Happy New Year!

It's time to take stock for the New Year! I'd like to have a year filled with family, fun, and of course creativity! Last year for me was the year of mechanization.  I learned to drive a car again (live in Cambridge too long and driving skills go kaput) and I started to become more proficient with my .Brother sewing machine.

This year, I'm to make a list of projects I'd like to see myself tackling in the new year. If I declare it publicly, there is accountability, and I'm more likely to be motivated to get sewing! (Not that I need motivation, but you never know!)

Penny Patch Sampler:

from www.stitchedincolor.com

I know I'm late for the party on this one, but the idea of fine-tuning my piecing, paper piecing and applique skills just seemed too good to pass up.  I bought her online course, when she offered it as an E-Book after the live class ended.  There's SO much info, and side practice projects - so worth it! I'm currently working on the applique Dogwood Blossoms quilt, which I'm making into a wallhanging with only four blocks.

Here's the Dogwood Blossom Quilt from Stitched in Color, so pretty and sweet! Love her work!

 Join a Quilting Bee:

Done! I'm very excited about this one, since besides teaching, I've not participated in many of the social activities that so many bloggers enjoy. I looked on Flickr to see which bees are looking for people, and found a very nice bee run by Mrs. Pickle Garden (It must be fate! Pickle fans stick together!) called We Bee With It. It runs from January - June, so there are six sewists contributing 2 blocks a month and each month one of the sewists decides on the blocks, and gets them mailed to her house! I can't think of anything nicer than getting blocks from around the country, the only thing nicer is getting to make blocks for other people!  Another way to stretch creativity and technical expertise.  The first block is an improv block with no color rules, just add in some white somewhere. I can't wait to dive in my stash box and get sewing on this one.

The Farmer's Wife:

I just got this book, and it is chock-full of blocks and stories.  I live right outside of Boston, within walking distance to the subway, and this book had me dreaming of moving out to the country and homesteading! (my engineer husband would probably not last very long farming, unless he had some sort of agricultural laboratory.) I have seen others translate these very traditional, and beautiful blocks to something fresh, modern and colorful. Here's one from My Rainboots are Red:
 

Isn't it beautiful?  I'm excited to play with fabric choices and work on this quilt throughout the year, in between other projects.

Zakka:

I just love this Japanese word which means any little thing that improves your home, life, or appearance.  It sums up the kind of projects I like to do in between large, epic quilt projects. It keeps me excited about creating, that little jolt of having a finished project can be very satisfying. On my annual trip to Northern Virginia to visit my in-laws, I picked up Patchwork Please!, and it has some great, practical projects that will be great for gift giving, and for having around the house. The mail organizer was a big hit with my husband. 

This is from Creativemomentscary on Flickr

My mother in law insisted on paying for the book, since we were out buying books with the kids, so I'm going to sew up some projects for her home!

I hope everyone is having a lovely, relaxing New Years Day! Here's to 2014!