meet Bitty

Well...an update on Goldie (my machine)...she's currently in hospital...and I have no idea how long she will be there.  The general assumption is that her power supply has failed and they are sure they can fix it (which is good news).  So, there I was...no machine...I lasted a day.   Meet Bitty:

She's tiny, powerful...and great for piecing!  I didn't want to spend hardly anything on another machine, but the truth is...it's desperately needed!  So I did a bit of research, and went and picked her up yesterday.   And so far, we've been stitching madly away at some Scrappy Trip Along blocks!

I have the above 4 finished...and 3-4 more somewhere in the process.  These blocks are a lot of fun to put together!  So off I go...time to get some more stitching done before the rest of my day kicks in!

15 minute challenge...week 26!

The first stitchy week of 2013, and time to check in with the 15 minute Challenge over at Life in Pieces!

Tuesday: Good Fortune

Wednesday: Good Fortune

Thursday: none

Friday: Good Fortune, Shake n' Bake 2

Saturday: Good Fortune, Shake n' Bake 2

Sunday: Shake n' Bake 2, HST BOM

Monday: HST BOM, Scrappy Trip

6 of 7 ain't bad!  Kate has added a monthly theme as part of this year's challenge, and for January, that theme is "Set a Schedule."  And I've been contemplating that quite a bit the past few days.  For the next few months, my work schedule will be a bit wonky, and I have thought about when I will be sleeping, when will I be getting up, when will I plan on working out...and figured out the best time for me to be sewing during all of this.  And to be honest, sewing was the last thing I thought about, figured I'd just get to the machine whenever.  Thankfully I fixed myself on that one, and have figured out when I will be doing what.  Thankfully this is a schedule not hard fixed to a specific time on the clock, but able to shift based on my work hours.  This week I'll be working 2:30 pm - 12:30 am...so i'll be up around 9 am (or earlier), eat breakfast, sew while my food digests a bit, then get my work out in, then get ready for work/eat a light lunch/pack dinner, etc.  Next week my hours shift to 11 pm - 9 am, and my "schedule" will shift with me.  We'll see how this goes over the next two weeks.  I do worry about "over scheduling" myself, as in on Monday's work on this quilt, on Tuesday's this one, etc.  That kind of kills my creativity, as I like to kind of wing it...work on this one here...this one there...we'll see how it goes!

quick edit:  got home from work last night, did a bit of stitching to calm my brain down before bed...and my machine died.  one minute it's up and running and stitching...the next it's dark and cold and dead.  the power cord and plug are all working fine...machine has bit the dust.  so we'll see if I can schedule some time to get it to the repair shop! another edit:  Guy seems to think it's the cord, (and because I know ZILCH about how any of this stuff works, I'm willing to go along with that), and hopefully we'll be able to replace it quickly!   ummm...it's not the cord, it's the machine (probably the power supply), but I may not know for 1-2 weeks...ick...this is my only machine...so I'm going to have to make some decisions here soon...

doing a bit of traveling...

with the Scrappy Trip Along!  I've seen the blocks popping up everywhere...and I just couldn't resist, had just enough time today before getting ready for work to get one done!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!  Tutorial can be found here, flickr group here. or if you are on instagram, check hashtag #scrappytripalong

just keep stitching...

I'm all out of catchy blog post titles, not that I have too many that are that catchy...anyways...here is what I've been up to this weekend!

I pieced together the Layers of Good Fortune quilt top:

and the Shake n' Bake 2 quilt top:

and today I started getting all the pieces together to finish the HST BOM quilt top:

It's almost time to get back to doing some quilting!

layers of Good Fortune

that's what I'm calling this particular quilt.  1.  because I used a Layer Cake and 2. because the name of the fabric is Good Fortune (aren't I just awesome at quilt naming!).

I'm using the Easy as Pie Layer Cake Quilt pattern by Sherri from A Quilting Life (pattern posted at Moda Bake Shop).

What I really love about this particular pattern is that it lends itself well to time blocks, as in, I only have this much time, or I've got 15 minutes to sew so what can I do, etc. 

Progress is slow but steady!

15 minute challenge, weeks 24 and 25!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm very excited to be in 2013! 

Week 24 (Dec. 18 - 24)

Tuesday: none
Wednesday: none
Thursday: hexies
Friday: hexies
Saturday: none
Sunday: hexies, bound California Girl, quilting Rainbow Star
Monday: quilting Rainbow Star

Week 25 (Dec. 25 - 31)

Tuesday: none
Wednesday: quilting Rainbow Star
Thursday: quilting Rainbow Star
Friday: none
Saturday: none
Sunday: completed November and December HST BOM blocks, did a little piecing on Shake n' Bake 2, started a new project
Monday: piecing new project

Not too bad...considering the amount of time we spent traveling over the two weeks, and all of the Holiday hoopla...not too bad at all.

Linking up over at Life in Pieces, very excited about the new themes that will be playing a part in the 2013, 15 minute challenge.

2013 goals

So here we go...what I'd like to accomplish in 2013:

1. Work on FMQ.  I really would like to improve in this area (not that it will take much to improve!!!)
2. Make Girl a Christmas Quilt (fabric is already picked out, pattern is already picked out, just need to do!)
3. Make a quilt for me (Sister's TEN BOM)
4. Finish Terrain Swoon (quilt top is made, need to make the backing and get this puppy quilted and finished!)
5. Make a quilt for Guy 
6. Attend Sew South Retreat (this should be easy!!! :) )
7. Make Christmas gift quilts for 2 of my nieces (I really want to get this done EARLY this year!!!)
8. Move my sewing space upstairs (this was a goal in 2012, had to extend the goal, need more time to accomplish it!)
9. Make a bottled rainbow quilt (really looking forward to this!!!)
10. Continue with the 15 minutes a day challenge!

So there we go, not too shabby.  I tried to re-focus my goals to the more realistic, and find areas that I really want to improve upon.  The biggest one is FMQ, I enjoy FMQing, but I want to do more (and make it look like it INTENDED to look like!).  I am also getting so very excited about attending Sew South Retreat (just a few months away!!).  I fell in love with the Rainbow quilts I made in 2012, so I plan to make more in 2013 (and beyond).  Most of all...the 15 minutes a day challenge really improved my sewing time and what I accomplished in 2012, I am very much looking forward to continuing in 2013.