New Year's Re"sew"lutions!

Happy New Year!

I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful holiday and shared some great memories. We kept it pretty simply around here and it was so nice. I can't even explain where the time has gone!

Here's my favorite book, a gift from my love:

I've wanted to learn this technique for a while.
I am so excited to play with dimension this year.

So cool. I love that there are no
crazy seams to achieve these looks, too.

 I have many re"sew"lutions this year including:

- Regular blog posts showing works in progress/completions
- Finish UFOs hanging in sewing room
- Learn new techniques and experiment with the art of quilting
- Finish 2 blocks per week from Tula Pink's City Sampler (100 can easily be done in a year.)
- Improve free motion quilting skills
- Create blocks on EQ7 and share some tutorials
- Use up more of my stash (so I can get more to replace it, of course.)
- Have more fun! (Try not to stress over work!)

-----
My dear friend is visiting from Korea and brought an amazing gift from her travels. She teaches overseas and is able to take several weeks to travel to various countries. She recently went to China and Mongolia...so jealous!
She did stop for shopping there and brought me this:

They feel as luxurious as they look.

I love this red!
Love, love, love this one!

This photo does no justice to the softness of the blue
and the boldness of the gold dragons.

Part of me has no desire to cut this fabric. The rest of me want to make something practical so I can see them on a regular basis. I am open to suggestions in the comments below.

She will be on the lookout for bojagi cloth when she returns home to Korea in Feb. I hope she can find some to bring back next year when she returns stateside.

How were your holidays? Did you do anything/get anything fun?

Christmas Party

On Friday the 13th, the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild celebrated the holidays with our last Friday Sew Day. (They return to our normal Saturdays in January! Thank Heavens because Friday traffic was no joke.)

I laughed a lot and had such a great time with everyone. I love to see the creativity of this group. Everyone was working on something fun and it always inspiring to see a new idea. I wish my phone didn't die so soon or I would have more pictures to share.

Here are some highlights:

We exchanged mug rugs!

The one I made went home with Judy!

This fancy one from Michelle came home with me.
I love the smiling faces on the houses.
It also brightens up my sewing room!

I spent a good portion of my time making these gift card holders.
It can be used as a mini wallet or
business card holder once the card is spent.

I modified the pattern from Watermelon Wishes because I could not get a card to fit using her measurements. I found that cutting the rectangles and batting to 6.5 by 4.5 was just the right size.

I also used her clever idea for making a template from my morning coffee cup holder to create a cozy that closes with Velcro.

Both photos are from of Michelle's iPhone!

I also started making a really expensive and lengthy Christmas/Birthday wishlist based on a few different projects. I saw the Juki sewing machine I've been researching and heard great comments about it's durability. I also want a Thermofax machine to start printing my own graphics for pieces I've sketched out. Don't even get me started on fabrics. Everyone always has such yummy collections that I want to run out and buy.

I've decided to make 2014 the year of making just art quilts, designing fabrics and sewing things for myself. This is the first time I've ever been selfish with my sewing/quilting but I have to start sometime, right? (Of course, I will make the charity quilts and projects with my guild but the rest of the work I create will be for me.) I want to expand my knowledge of textiles and explore designing my own patterns on EQ7. I might even venture into making clothes and bags more, too.

What are your plans for the New Year?

Get Ready Cocoa 'Cause Here I Come!

I've spent most of the morning getting ready for my quilting retreat this weekend. I am so excited!
I started packing things and realized that my quilting supplies and fabric are going in a bag 3 times larger than the suitcase I'm using for clothes that I'll be wearing. (Standard PJs and lounge wear take up so little space that I can fit in more fabric to quilt!)

I have a long list of projects I want to start and will be happy if I make it through half of them. I just realized how fast Christmas is approaching and most of my gifts need to be mailed this year since most of my dear friends and family no longer live in this area. (I could ship them after the holidays and say they were late in transit? Hmmm...probably shouldn't post that part.)

For my grandma who loves birds, blues and red!

 

I'm also excited about the chance to get away with some really great folks. I look forward to seeing how everyone creates their amazing quilts.

I will be posting pics on Sun of all the fun we will have. Hope you have a marvelous weekend.