No Dessert before your Corn!

    It has been sew fun to browse around the quilt-y blogs and YouTube videos this past week to see everyone's lofty 2023 plans. I think my readers favor a bit more realism, so here I am, still talking about what didn't get done in 2022!. Which year are you stitching in?

     The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is one of my favorites for unbridled sewing-- all the hoopla of gifts and meals is over, but the festive spirit remains along with plenty of leftovers! This year, we had two Christmasses, as our DS now has a five-hour drive to celebrate with us and planned to spend the big day at his own home. He arrived with friends after Christmas for quite a few days, so I got a bit cheated of my sewing week-- it was worth it, of course! <3 I intend to make up for it with a few all day sewing marathons this month.

     I had hoped to finish A Ribbon Runs Through It by the end of the year-- that did not happen. It wasn't lack of effort, because I have been sewing, sewing, sewing this thing-- it just never appears to be ending. The pieces are getting larger, but now I have to go back to finish that last star block, #16. My past self just could not get it done last May. There is no reason to complain about her-- I totally understand how impossible it was at the time. Each star block took me about five hours. If I could go back, I'd put my arm around my May self, and tell her not to worry, and show her how far along we are now on this epic quilt, despite the move!

     I keep saying I better pay attention to the sizes of projects before I begin them, but in my defense, this did not look this big on the wall of the quilt shop where I fell in love with it. Also in my defense, there was a $40 upgrade charge to make it KING SIZE that I did not purchase-- so with impeccable logic, I reasoned the size is NOT KING, thus it is small-- heehee. When I laid it out on my queen size bed, I was pretty shocked. I looked bed sizes up online and 100" x 100" is King alright. God help the people who bought the upgrade-- they better have a Green Giant size bed. And I still have to add two borders! I do like my quilts hanging pretty far over the edge of the bed, so let's see where we end up. Otherwise, could I fold it?

     The other leftover is my "Let's Pop Some Corn" Tablerunner and pillows-- these have not received a stitch since before Thanksgiving-- I want them done and promised myself no new sewing till they are. For "new" 2023 goals, I was thinking it would be the "Year of the Star"-- I am joining the "Barn Star Sampler" sew-a-long with Fat Quarter Shop, I also have the "Dessert Quilt" from about three or four years ago, and "My Color is Moda" in the Cookie Tin colorway, all of them full of stars.  That would be amazing to finish those three. So I was explaining all of this to the artist-in-residence about finishing 2022 projects before starting the Dessert Quilt.  She started laughing very hard... I didn't share the joke. Then she said in her "funny" voice she uses-- "No dessert before you finish your corn!" I am still laughing.

     I did get another Lori Holt applique block stitched up and have started #3. Unfortunately for number three, I started being too much the boss of my own quilt and and first changed colors and am now trading out shapes. I am currently the boss of my own mess! Let's hope I can control myself better going forward-- I want this on my bed for my birthday, at the end of the summer. And yes, I know some of the cherries are the wrong way. I have stayed on schedule for one every three weeks.

     I did have a fabulous finish! I had my Sew In Love quilt professionally long-armed-- it came out incredible. So I may take the easy way out and get a couple more finished tops quilted "not by me" before summer. When we first looked at this house, we knew from the listing it had a cabin hiding in the woods.  So the first time we laid eyes on it, yes, it did cross my mind what a fabulous quilt backdrop it would make-- and it did. SEW. IN. LOVE. 

   

  There's also a rock wall facing the meadow...

and more large rocks-- KING size rocks, in the meadow-- we call them Stonehenge. I have to believe these were dug out for the foundation of the house, but look at the size of that. I bet not even A Ribbon Runs through it will cover that stone.

And here's me laughing when I realized Mr. SFO was taking pictures of me taking pictures of the quilt in 15" of snow.

The Sew in Love quilt now lives with my sister. Of course, it got a beautiful machine embroidered label.

     Finally I thought I was done cross stitching for awhile-- apparently not-- I started Lori Holt's Stitch Card Set O. At least I resisted halfway though the alphabet-- but this set has a little more detail than the others and I find it very appealing. The stitch cards finish up quick -- haha-- if only I picked every project based on how fast it was!

    So that is where I am with 2022 finishes and 2023 plans-- a bit scattered, but very inspired, motivated, and happy. I think a yearly goal is too big for me-- maybe I'll try a first of every month check-in this year. Hope you are all fired up for the stitching year as well... organized or not!

xox

Carol