Friday, January 03, 2014

Quilting time

 Since my last update I've spent my crafting time quilting.  And I've been very productive!  Below are three little paper pieced pictures that I've completed.  It's a series of six but so far I've only acquired three.  Now I want to buy the other three.  I pick these up at quilt shows so I might resort to an online order if I can't wait that long. 
 I also finished the piecing of a small quilt for my wrought iron mini quilt holder.  I actually cut this out around 13 months ago planning on it being on display two Christmases ago.  Didn't make it again this year but will no doubt be in place this year.  I've got a ton of mini quilts to do and I'll put them on the machine quilter all at the same time some time this summer. 
 
Lastly I finished piecing another smallish quilt 36 x 36.  Love this one - its from the book, Civil War Legacies - Quilt Patterns for Reproduction Fabrics.  It's still missing the last 3" border though, I bought a kit from my favorite quilt store way over a year ago and it was missing from the package.  Bummer but a good excuse for a trip to the store today. 
I've also been doing a little more but no photos yet.  I'm working on a quilt of the month quilt called Hampton Bridge.  Another reproduction fabric quilt and so far I'm keeping up with it.  Well actually I just got caught up as we were just sent month three.  :-)  Before going back to work on Monday, I hope to do some work on a log cabin that I've had in the works for way over two years.  It's made up of random light and dark reproduction fabrics cut into super small logs.  Each log will finish at a half an inch!  And I hope to piece month five of another block of the month I got way behind on called Civil War Tribute.  I haven't worked on this one since April 2010. 

What are my craft plans for the year?  I want to finish things.  I've got a ton of stitching WIPs plus even more quilting WIPs.  I want to complete a ton before I invest more $$ on new stuff.  There a are several wool rugs (all pillow size still at this point) I want to finish - love rug working but I never purchased a frame I really like yet and it's still hard to settle in.  I also need to get going on my Cabinet - the second online class starts in March and I'm in this so deep in regards to money at this point I need to keep going - way over $2,000 I estimate at this point with at least $3,000 to go. 

Also have a ton of travel planned for this year.  A short cruise in Caribbean, a longer Disney cruise in April to Mexico with my sister and her kids and grand kids but the big trip of 2014 is a cruise and some land travel in May to Asia with my sister!  I'll start planning that soon so stay tuned for that.  We thinking adding on a three day Beijing land tour to the cruise.  And of course maybe Africa again in early winter - just a mission trip this year.  My nephew Larry and I plan on taking more climbers to Kili in 2015.   My attendance on that depends all on if I can raise the funds again.  I won't need as much as my trip in 2013 but I don't want to ask too much from friends and family if I want to try again in 2015. 

No major home improvement plans on tap this year - my travel plans this year will take all my extra funds so no big money available for that and I need to pay down my debt to get ready for a home equity loan I want to take out for the roof and siding I need.  I'm putting in a new hot water heater for sure and I'm hoping to purchase more hardwood for my floors (just to have on hand, no money for installing it this year) and changing out windows starting with my bedroom.  It's still cold in there despite my gutting the room and putting in insulation in the walls, getting insulation in the attic and putting in an all new heater and ducts!  Like five degrees colder than the rest of the house so at this point it can only be the bad windows.  I'm also (even though I swore I wouldn't do this) planning on cosmetic work on my kitchen.  I didn't want to spend money twice but I just can't stand it anymore and it's going to be at least a decade I'm thinking before I can do what I want to do with the kitchen.  I purchased an island several months ago and I love it.  I've already purchased a kit to paint the cabinets a cream color and plan on antiquing them darker.  I'll put in new counter tops and a back splash in slate tile.  If I can find the cash, I'll put in a new sink (I really want a hammered copper farmhouse sink and can use in the new kitchen someday so I really won't be wasting the $$) and a new oil rubbed bronze faucet as it's the only piece of metal left in  the house that doesn't match.

Thanks for stopping by!

2 comments:

Cari said...

I love all of your mini quilts….they are beautiful and look like they were a lot of fun to put together.

Sounds like you've got a perfect plan for 2014. You execute the plan and I'll read all about it!!

Happy New Year !!

Catherine said...

Love the quilts! And wow! What a great bunch of plans you have for the year!! Looking forward to hearing about your journies and projects!