My Challenge Answers

I hope to see many of your own answers to my challenge. But for now here are mine:

1. I have 2 slide shows, one to show off my completed projects and second one to prove I do make large quilt tops – - just don’t like the quilting part.

First slide show is 27 completed projects in 2007 – meaning they are done with binding and 60% of them were given to someone else.

Second slide show is to show off I do make tops, but don’t like the quilting part – so, I end up with many completed tops. One of my goals this year is to get them all quilted. Keep in mind, I do have several other tops from before 2007 that also need to be quilted.

2. My UFO list is still long – I blame working at a quilting shop. I don’t count completed tops as UFO’s, because I plan to send them out to be quilted. I hope to cut this list down to 15 UFO’s within the next month, right now my list is well over 50.
~ 16 tops to be quilted
~ Sunflower Quilt for my bed – still working on the “name”
~ Tara’s Baby Quilt
~ Dear Jane – ongoing project, figuring another 2 years to fully complete-hoping to complete at least the blocks this year
~ Circled by Pirates – for me
~ The Dread Pirate Roberts Quilt – for my son
~ Stars Around the Garden
~ Beachy-Tiki Quilt
~ Quilt Pink Tops – probably 3 before February, so shop can quilt and donate
~ Christmas Presents Quilt
~ Yellow Brick Road Christmas
~ Coffee Cups
~ Batik Block Kit
…..need to finish going through my UFO excel spreadsheet and update

3. My 2008 Goals:
~ officially have a sewing studio set up
~ get quilted my tops previously done before 2008 – 16 total
~ keep a month goal list and accomplish at least 70% of it
~ visit 2 quilt shows
~ visit 10 new quilt shops (where ever I may travel)
~ finish a queen size quilt for my bed
~ do a quilting retreat

Curiosity and a Challenge for you….

I’m in the process of reviewing all my hard quilty work in 2007 and I’m curious how hard did you work?

So, I’m offering free stuff to one lucky winner. Here’s the challenge:

Starting TOMORROW create a blog post with the following:

1. Go to flickr.com or photobucket.com and create a slide show of all the completed items (quilting related) you have done THIS past year. Or where ever you can create a place to show off all your projects – I think a slide show would be the best.
2. Then in the same post share your list of UFO’s you are starting 2008 off with.
3. Lastly, add your yearly goals for 2008.
4. Be sure to comment in my blog that you have done this – I don’t read everyone’s blog daily and I might miss your entry.

I will be offering a special winning to one lucky participant, I’m not sure what it is yet – but it will involve fabric and notions of some kind. I’ll raffle everyone’s name (who has posted ALL the above info) in a hat and my daughter will pick a winner next Sunday (January 6th) evening. So, get make sure you have your post in before then.

If you read my live journal community as well, this winning is separate from that one and so you can enter there and here.

Next week, January 7th, I’ll be starting my Manic Monday Offerings again (and announce the last winners).

I’m off to do mine now and will post it later today.

Stash busting and other random thoughts

I’ve read Judy’s blog and seen many others making hard efforts to busting their stash. As I ponder what more could I possibly do, I’m amazed to realized I have cut not only my stash down in size, but my UFO’s over the past few months!!!

I completely emptied my scrap basked a couple nights ago (that is an IKEA laundry hanging bag) into 7 US Postal Tyvek bags….4 have moved on to new homes and 1 is already claimed…and but wait, I have two more up for grabs (let’s see who read my blog and isn’t a stash buster who wants scraps – first 2 folks who mention it in a comment, I’ll pop these in the mail later this week).

I do have the ultimate goal of a new sewing studio though and the more I move out of my area the easier it will be for me to redesign and complete an area of “zen” for my sewing.

I have one bin that will continue for Manic Monday Offerings for a few months into 2008, but otherwise I’m way ahead of the game. Next I need to completely redo my UFO listing to show what I have on the “hopper”.

I do feel a sense of control with busting my stash and ufos, but I guess I do need to understand why I gather so much clutter in the first place. I’ve been working on this “situation” for a couple years now. I seem to be closer at a point to just focusing on a simple number of projects, then all a sudden I see something new and bright and shiny and have to have it. So, I have tried to answer more questions before purchasing fabric. Why do I need it? Do I have a pattern? Who would the finish project go to? Can I afford it at this time of the month? Maybe I need to make an index card with these questions, that way I can have a visual tool and help myself keep more on track.

Sorry for the ramblings, but need to document some thoughts to come back to.

What am I working on now?

1. Baby quilt – almost finished blocks
2. Round Robin Blogger Swap – due 12/15
3. Secret Santa Christmas Swap – due 12/1
4. Four Season Swap – sometime in the new year
5. Various quickie gift ideas….
6. Finish mini table runner for Civil War Lover Letter Club starting in January

EDIT: Ok, I understand folks interest in getting freebie stuff, but if I can’t email you from your comment or even through your blog profile (aka meaning you don’t have a blogger or blog listed for me to comment to you) how can I get your snail address? Please folks if you wish to receive freebies from me, I need some way to contact you. If you really want the freebies and don’t have contact info, my email is visible in my profile. Email me, please. Thank you.