Good Wishes for 2018

- see my previous post for the Finish-A-Long Q4 finishes link-up -

Just writing a quick message to wish all my readers a very happy and healthy New Year!! Thank you so much for following along in 2017.

I am not really making resolutions - I am not great at keeping to them, anyway - but I am making some plans for 2018. I have plans for some new initiatives, which I have already been working on in the last month or so. There will be lots-and-lots more sewing, that's for sure!
And I intend to be more present on this blog. Which should not be too hard, since I have not been all that active recently! And with the plans for more sewing, there should be plenty to write about, too.

Wishing you all a good one x

Sandra

The end of summer and Happy New Year

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

"WHAT??!!!" Well, I find the start of September more like the start of a new year than the first day of January! Let me explain.

While our calendars all change with January, every year without fail, in most other aspects it does not feel like the start of something new. The schools have days off from a few days before Christmas right through to several days into January. And then they all go back to where they were before Christmas! Same class, same school, same books, same dark, cold days! The only difference is that number that designates the year - and even that seems to catch on only after a week or more - or am I the only one writing it wrong for at least three weeks after it is supposed to have changed?!

On the other hand, September brings change right from the start (and often a few days early, too):
New school or at least a new school year,
New school uniform, not yet baggy and worn,
New school books, all crisp and newly covered in undamaged plastic,
New copies (notebooks), all those new starts on blank pages!
New routines, especially after being used to no routines for those long summer months,
And even, it seems, a change in the weather with spider webs and mushrooms popping up everywhere!
And, for me at least, a new start after the unstructured days of summer. Being on my own much of the day after waving them all out the door early in the morning. Free to make my own plans...

So this September sees me making resolutions. And writing on the blog again. And sewing, so I'll have something to write about, too!
It is early days yet, and I am still adjusting to the changes to my days. But there are blog posts being planned, and patterns, and sewing, and tutorials...

All in all a NEW START.

And to show that I have not been completely idle over the summer:

This interpretation of the 1 hour basket - a free pattern that used to be on Craftsy - will be winging its way to my secret #mqisummerswap swap partner in the coming days... It will be hard to let go!

Happy sewing,

Sandra

A New Year, and aiming to get some finishes

A happy, happy New Year to you all!

I know it is a bit late for that, but today is the first day I have the house to myself since half December or so, and to me it feels as if the new year is only starting today. So time to write a blog post!

This year I have not made any "official" New Year's resolutions, but I do have some good intentions. Though I suppose I have good intentions most of the year, it does feel a bit like starting with a clean slate at the beginning of the year, doesn't it? And I have decided this is going to be the year I'll be getting things DONE. 

To symbolise that intention of making this year one that counts, I thought about designating a specific word to 2016. I have seen some people do that very successfully, but I don't seem to be able to capture my idea for this year into one single word. It should be something like DO, or ACTION. But I don't see myself as some super hero, and that's what those words make me think of... Then I thought about MAKE, because that's what I want to do, make things, finish what I've started, and make lots more besides. But that word seems not to include CREATIVITY, which is something I want to incorporate into my year as well.

In the end I've decided I can go off and make my year count without designating a word to it.

Instead to set my year off on a good start, I have decided to link up with a Finish-ALong (FAL) which is this year hosted by several bloggers together from around the world. I am going public on (some of, there are many more!) my unfinished projects, and I am going to try my hardest to get some (all? joking?!) finished. Because I think that one of the main reasons that I don't get things done is that I have too many projects that I feel I SHOULD be doing. 

So here goes:

1. Hearty

This quilt top is sewn together, but several plain squares still need sashiko stitching in them. Then it needs a backing, and quilting and binding. Not sure I'll get it done, but worth a try.

2. Oakshott

 

This quilt has been around since at least 2011!!! I loved designing and sewing this quilt in those lovely Oakshott fabrics (the picture does not do them any justice at all), but then made the decision to hand quilt it in a very labour intensive way. Let's just say I got fed up with it. However it's more than half quilted, and I still love the quilt, so it NEEDS to be done!

3. Charity quilt no. 1

Ah yes, come on! Just the binding to be stitched down, no-brainer!

4. Charity quilt no. 2

 

A collection of 12 blocks, some sashing already stitched on. While I may not get this finished since the others involved may decide to hand quilt it between them, putting it here may at least push me to get the top together. I know that may mean I can not link it up as a finish in three months time, but as long as I am making good progress, I'm happy.

5. Knitted wrist warmers

An atrocious picture, I know! I don't do much knitting, but ever since reading Lynz' post on Susie Rogers' Reading Mitts I wanted to make some. The first one is knitted, the second one has not much more knitting to do. Let's just say I got distracted, but with the weather now turned decidedly chilly I will need them and soon! So I will finish the knitting, then finishing them off to give me toasty hands (hopefully).

6. Cubes quilt

Started in summer 2013 from my own design, this needs its machine quilting finished. Again, it'll be worth finishing!

So there you have it, my list for the first quarter of 2016.
Linking up at Nicky's finish along post.

Happy New Year!

New Year

Clean slate

Empty days to fill

Plans

Happenings

Curve balls

Possibilities

x 365

To be created, one day at a time...

Sandra

Celebrations

No matter how you are celebrating at this time of year, enjoy! I hope you'll have some lovely relaxed time to spend in pleasant company, and I wish you all a very happy, healthy and creative New Year, wherever you are!

And since I don't like posts without pictures, and I associate the time of year with stars:

These 4" stars were made a long time ago, but I have some new plans...

I haven't decided yet how exactly I will use them, but I'm making some more first...

quite a different look on a black background

One was sewn by hand, the other by machine...

It's hard...

...to get the colours true!

And finally, a little stitchery:

Sandra

Resolutions

For most people January starts with the making of one or more New Year's resolution(s). For years I have tried it, saying to myself: "This year I will finally give up this bad habit", or: "This year I will achieve X, Y and Z".  Somehow, however, after a couple of weeks (or sometimes even days...) I seem to have forgotten all about my resolutions, or just plainly given up.

So this year I thought not to make any resolutions at all. But then of course, nothing changes and nothing new will be tried. It seems an easy opt-out.

So this year I have decided instead to go with a few resolutions that I really CAN keep. I will go easy on myself, and not impose impossible deadlines, or try to achieve impossible dreams in a short time. So here goes:

1. I will be kind to myself. So no beating myself up over not-kept resolutions...

2. I will make more time to enjoy myself. So I will be fitting in more sewing (and crafting) time. With the course I am doing I can hardly avoid doing that one!

3. I will make time and effort to enjoy the children, while they still haven't moved out. So yes, boys, I will TRY not to complain too much...

4. I will start that "blogging thing".... YES, that is one resolution already achieved!!

Told you, I was going to be kind to myself...

Good luck if you made any resolutions this year, but make sure you also add the resolution to be kind to yourself and yours, because we are all worth that!!