Happy New Year Friends!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and A Happy New Year. I'm excited that the new year is upon us and can't wait to see what it brings.



As usual, I plan to participate in a few quilty things.

1. Row10 has now become Bee FF as we will be making blocks for each other this year. This is my favorite group as it contains my real quilting buddies. The fact that I have only met two of them in real life does not mean that they aren't the best quilting friends a girl could have.

2. Sarah and Molly's free piecing study. I am teaming up with Laura and we will swap blocks back and forth. This study is open to anyone, so if you are interested in getting better at wonky liberated quilting, this is for you!ddd (note: i'm not the Sarah that's running this project. It's Krommama.)

3. Scrapbuters Challenge 2011. This is a group that is just challenging each other to make scrap projects. No pressure or deadlines for this one. I'm excited and am currently working on some scrappy wonky blocks that will become one quilt or many small quilty things. Not sure yet. And I think that's the best thing about it. No pressure, just sewing and fun. The photo above is just some of my scrappy blocks.

4. Dear Strawberry Jane. This is my own project that you may remember if you have been a longtime follower. I've been blogging here about my project to complete a "Dear Jane" quilt. This is a reproduction of a quilt containing 225 unique blocks. It's a pile of work. but so pretty.

5. Knitting one sock per month. This is a challenge with my local yarn shop (the Kniterary) knitting group. It will help me get my sock stash down, without taking over my knitting life.

6. Also planning to use a lot of my fabric and yarn stash. I would like all of my yarn to fit in one bin by the end of the year. And I'd like my fabric scraps to go down by at least one bin (I currently have 3 huge bins). I'd also like to make a dent in the yardage.

Since we are now living in a smaller place, the goal is to have more control over the stash in general.

7. Bee Quilts. I am in the process of working on old bee quilts. The most recent is the Row10 Quilt. I have it all pieced and ready to quilt. I plan to combine machine and hand quilting on this one, as it is so special. My house quilt (AQB1) is also ready for quilting, and I am working on piecing together my Ten Make Two blocks as well. So stay tuned for photos of those.

I spend a good part of today looking for my camera. It has vanished, yet the memory card is plugged into the computer, so how far could it really have gone? If you find it, please send it back home. Although it drives me nuts, I miss it and need it to post photos!

I leave you with a mosaic of my favorite projects from 2010. Hopefully next year's mosaic will be even larger, as my sewing mojo has finally returned!!

Sewing

I sewed a bit last night and today.

I made a pouch!

Not a quilt, but 'quilted' so I'll still count this as a win! Sewing mojo on it's way back!

Side one.


Side two.


Peek at the inside.

52 Fridays Week 19/52

If you need me I'll be in the sewing room with my friend Ms. Pfaff. I have lots of Row 10 and other sewing to do!



Or I might be at the Common Thread Quilt Guild Show at the RA Centre in Ottawa! I have three quilts in the show.

Since most of you are unable to go to it due to geography, I'll give you a preview.

McD's Farm


Minny Muu


Picnic Fun


Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day!

Shop Update - Project Bags

I've been sewing like a crazy person working on project bags for my byneedleandthread etsy shop.

The shop has now been updated with 16 lovely bags.



These are for toting around your knitting or crochet project or really anything you want to stash in a fun bag. They are approximately 9 by 12 inches and close with a pretty ribbon and button.

Check them out!

If you decide to buy one, let me know you saw them on my blog, and I'll throw in a little something extra.

52 Fridays Week 18/52

I'm neck deep in fabric!!



I'm in production mode over here. I have an update planned for my new etsy shop! byneedleandthread.etsy.com

To celebrate this event, I am doing a giveaway with Jackie over at KIPing it Real Podcast. She has planned a Meet n Greet at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival tomorrow outside the front gate, and I have donate some prizes! If you're in the area (I'm not but maybe you are) check out the info here.

I will also be doing a giveaway here once the update is complete and the dust settles. So keep checking back for that.

Weekend plans:
-Shop sewing and update
-Sew sleeves on the back of two quilts for the quilt show. Link!
-Drop off quilts for the show
-Make placemat for PQS3
-Mother's day secret project
-Trying to stay off the computer!!!!!

Yikes! I better get my butt moving!

Sew!

I took a little break to dye some yarn this weekend using the tutorial at Kathryn Ivy.



But mostly I've been doing a lot of sewing.

I finished the last 3 months of Ten Make Two. I'm anxiously awaiting my blocks.



I have also been working on row10. I'm enjoying making my own blocks with no patterns. Here's my hedgehog. It started as a doodle one day at work, then a more structured picture. Before I couloured the picture, it passed the "what do you think this looks like" test with my husband.



I did a little math, and now a wonderful block. If I do say so myself.



I hope everyone else is having a great long weekend!

52 Fridays Week 13/52

Even though it's -11C (12F) outside today. I am going to embrace spring here at the office. With my daffodils that I bought to support the Canadian Cancer Society.



Weekend plans
- Cleaning! Because my friend is sleeping over in my craft room! Eeks!
- Potluck with friends
- Sewing for an exciting project (news to come)
- Bee block sewing
- Knitting of course!

Don't forget about Earth Hour tomorrow night!

52 Fridays Week 7/52

This whole taking photos of myself thing is getting easier. I do need a tripod though. So much easier than trying to stretch your arm out at long as it will go.



This weeks photo is in celebration of the Ravelympics beginning tonight. 9pm my time. I'll be watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and casting on my Toe-Up socks.

I'm also trying to get a lot of sewing done this weekend. I've challenged some folks to try and sew as much as possible and called it Sewing Olympics. Here are my lofty goals.



Keep in mind I'm a professional list-maker. Not so much a list follower.

Happy Weekend All!

So long 2009, Hello 2010

2009 was a great year!

I made some new friends. Met Upstatelisa and her wonderful daughter C at the Vermont Quilt Festival, and we got together one more time here in Ottawa where I met her other two kids (J & B)! I also got to meet the lovely LauraJay and her son A! What a wonderful year of friendship.

Lots of Quilting was accomplished this year.



I also started knitting again in September. My sewing productivity went down, but that's ok. Knitting has been wonderful. I go to a weekly knitting group and I'm becoming more confident with every project. I've also got a long list if things I want to make.



Looking forward to 2010 I'd like to simplify. But I also want to have fun.

I will continue knitting and have signed up for NaKniMitMo10 (National Knit Mittens Month 2010) on Ravelry. Basically you knit a pair of mittens in January and post a photo by the 31st. I will be tackling the Swedish Fish Mittens. Hoping to start them tomorrow.

In February the Olympics are coming to Canada and although I live nowhere near Vancouver, I will celebrate by participating in the Ravelympics 2010. You cast on a knitting project during the opening ceremonies and try to finish by the closing ceremonies. You are supposed to pick something that is a challenge for you. I'm thinking a vest but still not 100% sure. I am on the Stash and Burn groupies team.

I will also be sewing but part of my goal to simplify will be my reduced involvement in swaps. My walls are full of small quilts for now. I will focus on functional quilts and placemats. I am going to participate in row10 with my lovely online quilting friends. We will make one row of a quilt for each person per month. It will be so lovely to have a quilt made by all my new friends. I will probably also do placemat quilt swap, as we could use some more placemats.

Scrap and stash reduction will hopefully be a side-effect of all this quilting. :)

Oh and Dear Jane I will be back! I've missed working on this project.

As far as resolutions go, I'm generally not good at keeping them. But I will try very hard to be more active and be happy with small accomplishments. I always get down on myself if I don't start the gym 7 days a week and then promptly quit. I will start slowly and be happy with any progress. I am also going to make more healthy meals from simple fresh ingredients and try new recipes.

2010 will also be a year of self-acceptance, love, discovery. I've never liked being in photos, or seeing photos of myself. Part of my growth this year will be in participating in 52 Fridays. We will post one self-portrait per week on Friday.

I thank all of my wonderful readers and friends. I try to answer all comments individually, but it does get hard sometimes. Please don't think that they are not appreciated. Thank you so much for all you have given this year.

Hugs.

It's been a great mail week...

I received the prize I won from Anina over at Twiddletails Blog.



My tenmaketwo blocks from Aneela, and check out the lovely extras. Heather Ross fabrics from Munki Munki PJ's.



Some lovely Malabrigo Yarn that I bought from a Ravelry person. This will be a hat.



Thank you everyone!!!!

In the making category.

I made this kitty for a special little girl.



And I'm hoping to finish this scarf for myself before the winter hits.