"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11 (NIV)

Saturday, October 24, 2020

To-Do's - October 24, 2020

Time keeps marching on towards the end of the year.   Truly does seem to go faster the older I get.   Lots going on outside of the commissioned work to keep the stress level up, but working on the to-do list helps keep it somewhat down.

Completions for the last couple of weeks -

  1. 3 large lap quilts (2 commissions and 1 UFO) - basted and ready for finishing
  2. Christmas 2020 - Purse (red/black) for TA - finished
  3. Pick-up fabric for memory lap quilt - done
  4. T-shirt quilt for TA from her Dad's t-shirts - Completed
  5. Christmas 2020 - Purse (printed denim/blues) for PN - Completed
  6. Order for 5 fitted masks with custom logo's - Completed and delivered

Goals for the rest of October and first week of November -
  1. Make design boards for SN's friend - boards on hand for these
  2. T-Shirt quilt for CA from his shirts - quilted, ready to bind
  3. Pug quilt for TK, 50" by 70" - quilted, ready to bind
  4. stay up to-date on the mask orders
  5. Sort and  list more fabrics for sale
  6. Finish Scrappy Purse, greys/cream/blacks for sale - in Process
  7. UFO Alphabet quilt #4 - Quilted, ready to bind
  8. Sunshine FQ challenge quilt - quilted, ready for binding
  9. Christmas 2020 - Nativity panel quilt for TA - quilted ready for binding
  10. List pulled sets of precut squares, panels, and yardage for sale
Commission To-do's for November-
  1. Design layout options for memory quilt for MF and send to her for feedback
  2. Scrappy Tan/cream/lt brown quilt for KM - Add border, then finish
  3. Memory quilt for MF - Have fabrics, need to figure out setting
  4. T-shirt quilt for CA from her shirts - Coordinating colors chosen (reds/pinks)

Current For Sale projects & Commissions -
  1. Purses for sale
  2. List Kids quilts for sale

2020 gifts -
  1. Christmas 2020 - Pillowcase(s) for triangle support pillow for PN - For Christmas
  2. Christmas 2020 - Embellished t-shirt for MM
  3. Christmas 2020 - Cat pillowcases for MM
  4. Christmas 2020 - Dog pillowcases for HM
  5. Christmas 2020 - Farmers Market wall-hanging for LT - top fused, ready for stitching
  6. Christmas 2020 - Gift for DN - order from Amazon

Future Commissions-
  1. 8 memory bears for SW
Possible Commissions/Sales-
  1. Teddy Bear Quilt - This needs to be quilted (either for the original order or sold to someone else)
  2. Quilt tops that are for sale (Wolf + more)
  3. T-shirt Quilt for friend in an online group (no due date, waiting for shirts and specs)
  4. T-shirt quilt for a CS (church friend, no due date, waiting for shirts, specs)
  5. Memory quilt for MR
  6. Purse - with "DREAM" panel
Other projects that need to be done -
  1. List antique thread chest for sale
  2. Prep t-shirts for my own t-shirt quilt - t-shirts are all together (and have been for several yrs) but need to prep them
  3. Downsize quilting fabric stash - Started, lots more to go thru
  4. Get website set up so that I can sell what I'm making and my quilts - started need to finish
  5. Continue looking for and applying for new, paying jobs
  6. Find a PT job to help with income at this point
  7. Catch up on mystery Quilt
Miscellaneous - 
  1. Continue with job hunt - here or AZ needs to be thought about and decided on
  2. Figure out what I need to do with the house


Gratitudes:
1. For the roof over my head and food in the pantry/frig

2. For my 401F.... ;-)


Friday, October 23, 2020

Fabric for a Stashbuster

One of the quilt lists that I've been on for years on is Stashbusters.   And the group was set up with the aim that most of us quilters need to use and/or downsize our fabric stashes.   

I try to keep mine fairly well sorted so I know where to look for something when I need it.   So when a fellow stashbuster said she was looking for a red fabric with "Jesus Loves Me" printed in metallic gold, I knew the fabric she wanted and exactly where to look for it.    Net result is that it'll be finding a new home with her and that's another almost 8 yds out of my stash this year.  =)


Gratitudes:

1. some small signs of progress in the possible sale of the company I work for

2. For still being able to pay my bills this month.





Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Scrap-Happy October 2020 - Christmas Gifts

 Lots of scrappy goodness has been happening around here this month as I've worked on getting a couple of Christmas gifts made up.  This month was all about purses for a couple of friends.

First purse - will be headed east to my friend P.   Her favorite color is blue, hence the colors used in this purse.  The main fabric in the purse is seen here in the flap is from a printed denim remnant that I found in looking for something else. 
Back of purse showing the tie-dyed effect of the denim.

Did buy a 1/4 yd of fabric for the strap because I couldn't find the right color in my stash to work with the blue of the denim.
Front of purse with scrappy pocket.  Button from the stash.
inside of purse, lining was from another remnant piece of fabric.
Second purse, going to my friend TA.  Color options given were black with red, teal or fuchsia.....well this red and black fabric is what I found in my stash to use as the main part of the purse.  It was by Kona Bay fabrics, and technically wasn't a scrap, but I know it has been an end of bolt when I bought it so close enough for me.   

Button was from a stash of buttons that I bought several years ago for about 90% off.....can't beat that when the original price was $12 for one button!
Inside - lining was made from a remnant of a civil war repro that measured at 58" wide, not sure where I found that one or when for that matter.  One pocket was string-pieced, the other from a larger scrap of fabric.
Front of the purse with the pieced pocket made from red and black scraps


To see what the others are doing this month click on the links below:



Gratitudes:
1. For the answers I know that God will give as I pray about what to with in regards to my house.

2. For God's provision and all the ways that comes in.

Monday, October 5, 2020

September Catch-Up

 Lots got accomplished in September, well at least commission-wise and for gifts.  One of these days I might end up with something for me, but not anytime soon.


3 blocks for the mystery Christmas quilt
Belated grad gift made and mailed off 
First Christmas gift made
5 Custom scrabble pillows made
Masks -
37 made/sold between custom orders and market sales

6 block boards for a friend
1 test bowl cozy as I worked out how to make them for rectangular dishes.  Now I know how to figure how to make them for 9 by 13 inch pans.




Gratitudes:
1. For the remote hope of things improving with the company sale possibility

2. For the wonderful cool fall weather.


Sunday, October 4, 2020

To-do's - October 5, 2020

 Hard to believe that it is already October, where has this year gone?

Completions for the last couple of weeks -

  1. Write Pattern for my setting block for mystery quilt - written and sent to blog reader who requested it
  2. Make design boards for SN - Completed and delivered
  3. Mask orders - stayed current on orders
  4. Memory bears for TA - Both are completed 
  5. Memory Pillow for TA - Completed
  6. Mystery Quilt - Blocks thru July completed
  7. Fabric Listing - 14 yds worth of FQ' sold, more fabrics pulled and ready to list
  8. Christmas 2020 - Mini cardinal wall-hanging for SR - Completed
  9. Christmas 2020 - Purse (printed denim/blues) for PN - Completed
  10. Nolting list for sale - Listed and sold
  11. Start cutting fabrics for commissioned Queen-sized quilt, 224 - 6.5" squares needed - done
  12. 22 Masks completed for market
  13. Make the 5 commissioned Scrabble pillows - finished and ready to deliver


Goals for the October -
  1. Mystery Quilt - Make August block
  2. make one or two of the setting blocks for the mystery quilt and write up pattern for it
  3. stay up to-date on the mask orders
  4. Sort and  list more fabrics for sale
  5. Quilt alphabet quilt that is basted
  6. UFO Alphabet quilt #4 - Basted, ready to quilt

Commission To-do's for rest of October-
  1. Order for 5 fitted masks with custom logo's - logos have been painted, ready to sew
  2. T-shirt quilt for TA from her Dad's t-shirts - Quilted and binding ready to be sewn down
  3. Design layout options for memory quilt for MF and send to her for feedback
  4. Scrappy Tan/cream/lt brown quilt for KM - Sewing of the top has begun, 3 rows of 16 are together.
  5. Pick-up fabric for memory lap quilt and discuss design for it.

Current For Sale projects & Commissions -
  1. Memory quilt for MF - Have fabrics, need to figure out setting
  2. Pug quilt for TK, 50" by 70" - Have fabrics
  3. T-Shirt quilt for CA from his shirts - Coordinating fabrics pulled (blacks/greys)
  4. T-shirt quilt for CA from her shirts - Coordinating colors chosen (reds/pinks)
  5. Scrappy Purse for sale
  6. List Kids quilts for sale

2020 gifts -
  1. Christmas 2020 - Pillowcase(s) for triangle support pillow for PN - For Christmas
  2. Christmas 2020 - Embellished t-shirt for MM
  3. Christmas 2020 - Cat pillowcases for MM
  4. Christmas 2020 - Dog pillowcases for HM
  5. Christmas 2020 - Nativity panel quilt for TA
  6. Christmas 2020 - Purse (red/black) for TA - focus fabric pulled
  7. Christmas 2020 - Farmers Market wall-hanging for LT
  8. Christmas 2020 - Gift for DN

Future Commissions-
  1. 8 memory bears for SW
Possible Commissions/Sales-
  1. Teddy Bear Quilt - This needs to be quilted (either for the original order or sold to someone else)
  2. Quilt tops that are for sale (Wolf + more)
  3. T-shirt Quilt for friend in an online group (no due date, waiting for shirts and specs)
  4. T-shirt quilt for a CS (church friend, no due date, waiting for shirts, specs)
  5. Memory quilt for MR
Other projects that need to be done -
  1. List antique thread chest for sale
  2. Prep t-shirts for my own t-shirt quilt - t-shirts are all together (and have been for several yrs) but need to prep them
  3. Downsize quilting fabric stash - Started, lots more to go thru
  4. Get website set up so that I can sell what I'm making and my quilts - started need to finish
  5. Continue looking for and applying for new, paying jobs
  6. Find a PT job to help with income at this point

Gratitudes:
1. For the cooler fall weather

2. For just now having skeeter bites at the end of the season