end of january sure came quick!

i have been busy this month.  well, i have kept myself busy that is.  i am thankful for that--that i can fill my time.  it is alot healthier than sitting around being bored, lonely or sad....lots to keep busy with!  it just amazes me how fast time goes--i remember when i was a kid how long it took even a week to go by let alone a month--but, was it really nearly a month ago that we celebrated the beginning of a new year???  time flies when you're having fun~

my friend juan lee (really, her name is joan) and i made limoncello back in november.  we (ok--she) bottled it in january.  it is WONDERFUL!!!  tart and lemon-y and sweet at the same time--isn't it nice and beautiful in a teeny little waterford crystal sherry glass?  i feel decadently special when i treat myself like this!

i have started some new things, finished or atleast worked on some old things, and started organizing lots of other things.....



this is for a really cool little quilty idea.  there is a group called dorinda 2011 mystery.  I LOVE quilt mysteries, but this one is really different!!!  you choose your own theme~mine is stash scrappy forest.  then, you get clue one.  make a 12 inch finished square.  the rule is that you must include atleast 4 flying geese.  mine has 27 little geese that are 2 inches wide by 1 inch tall that stack to make the pine trees.  i LOVE it so far.

the second clue was to make a 12 x 8 inch finished block that will be added to either the top or the bottom of the first clue.  the rule was that you had to use a hexagon.  these are all the rage right now in the quilting world.  not in my world.  not such a huge fan.  i was gonna just make one yellow one and use it for the sun.....then, thinking that that would really negate the idea of the using the rule concept of the quilt, i re-tought my design.....ended up with 47 little hexies making up my pine trees.  there is a bobbin in the top left corner to show the size of these little babies--smaller than a quarter.....i LOVE my block--i am fond of hexies.

here they are together--not stitched together as of yet though.

i will stitch a saying, quote or verse in the sky line of the trees on the top block.....this will be a nice on-going work for the year....i can quit at anytime that my quilt tells me it is finished.....

what's next?  i decided this year, that i wanted to actually be a FINISHER so, i have been very picky in what new things i would allow myself to be swayed by.....and, made a list of things i want to finish up.....

bad picture, but i will post it again later when it is all put together and that will be grand.  i will also  post the link to the designer, jenny of elephantz,she is really talented. this made the cut for several reasons:

• it combines stitching with quilting
• it is a small project
• it is biblical~give thanks
• LOVE the design!!! 
• love that it has little teeny stitched quilts of what we are thankful for
• love that i can choose to do one or not and it will not detract from the design
• love that i can add teeeny little quilts of my own design~like the kids names to be hung on their birthdays for one idea....
• THAT IS ALOT OF REASONS I THINK!!!



next up for the newbies is carmen's words to live by quilt.  it too is a mystery, and it combines stitching with quilting....there will be 13 words to live by, this first one being LIVE, and all of them will have the same roses stitched.  the red and blue are what i used for the give thanks....i love that this is using NICE BIG SQUARES coz everything else i have been working on lately uses such teeny pinch pieces....this is going to be amazing when it is done. how do i know this?  because carmen is a very gifted designer as well as a dear friend who also loves the Lord....i am blessed beyond measure by her and her generosity.

and, dear miss tara has designed a quilted purse....i love tara and her designs too.  she designed the fruit of the spirit quilt that i have nearly finished replacing the stitching of the words on.  i got really stuck on the last two words--forgiveness and trust....but, then i changed my perspective and had my focus on God's forgiveness and that HE can ALWAYS be trusted and i was able to stitch them with out bemoaning the fact that i struggle with forgiveness and trust.....anyway, i t will soon (like 10 minutes more of stitching is all)  be ready to hand quilt!!!!  no picture of that, coz i have already shown it often....BUT....here is the purse

not done yet, it is getting released in chunks--we just sewed up the sides.  we still have 2 inside pockets and the top zipper left to do.  the zipper part scares me a bit.  i gave myself a mental block about them being difficult.  that was one of the major reasons that i chose to do this purse~well, that and the fact that i love totes, and i love tara......and it will not become a UFO....that is my main goal....

what is old??  you ask?  well, stitched away at the fruit of the spirit quilt ALOT!  amongst a few other things.  what is next?

the two on the left need to be quilted and bound for little table toppers.  they are from a little 3 1/2 inch nine-patch swap--i bet i have thousands of these little babies just waiting to be used.....the one on the right is finished.  it is a mug rug that is made up of teeny little postage stamps (again, from swaps) they finish at 1 inch so that is an 8 inch square mug rug for myself!!!  i want to make a few more of these. 

i also want to finish patience's birthday aprons~stuck because i lost one of the neck ties....and make her cupcake purse (tara's design) and also need to get siobhan's hope bag made now that i have found the missing 3 letters!!!

so...it sure feels great to get to finally show some of the things i have been working on!!!  and, it feels good to blog, especially with pictures!