Monthly Archives: December 2017
2017
12/28
Category:
farming
Knitting
Life
machine embroidery
quilts
Schedules
Serger
Sewing
spinning
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2017 Recap and 2018 goals
2017 Recap:
Finished 3 pair of the 12 pair of socks that I kitted, ready to go.
Finished 29 quilts, 10 of which were ready for the quilting. The other 19 were in early stages or not started.
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I also made 2 bags and 2 pillows plus embroidered 4 sets of towels. I embroidered a Hatched in Africa set each month for their challenge, two of which were jeans.
There were bowl cozies and pea pods.
Then there were the baby lambs and additional sheep and puppy. I don’t want to forget there was a garden with canning and freezing.
Plus the hospital stays. It appears to have been a very busy year. But there were things I did not finish or even start, so they can become goals for the next year.
2018 goals:
I’m expecting much more “out of sewing area” activities. My sister-in-law has Alzheimer’s and is near the end. There will be many more lambs plus sheep activities including at least one fair where I will be showing them. We are moving the garden to a more level spot this spring. DH is needing more attention. And there is a big wedding in California in April. I have fewer flimsies, so most quilts still need much work.
Quilts to do: Goal is 200 yards usage
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Mystery quilt: Merry Mayhem – NY day mystery
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Mystery quilt: “Scrappy friends” – NY day mystery
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Bonnie Hunter “On Ringo Lake” – finished clue #1
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Daffodil flimsy – to quilt
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Roses flimsy – to quilt
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Teddy Bear picnic – to quilt
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Celebrate flimsy – to quilt
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Bear paw quilt – large, cut out
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All aboard – not started twin bed size
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Fish quilt – not started applique – large wall or lap quilt
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Tulip quilt – flimsy – needs quilting
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Sunbonnet Sue #4, have sue blocks, needs setting and quilting
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Bonnie Hunter 2012, needs to be finished for King size, quilted, etc.
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Baby Hono – I want to make a child size turtle quilt
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Finish all the paper piecing blocks and finish the wall hanging with them.
Socks: I’ll keep working on my last year’s kits, since I only finished 1/4 of them.
Other goals:
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Learn Electric quilt
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Learn cutting machine
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Make 10 Alzheimer’s activity mats
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Try 2 new recipes a month
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Gym 2x week
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Make garden plan with plans for starting, fert, etc.
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Make hoop house plans as above
Obviously, I will come across items during the year that I will tuck into my weeks.
Tribal Cat Zarah
Meet Hatched in Africa’s “Tribal Cat – Zarah” These were the colors chosen by the recipient for her jeans jacket.
And this is what happens when UPS gets the wrong gate and there is a dog on the other side. He didn’t want to open the gate, which was smart, but really, you toss the package at the dog? The puppy was very happy with the package.
Cat mask and photographers
I got this far on putting a cat mask on the back of this denim jacket when the machine became unhappy and decided to jam. I had two choices: persist and make it worse or walk away from it and try again in the morning when I’m fresh. I walked away.
Though I don’t yet have the photo, these are the photographers trying to figure out how to set this camera so that it flashes in 10 seconds giving the chief photographer time to be in the photo.
Merry Christmas 2017
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017
Yes, it snowed just under 3″ It is the 6th snowy Christmas since they have been keeping records here in the Seattle area.
This 2/3 yard of sparkly fabric insisted on coming home with me when I stopped at JoAnns for some rotary cutter blades. And for 1.50, I couldn’t refuse. Now, I’ll be on the look out for the perfect use.
This is called “portion control” or maybe, I should just say, they were so late for lunch, they thought we’d already eaten so stopped to eat before coming, and therefore weren’t hungry when they arrived.
This is what the tag might look like when you don’t have tags, but you do have an embroidery machine and some felt. Truly we had a wonderful Christmas. We took a group self photo of the family by setting the camera and the operator, ran to get into the photo on time. This is the first time we’ve had the entire family together at one place and one time since they started leaving home. However, you will have to wait a day or two for that because I have to wait for him to upload to his computer and then send it to me. But I will share it with you. We were so busy visiting with each other, that photos in general didn’t happen.
Tomorrow life starts again, with the annual recapping, and getting ideas ready for the next 12 months.
And now “to all a good night”
Getting things done
I was asked how I get so much done. I feel like I waste too much time, and don’t get enough done, so, I’m not really sure how to answer this. DH doesn’t see housework that needs doing, so that is rather lax. I rarely make a single meal, usually it is for 2 or more meals. I make lists that I know won’t get finished, but they do keep me on track as I get many of the things done.
We don’t have TV and I don’t read much except for the computer. Plus we don’t spend a lot of time socializing. Neither of us likes to drive after dark, so we plan our days to be home before then. Whenever possible, I get help from others for the garden, weed whacking and chores too big for me, though I do the sheep feed and water myself. It is too cold to spend much time outside now, so I get more done in the sewing department. In the summer with the garden and warmer weather, I don’t get much sewing done.
This morning I woke at 3.30, so worked on the accounts for 3 1/2 hours before I went back and took a nap. That was wonderful, no interruptions! So more was accomplished.
By next Wednesday I hope to have a general idea of what I want to accomplish next year and sorted into months. The year long plan helps a lot even though there will be changes in it. I will share it then, as my immediate goal is to finish the accounting. Then I can start on the garden plan, for both the hoop house and the outside garden, which will be in a new area.
I’m always open to suggestions ways to improve.
Today is the shortest day of the year, so animals and plans that have cycles based on day lengthening are noticing it. If the yellow jackets hadn’t taken out the bees, the queen would gradually increase her egg laying. And there are some plants that will also take notice.
No cards went out this season, so will need to start sooner next year. But I want to wish you a
Merry Christmas
Recipe and taxes
I tried this new recipe today https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-mac-and-cheese/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=classic_vegan_mac_and_cheese_my_tips_for_making_amazing_vegan_mac_and_cheese&utm_term=2017-12-20 It was absolutely delicious!. If you don’t use dairy and want a nice creamy cheese for pasta, this is a keeper. (I was out of macaroni so used these noodles). I’d like to put it on everything I make for awhile, it is so good.
Then I worked some more of the tax material. Lambs start coming mid January, and taxes just get in the way, so I like to have as much as possible out of the way, or at least organized in Quicken. I’m behind this year, because other things popped into my life.
Between taxes, I did finish part 1 “On Ringo Lake”. Part 2 is 200 Flying geese, so that will take a bit longer. Now until Friday, I’m only 3 parts behind, which feels like I’m catching up.
Short day
It probably was not really a short day, because it did have 24 hours. However, it seemed short, as I made a necessary visit to the chiropractor and then a short trip to a crowded grocery store. I have spent a considerable part of the day getting accounts in order and have much more to do.
Then there was the disappointment of hiring someone to do a job and a different job that was to be left to the future and done differently got done the way he wanted to do it. And it would just be too expensive to re-do it. I’m sure he thought he was really helping as he is quite proud of the job. And to top it off, this fellow has done a terrific job up until this. So I get to smile while I grit my teeth and try to conceal my real feelings, because even though I don’t like it, when all is said and done, he has been a great help.
9 patches for Ringo lake
Here are 25 of the 9 patches for ” Ringo Lake”. This is half of the first step for the Bonnie Hunter mystery. She has now published the 4th step and this will roll over into the new year, so I should be okay – well I would have been, but then
I got a call last night from this fellow. “Mom, can you and Dad come down on Dec 29. We have things worked out so we can have a civil wedding before this year ends and have the big wedding in April (so her relatives from Armenia have time to get passports). So, this morning, I was on the phone with the airlines. Yes, I have a ticket. DH didn’t feel up to this trip. So I will take off next week from blogging and work on the finances and the trip.
Yes, they get fed daily and still think they are starving to death. They can’t wait for me to get it over to the feeder. It’s getting colder here, maybe that’s why they are always hungry. I hope all of you are staying warm.
This is the Spool bag pattern that I tested for 
Today, I finished the flimsy with these fabrics for Teddy Bear Picnic baby quilt which will be released in August.