Getting Crafty

Ok it is hard to believe that January is already gone...time flies when you're old. I have decided that 2013 is my year to do things that bring me joy.  One of those things is quilting. I want to complete 12 quilt tops this year, one for each month.  When I started looking at the fabrics I already had, I think I can do 10 or 11 without buying anything but backing fabric (like that is going to happen). But I started off well because I did complete a quilt top in January. Although it was harder than I expected.  The top was very simple, but finding the time to sew was hard.  Sharla is having to wear a boot on her good foot, which means she can't drive.  So on my days off I drive her to work and then pick her up after work, so a big chunk of my day is gone.  But I will gladly do it if it helps her heal and get back on her feet.  Here is a photo of my quilt top, it is far from perfect, but I think it is better than the ones I did for the classes last fall.  I made this to practice my long arm skills either when I rent a machine or hopefully when I buy one.  Sorry the light sucks but I took it at night just laying on my bed.  It is almost a queen size.

I've started my next quilt which will be a rail fence using two jelly rolls I received for Christmas several years ago.  They are from the Moda line Look and Learn.  I've gotten all the strips sewn together into groups and cut into squares, now I just need to sew the strips into rows.  I was feeling pretty good about getting February's quilt done early, but it has been untouched for almost a week.  Not a good sign.  Partially because I've not been feeling good and partially because I can't decide how to put the strips together.  But I have gone and bought a vinyl tablecloth and some command strips velcro and I'm making a design wall so I can work on getting a placement for them.

I also decided that Sharla and I needed thread catchers...what is a thread catcher you ask.  Well it is a small bag that hangs by your sewing machine for you to toss threads in when you clip them.  Let me tell you there are a million threads when you are piecing.  I found a great tutorial at The Polka Dot Apron. I stumbled a time or two and would do things a little different if I needed to make another one, but for the most part I'm very happy with them. The purplish one is my and the greenish one is Sharla's (not a surprise if you know us).

Sharla and I started a T-shirt quilt class last night, so hopefully I will get to add that to my list of completes in several weeks.  And a big thanks to Callie for donating a ton of great t-shirts. I'm pretty sure we are going to get two quilts out of the stash she sent us.  We just have to divide them up and lay them out the weekend to plan on how big to cut them and also to get an idea of what fabrics we want to use for the sashing. As I complete my tops I will come back and show ya'll.  In the mean time I'm sure I will be showing more pages that I scrapbook.