Quarterly Review

Here we are on April 1st (and nope, no April Fool's jokes here) and it seems like a good time to do a business style review of my progress this quarter. Based on my New Year's goals and projections -- let's see how my work has been progressing (or not -- which is much more to the point here).


Skills:


Hand quilting -- actually, I've been working on this one. I still have a bit more to do on my second mini-wholecloth but not bad. I figured it would take much longer to get to this one.


Applique -- still a total and complete wimp.


Embroidery -- I have at least two projects in progress and one that I've finished the embroidery part but I can't show yet (and need to finish the other part and get it in the mail -- eeek!). I also finished the embroidery on my Winter Four Season's Swap. So -- not too bad here. It would be better if I FINISHED a few more things -- but, I'm working on it. And just to prove that I am -- a hint about some of the work on my current Four Season's piece.



Knitting -- well, actually there is more to report here than anywhere else. I've made three and 1/2 pairs of mitts over the past three months, finished a scarf, started another scarf, almost finished a sweater for my daughter, almost finished a princess/fairy dress for my daughter, made three washcloths, a couple of bath scrubbies, and a really long piece of lace and some flowers for embellishments. Whew. That actually is a lot. If you would like to see photos of most of these -- you can check out my Flickr page. I'm still enjoying knitting so it's likely to continue -- though, I have an experiment that I tried over the weekend that is getting frogged when I have enough heart to do it. UGH. As for not adding to the stash -- um, yeah, we just aren't going to go there.


Projects (this is the category that is going to just KILL my stock values here):


PIBS -- (projects in bins) Yeah, haven't touched them. They're still there. They're still waiting for me. See above for some reasons why they haven't been touched.


UFOs -- still there. Still UFO's. Though -- I did finally buy a backing for one UFO (though if I'm kind I'll call it a WISP -- Work in Slow Progress though I haven't touched it since -- let's see -- um, LAST March) that needs to be a FO by June 1st for my daughter's birthday.


Bags -- not going there. Have plans for three or four, have two I need to make pronto. Yep. Not going there.


Stash:


Um, haven't been sewing much, haven't been using up what I have. Though, I will say -- I did find a use for this piece from my stash while Mom was here visiting. Yep -- another new project. There's a surprise.


And if I keep on giving in to lovely new fabrics that I just want to play with -- how I'm ever going to get to use what I have is beyond me. But, really, these? Can you blame me???


And well -- when kind friends decide they want to send you bits and bobs to help you have MORE fabric -- can you REALLY say no? And, let's be honest -- do you really WANT to say no? Especially when you have a little one with a shoe fetish? No -- I didn't think so. (but I will say thank you so much KATE!!!)

As for hoarding fabrics (a nasty little tendency) -- um, is it really hoarding if you haven't been using much fabric AT ALL?!?
Christmas:

It sounded like a good idea, get Christmas presents done throughout the year so that my November/December isn't totally crazy. Started well -- hasn't been working out all that great. The one present I had managed to make has already been given away. NEED to get on top of this one if I don't want a repeat of last year's sweat shop.

Life:

Trying. Best I can do some days.


So -- overall report. Um, yeah, not so great. I have a ton of projects started, in the works, plots and plans and not much action. Not to mention I've been neglecting my blog. I won't even mention the number of posts I have plotted out in my head and haven't gotten to yet. Not to mention how far behind I am in my blog reading (yeah -- when bloglines tells you there are over 1000 posts you haven't read -- time to do some serious reading and/or editing of your lists -- so I apologize if I haven't been commenting much lately).


As for my giveaway -- I've had a terrible work stoppage problem here at my house (Tink and Mr. Cornfields have been sick). The drawing that was supposed to happen while my Mom was here didn't -- so I will be drawing names TONIGHT and posting winners tomorrow. My helper is feeling better so -- time to get her back to work!

Pincushion Winners

So, after my last post I am more convinced than ever that quilters are some of the best sorts of people. Thanks to all who commented and told me not to worry. I don't know that I'm constitutionally capable of not worrying at all -- but you made me feel much better!

And now on to the fun part! The names were put into a hat...


Little Miss Tinkerbell (she's the one who has been insisting lately that her name is "Tinkbell"-- won't even let me shorten it to Tink -- *sniff* ok, so I'm kinda proud of this, sick I know) did her part...

And the winner is...

Lisa D. from Stashmaster.

And then -- Mommy -- here you go!

Ok Tinkerbell -- that one too! ( I did mention this was a possibility).

So congrats to Vickie E. from Midohioknitter.

The winners have been notified via email, and thanks to everyone for playing along. Coming soon -- a recap of my Thanksgiving weekend! (yep, late, but hey -- better late than never!)

Egg On My Face...

Ok, so the whole -- do a give away drawing as a way of saying thanks to all the wonderful folks who have read and commented on my blog sounded like a good idea. So why the egg on my face? Well -- I've been lax about reading my email this weekend -- when I got to it this morning some of the comments were puzzling me. I mean, a drawing is no guarantee that I will be sending anything right? Welllllllll...I guess I should have read my post more carefully before I hit that publish button. See, there was supposed to be a whole sentence in there about "I will put your name into a hat and have my capable assistant draw a name on Monday" that didn't make it into the published version.

Crud.

Double Crud.

And now for my quandary. I could be all technical and say that the paragraph following the offer in the original post implies that not EVERYONE would get a pincushion (the whole -- if you want a guarantee go to my PIF post thing -- which, btw, has been filled, thanks!). That feels an awful lot like cheating to me. I'm the one who didn't edit (something I tell my students to do) and so it's my fault. Then again -- there is the other side of the coin. I did not make nearly enough pincushions to send to everyone who commented -- and I don't think I can afford the postage for all of them either (they aren't heavy -- just bulky, which means the postage goes up).

So -- what to do? I'm considering Hari-Kari -- though somehow that seems a bit extreme. I considered going into hiding -- but, well, how do you hide from yourself? Ok, enough self-flagellation.

Immediate fix is that I will hold the drawing I intended to hold today (dd is looking forward to it so, really, you don't want to disappoint the toddler do you? She's really cute). Given how well she did the last time, I can say there will probably be more than one winner.

For those of you who commented and are not ok with this "fix" -- shoot me an email. (this is especially true for those of you who are "no-reply" on your comments, I would have done this via email but, well, I can't really) I'll work something out. I have more fabric. I can make more pincushions -- but, um, they aren't going to be ready for a while. My list of Christmas projects has to take priority -- so I won't be able to get to them for sure until January. Sorry folks, this is the best I can do for right now -- hope you understand. Now I'm going to go see if I have anything resembling a hair shirt hanging in my closet.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa

Giving Thanks

Today was/is (at least for another couple of hours) the day set aside in the US to give thanks for the harvest (though -- our current traditions probably have very little to do with the celebration we're supposed to be emulating). It's also a time to look at your life and think about what it is you are grateful/thankful for. I know it's something I don't do often enough, so it's nice to get the reminder sometimes.

This year I am thankful for young eyes that remind me of the wonder of the first snow of the year. No worries about the roads, travel -- just excitement and wonder that this white stuff came from the sky, and a quick run to the closet and demands to put on her coat so she can go out and play.

I am thankful for my family and friends, near and far. They're pretty wonderful people.

I am thankful for the opportunities I have had this year to play with my quilting and to teach my first quilting class.

And, I am thankful for you -- my fellow crafters who read my blog. You give me encouragement (even when I probably don't need it when it comes to stash enhancement activities), advice, and honest feedback. Those are all things I value. In addition, I've made so many new "imaginary" (though, you are all real -- that term bothers me somehow) friends from all walks of life, all over the globe. I have learned over and over again that quilters are some of the most generous people. People whose generosity in terms of time (and sometimes in terms of fabric, patterns and other goodies) are unparalleled.

So -- as a way to say "thank you" on a day meant for thanks -- I'm going to offer up a little token of my thanks. Remember these pincushions? Well -- leave a comment on this post between now and Sunday, November 25th and I will send you one. Which one I'm not sure (and one of the two finished ones you see in the photo has already gone to a new home) -- but you will get one of them. I mentioned earlier that I had put some scented oil in one -- the one I will send does not have any scent.

Oh -- and if you don't want to take any chances and would like to guarantee that you get one of these -- I still have one spot open on my Pay-It-Forward exchange. If you'd like to play along -- I think I can guarantee one of these lovelies :0). If you are signing up for the PIF -- it will be first come, first serve. Please leave your comment on the PIF post!