Staying Busy Continued...

Well, I guess when you don't post too often, it is easy to hit the wrong button and publish a post instead of going back and adding more after uploading a picture. Making an entirely new post seems easier than editing the last one so that is what I'm going to do. Besides, this way it seems like I've posted twice today and maybe no one will remember that I often go seven weeks without posting! Below is a picture of the Jacob's Ladder blocks that I made for a swap. The blocks finish 12" and are black background and batiks. I made 3 sets of 6 each and I'm actually ahead of the time to get them done. I will put them in the mail Tuesday and they didn't have to be done until the end of February. YEAH!!!
I am trying to decide what I am taking on retreat at the end of this month. I always take too much, but I'd rather have too much than not enough. I'm sure that I will find something that just calls my name while I'm there too, but you never know. We will be in Holmes County, staying in a condo. I love being there in the January because it is usually cold and snowy and I always get a lot done. My best friend Kare is going with us this year. She's a "virgin retreater" but I have no doubt that she will fit right in. We sew, laugh, shop, eat, sew some more and always have a wonderful time. I'll try to remember to take my camera and forward some pictures.

I took a break from organizing my stash and trying to decide what fabric I will use for my guild's retreat mystery next month. I'm finding out that I have been busting a lot of blue and "background" stash. I only have four or five pieces of blue in the tub and not much more of the light "backgrounds." Do you think that is reason to shop while I'm on retreat in a couple of weeks? :) Oh well, I better get back to work or I'll find some excuse to stop.

Staying Busy

As promised, I'm posting a couple of pictures of projects that were done for Christmas gifts, orders, etc. The little fish wallhanging is a variation of the pattern Gone Fishing by MH Designs. I have done the original a couple of different times, but wanted this wallhanging to be a bit smaller. The original has a fishing pole added to the right side. It is quite cute and easy to paper piece together.

The tote bags below are just 4 of the 18 that I made. They are easy to make and are a combination of lots of features that I like from various bags that I have seen.

I also helped a friend make 4 quilts for Christmas. She did most of the piecing on 3 of them, but I did the last one because of time restraints. I quilted all of them and added the bindings as well. They were simple patterns (2 of them are a square in a square, 1 is a 9 patch soduko and the last is a 16 patch soduko), but they were all fun to make.

I've Finally Done It

Yep, I'm updating my blog for the first time in over 7 weeks! Actually, I'm just letting you all know that I'm still around and that I know I am a slacker. This post is going to be VERY short because I have to get the guild information out to everyone today and try to get an accurate grocery shopping list together so I don't have to make umpteen trips to the store for all of the items I forgot.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that the new year is shaping up to be a good one for you. I was going to make a resolution that was something like this: " I resolve to update my blog at least once a week, if not more in 2009," I knew that would only be setting myself up for failure so I didn't do it. How's this for a resolution: "I'll try to post weekly and not beat myself up if I don't do it"? I like the second resolution best!

Anyway, I have some pictures I'll share in my next post that include some of the projects that I made for Christmas, what I am working on now, and the projects that I want to start soon. Be on the lookout for that post sometime in the next ??????? or so.