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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Rollover

The great(?) thing about works-in-progress is that you can just roll them on into the new year. And although I had a boatload (that's a techinical term) of finished projects, I am carrying my weight in WIPs to 2014.

A quick list, for reference and accountability:

Sewing
-Liberty pillow (unblogged: started in May 2012, QAYG, with Liberty scraps purchased on etsy)
-Nothing but Blues EPP (will blog soon!)
-Ruby dress (cut out, just need to sew it up!)

Quilting
-Shattered Nordika (top's almost done!)
-Wonky Bee Traveling Quilt (top received!)
-dgs curvy improv quilt (nearly done, but a seam came apart in the wash; haven't figured out the best fix)
-Wonky star quilt
-red aqua quilt (super old WIP, may scrap or seriously modify) I'm not a sasher.
-Single Girl (another super oldie. UGH.)
-BaMS bee improv quilt (top is done)
-Scrappy trip along (all strips cut and sewn into pairs)
-Vintage Star (started quilting over a year ago, messed up. Need to pick out quilting, rebaste and requilt) Double UGH.
-Meow quilt (top is finished, back is made!)
Multiple scrappy triangle projects
Prairie braid (not sure if this will still turn into a quilt..)

Knitting
-Chestnut Facets
-Orchid Thief Shawl
-unphotographed Koigu socks

So, in a nutshell, there's my WIP list. That doesn't count projects I've already committed to (like a KAL and a QAL starting in a few days).

But I like goals and lists. I'm nothing if not a dreamer.

I wish you the very best 2014. Personally, I'm happy to say goodbye to this year. There were a lot of personal difficulties, and hitting the reset button is especially tempting.
Cheers, friends.

Friday, December 27, 2013

A few more gifts

I know I'm not alone in great gift ambitions. There were a few things left in my pile this time around, so I'll be finishing a few late Christmas gifts in the upcoming weeks.

But let's talk about what did get finished, shall we?

First, my friend Sara, wove this beautiful scarf for my mom. And now I want a loom...
I purchased this yarn back in 2010 with hopes of knitting a pair of socks for my mom. The yarn celebrates her deep love for Texas A&M, but alas, it sat in a drawer until I realized I could send it to Sara for some instant gratification gifting. Sara did an amazing job, and my mother loves it. And now I have a little less stash guilt. Win, win, win.

Other scarves were made by me, out of a pile of pretty voile fabrics. I used AMH's notes with a length of 72" per scarf. These were a big hit with my family, and I enjoyed pairing the fabrics for each recipient.

I made a second Super tote (right down to the wire) for Rhonda. Not sure how it's possible, but I love it even more than the first. I used a variety of red-orange and teal prints, along with a natural linen for the exterior.

I'm especially proud of my quilting on this one.

That's all for now!
I've been thinking a lot about my hopes for the new year. I'll be back soon to share my goals, unfinished and new!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Favorites (quilts and such)

It's always hard to pick annual favorites, but I managed to do it.

2013 Favorites
Click through to see larger pictures, or details on any of the projects!

After the Christmas craziness, I plan to do my list of non-sewing annual favorites, and also share a few end-of-year FOs.

Wishing you a peaceful end of 2013.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

A simple handmade gift

I was just joking with E last night about my never-ending to-do list. Like most crafters, I want to make ALL of the things.

My brain knows that I never will, but the heart wants what it wants.

With Christmas just two weeks away, the to-do list is especially long. But I finally made a batch of gifts that I know will be repeated next year.

Salt and sugar scrubs

I made three quick scrubs today, resulting in twelve small gifts.

I bought a twelve-pack of 4-ounce Ball jars, printed some free labels, and spent a little over an hour in the kitchen. Not bad!

Here's a basic recipe that you can modify, based on your preferences.

1 cup sea salt, brown sugar or white sugar
3 T coconut or grapeseed oil
6-10 drops essential oil

That's it! I used lavender (and some chopped rosemary) with sea salt, cinnamon with brown sugar (but I think I'll try orange next time) and peppermint with white sugar.

I really appreciate anything handmade, and I can't wait to try these scrubs for myself. And of course, I can't wait to give them!

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