Reflections Again

I've been pushing myself to finish up the top of the second bedroom quilt, Random Reflections 2 of 2. With Random Reflections 1 of 1, I made 10.5 inch strips out of every scrap of my jelly roll fabric and wound up with 5 extra pieces once the top was completed. I have added extra jelly roll cuts to the fabric pile for #2, so it's been harder to tell how much I need to use.

I currently have a large pile left, but my stack of 10.5 strips counted in at around 200, so I decided to start piecing them into a top. I still have about 20 more strips to make, but I needed a break from it -- and seeing bits and pieces of the top begin to come together is a lot more fun than building the strips.

Even though I thought I added lots of blues and grays, the overall images so far still feel heavy on the whites. Oh, I still like it, it's just turning out lighter and brighter than I anticipated. I have to keep reminding myself that the dark grey is a color for this one, not a neutral background to ignore. I can't wait to see how it looks finished, but I'm still several hours away from that.

I'm not sure I'll be able to pull up the energy -- or time-- for it, but I really feel like I've got to enter a kind of 'finish it up' time of my life -- I have too many projects in progress, many of which haven't been touched in months. And I have three new projects I want to start on! I've got to finish some of these older ones up before I start something new. I'll just keep repeating that for a while and hopefully it'll work.

I don't think I can get the Random Reflections quilted before January or February, but my goals is to get the 2 of 2 top finished and start on the back for it before Christmas. I don't think I'll have room to baste it until well after the holidays, even if I was going to have the time to quilt on it!

Quilt #25 - Christmas Star

What a difference a few hours makes! When I took the pre-wash photos, the outside world could have passed for summer still. Not any more. I only managed a couple of photos before my fingers were too numb to continue, but here's the Christmas Star quilt finished at last!

And not a binding issue or a new pucker in sight -- I'm so grateful for that. This one has not been the easiest to work with. I'm not sure if the fabrics just didn't mesh well, or perhaps it was trying to quilt without my inset desk, or just the scale of the thing, but I struggled from start to finish. Which isn't to say I don't love this quilt. I do. I think I love everything I work on. But I am ready to wrap this one up for gifting.

I love how the dark brown binding really sets off the back. I think it was totally the right choice. The green would have done something similar, but I think this happy accident worked out for the best.

I do love the fabrics and colors. Which is good, because I'm not quite finished working with the leftover scraps from this quilt. I've got a couple more things to work on to coordinate with this project -- if I get them finished in time -- before I'll be saying 'goodbye' to it completely.

I hope the recipient loves it even more than I do! We'll find out in a few weeks. Yikes -- that's coming up too soon. I'd better stop typing and get back to sewing!

Christmas Star - Bound!

For better or worse, I went with the brown. I liked it a little better, and honestly, it was already made -- and right now, that's a winner in my book.

And, I think it looks really good.

From this distance, it's just a dark outline at the very edge of the quilt, which I think helps give it a little more defined boundary -- and makes it every so slightly easier to photograph.

Above might be one of the better pictures I took in terms of showing the quilting. I still wish I'd been able to do a little more. Next time I do something like this, I should try a quilt as you go method so I can work more details in smaller chunks without feeling like I'm going to throw out my shoulder or rip the quilt!

The dark brown seems to work with all the colors, but it really makes those brown/tan pieces pop a little more. It needed that to balance out the pop of red which are almost too overwhelming for me.

And because the lighting was working with me, a little more detail of the quilting that actually lets you see the star in the center.

I can't wait to see how it came through the wash -- hopefully with flying colors!

Binding Debate

During a failed attempt to rearrange the office -- only to discover the plan didn't work out in reality -- I rediscovered a big pile of unused bias tape leftover from the XO charmed quilt (which I'm still fighting with).

I'm not certain it'll be enough to do the entire Christmas Star quilt, but I'm tempted to find out. 

The fabric I purchased to work as binding: 

The rediscovered already made option:

I do like the first option, and I think the glitter in both the possible binding fabric and the background go well together, but honestly, I'm leaning towards the brown --- and not just because it's already been made into bias tape. I think it works quite well with the various brown prints in the quilt top. I think what's throwing me off course is the knowledge that this same fabric worked so well with something so loud  -- how can it possibly also work with something so relatively quiet? 

Does it? Or is that the cold medicine talking? 

After Quilt Group

I almost forgot to share it here -- but I have a photo of the first night's work from our groups take on wonky stars. There were some high spots of the night, and a few lows, but all in all I'm pleased with how the evening went. I'm beyond pleased with how all the stars have turned out.

Honestly, I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite at this point. There are things I love about every single one of them, but I think my very favorite thing is the vast amount of personality contained in these few blocks.

I know a few people took home pieces to keep working on, and I'm hopeful to get a few more blocks next meeting -- in addition to the ones I'll be adding any time I need a break from working on binding or whatever less fun, more meticulous projects I ought to be working on in the next week or two.

I am looking forward to watching this grow and change as we add more stars!

My 2014 - 2015 Reading Year Wrap Up

This is just going to be talking about books. And maybe some math. If that's not your thing, come back next week when I hope to have a little more sewing/quilting/crafting progress to share. 

Some background:
In October of 2010, prompted by a very disappointing surprise cliff-hanger ending to a book I'd enjoyed up until that part, I started keeping track of the books I completed reading throughout that year. What I had intended to be a fairly simple list of title, author, and a short note or reaction quickly turned into a series of spoiler-filled summaries, and paragraphs of reactions. Later I started rating books on a 1-5 scale mostly based off my enjoyment and feelings immediately upon finishing the book. 

In the year between October 15, 2013 and October 14, 2014 I completed reading 74 books - which was about 22,380 pages (not including pages of sources, citations, previews for other books, or the pages of the 6 graphic novels I read). 

Of those 74 books: 

• 51 would probably be considered Young Adult
• 5 would probably be categorized as Romance (only)
• 3 were fairy tale retellings (a record low for me) 
• 9 were non-fiction
• 6 were graphic novels
• 3 were rereads from previous years  

Mathematically, I averaged just over 6 books per month.
The highest finishes by month happened in: February (8) then November/December/January/March/September (7 each).
The lowest finishes by month happened in: June and July (3 each)

My average rating was: 3.3 (mathematically, since I only rate in .5 increments). This is slightly lower than in the past. This year I did not rate anything as 5, but I had two 4.5 ratings: Marissa Meyer's "Cress" and Rainbow Rowell's "Landline." I did have one 1 rating, Jane Feather's "Trapped at the Altar," and as usual, I did not keep track of my 'did not finish' pile. I plan to keep better track of those in the coming year as it might be as useful to know. 

Looking back on the year, I'd say the standout titles were:

• "Cress" Marissa Meyer
• "Landline" Rainbow Rowell
• "Mastiff" Tamora Pierce
• "Flapper" Joshua Zeitz
• "Howl's Moving Castle" Diana Wynne Jones
• "Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue" Christia Spears Brown PhD
• "Trickster's Queen" Tamora Pierce

This list isn't necessarily the books I gave the highest ratings -- though this year it comes close -- but instead is comprised of the books I find myself still thinking about even months or longer after having finished them. I think that's probably a better determination of what's really caught my attention and gave me something to think on than a ranking I give immediately after reading. In all fairness, I continue to be absolutely haunted by one of my 2012-2013 standouts, "The Summer Prince" by Alaya Dawn Johnson, which I still think about on a monthly, sometimes weekly basis. 

Since I'm finding more time for reading than for sitting down and completing my thoughts, I've actually already finished a book for my 'new' year. I do still have two 'in progress' books I'm still working on -- one of which I'd really like to mark as a 'did not finish' and walk away from, but I also hate to 'waste' all those hours and not get to mark it as 'read' on my personal list or goodreads account.

I did not accomplish my goal of finishing the Game of Thrones series. In fact, I'm not sure I read any of it. I really need to do that in the coming month or two, especially since those books are on loan from a friend. Other goals for the coming year include tracking my 'did not finish' books, and hopefully hitting 80+ books in 2014-2015. I'm hopeful, but also realize I have a number of things on my plate that keep me from reading, and a lot more quilts needing finished than ever before (or perhaps I should say bigger, more time consuming quilts). I'm also working a record number of hours, all of which makes reading any more harder. 

As usual, this is probably far more interesting to me than anyone else, but I always look forward to getting to spend a few minutes wrapping up a years worth of reading. I may have started this whole process with the idea of keeping track of what I read - and which authors are worth going back to - but I've found the entire thing has improved my enjoyment of reading as a whole. I can't say I'm a better reader now than I was before, but spending an average of an hour thinking about each book while I recap it and react to it has made me more aware and more selective about what I find worth talking about or suggesting to others.  

Anyway - here's to a new reading year, and to all the books on my 'coming soon' list that are that much closer to falling into my eager hands! 

Ready for Quilt Group...I Hope!

I knew this week would be busy, recovering from a surprise 3 day trip, three evening meetings to shorten my days, but I've also wound up with a new, massive work project and I'm honestly not certain how I'm going to get everything done in the next two days. Not by blogging about it, that's for sure! Anyway, my nerves are high, but I think I've at least got this project ready for quilt group. 

Eight copies of the directions/tutorial, scraps (mostly the precut pieces from my failed attempt at using the Moda Reunion fabrics to make us bedroom quilts, but a few others as well, and I may throw in even more -- though I suspect everyone will be bringing some), background fabric in pre-cut (by me) pieces as well as yardage, and my two (so far) stars. I made one in scrappy Reunion pieces, the other one in random scraps from my bins -- though it features two scraps from my current attempt at quilts for our bedroom, the large gold piece is from 'his' top and the tiniest aqua piece is from mine. I do love seeing all these familiar fabrics again, and my scraps are so small, stars are a great way to use them up.

I am still saving up for a ticker tape quilt though -- my goal from the moment I started quilting.

Anyway, wish me luck. I think all is as prepared as possible and hopefully everyone will have as much fun as I do working on these blocks!

November Goals

November Goals

Personal: 

Read 5+ Books
Average 15000+ steps per week day (with Saturdays at 10,000-13,000)

New Projects / Pinterest Challenge: 

1+ new recipe

My Projects:

Finish 1 quilt top: Random Reflections 2 of 2
-- IF there's time -- Baste: Random Reflections
Quilt 1 quilt: Wonky Star Sampler
Make a back for Random Reflections 2 of 2
Finish at least 1 block for scrappy x plus block
Tutorial for Quilt Group -- Print copies
Bind: Christmas Star

Grown Up Junk:

Schedule next cat/vet appointment -- for December?
Replacement windshield for the car

House Stuff: 

Continue sweeping every other day, cleaning bathrooms once a week
Finish rearranging in master: take out orange chairs, begin brainstorming update for doors
Begin rearranging in office: swap desk set up to short wall, consider moving cedar chest to master?

Plus - Holiday Stuff
Begin testing possible recipes
Finish holiday shopping
Swap out lights on big tree
Tree skirt???
More gift bags???
Buy black thread


Considering I set out to keep this list short so I can focus on the holiday rush, I'm not feeling hopeful about this going well. Considering I've been at my sewing machine for two hours without starting on the project I really need/want to work on, I'm really not feeling like this is going to work well. 

October Wrap Up

October Goals

Personal: 

Read 5+ Books

• "The Nightmare Dilemma" Mindee Arnet
• "Morning Glories Volume 2" 
• "This is All I Ask" Lynn Kurland
• "Fiddlehead" Cherie Priest
• "My Faire Lady" Laura Wettersten

Average 15000+ steps per week day (with Saturdays at 10,000-13,000) -- Not quite, I think I had a few too many week days in the 10,000's to quite count, but it was close. Days spent in the car really cut down on my ability to get enough steps! 

New Projects / Pinterest Challenge: 

1+ new recipe
1 new mini quilt  

My Projects:

Finish 1 quilt top: Random Reflections 2 of 2
Baste 1 quilt: Christmas Star
Quilt 1 quilt: Christmas Star
Begin quilting 1-2 others: Wonky Star Sampler
Make a back for Random Reflections 2 of 2
Finish at least 2 blocks for scrappy x plus block

Grown Up Junk:

Schedule next cat/vet appointment
Replacement windshield for the car
Fix living room floor

House Stuff: 

Continue sweeping every other day, cleaning bathrooms once a week
Finish rearranging in master: take out orange chairs, begin brainstorming update for doors
Begin rearranging in office: swap desk set up to short wall, consider moving cedar chest to master?

Plus - Holiday Stuff
Begin testing possible recipes
Pick up hot drink mixes, check on coffee maker status
Make a plan for family pictures
Begin shopping

Ugh -- I hardly accomplished anything in October -- and I have a feeling November is going to be so taken up with holiday planning that I won't be much better. Yikes.