Two Steps Back...

...from my promise that I would complete my UFOs before starting something new. But sometimes, you just have to break that type of promise.

It started with a book. Camille Roskelley's beautiful, wonderful, inspirational book - Simplify. Then add in a wonderful jelly roll from Fig Tree Quilt's Fig & Plum line and that would be enough to tempt me to stray.

However, I was committed to sticking to my resolution of working on my UFOs. But, this quilt needed to be made, because it was going to a good home. Mr. Gnomemade's sister-in-law...one of his brother's wife...was diagnosed with lung cancer in the fall. We wanted to do something special for her, and these were the perfect colors for her...so I consider that a good reason to break away from my plan.

We saw Mr. Gnomemade's family for the Christmas holidays, so I finished it up in time (putting the binding on while on the plane there).

Like with all the quilts I make and give away, I really hope that she liked it. This is one of my favorites that I've made. It's a lap quilt size, so perfect for snuggling during the snowy winter.

I really love the pattern from the book, and I look forward to making other quilts from the book...but I guess I should finish up the others that I have pending - or that I've started over the holidays!

One Step Closer...

...to completing my own personal UFO challenge! This is the final product of the long-ago finished Old Red Barn Co. Quilt-A-Long. When did that happen? 2009? Whoops! I guess I take a while to make quilts. I've been working on it for quite a while now...and even longer than that!

Well, here it is in its finished glory. It's very busy and loud - not quite my style, but the fabric was perfect for its receipient - a wonderful woman who has been very good to Mr. Gnomemade and I since we moved here. This was our way of saying thank you to her.

I apologize for the rather poor photo. It was snapped very quickly at the end of November in a hallway when we hadn't seen the sunlight in a week or so. One of my students took it and I was running out the door to bring it to its receipient.

It's recipient was very gracious and seemed to like the quilt - or at least that's what she told me! I hope it's true!

Happy 2011

Happy 2011!

Like almost everyone, it seems, 2010 flew by and I'm not quite sure where it went. I had such grand plans for the last quarter of the year, but it just got crazy. Work truly became the main event in mine and Mr. Gnomemade's lives, so there wasn't much else that got done. In fact, we haven't even looked through our professional wedding photos!

With a new year, comes new goals. I like everyone else would like 2011 to be a year where I can accomplish a great many things, but more than anything I'm looking for balance - the opportunity to find some harmony in my life that allows us to be happy. Now 2010 was great - Mr. Gnomemade and I made it official, we spent time with family, had some wonderful vacations/getaways, and more. But, I'd love for 2011 to be even beter.

One thing I wish I had done more in 2010 is craft. I have so many projects that I want to work on - not to mention so much fabric I've stashed away. So, while I didn't do too well with my personal UFO challenge for 2010, I'm going to work on it for the New Year!

So, for 2011, I'm going to try to craft something every day. Now, it may just mean taking a couple of embroidery stitches, or working on a binding, or perhaps like these past four days doing more! 2011 was off to a great start - on New Year's Eve, Mr. Gnomemade took me out fabric shopping to start off the new year right. On Saturday and Sunday, I got several hours to myself where I put together most of a quilt top and finished up the borders on my Parents-in-Law Surprise Quilt! Last night, I put the borders on my new quilt top and today I put together the quilt sandwich on my Parents-in-Law's quilt. Now that's the way I want to kick off 2011 and hopefully keep it going!

I also want to be better about blogging - if I'm going to be crafting more, I love having it all recorded. Not to mention maybe it'll keep me on track for crafting!

Now, there's lots of other stuff I want to accomplish - go to the gym more, eat better, watch less bad TV, etc. But I really want to craft more...

So here's to 2011! Year of the craft!

ABC Baby Quilt!

A great friend had his first baby this summer. She was born in late June - 20 days after he and his wife came to our wedding. Mr. Gnomemade and I were thrilled to have them there and get to see them before such a big event in their life.


Welll, the little one arrived and she's absolutely beautiful. This is the same couple who I gave a wedding quilt to when they got married a couple years ago, so I figured it was only appropriate to give their new little bundle of joy a quilt too!


Now, getting married and going on a honeymoon didn't give me a lot of time to put something together, so thank goodness for some really cute cheater panels!






Such a cute theme and hopefully one they like for the newest member of their family! (And another UFO challenge item complete!)

Batik Color Sample Quilt

Now, it's never happened before, but I made a quilt that I don't have a home for. Up until now, everytime I've started a project, it's been for a certain person in mind. They always have homes they are going to go to, and in fact, with the exception of the one I just made Mr. Gnomemade, not one quilt has stayed in my home. (Wait, that's a lie - I have kept one Thanksgiving small wall-hanging).

But, a quilt larger than 20 x 20? Never happened. Until now.

A couple of years ago, I was in a small quilt shop when I came across a kit. I'd never purchased a quilt kit before then, and I'd actually never used batik fabrics. I figured I might as well kill two birds with one stone, and picked up the kit. I thought it was really cool, and something completely different than anything I've done.

So, here's the final project! I'm pretty proud of it myself.


Now, just to figure out what the heck to do with it! It doesn't match anything in my house, but I think it's really cool. Maybe my office? It used to be a supply closet (no joke), so I'm afraid the quilt will overpower my little area in the world!

Mom's Americana Quilt

As I mentioned yesterday, I challenged myself to a UFO completion! , part of my post-wedding/summer plans was to try to get a handle on all of my unfinished projects. I've been lucky to have lots of projects started, and some new exciting fabrics and patterns come in over the past year. I'm itching to get started on the new stuff, but know realistically that I should probably finish up all the old ones before I get started! I've been trying to keep my sidebar up-to-date with all my UFO's, but even that doesn't even touch some of the projects I need to work on.

To start this effort to finish up all my UFO's, I tackled a project that is long overdue. For one of my mom's big birthdays, I put together a quilt top. Mom loves all things Americana, and I'd been collecting red, white and cream prints for a while. I put together the top and presented it to her for the birthday. I had just started hand quilting it, and hadn't accounted for how long it would take.

Fast forward a couple of years (yes, I really am that far behind) and I finally got all the hand quilting done. Mom and Dad visited in early August and I was finally able to present to her the final project! SCORE!

So here it is...

And the hand quilting that took me so long to finish...

I think she likes it an I'm just happy to finally make good on my gift!

UFO Challenge

This summer, I challenged myself to complete all my UFO's. Part of my post-wedding/summer plans was to try to get a handle on all of my unfinished projects. I've been lucky to have lots of projects started, and some new exciting fabrics and patterns come in over the past year. I'm itching to get started on the new stuff, but know realistically that I should probably finish up all the old ones before I get started!

After getting back from the honeymoon and unpacking some great wedding gifts, I took stock of all my unfinished projects. I promised myself I would get through them as quickly as possible. And, so, I hunkered down over the month of July to get them done!

Now, I was hoping I'd get them done during the summer, but August quickly crept up on me and I found myself consumed by a 19-day work week with 15-18 hour days. So, I got through some of the projects, but not all of them.

So, rather than abandon the project by saying, well the summer's over, I'm going to keep going.

This July I completed several items:

• Mom's Americana Quilt
• Batik Color Sample Quilt
• ABC Baby Quilt

I look forward to blogging about these finishes soon and posting some photos of my industriousness.

But, for the rest of 2010, I'm going to focus on the other UFOs/WIPs in my life, including:

• Flower Power Pillows
• Quilt Along Quilt
• Christmas Embroidery Quilt
• Wedding Autograph Quilt
• In-Laws Surprise Quilt
• Pizza Box Challenge Quilt

Now, I'm sure there are others, but those are the big ones. I've got to fit in completing some projects to sell at my Quilt Guild's quilt show, as well as some Christmas presents, but I'm not letting myself cut into the beautiful fabrics I've purchased over the past year until those are done! (And my, those are tempting - my birthday presents from my parents was a shopping trip to a local quilt shop, so I had to tuck all my purchases away in a drawer to keep from tempting myself!)

Wish me luck as I embark upon this adventure! Hope I can keep to my promise of not starting something new!