January Crafting Weekend

After my last post I got to thinking of all the things I wanted to get done craft wise or with my home. There are so many times that I plan on working on something after the girls get to bed, after I get this chore done. By the time I actually sit down to work on something I'm so tired. So since I can't afford to go on a crafting retreat, I would create my own.

I called my sister to see if she was game. We decide that we would take one day or weekend a month to get together and craft or work on a project of some sort. So last weekend I went up to her house on Saturday night. Then on Sunday morning we got up and I crafted.

I got four Lizzy Dish towels done. I also started on potholders, but gave up on them once I started arguing with my sisters sewing machine. It drew first blood. Time for something else.




I also brought along some of my blocks for my Sweet Pea Quilt. Most of the stitching on these were done. But I recently decided to stitch the flower block instead of appliqueing a flower on. I also decide to skip the circles on the dot fabric as well. What do you think? Me I'm liking it.

I know not a lot done for a days worth of crafting. But it's a start. Now in February my sister is coming over to my house. Hopefully by then I'll have my Lizzy Dish potholders done as well. The Lizzy Dish stuff was going to be for gifts. But I changed my mind. I thought I need something cheerful for my kitchen. They don't match what I have, but I like them anyways. They are so bright and cheerful.

Well hope everyone is have a good weekend. This weekend The only thing that got done, was that we picked up lumber for one of my other projects. Which by the way I changed to a different one.

Goals for 2011

. . . crafting goals that is. I have three goals this year that I really want to try and meet.

I want to finish this:


This quilt is at this same point in doneness. And well this picture was taken in July of '09. My plan is to undo the hand stitching and re-baste, then machine quilting with some simple in the ditch sewing.

I also want to finish this:

This is Squirm's Sweet Pea baby quilt. She's 1 1/2. I know better get busy.

And I also want to finish making my hst blocks from some vintage sheets and a Ikea sheet, so I can turn them into a zig zag quilt.

I'm really good at starting projects but not so much on the finishing part. So my goal is to at least finish these three. I've got lots sitting on my crafting shelves and in my idea book, that I want to make. But I would like to see some finish projects as well.

Here's a small (okay part of my list) of things I want to make this year (okay I realize that some of these are actually on the hunny do list, but someone has to make that list right?):

• Hour glass quilt (like this one) -- I already have some Little Folks fabric set aside for this
• Christmas stockings -- I adore these
• a Hex afghan (this one from Attic24) -- I've got yarn all picked out for this just have to buy it.
• This quilt in that fabric too -- anybody know if there's a pattern out there for this? Otherwise I'll have to figure something similar out myself. But as a treat to myself I plan on buying a layer cake of the fabric.
• a bed for the Monkey
• a bed for the Boy/grown up playroom (and well that not as bad as it sound, it's the office/craft/game room)
• two down and dirty dressers for the girl's room -- this one will call for a little modification
  

And well that just the start of what I wish I could make. I just wish I could find more time to work on things. But by the time I get home from work and do the whirl wind of activity that comes from being a mom/wife, I just don't feel like doing much of anything. Oh well here's hoping for some more energy at night to get at least one project done this year.

Do you have any goals or projects that you want to make or finish this year?

Books of 2010

Happy New Year!!

Well I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Ours were good. I did wish for more quite time, but I'm still glad I got to see all of my family.

I was on my goodreads account. And can you believe it. I read 50 book last year. 50!! That's two books short of a book a week. So I figured I give you a list of the best and worst that I read.

Well lets start with the worst (in no order):

The Maze of Bones (39 Clues #1) by Rick Riordan --
I found that this book was lacking something. I love the idea of the story but even for a kids book it was just fell short.

In a Far Country by John Taliaferro --
I thought this non-fiction work would be more exiting and and contain more adventure then it did. It ended up being a very slow account of what happened on an Alaskan mission trip.


The Gunslinger by Stephen King --
I found this book to by very dry reading. And well it just reminded me why I don't read Stephen King.

Okay now for some of my more favorite reads:

Giants in the Earth by Ole Edvart Rolvaag --
I loved this book. It was long and a little slow on the reading. But I found it to be a grown up version of Little House on the Prairie or Meet Kirsten from the American Girl collection.

Well okay coming up with the favorites is a little harder but here's the list of runner ups: