thinking that time will magically stop around December 1st and only restart when my projects are all done.  Right.  I think you know how the rest of this story goes.  You would think that I would learn my lesson.  Nope.  What can I say, I'm pretty stubborn.  One of these years my plan will work.  Maybe even this year. . .except for, you know, that whole part about time stopping.

I've been working diligently on my handmade gifts this year and I think that I just might have everything accomplished by December 24th.  I wanted to start posting my progress so that I can have a more visual of what I have done and what needs to be done.  

 First the lists:

Chickadee: 
Doll clothes
Animal families (owls, mice, hedgehogs)
Felted tree house
Tiny hammock
Sewing kit (pincushion, needle wallet, fancy pins)

Danger:
 Knit monster
Knit octopus
 Tiny felted village
Animal families (hedgehogs, gnomes)
 Matching game
 Pillow
Juice
Candy

Hubbo: 
Knit socks
 Pillow
 Hankies

Everyone Else: (in no particular order)
 Norway Hat (R.S.)
Wallet (4)
Slippers (2)
Kitchen Set (3)
Monster (3)
Hat (4)
Fish Wind Chime (3)
Scarf (3) (1)
Covers/Belly Band 
Dress (1)
Pajamas (1)


Wow, it looks like I have plenty to finish. . .  Luckily, I have some of the things not crossed of in various stages of completion.  Not all of them, but hopefully enough.  I'll start posting pictures of the finished products soon!

Wish me luck getting my list done, and good luck to you on yours!!

~A

Goals

At the beginning of 2013 I made a list of goals that I hoped to accomplish this year.  I know that it's not quite the end of the year yet but I already have a new set of goals for 2014.  First, I wanted to revisit the old list to see what worked out and what didn't.

 #1. Blog better.  I want to be more consistent, have better content and a snappier look. - Umm, since this is my first post in some number of months, I'll call this one a fail. . .

#2. Make more!!  This means that I want to sew every day.  Even if it's only for a few minutes. - This I actually did, even if I didn't blog about it.

 

#3. Design more!  I have tons of ideas floating around, it's time to not only put them down on paper but to make them as well. - A wash.  I did manage to put loads of ideas on paper, now I just have to make them.

 

#4. Submit at least one project to a magazine. - Nope.

 

#5. Open an Etsy shop.  I'm a little bit terrified of this one. . . -  Yay!  I did it!  My shop is The Peppered Goat on Etsy.  I think it looks really cute!  And I'm so excited that I accomplished this goal.

#6. Get in shape. - Another win.  Kind of.  I started running at our new gym.  They have an awesome daycare so I don't feel guilty about dropping the kiddos off.  I usually run when Chickadee is at her Homeschool Gym Class.  Yes, we are official homeschoolers this year.  YIKES!!

#7. Be Debt Free. This year I'll be on a strict fabric and yarn diet as I try to follow Dave Ramsey's plan and to be completely debt free.  - I can't call this a failure because we're still mostly on track.  We're just not all the way there yet.

 

#8. Sell the house. We're moving again, this time up to Virginia.  So, I'll be working like crazy to get the house ready to sell.  Wish me luck! - Nope.  We still own our house in NC.  We had a renter for a couple of months but now, not so much.  

The New List:

 

#1. Blog more and blog better. For realsies this time.

#2. Make more.  Sew all the time.

#3. Sell some things in my Etsy shop.  Now that it's open it's time to make some sales!

#4.  Open a second Etsy shop.  Since the first one was so fun.

#5. Submit at least one project to a magazine.  

#6. Make my own deadlines and stick to them. I'm hoping that by blogging more, I will be more accountable.

#7. Be debt free.  

#8. Be more organized.

 

Can you tell that I'm already looking forward to the new year?  And just because I feel like every post needs a picture, here is a picture of the first thing I listed in my Etsy shop.  A rainbow minky quilt.  I love it!

 

  ~A

Happy Birthday

To me! Not only is it my birthday today, but I was also chosen as a finalist in Rachel's latest mosaic contest, Sweet Contrary. Here is my entry: 

What do you think? I think you should go vote for me, it is my birthday after all ;-). Even though I totally voted for myself, there is a mosaic I like better.  I won't tell you which one until the voting is closed.  I mean, we're talking about free fabric here.  Free fabric is amazing any day!  

I'm off to make some scrumptious strawberry cupcakes for myself.  Maybe I'll remember to take a picture or two before they're gone. . .

~A

Oopsie

I totally forgot to link up with Rachel's Scrap Attack yesterday!  That's what finally motivated me to take this project from drawing to actual, real live quilt.  That and finally figuring out how to start it.  Even when I had it sorted out in my head, I was still skeptical.  But it's working out. So far.




Here's my official link up button.