Reflecting over my 2014 ALYoF work

This is my year in review of the lovely finishes I achieved, thanks to the motivational challenge set by Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts and Melissa of Sew Bittersweet Designs with their "A Lovely Year of Finishes" monthly challenge.

My first month to join was February 2014.  I am linky # 148.

My goal was to make blocks to swap with my Block Builders Bee in March, and I did get my blocks made in time to swap and now have a lovely selection of scrappy red-n-white blocks sitting - wait a minute!  I've met a goal but also have a new UFO added to my pile of growing projects. I am certain these blocks may reappear in a future ALYoF goal.  Meanwhile, I did not finish these blocks before the end of February, so I did not have a finishing post ... sigh.  My first goal was not completed by the deadline.  I must admit, this set me back and months passed before I set a new goal in ALYoF.

July came and so did my renewed effort to set goals of finishing projects, or at least finishing steps in projects.  This month my goal linky was # 105.

My blog post about this quilt is here.  "Fields of Blue" is a quilt made for my son Isaac.  He selected the pattern and the fabrics that I used (I may have slipped in a few blue variations to enhance the variety...).  My goal was to finish this quilt.  My friend Pam Biswas quilted it (the photo shows her work in progress), but I am slow to add bindings.  Since the goal is to finish things, what can top the actual finishing of a quilt? 

I met this goal, and am linky #64  in the finishes post for July 2015 (no photo appears in the linky as I was stumbling with how to do linkys still).  Above is Isaac holding up "Fields of Blue" for the photo that I had planned to use.  Eli, his brother, has decided he would like a quilt like this too!  I need to get that started one of these days ... Click here for my blog post about finishing this goal.

It is exciting to finish your goal!  I immediately selected a new goal for the month of August where I am goal linky # 32.  This month's goal was focused on finishing two redwork embroidery projects.  I have been working on both of these for some time, rather sporadically too.

I had taken to bringing them to my Teacher Inservice meetings (I teach two-year-olds how to enjoy attending at preschool), but still had not completed either one.

As you can see, both now have the embroidery completed and I am linky #72  in the finishes linky party for August 2014 (I have the honor of being the very last linky that month!).  Click here to see my blog post about finishing or here for my original goal blog post.

For September, my goal is to finish a sweet baby quilt for a dear friend's first grandson.  I am goal linky # 52, or click here for my original blog post.

I had found this fabulous fabric at one of my favorite local quilt shops, Quilt 'n Sew in Katy, Texas, and wanted to make a quilt from the 'cloth book preprinted pages'.  Sweet Baby James clearly loves his new quilt (as do his English Professor parents!)  Best of all, I finished it and James is enjoying it while he is still a little baby!  There are other baby quilts actually lingering in my UFO pile (believe it or not, that is very true -- maybe I will finish one in time for the intended receiver's Bar Mitzvah ... I still have a few more years ...)

I am linky #65 in the September Finishes Linky Party, or click here for my nice blog post (which is one of my favorites).

I am on such a grand roll now.  I am loving meeting my goals and better, finishing projects!  Onto October where my goal linky is # 25.  This month I took a different direction with a goal of upcycling a pair of denim shorts, turning them into a tote bag.  Click here for more details on my blog post.

Andy, our dog, was wanting to play, as he is wanting as I write this -- so here is a short puppy break.

Andy approves of the finished tote, which is linky #28 in the October Finishes Linky Party and you can also click here for more details on my blog, where you can see photos of the funky cat-print lining and interior pockets (sshhh, don't tell Andy).

November's goal was to finish my piece for the Michael Miller challenge featuring eight pastel solids in their Spring Cotton Couture line.

I am linky # 38 in the goals linky party or click here for my blog post about this goal.

I was thrilled to finish this month's goal and I love the quilt and the quilting by Pam Biswas.  The pattern is Pot Pie by Thangles and is quite fun to sew together.

For November, I am linky #52 in the finishes party, and more information and photos is available on my blog post here.  I am sad to report that my "Mmm Pot Pie" quilt was rejected from the Quilt Con show in Austin, Texas this February.  I look forward to seeing the quilts that were selected from the over 1,000 quilts entered in this show, especially the ones in the Michael Miller challenge exhibit.  I now have a new challenge -- to get a quilt made and entered into a juried quilt show!  I have no idea how many rejections I may receive before reaching that goal, but I am ready for this challenge.

Meanwhile, my last goal of the year was to bind more quilts. This month I am goal linky # 58, or click here for my blog post.

I haven't figured out how to take a good photo showing that the quilt needs binding.  If you have suggestions, please share.

These bargello quilts are made by a brand new quilter.  Can you believe they are her first and second quilts ever?  The magnificent quilting is by my friend Pam Biswas too.  My claim to fame: I added the binding, that's all.

 
 I am linky #41 in the December Finishes Linky Party and you can also click here for my blog post.

That's all!  These are my seven goals that I set with my six finishes.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the "A Lovely Year of Finishes (ALYoF)" this year and plan to participate again in 2015.  My first goal - to add bindings to another quilt!

Thank you to Melissa (of http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/) and Shanna (of http://www.fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/) for hosting this monthly year long challenge!  Did I mention that there are door prizes each month for the some of the lucky ones who achieved their goals?  I was lucky to win!  This post will qualify me for a chance to win one of the grand prizes for finishing a minimum of six goals (I barely got my 6 finishes completed!) and I am linky #32 in the final year-end linky party.  Join the fun for 2015.

Another great side benefit of "A Lovely Year of Finishes" is that I am blogging regularly again.  There are so many positives that I benefit from by challenging myself to set a goal each month and to reach it.....granted I do seem to start new projects just a quickly as I finish old ones ..... but that's a story for another blog post.

up-cycling jean shorts

Once upon a time... I came across a pair of denim shorts that no longer fit my kids just when I was pondering what tote to make for a Totebag Swap with my friends in the Houston Modern Quilt Guild .... and the two thoughts became one.  I upcycled the denim shorts into a new totebag.  Since I finished my tote two weeks too late to swap, I am happily keeping it as my "take-along-to-class" totebag.  You can see why (perhaps) in the photo below ....

My rotary mat and rulers fit inside it quite nicely.

And another peek inside.  See my pink rotary mat (it is 12" x 18") and a couple of rulers.  I can also fit fabric and/or other sewing tools inside it, too.  This tote is rather roomy.

I love the side view too -- actually it is the front of the tote, but when it is hanging on my shoulder, it matches the side view of me.

Here is a view of the bag turned inside out -- just to showcase the two funky fun kitty fabrics!  Neither of these is the original fabric I planned to use.  I goofed when cutting the first lining - I made it too small!  That lining is my newest 'work in progress' (or w.i.p.).  It was easier to start all over from scratch, so I selected two more funky cat prints from my collection. 

Andy is not so sure what to make of this new tote.   

When will you play catch with me? he wonders...

Perhaps not now, he realizes and walks away.

This totebag is my successfully finished project for the October "Lovely Year of Finishes" challenge.  Click here to see others that have finished their challenge for the month, where I am linky #28.  You can also click here to see who entered the month with the goal for this month.  I am linky #25 on the goals page.

This is a fun challenge aimed at finishing projects and achieving goals.  It is helping me to select and then focus on one project each month (the hard part is picking just one to focus my finishing on!).  Please join in if you'd like to.  It is very easy.  Here's how:  decide your goal for the month and declare it publicly, with a link on the Lovely Year of Finishes Goal Setting Linky Party (open the first seven days of the month).  Then work like crazy to achieve your goal and post your successes to the Finishes Linky Party (during the last seven days of the month).  The goal-setting linky party will open November 1st.  Come on - challenge yourself to join us for November!

roll-up gifts

At a meeting this summer, one that I was unable to attend, my fellow Houston Modern Quilt Guild members shared four ideas to make now for gifting in the future (or for using now, your choice!)

I was able to buy a left-over kit and proceeded to make this cute roll-up tote.  So neat and tidy that it's easy to keep tucked into your purse.  Thank you Amy (she presented this project as well as planning this fun event!)!  Check out her great blog House of Bad Cats.

Here it is completed (above) and all rolled up ready to tuck in my purse (below).

I think it is really rather cute!

I must whip together a few more.  After all, what a great way to use up more of my fabric that seems to be lingering in my stockpiles of way-too-much-fabric.  I must clear some out so I have room for new purchases!  Maybe I will make these for all my dear ones -- plus it shows that I am making an effort to Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.  So many great intentions ... stay tuned for updates!

Idea achieved

I have had this idea for a long time.  It's not original as I have seen others do their own variations that are similar.  Basically it is to find a way to creatively cover the logos on conference totebags!

This one is the first that I upcycled into a quilting tote.  The original totebag was a 'souvenir' from a conference my friend Jamie's husband attended.  I liked the size of the tote and loved that it converted easily to a backpack, but I wasn't crazy about toting around a bag with the logo of a conference that I did not attend, so...... an idea started brewing .....

I was making some stretched Churn Dash blocks for a lottery in my Block Builders Bee and had a few extras that I decided to keep -- the totebag was nearby ... and inspiration hit!

It was easy to topstitch the blocks onto the totebag, being careful not to stitch any interior pockets closed (this is a helpful warning for those thinking of doing this at home).  I believe I have successfully Up-Cycled a totebag into a favorite new-to-me tote! 

The lower, wider churndash block completely covers the logo from the conference.  The upper, taller churndash was just a fun addition to add a little more sparkle to the bag.  I now use this to carry quilting things to and from my various quilting groups.  It helps me to have a place to collect items that I want to remember to take (exceptionally helpful for my memory on the day of meeting).

Fun fact:  I WON all the lottery blocks too and now I have even more of these blocks (now residing in my growing ufo pile).

My second upcycled tote is the one below.  I was asked to bling a totebag for my friend.  She's the leader of a trip my boys went on this past summer and she is my boss, too.  This time, there are no previous logos to be strategically covered.  My challenge was to add color and bling to an all-black shoulder bag.  Here is the result:

Inspiration came from the t-shirt designed for the trip -- a large blue hamsa on the front a bright orange shirt.  I blinged the back of the tote to match the back of the t-shirt too, featuring the map of the state of Texas!

Do you think Marna likes it?
The answer is a resounding YES! 

And one more project ...

Below is the ongoing production, a work in progress (w.i.p.), of my turning-jeans-into-a-tote.  The original post can be found by clicking here.  It is my goal to finish this (needs lining, handles, etc) for this month's "A Year of Lovely Finishes" challenge.  I am creating this bag as I sew it together (in other words without a pattern!) and I goofed in sewing my original lining -- making a lining that was far far too small for the actual size of the tote.  Here I am double checking that the new lining will be a better fit ....

It's looking good.  I think this lining is a tad on the roomy side, which is totally OK with me.  The sunflower cats patch is a large pocket to hold my rulers.  I love both these cat fabrics.  Using my cat fabric collection is an ongoing self-challenge this year.