Goals

2010 will be here tomorrow! Do you have your goals set? If not, I would like to share my outline for my 2010 Goals. I try to set 3 goals in each category....not to many or you will not meet them. Some goals need more detailed goals subtitled under them. I will give you an example of one of my goals in each category and you will see what I mean. I am not sharing all my goals here, as some are personal, and to be honest, I don't think many people much care what MY goals are....YOUR goals are the important ones to you.

Spiritual & Innerdevelopment Goals

a. Read 6 non-fiction books in relation to my Christian growth.

Family & Relationship Goals

a. Speak daily affirmations to my children

Personal Development Goals

a. Teach a hand quilting class in April

Ministry Goals

a. Make a home church decision

Physical & Health Goalsa. Weight Loss

this goal will require a more detailed goal sub-list, such as exercise plans, food plans, etc.

Home School Goalsa. Reread Educating the Wholehearted Child

Homemaking Goals

a. Create and follow a stricter food budget

Material Goals

a. New curtains and dust ruffle for master bedroom

Life Enhancement Goals

a. Memory enhancing exercises (may include vitamins)

I also have a Quilting Goal section, though I posted that earlier. You may add any creative goals to your list. Any other category that would work well in your life may be added, such as Career Goals, Educational Goals, Travel Goals....the list is endless. Goal setting can be a vital tool in our lives. Give it a try!!!! See you next year!

Blessings~Bren

Meeting Goals

This is my new favorite spot in the house. I am working hard on the Pink and Brown and have put a lot of thought into my goals. I pondered why this quilt, along with a couple of others, have been on my goals list for the last couple of years....this being the third. I concluded that I set a goal that was too generalized for such big projects. Its not like a wallhanging or tablerunner....these are queen-sized quilts! I decided to get a bit more specific and set shorter-termed, more specific goals. As for the Pink and Brown, I just finished the entire middle and have the blocks around the outside to quilt along with 2 borders. My immediate goal is to finish 1 side of the quilt (not counting borders) each week. That will mean the quilt (minus borders) will be done by the end of the month. At that time I will set another specific goal regarding borders.That is a lot of quilting in a week....there are motifs and 1 inch crosshatching all along those outer 12" blocks. I plan to spend much time in my new favorite spot. It is relaxing and set apart, yet very available to family. Directly across from my spot, is the new piano....The kids are playing on it everyday. They do not pound on it, but "play" nicely, and seem quite eager to begin lessons. My quilt frame is no more, but that is fine. I did not enjoy quilting on it enough to find another place for it just now. Besides....it is not on my goal list, right?

I did go to the quilt shop and picked up a new book with my gift card. This will be my "week between Christmas and New Year" book.
Lots of wonderful designs I can use and interesting stories from 1810-1940....some of my favorite eras of quilting.
I am not finished talking about goals just yet, but my personal goals are still unfinished. For now I best head back to that chair for some needle time!
Blessings, Bren

2010 Quilting Goals

I am big on goals. I love to set them and when I actually meet one I am thrilled. I probably hit my goals more than 50% of the time, but ya know, if you do not set a goal, you will NEVER meet it!! I will be sharing some of my life goals over the next few posts, but I wanted to start with my quilting goals. All the others will be complied into one post....my quilting goals make a list unmatched by any other goals. Some of these you may remember from my 2009 quilting goals. That's ok....I got TONS of quilting done in 2009!!!

The top of the list for 2010 is to finish the Pink and Brown. This is a queen sized quilt and is about 50% hand quilted. It has been the project I always set aside in order to finish another. This year is it's year. I believe this is 3 years in the making.

Number 2 on the list is the Hidden Star. The goal is to have this pieced and hand quilted by June 22nd. It is my son's quilt....12 years in the making.I want to finish the hand applique on the border of the Underground Railroad Sampler this coming year. I think this quilt is at least 3 years in the making.Now all of the above have been on my goal lists in the past, even on my 2008 goal list. This is their year. ALL else will wait until they are done. Not necessarily the quilting on the sampler, but at least the top finished.

New to the list....The Pine Ridge quilt. I want to have this pieced and quilted by fall. It will be ready for the hoop as the Hidden Star comes out. This is the state it is in right now....barely started. I guess, not barely....only 12 more trees and borders to add.

I also want to get the 9-patch blocks that Linda and I swapped put together. I will be able to get the 4 yards of fabric I need in May, so I should be able to start putting it together as soon as the Pine Ridge gets ready for the hoop.....see how I am planning things in an order???
I always have that Masterpiece in the forethought of my thinking. I am so frustrated with the applique....so tiny....but I hope to pick this up again at some point in 2010. No pressure, but to at least finish this first block and go on to the easier ones....I chose the hardest one first!
So there are my goals. I am certain there will be other projects added, but these are the ones I really want to meet.
Now that all my Christmas projects are finished, I can put the Pink and Brown in the hoop where it will stay until it is finished.
Don't forget to make some goals for 2010!!!! You will be surprised how having them will spur you on!
Be Blessed!!!
Bren

Sorting

No, it is not laundry sorting. It is scraps. I had several boxes of scraps that needed sorting out. This is not stash fabric, but those strips and pieces that are too small to put with stash, but too large to just throw away. I keep anything 2" or wider, myself. I know some people keep anything 1" or wider. I would probably not use it, so I throw those scraps in the trash. I ended up with a box of darks, a box of lights, and a box of mediums.
Also, a large pile for my friend Sue, who makes the most wonderful strip quilts!Sue recently made up a challenge for herself called The Over The Top Challenge. Pop over to her blog to read all about it. She encouraged me to challenge myself also, and though my goals are not a lofty as hers, I am working hard on the ones I have set. I am focusing on the goals that have to do with Christmas, though I do have others recorded. Right now, the Basket Case is FULL priority and then I have 5 miniature quilts to do for Christmas gifts. The minis will be 18 inches square and hand quilted, so I have my work cut out for me. As for the sorting, a log cabin mini may be on that list....not sure yet, but I know that my queen sized log cabin is on my challenge list, so the sorting will help the process greatly! I will share my challenge list later.
The kids all came Sunday to watch the Bears beat the garbage out of the Steelers!!! My son is a HUGE Steelers fan since his early teen years, and Sweetheart is a die-hard Bears fan. It was sweet!! The kids all played nice together...Emerson had to be right in the mix!She wanted to play in my pots and pans while I made dinner.She eventually settled for her toy drawer.....She is a sweet baby and gets sweeter every time I see her. TJ started school today. His mommy is homeschooling him this year for preschool. No, she is not homeschooling him for elementary, but I support them in their choices. They took TJ to get tested for preschool and he tested at a first grade level.....did I already tell you all that? My mind is going!! Anyway, Rachel will work with him at home and he goes to Cubbies, Sunday School, and MOPS so there is enough socialization for him right there. He had a great first day and was very proud of his accomplishments.
Tomorrow is a busy day here. The kids and I will be at the church for a couple of hours tomorrow morning while the staff is at a funeral. We will homeschool there and answer phones and collect food coming in for the funeral dinner that afternoon. Then I plan to go to the BRAND NEW QUILT STORE that is opening just half a mile from my house! Acorn Quilts, Inc is opening it's doors tomorrow. I have been holding my breath. I have told SO many people about it and they just look at me like, "Oh, that's nice." Don't they get it??? A new QUILT SHOP!!! HELLOOOOOO.....ok, so maybe they don't get it!
Tomorrow night is the second week in our new year of Women's Bible Study. We are doing this book.....We had our first meeting last week (we take the summer off and do the Titus Tea's) and I was pretty disappointed. I thought the book study was very dry. I complained only within myself and said nothing to anyone. I prayed about it and was certain that God would understand what I meant. He did not. I got a very clear stirring in my spirit that I was way off. How can God's Word be dry? I was not looking deep enough. So now I look forward to digging in with an open heart and a willing spirit. Must be a big lesson in there for me somewhere and I am bound and determined to find it.
I will come home in time to watch my DVR'ed Biggest Loser with Sweetheart. I love that show and look forward to it each season. I am also a Survivor fan and OH. MY. GOODNESS. There is a player that is out and out EVIL.....His mother did not hug him enough, I am certain of that!!!!!!
Have a blessed day and go hug your kids or they may end up a reality show villian!!!!!

Cotton Gag-Me Pink

I have a deadline. A BIG ONE!!! In 100 days I need to have this completely done PLUS several table toppers completed! So why am I not pounding away on the Basket Case??? Over the last year, I have worked on several quilts. Most were baby quilts, one was a lap quilt. All were hand quilted (except the one done as a joint effort with Coleen). First was the hand applique, hand quilted, SBS for Emerson...... I loved making this quilt.Then the Star Sampler for my sister....all colors I love, so it was not a stretch for me.Then I jumped right on the Peter Rabbit challenge at Easter time. LOTS of pink and lavender, yellows, and baby blues....All the while I was still working on the pink and brown quilt....the never ending albatross that will one day be my best work.Then the baby quilt with all those leftover pastels....by now I am gagging.And of course the Basket Case is all pastels.....
I feel like I have overdosed on cotton candy this year! So why am I not pounding away on the baskets???? Why am I making trees????
Trees that do not have a deadline, or a hint of cotton gag-me pink in them???......
Trees that take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to make.......
Why do I want to spend my hours making 12 more trees when I have a deadline to meet??? I have no answer. I do know I have to be stopped!!! I need to put down my rotary cutter and step away from the trees!

I plan to make a list of quilting goals and do a challenge with my friend Sue. She is a great one to keep me accountable. She has her list done through Dec 2010....not sure if I will go that far. With all I have going, maybe I will need to!! I do know the trees will be on that list!

Tomorrow school starts.

The kids are excited to start a new year. It will be a fun day....the 4 of them will be here and we will go over schedules and what will be required of each child. Anya and Alphia will only be here part time and will be doing school at home part time. We will do no actual school work except Bible, where we will learn the author of the book of Romans, the reason it was written and some background to help us understand it better. After that we will be taking a trip to the Borders Bookstore where each child will chose a book to read at home. They are required to spend 20 minutes or more each day reading outside of school. Charlotte will do much more, but the other kids I am not sure of.

I guess I better go do some dinner prep and then grab that quilting needle....I am pretty sure I am on a pink basket......

Goals

Goals. If you do not make them, you will not meet them! I have some pretty hefty quilting goals. I figure I would list them here for accountability's sake.

*Finish hand quilting my sister's quilt by April 6th.

My table next to my spot on the couch is always ready for me with my thread, scissors, thimble and a cup of coffee!!!! I am getting a lot done daily.

*Finish piecing the Hidden Star by April 6th. Have it basted and in the hoop by April 8th and finish hand quilting it by mid June. *Cut, machine piece, baste and have in the hoop, the Christmas gift quilt, by September 1st. Have it hand quilted by Christmas. I will be doing the 58x74 size.
Those first 2 are the most pressing. I have plenty of time to get the other done. I am also going to play. During the summer I plan to finish putting the flowers and leaves on the Underground Railroad border, and get that basted and ready to quilt. And there is always the pink and brown....*heavy sigh*. I also want to do a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt in 1 inch hexagons using the feedsack line Cheryl sent me. I am new to hexagons so I need to practice first, right?

I bought these paper pieces at a quilt show several years ago with the desire to make a table runner. They are elongated hexagons and the attaching 1 inch squares. I think it will be a great practice project. I plan to English Paper Piece this project as well as the Grandmother's Flower Garden. You can click on the link to see pictures of the process. It is all by hand and will be a great take along project. I will prep the pieces today in order to take some to Awana's tonight. There is at least 45 minutes of free play time for those 3 year olds and I sit in a rocker watching them all. My hands itch for a needle, so it will be perfect. This is how the elongated pieces go together.
I think it will make a really pretty, scrappy, table runner. The squares will all be the same fabric. Since I am so new to hexagons and I hear they can be quite addictive, I joined in on The Great Hexagon Quilt-Along!Along with 97 other hexagoners (hows that for a made up word, Rose Marie) I will share my process on my hexagon creations! Pop over there....they have some gorgeous quilts!! Thanks Cheryl and Dani....picking out that fabric for me was just the kick I needed to get going on a technique I have always wanted to try. Someday I will also finish up my Grandma's GFG blocks.
There are enough there for a bed quilt. Not English Paper Pieced, but hand pieced. That will be a challenge!....someday.

So there are my quilting goals for this year....

It would not be a post without some kid pics....The grand kids were here for a couple of hours the other day. Emerson enjoyed her green bean lunch!!

TJ went from story time with Uncle Kyle, to video game watching with Uncle Zach!
Charlotte had went to the Cirque du Soleil with our neighbors. She has had her second crochet lesson and learned a 1/2 double crochet. She and Rachel are both making lap blankets to donate to the elderly at a retirement village. I am proud of both of them for donating their time and effort. Charlotte is making hers red....
Zach has been working in "The Man Room" with his dad. They finished painting the walls yesterday. Just the carpet, doors, and trim to do.
The library at church is coming along. Maybe another week or two and it will be done. I am excited to see it finished. What a beautiful library it will be. I will be sure to take pictures when it is complete.

Have a blessed and productive day!!! Remember to ask God what you can do for Him today!