WIP Wednesday

It is hump day!  Happy day today.  Tomorrow, my work is hosting a team building picnic, which is going to be fun, but it is suppose to be the hottest day of this heat wave that started today.  Just when we thought we were going to have some nice fall weather for a change.  Oh well, we will make the best of it, and I hear there are water games involved...I will let you all know how it goes.

Now, what I have been working on this week:

I have to finish this cross stitch soon, like very soon, so I am trying to crank it out.  I have a plan (I am the planner), and I just have to stick to the plan and keep up the hard work.  Last night I was able to get a lot done, and it is actually starting to look like something, before it was just looking like swirling lines with no purpose (focus on right hand corner).  I can not wait to get it finished as I think it is going to look awesome, perfect for the bride and groom.

I have also squared up these 4 patches, I have learned that when I cut the parts to this quilt, Flower Garden, I did not do a good job.  I was trying to cut with a thread or two more, but I really cut like five or more threads on the parts.  As a result I am squaring things up, and making sure parts are the correct sizes before moving on.  I have never done this before, and as a result it is taking me longer than normal.  

This weekend, my goal is put together the squares which will look like the above picture, and make great progress on my cross stitch, hopefully catching up to where I should be by the end of week dated 10/17.  Pedal to the metal.  But first, time to find a tan wool tie for my husband's outfit for the wedding...

Linking up with Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts.

-Christina

Quarter 4 Goals

Ummm...excuse me, but where has the year gone?!?!?! We are listing our quarter 4 goals, we can not be there already?  But alas, we are...so below is my quarter 4 list of goals.  To finish all would be a long shot, but I can take small bites out of the big elephant to make the overall goal, which is to move these projects into the finish column, or at least get them closer to that column than before.

1. A quilt for a wedding in November.  The pattern is going to be Flower Garden from Connecting Threads, and I want to get it completed, because I still have another quilt to finish for another wedding that month, only six days apart.  I made some progress on it last quarter, but now it is crunch time to get it done.  Good thing they want their gifts mailed to them.  (It is going to be about a month after their wedding, but I am OKAY with that!)

2. Made two of the four rag rugs.  I recently changed the pattern, I just have to take out the sewing and braiding I have done and start from scratch with the new pattern I have.  I am excited to start this project over again.  These were to be Christmas presents a few years back.  My goal for Q4 is to get two out of four done.  A goal from all year!  Maybe I will get this done this time.  One step at a time.

3. Repair clothing.  A lot of these have small holes that I need to sew up, or the hems have fallen out and I need to replace them or a plastic support has fallen out of the dress that I need to sew back in.  These are not hard repairs, I just have to sit down and do them (no progress from last 2 quarters, the repair pile actually grew by a few things!).  Hopefully by putting them on my list again, I will accomplish it this quarter.

4. I attended a bridal shower for a very close friend, and I gave her a copy of this cross stitch in the frame that it is intended to go into.  I would like to get this done while we are on vacation/attending a different wedding at the beginning of November, so I can send it with the quilt I am making them.  (See number 1)

5. Complete this wedding record cross stitch.  This is for the first wedding we are attending, that is our vacation/wedding.  I have goals for each week, that I am kinda already behind on, but I will get it done.  Thank goodness things quiet down for me this week!

6. I have a co-worker getting married in December, and I am going to make very simple placemats.  The fabric is ready, and my pattern is ready, now to just execute!

7. Another co-worker is getting married in February of next year, and I have a table runner pattern with some fabrics that are bright colors, perfect to go with the decor of their house.  I can not wait to see how this turns out.  I can probably crank this out over a weekend. (Oh, and they have two very different favorite football teams, which will be split down the middle on the back)

8. Knit a shawl for the 2nd wedding we are attending, which is in November, and the whole thing is outside.  Granted it is not the Eastern part of the US, but it is in the mountains on the West coast, which could be cooler than what I am use to especially in a strapless, short dress.  The yarn matches the dress, and the pattern is simple and it reminds me of the wind and a little bit of the outdoors.  This will be the first shawl I have ever done.

9. Finish a throw quilt for my Mom.  I started this project back in approximately 2009.  I saw it in Keepsake Quilting, and I convinced my brother and Dad that I would make it for my Mom for Christmas.  They helped pay for it as it would be from all of us, and I started it, but never finished.  I would love to try and finish it for Christmas this year.  She gets cold easily and it would be perfect for her to wrap up in.

10. Make a baby quilt.  My cousin is having his second child with his wife, and I made the first kid a small quilt, so I feel like I should make the 2nd child their own quilt, (I try not to be bias).  A simple fence rail quilt will look great I think, especially with the colors I choose.

11.  Knit a different shawl for the 1st wedding we are attending in November.  This one is in Tennessee in November, completely outside.  Yes, it is during the daytime, but it will be cooler than I am use to, which is Southern California weather.  If I do not get it done before the wedding, I have an alternative sweater, I just like to try and be an overachiever...

12. Knit a total of 8 scarves for Operation Gratitude.  I like to knit while we watch TV in the evenings and I felt like Operation Gratitude is a great cause to knit for.  I have a bag and box of yarn to knit up, and currently I'm working on the bag.  I will only make a dent in the bag, but a dent is a dent in a yarn stash...

One bite at a time.  You can find me in the evenings after work/on the weekends at Clara (my Featherweight) working on a quilt/placemats/table runner or on the couch working on a cross stitch or knitting.  Linking up to A Quilter's Table and looking at what everyone else wants to accomplish for the last quarter of 2016.

-Christina

October OMG

This month's one monthly goal is a continuation of last months goal, in the sense that I'm going to get Block B finished (which have been started already), Block C finished (which includes stitch and flip, plus bonus triangles with squares I marked last month), and start on Block D (completing step 1 of the square, using some of the squares I marked last month).  My overachiever goal would be to finish Block D, and start putting together the quilt top, but this month is turning out to be busier than expected, so I'm setting an achievable goal for myself as long as I sit down and sew before the last week of the month. (I have done it before many of times, I get distracted by other things!)

Linking up with Heidi at Red Letter Quilts for my October OMG.  I can not wait to see what others are working on to complete this month.

-Christina