Diversity! Books! YA!

Anyone who follows me on Goodreads knows that I'm a bit obsessed with Young Adult fiction.

Anyone who's a friend on Facebook - or IRL - knows how I feel about diversity & the richness of hearing different voices.

So check out this!

And check out this giveaway!

 

Here's the link: Diversity in YA Giveaway!

You're welcome.

xoxo
sash

Under my belt

Setting my goal for February I have 2 thoughts in mind.

1) Keep my hands, heart, and mind busy creating so I spend less time stressing, eating, & dithering.

2) Just keep creating - I'll get better!

Inspired by this video:

I'm going to stop worrying about designing the perfect quilt or finding the perfect fabric. I'm even trying to set aside the idea that I must make a quilt for everyone I know and that those quilts must be uniquely designed for them with lovely fabric only I would chose. Oy. It's no wonder I get STUCK and decide to fix a snack & watch quilting videos instead of sewing!!

So I'm going to SEW.

  

My goal for February is to complete a fun, simple quilt top from this layer cake:

Won't that be adorable?

Don't stress it.  Don't feel like I'm failing.  Just sew and create and have fun.

Then maybe the complex, creative, artistic, soul-stirring quilts will be able to bubble to the surface.

If not, I'll still be creating and having fun and DOING something.

So what's your February goal??

XO
sash

Starting out well!

So January hasn't been easy.
January certainly hasn't been smooth.
Doesn't matter.  I can't control that.
The reaction part though?
I have some input there and that's gone...pretty well actually.

I'm calling that a success.

My photography skills suck - but at least the picture's not sideways!
(purely luck) 

I'm 
calling 
this a 
success
too:

That is one completed quilt top!   Ready to sandwich!  I'm going to back it with minky, oversized so I can miter the corners and roll the fuzziness to the front for a faux binding.

I'm hoping to applique some little French Peas into the blank spaces in the center pieced section.

A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015 for the win!!!

Here's my January goal setting post: Dithering!
                &
Check out the other great finishes over here:ALYoF-2015

Sampler Blanket

Current Rectangle o' yarn

My rectangle knitting has become pretty good.  

Yep - I can crank out a rectangle - even one with a simple pattern - no problem.

So now what?

How many yarn rectangles does one person need?

Well - for this project, I will need 12 of them.

Started by Crafty Rie, this is a design-your-own sew along project.

I'm going for one large knitted block per month.  I'll pick one yarn type and then each month chose a pattern for that block.  When I'm through, we'll have a new afghan.  How fun is that?

I think I'll also do a quilt-as-you-go block each month.  I think it would be fun to use scraps generated that month to create each block.  That way I'd end up with a scrappy quilt that's also a bit of a memory quilt for the projects I did during the year.  I know that I have a couple on tap that will be fun to see reflected in that way, so that will be my 2nd sampler project for the year.

So it's still only January.  If you wanna join in, check out www.craftyrie.com!  Anyone can do one rectangle a month, right???

xoxo
sash

Dithering!!!!

Must set goal.

Must post it.

So much dithering!!!!

OK - I'm going to use this pile for inspiration:

Why do my pictures keep ending up upside down???

To turn this pile of Veggie Tales fabric:

Or tipped sideways?

Into a quilt top for a friend who could use a snuggle about now.

So my goal for January's Lovely Finish: Complete a Veggie Tales themed quilt top!

Now I just need to find my cutting table - it must be under this wrapping paper somewhere...

Check out all the January goals at A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015!

A Lovely Year to have FINISHED.

2014 was a challenge.

No.  Really.  Not my best work.  But I made it through & have high hopes for 2015!!!

I'm not going to recap what made the year so challenging.  Ick.  But I WILL recap my Lovely Year of Finishes for 2014!!!

I finished 6 (plus a December finish that doesn't count as I failed to photograph & to post).  

Lovely Recap Collage

Links to the Finish Posts:
January - A French Braid for KT
February - Clean, press, cut, & sort all my Tree Cloth
April - Broken Dishes
May - Colleen's Jacobs Ladder
June - Aloha Quilt for Tutu
July - A knitted scarf with a PATTERN even!!
(and December - table runners for gifts)

Now it's 2015.  After some thought, I decided to give it another go.  Even if I only do 1/2 the finishes, it's still fun to take pictures and post.  And without a deadline - even a fun one - most of those projects would have drifted on and on.

So 2014, thanks for...whatever.  And come on, 2015.  Let's make some stuff!!!

xoxo
auntiesash

Wait is it bi-monthly or.... whatever

So - having missed November entirely, let's just move along, shall we?

I did so WELL on finishes for the first 1/2 of the year.  Let's see if I can at least pull one off here in December.

Over the long weekend, I had some unexpected down time and whipped up a Christmas table runner. 

I used a charm pack of Blitzen by Basic Grey

Charm packs are so adorable!

                

              Pieced, 

                   layered, 
                        quilted,
                             done!!  

How gratifying!

       (And a FINISH picture would go here if I'd thought to take one - d'oh)

Late Breaking News!!  The manchild sent me pictures!

Back - quilting & a little I-made-the-front 48"-&-width-
of-fabric-is-44"-&-why-didn't-I-think-ahead? edge detail

So my goal for December is to make 

two more table runners to give as holiday gifts.

(Here's a close up of the snowmen from the line because they are just so cute!)

xo
sash