January Review

I didn't really think I'd managed a lot in January until I started to think about this post.

As the year turns and all you other bloggers out there put up your New Year Posts complete with details of the virtual bees you're joining this year, your Quilt-Along projects, classes you are holding and your own wonderful makes it has been soooooooo hard not to become distracted from the plans I had at the beginning of the month.  I have spent far too much time reading blogs rather than sewing but it's just so easy to spend an evening sharing in your creativity and wistfully envying your projects and talents.  I am still waivering on whether to join Little Miss Shabby's Birdie Stitches Quilt-Along and fear my resolve will not hold out much beyond mid-Feb, although of course by then I'll be playing catch up, but hey what's new in my life!

Wouldn't the blocks be easily made up and then the embroidery work could be a great little portable project to take on hols this summer (see, I'm already beginning to justify it to myself)?

Anyway, I have been a little more productive than I thought in January even though I may not have actually completed much except the baby pillow and little bird decoration (both in earlier posts) and the crochet basket from Chickpea Studios.  My hexagon quilt is slowly but surely growing, as I have been basting hexies and stitching granny flowers any time my hands have so much as thought of being idle!  I'm really pleased with how it's coming along.  All that's left to do with the top-piecing is to even up the height and the width (I started working outwards in circular fashion and now it's time to make the height and width more uniform).  Maybe Feb will see that come together ready for layering and binding.

I also managed to pick up an abandoned crochet project which I think I have secretly been hoping would finish itself. Not sure if I just became overwhelmed by the amount of loose ends which needed to be sewn in or if I have actually worked at this so long that I have gone off it.  Perhaps a little of both.  Anyway, I have been weaving loose ends in to the squares and pinning them out to block them ready for the final joining.  There are still a few more to crochet and another few to sew the loose ends in, but at least there has been movement this UFO and it looks like the end isn't too far out of sight.  Can you believe I've been at this so long that they have discontinued the wool colour I had planned to join the afghan squares with?!

Squares being blocked.

Scarey number of threads to sew in on just this one square!!

Some of the pattern squares ready for final joining.

Plans for the gift quillow haven't gotten much beyond the sourcing of fabric stage, but I am really delighted with the Denyse Schmidt, Greenfields Hills and can't wait to get cutting very soon.

Of course I've been busy with my class project too and really love how it's all coming together.  Quilting's done just needs zip in and finished off and I'll have a great big cushion to match my own quillow when I'm snuggling up against the cold February weather that's being forecast here.

I've even managed a re-think on my Dear Jane aspirations and planned the layout and design for that altered project.  I will blog a bit more when there's a bit of progress worth noting, it's very much a design idea at present.

All in all a good month - here's to keeping up the momentum (and sneaking in a few unexpecteds along the way)!!