Some rambly reflections with some goals at the end

As 2010 winds up I feel a little bi-polar relfecting back upon the year.
The first half of the year was spent finishing my final semester in my MA German Literature program and preparing for my written and oral exams covering basically all of German literature from the middle ages to modern times --- YIKES! At the end of May I graduated with honors and put that all behind me and set out into the real world.

... and wow its a scary place! haha. Fortunately my mom gave me a sewing machine - Singer Confidence Quilter - as my graduation present and my new obsession/hobby  started...FABRIC! QUILTING! SEWING! YAY!!!!

Along with that start also came the start to my new life... a normal adult at a 9-5 desk job that has nothing to do with what I studied. In this recession Im so grateful to have a job, and a steady one at that. The great thing about my job is that I get to see my husband every day for little breaks here and there just to say hi - since we work in the same office. Not sure how long I will be able to enjoy that benefit but I will enjoy it while I can!
So ... 6 months into this new life after graduation I guess I can't complain too much. I have become a great fabric hoarder and an amateur quilter. I jumped into the hobby with both feet and fortunately did not get sick of it after only a month into it.

As far as my sewing accomplishments in the last 6 months I can count:

3 finished blankets
1 top that needs quilted
1 baby quilt that needs bound
1 mug rug
4 placemats
4 pillow covers
4 coasters
1 ugly doll copy
and 1 pair of pajama pants that are actually long enough for me - the giraffe! yay!

... and an assorment of practice and partially started projects

Not bad for my first 6 months ... now for some goals for the next 6 (I like half year goals, makes it less daunting and gives you some time to readjust in the middle :)):

• Learn to applique
• Learn to free motion quilt (the type that doesn't look like I puked stitches on the project)
• Try paper piecing hexagons - even if just for a small project
• Work on my "monster/creature" line of stuffies
• Finish 1 quilt each month
• Craft and document one non-quilting project each month to keep my love of crafts as diverse as it has always been

I am also working on the Children's Charity Quilt project (read more about it on my blog in an earlier post if interested) and I am sure that will keep me plenty busy.

So here's a friendly goodbye to 2010... you've been eventful to say the least. Hello 2011... please be good to me!

I won and boy is it a fabulous stack of stash!

I was in shock when I read on Pink Fig Design that "Tiffany comment #8" wont the FQ bundle of her fabric line "Miss Modd". I counted down and saw that HEY... it was ME!! :) I waited in anticipation a whole week waiting to get an email from her announcing that I had won and requesting my address. I was getting kind of sad/nervous when she never wrote, started thinking maybe it was another Tiffany who had won and I had gotten excited over nothing! Then one day as I was browsing her site, I noticed FINALLY on that post that she had asked the winners to email HER! Oopppsss... hahaha.

 After much anticipation and waiting this lovely set of 19FQs from her beautiful fabric line showed up at my door - one of each print, what a win! I was so giddy last night when I unpacked these beauties after work! Not just excited to have won SOMETHING... but to have won THESE Fat Quarters!

 I am totally into stripes, flowers, abstract flowers, polka dots AND of course bright colors--- and this line has all that and more! Totally my style and totally made my day :) Great way to end 2010 with lots of new fabric to play with in 2011!

Holiday Eye Candy

I absolutely love looking at blogs this time of the year due to the mass amounts of holiday crafts everyone is displaying. Here is are a few of my favorite holiday projects from other bloggers:




 Adorable snow man wreath (left) and powder drink mix containers made in to cookie or treat holders (bottom right) from Sew Many Ways - check out her awesome blog for great tutorials for these and many more great holiday creations.











Mug rugs are all the craze in bloggy-land these days and I have to say I've been bitten by the bug as well. This is one of the neatest ideas I have seen so far for a Holiday mug rug and definitely a pattern I plan on re-creating myself one day. Simply genius making a pocket for a letter to Santa or even cookies! Check out Pleasant Home

Stocking tutorials seem to be a favorite this month as well... I have seen some super cute ones but this one from A quilting life is by far my favorite. I have not tried Hexagons yet but this is so cute, it might just be enough to inspire me to try.

And last but not least, Crazy mom quilts has a pretty awesome pillow idea that I would love to try. This would be great for any season but I love the Christmas colors with all the white.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed the eye candy and are inspired to get out and make some cute holiday deco yourselves. My Christmas "to-make" list is not getting smaller any faster while drooling at what everyone else is making so I guess its back to the sewing table for me!

Happy Holidays everyone! Good luck on all your projects but remember to take time to enjoy the process and the season!

Ahhhh....

That is basically what runs through my head each time I look at the pile of projects on my ironing board waiting for me to have a spare hour or even minute to work on them.

Christmas is fast approaching and while time is running out quickly, my many projects are coming together slowly. Would love to show you some of them but I will have to wait a few more weeks until they head to their final destinations. Can't risk them being seem by their soon-to-be owners and ruining the Christmas surprise!

For now... just grab your face, give a little scream, ... ahhhhhhhh.... and then get back to work! :-D 

Children's Charity Quilt Project

Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by to check out information about the "Children's Charity Quilt Project".

Youth sunday school groups across the state of Delaware have teamed up to motivate the children to read their scriptures daily and combine this wonderful activity with a service project!

The challenge: Read in the scriptures for ten days straight

The reward: A quilt block for every 10 days of reading tracked and a celebration in October to show off the fruits of their hard work.

Each child will have the opportunity to earn up to 3 quilt blocks a month from Jan-Sept. At the end of this time all of the quilt blocks, collected by the entire Sunday School group at each church, will be made into beautiful quilts which will be displayed at the October celebration and then donated to various charities for children and adults to enjoy.

How can you help?:
Our group consists of 45 wonderful and motivated children. They are excited to read and earn their quilt blocks but we are rather limited right now with our supply of fabrics and any donations of cotton quilting fabric would be greatly appreciated by myself (the main quilter of this project for our group) and our Sunday school group.

If you are interested in donating to this great cause and helping me to reward our wonderful children for their efforts and bless some local charities, please email me at: tiffyfischy19702@gmail.com

Thank you for your time and consideration of this project! And a VERY warm and special thank you goes out to those wonderful bloggers who have been kind enough to share this information with their dedicated readers. I appreciate your support and assistance in this service project!

Far far away 2 - aka my love affair with Heather Ross

 I just got the best surprise in the mail today! Ok, I guess it is not a surprise if I ordered it myself... but I was still surprised it came so fast!

These are 2 of the plum variations of Heather Ross´ line Far Far Away 2. The cat and the owl, and sleeping beauty. In the picture below is also rappunzel.

I think only my friend Gina (who actually pointed this line out to me I might add!!) can understand the long drawn out love affair/ online stalking affair I have been having with this fabric. My collection is now most likely complete even tho I would love to have the entire set but alas, I have to curb my addiction a LITTLE, haha.

Check out http://heatherross.squarespace.com/journal/2010/4/22/introducing-far-far-away-ii.html to view the entire line in all its glory. Be careful tho, its addicting, hard to find, and rather pricey which is a lethal combination!

After all of the Christmas presents are done I will have to see what amazing project I can come up with for these beautiful fabrics. I can't just leave them sitting in my stash being pretty, it would be a shame and a waste for sure! ... Fellow crafters, any ideas??