January final summation

 My last post when I was summing up January I didn't add my Chookshed Challenge progress.

My Number 3 was Frivols quilt top, I had one star done so I finished the rest of the top. 

I also got this top done I have decided to add 2 borders so I will get onto that today, this was the project from the 2024 Advent Box from Sew Fab, it was packaged as a BOM in the box. Last years quilt is underway, it is blocks from the Moda Blockhead series.

These are my RSC blocks in Blue, now I will dig out green for February.

I joined Peel Country Quilters in January they meet in Tamworth which is an hours drive, they seem nice ladies, I went to a couple of their sew days when we first moved here and one lovely old dear told me my quilt would be wrong because the colours don't go together. I didn't go back after that. silly really I could have just ignored her. Anyway it looks like all the old dears are gone from the Staurday group. They are having a Challenge year where you show what you're wanting to complete in the year so I am sure I can find something.

Deanna has drawn 8 for February! my 8 is Anni Downs Christmas Tree wall hanging and for the quilting my Rosie's Stars quilt. Wish me luck.

Fabric in for January 15 metres

Fabric out fo January 9 metres 

Net Gain                   6 metres

January summed up

 Even though the month isn't over I know I will not get anything more finished.

I am very pleased with January, except for the insane heat of the last few days every day hitting 40c. My sewing room is too hot to sit in in the afternoon.

Goals for the month!

To bind a quilt top, Done! Two actually! the first one is from my facebook Bee group I think this was mine from 2018, it is called Treasure Hunt from Blossom Heart quilts. I will donate it somewhere when I find somewhere to donate to. The second quilt is a Me and My Sister design, I don't know the name , it was the mystery quilt for 2022with Coolah Country Quilts.

No garment sewing yet, again it's too hot.

I missed one day of sewing, it was a Friday and I went to the pub instead of sewing.

Hand stitching has been done, I have made a lot of Hexagon flowers and binding on the quilts

Books I read, Mad Mabel in two days it was great I loved it no tv watched until it was finished

I listened to two books, both were ok not earth shattering.

Try a new Recipe, well yesterday I made mini chocolate and zucchini loafs. Dave said they were dry but then he ate 2 more so I would say they were ok.

Do something fun, When Grant was here we went to Narrabri, he had never been there, to be honest there isn't much there. We found the Australia Telescope, which is actually a set of 6 radio telescopes. One is rigid and the others move along a rail line, they have the Echo dish thing like at Parkes where you talk into the dish and the person about 30 metres away can hear you clearly, Grant liked that. We wondered around for a while then we went to Yarrie Lake whis was a few k's further along the road it was a pretty little lake there were a few campers still there. We had lunch at the pub on Goober St, we liked that.

Goals for the Year

 I am at an age that I need to set some goals I think, no more just blindly going along, if I document it here I have to be accountable.

Sewing Goals

Bind and quilt 1 quilt a month-I have enough of them and more coming.

Do some garment sewing- at least 1 every 2 months.

Sew at least 30 minutes a day.

Join in with So Scrappy for the monthly Rainbow scrap challenge, making at least 2 blocks a month.

Do some hand stitching weekly.

Life Goals

I have copied this from Janice 

Read a book a month and review it here.

Listen to a book a month as well.

Try a new recipe a month.

Have a fun day out. I like this idea, I'm thinking like a holiday in our backyard.

I spent the morning drawing circles for my grandbabies I spy quilt, then I went through the cupboard and I have a few sewing things that I will take to Scrub Stitchin to pass on to someone who might want them, a few old kits and patterns that were started about 25 years ago, I have too much stuff.

Happy New Year 2026

 Well I have made my first trip to Bunnings and Spotlight for the year! I am trying No Buy January so I think I need to go on American time and cancel today. I got fabric for backings at Spotty so that doesn't really count, 15 metres @$4 per metre.

I got 7 metres in an aqua spot and 8 metres in a cute bright animal print. Also .5 metre drill to mend Daves work pants so that surely doesn't count as it is necessary.

Thanks to Deana for organising this again. This year I am going to finish some things no new starts on my list, that doesn't mean I won't start something new just my list needs to be finished

1/ Blue Baskets, I started doing needleturn but now I am going to do it my machine or it will never get finished.

2/Farmers wife, I think I have about 20 blocks done maybe more, all done FPP.

3/Frivols Quilt , I have 1 block done and need 3 more.

 

4/ Dwell Quilt, all the blocks are done they just need to be assmbled into a flimsy.

5/ Swoon Quilt, All the blocks are done I need to decide if I want sashing or not.

6/ Message in a bottle, this was a BOM from several years ago.

7/ Blue Triangle Quilt. this was given to me to finish, I had it laid out on the bed and was deciding what to do next and we had visitors so it had to get folded up.

8/ Anni Downs Christmas tree, from Memory it is a wall hanging.

9/ Dresden Block quilt, all the dresdens are made backing and sahing need to be cut.

10 Bag month, I need to make a nappy bag for Sophie and I want a large tote and a train case.

Ok so this is my list. my to be quilted list is 

1/ Tilda flower vase

2/Smitten

3/ 2024 Mystery Quilt

4/ 2023 Mystery Quilt

5/ Potato Chip quilt

6/ Fuzzy quilt

7/Oh My Stars

8/Rosie's Stars

9/ Panel Quilt

10 Grant's quilt.

Wish me luck.

2025 Recap

 What a year, good and bad happy and sad, Shane and Brad with Sophie have visited for a few days after Christmas, it was a lovely rushed visit but the noise level OMG, they are so noisy.

So today I am working out my chookshed challenge list for 2026, i am not putting any new projects except maybe bag month .

So revisiting the year 

January

Number 6: Layer Cake quilt

Finished and sent to Brad and Sophie for their friends baby.

February

Number 10 Fusion quilt/ not done

March 

Number 2 Springtime-Butterfly and Dragonfly Applique quit

Top done not quilted yet.

April

Number 4 Foundation Paper Pieced something.

I sewed a few Farmers Wife blocks

May

Number 8 Bag Month

I made a new project bag and I started a Divide and Conquer bag By Annie

June

Number 5 EPP

I made a lot of Hexagon flowers and also did a lot of my EPP BOM from 2017

July

Number 9 Scrappy Crossroads

I cut some bits but didn't get onto it I was busy making a quilted jacket and the divide and conquer bag

August 

Number 7 Blue baskets I managed a couple of blocks but that is all

September

Number 1 Free Wheelin Single Girl

Great timing as there was an online sew a long for this quilt in September I had 3 blocks made and I did another 3

October

Number 3 Oh My Stars 

Top complete but no pic I will have to dig it out for a photo

So that is my Chookshed Challenge year,In this year I also sewed 2 blocks a month for a Bee group that I'm in, this was the last year for me. I did 2 retreats, I made a quilted jacket that needs to have the height of the collar reduced so the binding needs to come off and that is why it hasn't been done. I did make a baby quilt for the nephews baby, I did only 3 workshops at Coolah, I did a weekend sewing in Sydney learning machine applique and for the most part of the year I had a great time.

December 1

 Well goodbye November, you didn't seem to hang around for long. Apparently it's a sign of old age when the months fly by......

Hubby started a new job working as a farmhand, he is loving it and comes home every day pretty much exhausted, he is doing some welding as well repairing stuff, so he is showing off his welding skills. The first day he slipped on some oil on the forklift step and fell fracturing 3 ribs so he has been in a bit of pain but the workshop area is now spotless , he can't work in mess and there was a lot of it.

Sewing wise I have been plodding along on a few things, I made some small christmas presents to go into an advent box for a swap that I'm in. I made a covered notebook, a bookmark, a project bag, a little purse, a fabric basket and a small tote bag. I have also bought myself an advent box from Sew Fab in Narranderra and I am being very good not opening all the presents. 

I have been trying to finish the projects from last years box the big one is a Tilda flower vase quilt with a millionty 2"squares. at least the kit had all the colours cut and bagged I just had to cut the background pieces, I am up to section 7 of 9

I am trying to get organised for next year as well, I have my diary ready, I have cut an old kit that I have had for a few years to take to Scrub Stitchin, I have cut a baby quilt for Brad and Sophies baby due in June. I have plans for a couple of bags too hopefully one done before the end of the year. I have booked into 2 workshops at The Modern Quilt Show in March. Tara Glastonbury, design a modern quilt, Now I don't mind some modern quilts but I'm not a fan of all of them. The second workshop is with Tania Tanti it looks like fun. Theres another workshop on the saturday that I would like but I think I am going to a baby shower that day I haven't got the date yet.

We have , like most of the country , had a few storms lately, I put the Christmas lights up early and I have pulled them off the roof a few times already. Luckily we have had no damage, one of the houses that I clean had several trees lose big branches and their machine shed is on a big lean held up by a tractor and a container, luckily nothing too bad.

Well it is sewing time here so off I go

October Update

 Ok so I mentioned that I was doing The Free Wheelin Single Girl Sew a Long with Wendy who is from the Next Stitch in Dubbo I have made a few rings and 2 blocks. The blocks are about 22 inches so a 3x3 setting will be great. I got another set done yesterday.

        

Coolah patchwork had their weekend in Mudgee last fortnight, they hire an airbnb whichs sleeps up to 16 and they borrow sturdy tables from the primary school. There was only 12 of us this year so it wasn't too squeezy. I took some Christmas presents to finish off. A project bag from an orphan block and I also made 8 shoe bags but no photo. Of course I had too many projects but I got the presents made and then I finished the last blocks of my Dwell quilt and then started on my Dresden blocks.

I have been cutting some flowers each week the garden has gone nuts with the start of spring, thankfully the cat has stopped pulling the flowers out tof the vase to drink the water.

Today I will be pickling Asparagus, lots of Asparagus. Cya!