January Review

      Month to month is so much better for me than making overwhelming yearly goals! I think on the last Sunday of each month this year, I'll commit to doing a look back and maybe a little February wish list. If you're like me, you think of sewing ALL THE TIME-- especially musing on new projects. This year, I'm going to try to think more about current projects and how to get them done. If I have any epiphanies-- I will share them!

     I'm going to start and actually MAINTAIN an FFO 2023 tab on this blog-- hopefully, you'll already see it above. This is only allowed as I Fully Finish Objects and I think it will be a good motivator for me.

     Let's start with business sewing instead of fun sewing-- yes, my hobby is also my business! For San Francisco Stitch Co., I completed four new sets in four weeks-- that is really an accomplishment for me. Life has settled down, thank goodness, and San Fran Stitch is alive and well. Here they are, and these are allowed in the "finished" tab.

January Bowl Fillers

Valentine Countdown Calendar

Happy Mail ITH Quilt Block

February Bowl Fillers

We quickly get to the WIPS!

I did complete two more FREE Winter Twist blocks-- grab them if you haven't, because once the finishing kit comes out, they are very quickly going to be in the FOR SALE column! I took this whimsical photo outside-- we are now buried under about 14" of snow with 3" additional any minute.

I had hoped to push the finishing kit out last week, but I realized February Bowl Fillers needed to be born. Winter Twist is my first priority for this week. So I will be honest-- Mr. SFO brought the gift of a cold back with him from a Florida conference, and I have a sore throat this morning. This could go two ways: it will be mild and I will sit at my computer and nurse it along and get the finishing kit done even sooner OR I will be flat on my back. I'm hoping for the first case and I'm sure you are, too. We'll see what happens.

In January, I also finished tops on Lets Pop Some Corn table runner and pillows. This is not allowed in the FFO tab, obviously! But I really want to finish it at the end of the summer and hope to have it by fall. I wrote this goal down in my planner. 

ARRTI

What to even say? Done at the end of December, done by the end of January, now hopefully done but the end of February! I just hate final assembly. I was trying to force myself to do one long seam every day, but one day, to really FORCE myself, I gave myself two choices-- "I will either vacuum the entire house or work on ARRTI." And guess what? Those floors got done!

I did get some done this past week, and when I do one of those long seams, it is honestly more fun and easier than I imagine. So this is where I am pretty much-- I swiped this photo from Sew 'n Wild Oaks website-- and then dissected it to show you where I am. The photo is linked to Lynn Wilder's Etsy shop (the designer), to ease my conscience for desecrating her photo: (and her patterns are beautiful by the way-- already have my eye on "The Country Charmer."

The center portion just has one seam left. Then, I have to clear and CLEAN enough floor space to measure this and add a thin pink border and a wide blue border. I'm just not going to make any goals for this to happen any more. I WILL GET TO IT. I'm too close not to.

I'm pretty close also on making a cute baby quilt out of my Happy Mail Quilt block tests! Baby Zela was born on Christmas Day, but I do not think she or her mom will mind at all that this is a Valentine Day quilt.

I wanted to put the pink border on and also use the same fabric for the backing, but this fabric line sold out quick-- it is J. Wecker Frisch "Be Mine Valentine." I had to go on Etsy to find the border fabric and did the math-- unfortunately, I forgot that when you add a wide border, the need for backing also greatly increases. So now I don't have enough to do both. Solution: I am just going to go ahead without the borders-- Baby Zela won't even know they are missing. This is what I mean when I say I really want to work smarter this year, and stop trying to live in the PERFECT world anymore. It's beautiful just as it is! I promise not to show this again until it's in the FFO tab-- I'm sending it out for long arming and I may just even treat myself and have the binding done as well.

Prairie Meadow Block Three was finished-- hand appliqued.. and Block 4 is currently almost done.

Then I have my two little Fat Quarter Shop cross stitches that are coming along nicely. They are Lori Holt's stitch cards "O" and the free LOVE NOTE Pattern.

The Love Note pattern has a TON of filling in... so different from the confetti type--detailed stuff I usually gravitate to. It will be interesting to see if I'm up for the challenge! I'm outlining so I won't even have to look at the chart.

I did make a yearly goal-- finish my Sew Sampler boxes as they come in-- and I even started a new Instagram and Facebook group so you can join me if you get the box, or just enjoy the spectacle. As always, in the honeymoon phase of a project-- I am crushing it!

That's what I have so far for January-- I just got my box a week ago.

January was a very productive month for me! If you want motivation, start a blog, or at least take pictures as you progress all the things-- you can review them with me at the end of each month, too. I'd love to hear what you're working on in the comments.

For February--

1. 

I'd love to have the first block of the Barn Star Sampler done--
Fat Quarter Shop is hosting a stitch-a-long for this and the first block is both a killer and you need two of them. I'll be happy with one. People are posting already--I'm waiting on one fabric still yet.

2) 

Dare I even say it?
ARRTI is done and is the problem of some longarmer, somewhere?

3) 

Winter Twist is in the FFO tab!

4) 

My two little cross stitches are done.

That's probably already enough to dream of! Guess what-- I am losing a week next month because I will be in Florida. That was one of my conditions laid down and agreed to by Mr. SFO for moving up to this insane latitude (Maine).

Thanks for reading and hope you all have a great week making all your own things! 

xox

Carol