2014 Goal evaluation for quilting anad sewing

As the year comes to a close in a week, it is time to evaluate some of the goals I set at the first of the year.  Right now I am only going to evaluate the quilting and sewing projects.
Here is a reminder of the goals I set. 

--Unfinished Quilting & Sewing Projects--
1.  Quilt Off-Set Blocks quilt
2.  Frame Welcome Embroidery piece (Done)
3.  Finish tiny wall hangings (Done)
4.  Quilt Storm at Sea quilt
5.  Quilt Double Irish Chain quilt (Done)
6.  Quilt Garden quilt
7.  Quilt Garden quilt wall hanging
8.  Finish Embroidered Baskets wall hanging
9.  Finish Embroidered Baby Sun Bonnet Sue baby quilt (Done)

--New Quilting and Sewing Projects--
1.  Embroidered Flowers Quilt
2.  Island Sunset Paper Pieced Quilt
3.  Camping Appliqué wall hanging
4.  Harvest Moon wall hanging

Here is the evaluation of what I did get done during the year.

--Unfinished Quilting & Sewing Projects--COMPLETED
1. Framed Welcome Embroidery piece
2. Quilted Spring Mini wall hangings
3. Quilted Double Irish Chain quilt
4. Pieced and quilted Embroidered Baby Sun Bonnet Sue baby quilt

--Unfinished Quilting & Sewing Projects--IN PROCESS
1. Pieced Embroidered Baskets wall hanging and being hand quilted

--New Quilting and Sewing Projects--NEW
I did not work on any of the new quilt projects this year but I did several new projects that came up during the year.
1. Noah's Ark baby quilt
2. Baby Broeckelman's baby shower quilt
3. Crochet edged baby receiving blanket
4. Macie's dress
5. Take Away The Blues! comfort quilt
6. Flora's Doll quilt

Other projects I worked on:
1. Helped Karen make a quilt top for Kinsley's big bed.
2. Helped the Altar Society quilt and bind their quilt for Mardi Gras next spring.
3. Designed king size Double Irish Chain quilt for Mom.
4. Helped Mom on borders for embroidered postage stamp borders quilt.
5. Helped Karen with applique on her North Dakota quilt.
6. Quilted baby quilt Judy made for another teacher at school.

OK, so I did not get everything done that I had listed but I really did do a lot.  10 finished projects, 1 project in progress and 6 projects I helped others with.  I am also crocheting on another baby receiving blanket. That is more than I ever really thought I would get done. Nice year for quilting and sewing projects.

Now to set new goals for the new year.  I look forward to see what comes about.

Rose

A new Christmas story

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring except for the mouse.
He was so brave that he ran around and played.
He was eager to come out in the light.

Sticky traps are around the baseboards
but he wants to run in the middle of the rooms.
I could not catch him no matter how hard I tried.
I went to bed in hopes that the traps would be filled.

On Christmas morning I checked the traps
Unfortunately they were empty.
I am so frustrated
What do I need to do to catch this critter?

I heard a rattling in the kitchen
To find he was chewing on a piece of dry bread.
He disappeared between the cabinet and the stove
Not to be seen the rest of the day.

I see his 'tracks' on the counter tops in the kitchen
I see his 'tracks' in the bathroom cabinets
I watch him run around the living room
I watch him run around the sewing room

It is now Christmas night
The mouse again is running around
He does not want to stay to the baseboards
Were the sticky traps are waiting for him.

Poison has been set out for weeks
Some have eaten and some have died
Then the smell begins
And the searching takes place.

Lately the mice ignore the poison
Lately the mice ignore the traps
Any holes are filled with steel wool and expanding foam.
I do not know where they are coming from.

I caught 3 mice and 1 gopher already this week.
I have lost count of all I have caught this summer and fall.
I am so tired of rewashing dishes and towels
I am so tired of always having a mess.

When I get ready for bed tonight
I am setting every snap trap I have
In hopes that the mouse will partake
And the trap will snap.

Plug any more holes
Catch all I can
Clean the whole house
Goodbye, little mouse.


Yes I know I am terrible at poetry or anything like that.  Forgive all my errors in form and format but enjoy the story behind it all.

I have had a nice and quiet Christmas day which falls between a couple of busy weeks.  I will get to see most of my family during this time. 

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, our Savior, I remember the reason he came to earth.  I am so grateful for all the blessings in my life.  My prayer for you is a life filled with love and joy that comes from Heaven above.

Merry Christmas all.

Rose

Take Away the Blues!

At the first of the year I set a lot of goals especially with quilts to make and finish.  This one is an additional quilt that I had no idea at that time that I would do.

My good friend, Roni, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  She seems to be so strong.  She will have a mastectomy this week.  My heart hurts so much and I do not know how to express it.  So I do what I know how to do.  I offer help but she has no idea yet what kind of help, if any, she may need.  I turn to what I am best at doing, I make a quilt.  I sat down with the graph paper on the computer and began to design.  I had fun designing the block then the quilt layout.  I thought about using pink an burgundy colors to represent the breast cancer support but I decided that blue would be better.  I used 24 different blue fabrics--thus part of the name.  As a comfort quilt comes the rest of the idea of the name for the quilt.  Roni and I have known each other and been friends for 26 years.  I could not come up with a quilt layout with 26 blocks or I would have done that.  I used black flannel for the quilt back so that it will be soft and warm as well. With every thought and plan in the design, with every stitch made to piece together and quilt the quilt, I have put in all my thoughts and love and hugs and good wishes and prayers for her. 

 

Love you, Roni. I am so grateful to have you as my dear friend.

 

Rose



December Mud

It has been so very dry. There is powder dust everywhere instead of dirt.  Today we gratefully got rain.  Thunder, lightening and pouring rain.  I stood at the church door and watched; water was running down the gutters and across the parking lot towards the field.  As I was driving back to the farm after church, I drove through off and on heavy rain and there was water standing in the fields and ditches.  At Rexford I called home to ask how muddy it was and to notify Dad that I was on my way in case I got stuck and needed to be picked up.  Dad said they hardly had enough moisture to get the sidewalk damp.  Funny, I was driving in rain.  Ok, I'll head down the dirt (mud) road. 

As I turned to the county road, it looked muddy to me.  Oh, boy, was it muddy!  You can see that I was not exactly going straight down the road.

I do not like driving mud roads but I can do it.  I take it slow and slide all over the road but seem to stay out of the ditch.  There were times that my steering wheel was upside down or turned 3/4 around.  At one time I did not know which way was straight and had to just let go to allow it to return to normal. My Dodge Journey has the stability traction control feature that shuts down the engine when it senses the tires slipping.  I was basically sitting in the middle of the road and going nowhere.  I pressed the over ride button to shut it off and to let the car skid some.  I saw the anti-skid light come on once even after turning it off.  I made it home and did not get stuck. Yea Rose!!

I went down to Mom & Dad's and it really poured rain for a while.  I showed Dad the pictures I took as I was driving.  I think I was going slow enough and only need one hand to 'loosy goosy' steer the car that I was safe enough to take the pictures. 

I had .80 inch of rain in my rain gauge and it was leaning sideways so that most likely is not accurate but at least I have proof it rained a lot (just in case driving in it did not let me know).  I think Dad must have been sleeping in his chair and not realizing how  much it had really rained.  Snow is to come tonight.

Rose