The Denim Project

A couple weeks ago, I went through my sons' closets. I cleared out all their jeans that had massive holes or were too small. My 9 year-old son had 8 pairs to donate to this project. EIGHT! I stuffed all these cast-offs into my denim bin and could hardly close the lid. I knew it was time to get to work.

Babco Unlimited - The Denim Project

With my (good) sewing machine still at the Sewing Machine Hospital, I've been keeping busy with non-sewing machine projects. There are always tons of non sewing projects to work on. Or always a project I can do all the prep work for. However, suddenly all I can think of doing are projects that require a sewing machine! Why is it always like that?

I already have a large pile of 5" squares cut, which started to feel boring. So I decided I needed to find other ways to use up my stash.

After spending some time on pintrest, I've discovered many other denim projects. Here are some of my favorite denim quilts.

Image sources clockwise starting top-left: strippy quilt, denim cathedral window, triangle quilt, climbing the walls

It's okay to have lots of ideas...I obviously have a lot of denim to cut up. And with 3 active kids, I think I will always have a supply of old denim.

Linked up with Let's Bee Social here.

A Broken Sewing Machine

I'm so sad! My sewing machine is sick. Boo! I totted my machine to a local sewing shop to take a class on machine embroidery. We both entered the shop, but only I returned. Dun-dun-dun!

My embroidery module doesn't want to work. My teacher and I tried everything, but to no avail.  I've had to leave my machine with the technician...who is 2 weeks out.

So.....now I twiddle my thumbs and clean my house. Haha--just kidding! I've still have so many other fun things to do.

I am worried about my January goal. I don't think I'm going to be able to finish up my quilting with my machine in the sewing machine hospital.

A New "Old" Chair

Look what's new in my sewing room! A new "old" chair. This beautiful antique chair belonged to my great-great aunt, and I feel so blessed to have it. 

Antique Chair

January Goals

All those goals I set for myself for 2015 won't happen by themselves! They need some help along the way. I love the 'Lovely Year of Finishes' Linky Party for that very reason. Little steps and small goals in the right direction to keep me moving forward.

JANUARY GOAL: Finish all quilting on Wheel of Fortune Quilt.

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

I'm so close to finishing this quilt! All my spirals are quilted, and I'm so happy with it.

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

I can totally finish up all my quilting on this beauty.

Linked up with Lovely Year of Finishes here.

2015 Here I come!

Calvin just has a way of saying things perfectly, don't you think? I think I'm pretty awesome, but I do have some goals for this coming year. There are projects I want to complete, new skills I want to conquer, and life I want to enjoy.

GOAL #1 -- UFO Project: Finish at least 6 of my current WIP projects.

I need to conquer a few UFOs. As I've been organizing my new sewing room, I've come to realize that several of my UFOs are so close to being completed. I want to finish at least 6 of my current WIP projects, including:

• Project: Fractured Flower Quilt

Fractured Flower Quilt

I'm still mad at this project, so it hangs out in a time-out bin. I just need to buck up and finish it. All the rows are sewn, I just need to sew the rows together. That is all! 

• Project: Wheel of Fortune Quilt

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

Again, so close to finishing this one. Just need to finish quilting the edges. I've already made the binding. Not much longer.

• Project: Cathedral Window Pillow

Modern Cathedral Window Quilt

This only just recently joined my WIP page, but I'm anxious to complete it only because I LOVE Cathedral Window quilts. I want to make a pillow for my quilting Great-Great Aunt's chair I inherited.

• Project: Purse

I have been intimidated by this project. I absolutely LOVE this purse, but I've never done anything like this so I'm afraid. I'm afraid I won't understand the instructions. I'm afraid I'll mess it up. I'm afraid mine won't be as pretty. 

My goal is to banish the fear, learn something new, and embrace what comes. (fingers crossed)

GOAL #2 -- Learn New Skills: There is so many things I still want to learn!

• Skill: Free Motion Quilting--I have had so much fun quilting my own projects. I want to explore new FMQ patterns. I especially want to improve my feathers. I've been eyeballing a class on Craftsy called Free-Motion Quilting Feathers. Hmmmm.....maybe I'll take the class.

• Skill: Machine Embroidery--My mom LOVES machine embroidery. It is her  preferred method of quilting her quilts. My new (to me) sewing machine has an emboidery module, and I want to learn how to use it. I might love it, I might hate it, I might thing "meh." But I want to learn the basics. 

• Skill: Crochet--I know this isn't a quilting skill, but I still want to learn to do it. My craft pintrest board is being filled up with more and more crochet projects. 

GOAL #3 -- Enjoy Life: Be Grateful for Each Day!

I want to be able to go to bed each night knowing I accomplished something good. It could be supporting my kids with their various sports activities, making a new friend, finished a quilting goal, or cleaning my fridge.

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. -- Psalms 118:24

This has long been my favorite scripture because it reminds me that each day is gift. Each day is a new beginning. And I should make something out of every day.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year! I'm excited for what 2015 might bring. 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I'll be back after the new year. Going to spend time with family and friends, take time off work, work on some quilting projects, and work on our organizing our new house.

Anything Goes Monday Guest Host: A Year in Review

Welcome to this Guest Hosting of Anything Goes Monday. A BIG Thank You! to Marelize for sharing her special linky party with me.

And since Anything Goes, I figured it was that time of year for a "Year in Review."  Is it too early for this?

I was hoping to have some fun Christmas and Holiday crafts to show off at this point, but with my recent move I haven't had time to do my Christmas Crafts. I still don't have a Christmas Tree nor have I unearthed our Christmas decorations yet: They are still buried in our storage unit.

I started off my year with good intentions. (Don't we all?) And as the saying goes....the road IS paved with Good Intentions.

While travelling the road paved with my Good Intentions, I did manage to accomplish a few things in 2014.

• I created more pinwheels for my pinwheel quilt here and here.

• I did a short series of Quilting Tips & Tricks.  It was a lot of fun, so I've decided to bring it back in the New Year. 

• I made some soft cuddly animal pillows for my nieces and nephew you can read about here.

• I tested this pattern for Esther and finished my own Honey Honey quilt. 

Babco Unlimited - Honey Honey Quilt

• I got a new sewing machine! (Well, it's new to me even if it was well used loved by my mom.) Ya-hoo! I didn't realize how much I was fighting my old machine until I started sewing on this Bernina. What a difference.

• I helped organize the Utah Quilt Festival--a 4 day quilting retreat full of quilting and sewing classes, luncheons, vendors, giveaways, and more with my mom and aunt.

Me and Mom -- Quilt Fest 2014

• I made these super cute and comfy slippers.

Slippers

• I designed my first quilt and finished it within 4 weeks. It was chosen as 1 of 8 quilts our guild will send to the AQS show in Grand Rapids, MI.

Babco Unlimited - Paining the Roses Red Quilt

• And I'm so close to finishing my Wheel of Fortune Quilt. I hope to have it finished by the end of the year.

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

• My biggest event this year (and the reason I didn't get more quilting done) is I moved this year.  I moved from this little white house to this bigger blue house.

Which means that my old sewing space of a table crammed between the couch and the dinning table, an ironing board across the room, and my leaning tower of fabrics has a new home.

Old "Sewing Room"

I get a REAL sewing room. As in a room JUST for me and my sewing and crafts.  So far, it's just a room with bins and boxes. But it's MY room with bins and boxes. Never thought I'd be so excited about a sewing room. I did manage to set up my table...that's it so far. I haven't even set up my sewing machine on said table yet.

New Sewing Room

Seeing all that I did accomplish this past year makes me itch to write my goals for 2015. But I'll spare you that long goal list today.

I need to do something to help get us get into the Christmas Spirit and soon. It's just 10 days away! My new house doesn't have a fireplace to hang stockings, but I already have experience with that.

In years past, the kids and I have made a fireplace out of construction paper for Santa to use. Santa is pretty amazing and magical, so he can totally make use of this. Even if I don't know where any of our Christmas decorations are, I do know where the construction paper is.

Babco Unlimited - Christmas Fireplace

(Picture from Christmas 2012)

So, what about you? Have you been crafting/sewing up a Christmas/Hanuka/Kwanzaa/Holiday storm? Or have you been working on something else?

Now's the time to show off what you have been working on.

An InLinkz Link-up

A Finished Quilt

I did it! I finished this quilt the night before my deadline, and I couldn't be more happy with it.

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Finished Quilt

This little lady bug makes me smile.  I found it in my stash and had to piece him in somehow. 

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Finished Quilt

This is only the second quilt I have free motion quilted myself. I admit, I was very nervous about ruining my wonderful quilt top with my beginner quilting skills.

When it came time to quilt my borders, I was at a loss. I searched out inspiration on pintrest and found a few quilting motifs I thought I could manage.

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Finished Quilt

I had to improvise with my thread choices. I had planned on using the same green variegated thread all over the backing. But when it came to quilting the white churn-dash border, I couldn't get my tension right and the green kept pulling up to the top. It was so distracting. (And frustrating!) 

I finally threw my hands in the air and quilted both sides with white thread. I was under a deadline and didn't have time for this nonsense. Now, when I look at the backing, I love how it turned out. 

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Finished Quilt

This is a horrible picture taken by my mom, but here you go. I brought my completed project to my guild meeting last week. 

Painting the Roses Red

And guess what? It was selected to be part of our guild's entry to the AQS show in Grand Rapids, MI. The Quilt Show has a category called "The Ulitimate Guild Challenge" you can read about here.
I was beyond shocked my quilt was selected to be 1 of 8 our guild entered into this National Quilt Show.

Linked up with Anything Goes here.
Linked up with Let's Bee Social here.
Linked up with Needle and Thread Thursday here.
Linked up with TGIFF here.