Happy New Year!

    I'm willing to bet there's quite a few of you out there who want nothing more today than a little scroll through quilt-y content, a little sewing time, and just a tiny dinner after all that eating! I'm here for you-- happy to blather a little about this and that, to fulfill that first need.

    I am SEW happy to say I have an extremely positive attitude this January 1st--- let's hope the circumstances of 2024 cooperate. First, I'm going to show you what Santa brought me, then what I bought myself-- haha! Then, just a tiny bit of sewing progress-- there hasn't been much-- and finally thoughts on what I'd like to digitize this year.

    It pretty much sums up being an adult-- we can buy whatever we want, can't we?  So my family always agrees not to go crazy at Christmas. That being said, I was really touched at all of the very thoughtful gifts I received. You could tell that much care went into selecting each and every item. Here I am, captured at an extremely emotional moment when I opened the gift of new lightning chargers for my phone.

    Santa also brought me a beautiful new down jacket-- I wasn't expecting one and it will sure come up handy in these colder winters than we are used to. I had to promise not to wear it in the coop! (This is the old coat-- (BTW, Buttercup is overwintering like a CHAMP-- still laying every day!)

    Finally, I got this wedding photo-- if you are a fan of my blog, you know we have been under construction here for about a year. Like I always say, I knew I would have a beautiful home when I married an architect, but I never realized what it would take to get it. So my daughter's wedding this year was on top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire-- wouldn't you know it, when we got up there-- construction was going on!! We had to beg the photographer to take this shot-- eschewing the gorgeous backdrops all around us-- but trust me, this was my favorite, and the most appropriate photo of the day.

     So that was the Santa haul-- now, I had a few good chuckles to myself, as packages kept arriving for this one and that one well after Christmas! I guess we just each wanted to make sure we got what we really wanted. They were all making a mockery of me each time a fabric package came in, but believe me, they had just as many. Fabric stores should try to be more discreet. 

     Here are "my" packages--

   I bought the finishing kit for the December Sew Sampler box. Now, just looking at that ghastly green, I have to wonder why I did that. I just wanted to complete my box challenge-- completing all twelve Sew Sampler boxes of 2023. It's going to take the better part of January to wrap it up-- and I can already see it dragging beyond that. But I really want to. 

     The Seasonal Stitchy Stars kit was a bit of an impulse buy. But nothing wrong with those colors! I don't have a table long enough for it-- but it would be easy to use the blocks for a squarer shape, or pillows. The pumpkin zipper pull was 50% off-- it is sew fun to add one of these to your pocket book.

     Then my Kona calendar and charm pack squares came in. What a feast for the eyes! The calendar has a quilt block each month-- and there a twelve months of Kona solid charm packs-- no two squares alike. I really hope I use them this year. As you see, there's a quilt-a-month-- no, thanks!-- or just make a block a month. Yes, please.

     Finally, the Tilda Christmas quilt fabric came in. I love her aesthetic and both the fabric and the pattern are just that little bit different from what you usually see. So want to make it! Just look at those little mice.

   I do feel a bit guilty about my spending-- things are not cheap these days! Obviously I was working really hard last month and just starting rewarding myself. When am I going to have time to make all these things? So it's New Year's "diet" resolution time once again.

    I did try to get at least 15 minutes of sewing in each night, but mostly failed. Too busy and too tired. My Alfresco quilt got the borders completed, and everything else is cut. I have corner stars and assembly to go. Do or die, this week-- I have a Jolly Box, and now the December box sitting around! Then, that's it for Sew Sampler challenge-- I'm keeping my subscription for the time being, but only making the ones I love this year. When I think back on the year, there has just been way too much pink.

     So I have to admit, whe I laid this out on the floor for the first time-- instead of a "WOW" moment, I got a "MEH!" I'm not totally in love with that purple... maybe there's a reason for all those white backgrounds in the Sew Sampler boxes. There goes my New Year's positivity, and it's not even lunch time! I guess I'll chalk it up to experience-- I am glad I tried something different. There ya go. And that's it for sewing last week.

     I have a ton of ideas for next year's embroidery.. a complete fountain. I am bit gun shy of starting a new BOM-- the monthly commitment is a creativity crusher. I have some ideas, but instead of just diving in, I'm going to slip in sideways, and see where they go. The BOM so far is that I am going to make monthly holiday bowl fillers-- January's theme is going to be sewing-- we already did winter. And then February will be Valentine's Day and so on.

     I also had a cute idea for a monthly cross stitch village series-- temporarily named "Lands That I Love." The first would be "Winterland," the second, again for Valentine's Day would be "Heartland"-- maybe just "Ireland" for a St. Patrick's day theme. Here are loose sketches for the first two-- it is so nice to use a pencil again, I can't tell you. December was a month of staring at a computer screen.

        I happen to know a monthly cross stitch wreath would be extremely popular. Weigh in below-- thumbs up or down? What would you like to see?

     So that's cross stitch ideas-- yup, there are those of your who don't appreciate it. I had some comments at the time of the stitch-a-long-- you know, it was only the paying customers of 2023 who got it FREE-- so a few people commented they didn't like anything last year, too much cross stitch, that's why they didn't buy! Haha-- how's that for a way to ingratiate yourself? I do hear you-- but there were quite a few regular embroidery sets last year, but trust me when I say, cross stitch got the bills paid last year. 

   I do have many, many plans for regular embroidery. First up, because a 12 month commitment is hard, how about four months? I'd love to do LARGE Winter Twist blocks early this year. I loved doing them last year, and I'm learning to appreciate winter more in my current location! How about it?

 I also want to make a bunch of sewing themed things this winter-- always a customer favorite-- and NOT cross stitch. Thread Zen, anyone?

 Sewing snowglobes? Too much winter? Seasonal Sewing Snowglobes?

    And trust me, there are many, many more things swimming in my head for 2024! I was going to come up with a "Word of the Year," to focus my efforts. But the habit seems a bit silly to me-- does it to you? I am much more than one word.

    Nevertheless the DD made me come up with a potential one-- drum roll, please. It is....

SELFISH!

Yes, I intend to spend a TON of time enjoying myself and sewing, sewing, sewing, and only coming out to pet chickens!

Thanks for reading and have a lovely first day of the year!

xox

Carol