A Year in Review

What a year! It's fun to look back at 2015 and see all the wonderful things I was able to do and create. I made lofty goals--I didn't accomplish them all, but was able to achieve a lot of them. Woot! Woot!

I made this warm denim rag quilt.

MK wrapped in the Denim Rag Quilt

I still fight my daughter over this pink flower pillow.

MK Stole my Pillow!

I had a sew day with my mom and aunt where I started this "A Little Bit Shorter Tall Tree."

A Little Bit Shorter Tall Tree

I completed my Wheel of Fortune Quilt. (And it somehow ended up on my daughter's bed--sneaky little girl!)

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

I crossed "Cathedral Window Quilt" off my Quilty Bucket List by making this Cathedral Window Pillow. It sits on a bench in our front entry way.

Cathedral Window Quilt Pillow

My original quilt "Painting the Roses Red" was hung at the AQS National Quilt Show in Grand Rapids, MI. It also won 1st Place at the Utah Quilt Guild's annual quilt show.

Painting the Roses Red Quilt

I finished a Mystery Quilt for my aunt. This was my first foray into all solids. And I'm loving solids!

Blue Mystery Quilt

I FINALLY finished the top for my Fractured Flower Quilt.


Fractured Flower Quilt Top

Once again, I helped organize and plan the Utah Quilt Festival--a 4 day quilting retreat full of quilting and sewing classes, luncheons, vendors, giveaways, and more.

Off to Quilt Fest 2015

I started my Red & White quilt for the Utah State Quilt Guild's Ruby Jubilee. I just want to add boarders to it to make it a bit bigger.

Red & White Quilt

For a Christmas gift exchange at work, I made a personalized bag for my friend.

And I ended the year by making a Perry the Platypus Christmas stocking for my son's stuffed Perry.


Christmas Morning with Perry the Platypus Stocking

I find it so helpful to look over the year and see all I have accomplished. Plus, it's fun to look over all the things I've done and relive the memories. It makes me eager to set my goals for next year. 

A Perry Stocking

My 10 year-old son asked me to make a Christmas Stocking that looks like Perry the Platypus. (Have you ever watched "Phineas & Ferb?" Possibly the greatest kid's show ever!) He designed the stocking himself.

We used my Kona Cotton Color Card to find just the right colors and ordered the fabric. He was so not happy with the wait for the fabric. But, it finally came.

Perry the Platypus and S

My mother-in-law makes lots of custom Christmas stockings she sells through her Etsy site. She pointed me to an easy pattern on pintrest.

Word to the wise: Being a Quilter doesn't make you a Seamstress. This "pattern" is just a stocking shape and words that basically say "print to actual size; cut 2 lining and cut 2 outside fabrics; sew and you are done!"

I had NO idea what I was doing and made it up as I went along.  My son LOVED it, but I'm so tempted to scrap it and start all over again. I was happy with it until I made the LAST seam, but was so tired I just wanted to be done.



Christmas Morning

  

Christmas Eve, my son put out Perry's stocking with a note asking Santa for chocolate for Perry because Perry has never tasted chocolate before. He was beyond ecstatic when he saw that Santa brought Perry his very own fedora.

It turned out to be a great Christmas. 

Secret Santa Gift - Personalized Bags

We are doing a small gift exchange in our little department at work. I was struggling with what to gift my co-worker and friend who's name I pulled out of the Santa hat. Should I just buy a generic store-bought gift? Or should I try to make her something? And if I do make her something, what to make that doesn't take a huge amount of time and money?

After talking with another co-worker and my mom, I decided on a personalized bag.

Emily spent 1-1/2 years in Peru as a missionary and has a strong love and connection to Peru. So, we embroidered her name on one side of the bag and the Peru flag on the other side.

I was so surprised on how fast and easy this bag was to make. I am very afraid of zippers and avoid them whenever I can. However, it was so incredibly easy to do! I need to rethink my aversion to zippers.

My mom has made several of these bags in the past. These bags are so useful and can be made in any size you like.

• My 2 children with peanut allergies keep their medicines and epi-pens in their personalized bags that go everywhere with them. The strap on the bag makes it easy to carry on your wrist.
• One son uses his to keep all his contact items together in one place.
• We have a few large ones made out of mesh we use as clothing/lingerie bags while traveling. 
• I have one I keep all my cords and plugs for my electronics when I travel.
• I keep mine personalized bag by my bed, which holds my sleep mask, ear plugs, etc.
• A niece uses hers as her make-up bag.

I'm excited for the gift exchange. I hope she likes it. 

Linked up with Show Off Saturday here.

Updated Picture - Red & White Quilt

As promised. Here is a picture of my completed top for my Red & White Quilt. I had to get 2 little helpers to hold this one up for me.



 

Red & White Quilt

My boys are used to this request: Will you hold a quilt for me? They know the drill and are good sports about it.

I'm having moments of panic about the size. I intended this to be a Queen sized quilt. Technically, it is. However, it is on the small side of Queen size. After taking measurements of this top (76" x 96") and my Queen sized mattress, I realize it will work. But, I want it just a tad bit wider for comfort.

So, it's been decided to add a boarder. I'm thinking a red and white striped border. Well, it would actually be white, red, white stripes with a red binding. This would add another 6" (3" on each side) making the quilt 82" x 102".

My goal for December is to add a border to this quilt.

Linked up with A Lovely Year of Finishes here.
Linked up with Let's Bee Social here.