Fleece Finishes!!

The entire bag of fleece is finished! I admit I had to buy 1 1/3 yd of purple to compliment a large piece in order to make a fringe blanket. I just couldn't bear the thought of turning the large piece into more mittens! In all I made 3 dozen mittens in three different sizes, 1 scarf, 3 hats, 1 fringe lap blanket, 1 strip toddler(?) blanket and 3 baby quilts! It is such a nice feeling to have that bag completely empty, I just need to loop the mittens together in pairs with some embroidery floss tonight, and then tomorrow I'll drop them by the nearby Army base, I noticed signs announcing a hat and mitten drive, so the timing is perfect! DD has already claimed the scarf and matching mittens, and DH wants the hats (all black) as he is follicley challenged and likes to wear a cap to bed at night. I've decided to keep track of the fabric that comes in and goes out this year. I'd like to have the yardage going out double, no - triple the yardage coming in! I know, I know, we each have our fantasies don't we? Anyway, I didn't think to measure all of the fleece before I began, so I measured the finished blankets, and estimated for the mittens, scarf and hats. I didn't include the practice mittens or of course the bits and pieces here and there. I need to try to measure before I cut. This being said, I will have to estimate alot this year as I have so many WISPs already cut and partially sewn! I was also going to try to complete (at least) one Christmas present each month, I could have it be the purple fringe blanket for one of my seven nieces, but I really should finish the snowman pillow for my sister . . . hmmmm, better get going!

I didn't add a title this time to see if that makes a difference. I made a decision as to what to finish next, and I decided on putting some of this fleece together. Since moving to Virginia, I no longer have huge attic, only a small area "under the eves" Although I am short I have to stoop over to navigate in there and can only endure it for short intervals depending on the weather. Our Christmas decorations are stored there and whilst digging them out, (then returning them) I kept stumbling over (literally) this huge black trash bag, and each time I'd say "what on earth is in here" (short term memory loss) Inside are the remnants of fleece my husband and I had purchased in order to make fleece blankets with our Sunday school class in Wisconsin (6th & 7th Graders). The kids would tie them and donate them to children welfare services each December. Many of the remnants I had already cut into 5" squares. So this past weekend, after getting cable service back, I cut out more 5" squares, and laid and pinned two baby quilts while watching football with DH. Yesterday I was able to carve out a bit of time and sew them together! Needless to say, this is not the entire bag, but I have more fleece downstairs with my mini cutting board and ruler and will keep cutting and sewing!

Where to start?

I'm back! I lost the Internet (& cable TV) for a couple of days last week, forcing me to shut off coverage of the Haiti tragedy and to stop reading everyone else's blogs and get myself organized. But where to start? Now I remember why I never get very far - it is just so overwhelming. I don't really have to dig very deep to find many projects in various stages of undone. Just turning around reveals another pile or stack. Should I do a project from each stack, focus on eliminating one particular pile or clearing one specific area? As I said, simply overwhelming. Above are just three of at least six piles of WISPs, and that doesn't count the ones in bins, boxes or closets. Next question, how do I post pictures so that they fall amongst the text instead of always at the beginning of the post. Do I post multiple times? I guess I'll just have to experiment!

I'm In!!

YAY! I made it! Just in the knick of time too! I'm glad I resisted my usual inclination to procrastinate and instead, just sat down & worked through creating the blog until I was successful. I am not computer savey and sometimes I'll give up to easily. I will try to improve the look and functionality of this blog as time goes by. Kris was just amazing in helping me to add the badge the blog, I had gone to a blogger help website and they were just too technical. Kris's instructions were so clear and they WORKED! I guess not only will I be motivated to finish more quilting projects, but to also learn more about computers etc.! This is just the kick start I need to clear out so many of my WISPs! I joined a local guild in September, thrilled because during my visit in June I discovered they had a UFO club; In January you write out what you would like to have finished for each month and then during that particular month you would bring in the finished project for show and tell and then I think you would get a fat quarter. Unfortunately, this January they voted to give the UFO Club a rest for a year!! Previously, when I lived in Wisconsin, a friend of mine and I decided that we would not buy new fabric/kits/etc., unless we finished at least two WISPs. We were doing pretty well until my husband was transferred to Virginia, that was a real project killer for quite awhile. But now - no excuses, and I will try to post a picture of the scooby doo toddler quilt.

First Post

Well, I've gone and done it, created a blog. I hope I have created it in time to join the OPAM Challenge 2010 with Kris and Peg. I am so ignorant about how to do all the really neat things that make a blog look great and interesting. I have not figured out how to put the OPAM Challenge badge on to my blog yet, I sent Kris an email in order to join and asked for her assistance. In the meantime I'll keep plugging away! I am so excited that I already have a finish for January! I just need to take a picture of it, a toddler Scooby-Do quilt with matching pillowcase. I finished binding it while watching football Saturday with DH.