Inspired

As I sit here, returned from our holiday journey and waiting for the new year, I am inspired. Overwhelmed by all I wish to accomplish and a little being who simply will not have it, but inspired and excited for the coming year none the less. I have some awesome new books to read which just keep giving me idea after idea. I plan to spend the next couple of days relaxing with the family and getting myself in order for the new year. I have some priorities to figure out and I'm really hoping to start the new year out with a clear idea of what I want to accomplish. Right now my list is 10 miles long and I am feeling pretty disorganized so hopefully I will be able to iron some of that out.


With that I wish you a very happy new year. Next week I will be back [hopefully] renewed and refreshed and with some great christmas gifts to show off and some sort of plan for 2011. We know how well I stick to plans....but I'll keep trying :)

Overwhelmed

And running out of time. 16 Days until Christmas. 9 Days until we begin our holiday travels. 5 gifts to finish.

Since my lovely little lady has decided that naps are for babies (but not her) unless, of course, she is snuggled on mommy's lap (right now for instance), my time to sew has been severely limited (I am enjoying it though, she is already growing so fast I know I have to soak it up while I can!). Thus, out of the many things I had planned to make, not too many of them will actually be done for christmas. And that's okay, I think I should be able to do the rest of the things I have in progress and have something for everyone in the immediate families, but I had to put a lot of things on hold. Sad times. I have only one quilt that I think will be finished...it is half quilted right now, I just need a couple more hours to quilt and then I need to make and attach the binding and sew it down by hand. Easy, right? Ha. But it should be done and at least hand stitching the binding is portable so it can travel with us and be finished in the week before christmas. I have 3 other things cut and ready to be sewn which hopefully will go pretty quickly and then another thing I need to wash the fabric for and then get started on which is a less pressing issue since I suspect I won't see the recipient until after the holiday.

So it is doable, it's just a lot, and the time is that much shorter until the middle of next week when hubbys semester is over and we have a little more breathing room. Somehow it will get done though. And, I have decided that I am just going to go ahead and make the blanket for myself that I have had cut and waiting since June once the holidays are over. I ordered the back and binding and I am super excited. And I think I even have enough to make a baby blanket out of the leftovers :) I also ordered some sweet double gauze to make a set of security blankets for the little one so that once she reaches that attachment stage, we can encourage her to use these. They should be pretty soft and wonderful! I also have the other quilts to make and plenty of other ideas floating around.

I guess at this point I don't know if you'll hear much from me until the holidays are past and I can start posting the things I am giving. Which reminds me, I better take some pictures before I go giving them away. I am very much looking forward to a couple of relaxing family-filled weeks before the start of a new year. Until then, I better get my craft on and get these things done!

My new best friend

So. It's been a little while. It's a weird combination of busy and that chunk of time before Christmas where I can't reveal anything I am working on for fear of the recipient seeing it. Not that I am making a huge amount of stuff this year due to obvious time constraints. And since we are doing our Christmas traveling the week before Christmas, time is even more limited. It's alright though, I am pretty sure everyone in the immediate families will get something.

Anyway, what I do want to talk about is the best thing that has happened in my sewing life. Seriously, I don't know how I survived or what I was thinking. I would like you to meet my 1/4" foot.


Why someone didn't alert me to their existence sooner, I have no idea, but it seriously has changed my sewing forever. We all know I have a particular problem with accuracy. And I've come to terms with that and recognize that my project still look good. But this just changed my life. I now have even seems and they meet where they are supposed to almost every time (the remaining times I attribute to my inability to cut, even with a rotary cutter and mat). It's amazing. I didn't think I would ever be able to do that! It has been particularly good for my most recent project with lots of piecing and seems that need to match up, and they do, and it looks freaking awesome! More on that particular project after it is given. And finished for that matter.



The fabric just lines up so nicely along the guide...clearly I am easily impressed. And I can't wait to use it to quilt and make nice lines 1/4" from the seams. Yep, way too excited about this little gadget. Is it even really a gadget? Ah well, either way. The point is, awesome. And with that I must go. I have some serious basting to do this weekend....in between the family pictures, cleaning, hot chocolate and christmas decorating that must happen :)