2015 Year in Review

Long post, be warned.  I love goals. This is no secret to those who know me well.  How'd I do on my 2015 goals?  Great on some, not so great on others.

2015 Goals:

• Make three baby quilts for gifts  Check!  I made 5; 3 for gifts and 2 to charity.
• Make a remembrance quilt for my co-worker Check. From her late husband's shirts.
• Make a friendship quilt from my retirement blocks Check!  Designed the pattern and it's hanging in my foyer.
• Run at least 600 miles in 2015 (did 561 in 2014)  Nope. Close, but didn't make it.  I'm at 551 miles as of 12/27/2015, and no, I won't get in 49 miles in the next four days.
• Run a half marathon, a 15k, and a few 5ks Check!  Ran two half marathons, a 15k, and five 5k's
• Run faster in 2015  Nope. Not sure I'll ever get faster.
• Work on a morning routine of stretches, lunges, and planks Nope.  I don't think that lasted a week :/
• Attend more book club and quilt club meetings at church ?? Not sure if I attended more than 2014, but I did make it to 2-3 book club meetings and most of our quilting group meetings.
• Continue with daily bible readings (Spurgeon's daily Morning & Evening, Beth Moore's Praying God's Word Everyday, and Jesus Calling) ?? Didn't like what I started with and reverted back to MacArther's daily bible reading. Got a little off in December.
• Work on being more like Jesus ?? This is a toughie.  Our Sunday School lesson today was about using the power of the Holy Spirit to help us live more like Christ.  I try to do it on my own way too much, and always mess up.
• Shop grocery sales and cut our food budget ??  I did really well on this until I went back to work in May.  After that, the grocery budget went back to my pre-retirement days.  We have never been ones to eat out a lot, but since I've gone back to work part-time, we eat out more.

How about you?  Do you make goals? I have some for 2016 but I'll save those for another post.

I was very productive in my quilting.....here are some pictures of quilts made in 2015....

I started designing my own quilts and I have one in McCall's Quick Quilts, coming out tomorrow! I have another one scheduled for Fons and Porter's Easy Quilts, coming in 2016.

Here is the recap of my running in 2015.

And I can't end the year without thinking of the little girl who stole my heart. I was able to visit her in March and then enjoyed her visit with us in December. Looking forward to spring/summer, when I'll be visiting them again.

When I look at these pictures I'm reminded of how blessed I am. 

Stay tuned for the 2016 goals and I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes, "Life doesn't get better by chance, it gets better by change."  You don't like something about your life?  You have the power to change it. I encourage you to seek the Lord and ask for help to change your life.

The Hardest Part - picking the quilting design

I do think this is the most difficult part of quilting, especially for one who doesn't feel confident on a long arm.  I should be, I've had mine for over 7 years.  I finished Dandelions and am ready to do the quilting.  This is what I'm thinking of doing.....

The flower shape reminds me of a dandelion. I couldn't figure out what to do in the cross blocks, so I think I'll try the elongated meandering pointing it towards the centers.  I don't want to cover it all in dense quilting, but I'm not sure how this will work, leaving some spaces open.  Once I get started it may change.  That happens sometimes.  Wish me luck!

Original Design Baby Quilt

I don't think I ever showed this quilt on my blog.  It was a little design I put together using EQ, but it was rejected by the magazines.  :(  That's ok, though. I realize it is pretty average.  Still, it was fun to make and I like it.   I'll probably save it for a special baby gift.

Sewing Saturday

I ran yesterday and also ran errands so I got to stay home and sew today. I'm not really fond of making half square triangles, but when I do, I use this method and chain piece.

 I also like to use my wooden iron to help with the seams.  Do you ever use one of these?

 This new little quilt I am making has 21 of these star blocks using 16 HST. What was I thinking? I thought it might expedite the process by drawing my lines on a whole lot of blocks to give me a head start on each star block.

...and even as I don't like HSTs, especially this size, 2" finished, I love the way my Dandelion star blocks are turning out.

Lesson learned: when your machine starts acting up....check for lint.  Ummm...duh.

One final thought for the day......it sure is bittersweet when you FaceTime with your 22 month old granddaughter....and she comes close to the computer screen, reaches out, and says "hold you!"  That girl. Oh my.

I just happened upon this....

I was doing my regular lap top perusing in bed last night and I happened to stumble on this....

 The baby sized version of Edinburgh Square was featured as a Friday Freebie on the McCalls blog last week!  I knew it was offered if you clicked on the pattern from the latest issue, but didn't realize it got its own blog post.

I'm still on cloud 9 seeing my quilt and my name in such a widely read publication.

New Design

Nothing like the excitement of having a quilt published to provide motivation for more designs.  I've spent lots of hours with EQ the last few days and came up with a simple little lap quilt design that I really like.  Can't show much of it, but I think "Dandelions" is going to turn out cute.

It's here

My copies of McCall's Quick Quilts came!!

My first published quilt!  Hope you all aren't tired of this, but I am SO EXCITED!

Sure is quiet around here

I sure do miss this little thing.....

I cried off and on all day yesterday. It is so hard, them being half a world away.  I have to remind myself to count my blessings.  There are many to count.

They were greeted with a horrendous site when they arrived home in Edinburgh. Evidently, the flat above theirs had a leak.  There was water everywhere, the kitchen ceiling had collapsed, and the smell was horrible.  Can you imagine being away for a month, staying at three different places, being up about 24 hours traveling home, just wanting to sleep in your own bed.....and are greeted with that? The University has put them up in a flat turned hotel temporarily until it is livable again.  My heart hurts for them.  If you are a praying person, they sure would appreciate your prayers.  They are both very discouraged.

McCall's Quick Quilts - has my quilt!

Today I am guest blogging at McCall's Blog.  If you are visiting from their blog, welcome!  I hope you enjoyed reading about my Edinburgh Square quilt that was published in the February/March 2016 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts.

In case you haven't yet gotten your issue, or would like to win one for a friend or family member, leave me a comment below and I'll enter you in a giveaway for this issue. I'll be closing the contest on January 15th, so give me a shout if you want to be entered.  If you make a version of Edinburgh Square I would LOVE for you to send me a picture at rachelmh@comcast.net.

If you enter, just leave your name and comment.  I'll post the winners name when the contest closes and you can then send me your address for me to mail the magazine to you.

Above are the shots that are in the February/March 2016 magazine. Also check out their Facebook page for the magazine preview.  I made this quilt up last summer and on a whim sent pictures of it off to McCall's.  It really is exciting to see your work in a magazine.

 There are some beautiful quilts in this issue.  You can find the issue here and more about my quilt here.  Also the kind McCall's folks put a web bonus on their website for the free baby sized version.  You'll find it at the links above.  Below are some of my own pictures of the both quilts.

Be sure and go to McCall's blog here and see the baby sized free pattern giveaway!

The contest to win this issue of Quick Quilts ends January 15.  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment.  Just let me know you want to be entered.

More Fun with the Granddaughter

Sorry folks if this is just too much, but I am filling my cup before they go home........

She had fun swinging with her daddy.  It was her first time in a big kid swing and she did great!

More Fun

No words are needed.....

Fun with my girl!

My granddaughter is visiting and we are having such fun!

...so there won't be any quilting done for another week or so....

 

I can't believe how this little one sleeps so well. They just put her to bed at 8pm and without a fuss she goes off to sleep for 12-13 hours.

It's like that at nap time too. She goes down around noon for a two hour nap.

..but she she is awake, it is constant activity. She is keeping Mamaw fit, up and down the steps, over and over and over and over again. Mamaw doesn't mind. There will be plenty of time to rest after she goes home.