15 Minutes - Update

Wow!

It's amazing what a little consistency and focus will do.

I'm still managing with 15 minutes a day. Yeah!!!

I can't believe that just last week I was so excited to be part way through step 2.

Now I've finished step 4 and have started on step 5!

It's really started to give an idea of what the final blocks will look like.

I hope everyone else is enjoying an upswing in their crafting mojo too.

SSCS

I just realized that I neglected to post a picture of the SSCS gift that I made this year.

This is the little ornament.

And here is the quilt. This is a Kim Diehl pattern.

15 Minutes a Day

I started off this year with the idea to spend 15 minutes a day sewing. I figured finding 15 minutes in a day shouldn't be too tough, especially for something so enjoyable.

It's been amazing to see what can be accomplished with 15 minutes a day. (Granted some of the days turned into more)

This pile you see before you started the beginning of the year as two intact pieces of fabric. I now have step one done for all blocks.

And I even made a pretty good dent in step 2!

Last night I went to a friends house for some sewing and a visit, so instead of winding ways (above) I finished another Dear Jane block. It's the applique block here with the other blocks I finished over the holidays.

First Finishes of the Year

In my guild we did a 12 days of Christmas swap. At the beginning of December we gave our lucky recipient their 12 gifts to open as they chose for a count down to Christmas. (Who we were getting these lovely presents from was a secret until the last gift)

These are the wonderful presents I got to open throughout December.

I also got this ball of yarn.

Which magically transformed itself into this cute hat! (And my first finish of the new year)

Plus, I finished this strawberry pincushion. It feels amazing. The body of the strawberry is velvet while the leaves and stem are beads.

Spoiled Rotten

My SSCS partner Dawnie has well and truly spoiled me.

Her gifts are amazing.  Two wonderful Christmas stitcheries to help the Yuletide spirit along each year.  The bag (to feed my bag fetish) is amazing.  I took the picture of the end, I'm not sure if you can see it, but there is a cute little sewing machine attached.  I love all the little details she's added to all of her work like little tags, pulls, and back pockets.  (I tried to take a picture, but it failed miserably)  Plus, new projects to drool over.  An adorable hatched and patched bookmark kit and a magazine with wonderful projects.  

I absolutely love everything!

Guild block of the month

I've posted a few of these blocks in the past.  My guild has been doing a block of the month these past 15 months.  We've each had a turn to pick a 12" finished block for everyone to complete and then each month we made that block for ourselves.  

I'm a fan of blue. :)  For my blocks I chose to work out of my stash.  Here are my last three blocks.

And here are all the finished blocks!

I really love how they've turned out.  Plus, it's going to be wonderful to see how different they've all turned out.  My friend is showing her finished blocks here, can you even tell that they're the same blocks!? 

Presents!

Wow!  Today's been a wonderful day!  Not only do I have a day off.  It's snowing!  (Though, it may be more significant to note that it is the end of November and this is really our first! snow).

Plus, I heard the front door open this morning, and look what I found!  Presents.

The first was a little gift from a very sweet neighbour.

The second is my SSCS parcel!  It made it's way over the ocean sooo quickly.  Can you see all the goodies that are calling my name?

The wonderful gingerbread man ornament!?  I have a real soft spot for gingerbread men at Christmas.  For me, it's one of the things that is really Christmas.  It may be because we grew up with a traditional Swedish song about three gingerbread men - tre peparkaksgubbar.

And, most importantly, who do I get to thank for all these lovely goodies??  The lovely Dawnie of a new to me blog - Itching for Stitching.