ALYOF 2014 Review

An overview of all my monthly goals and completions for "A Lovely Year of Finishes - 2014!"

I only missed one month, September, but other than that I was able to use ALYOF to help me stay productive last year :) Thanks to Melissa and Shanna for hosting!!

December

Baby Quilt Binding

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

November

E's Popeye Skater Dress

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

October

Halloween Table Runner

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

August

Two Baby Quilt Borders

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

July

Scrappy Baby Quilt Tops

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

June

Tree Skirt Binding

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

May

Tree Skirt Binding

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

April

Two Monikered Baby Bags

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

March

Grandma's Quilt Top

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

February

Baby Quilt

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

January

Two Table Runners

Goal Post Link

Finish Post Link

Something Wicked This Way Crosses {Blog Hop}

Wendy from Why Knot Quilt?  and Mdm Samm from Sew We Quilt have continued a wicked tradition with hosting a wickedly fun blog hop for the fourth year in a row. I and the rest of today's wicked sewists plan on showing you lots of wonderfully wicked projects! 

Enjoy your Black Cat Crossing Blog Hoppers on the Eve of All-Hallows-Eve!

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Thursday, October 30

On the Banks of Frog Creek (You Are Here!)

How Art You?

Cucki Stitching Cove

Dancing Moon Farmstead

Life in the Scrapatch 

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Now, here are my two wicked projects... I was not able to purchase the very fun Black Cat Crossing fabrics, but I was able to dig through my stash and finally use some of the Halloween fabrics that I've bought over the years.

I have this family treasure in my kitchen that enjoys being dressed up for the holidays. I already have Christmas and Valentine's Day runners for it, so I was happy to have a wicked-good reason to sew up a Halloween one for it!

I googled "cat sillouettes" and searched and searched until I found this one that fit the runner perfectly. I then measured, cut and sewed and then sewed, measured and cut until the runner fit the antique kitchen cabinet. I quilted it with crazy lines to enhance the feeling of Halloween being a holiday of crazy surprises! 

 I had just enough of this fun fabric for the backing.

With all that cutting and measuring I did for the runner, I had some extras strips and scraps to use up. I figured a quick pillow was just the thing!

 The quilting was my favorite part of this!

My walking foot has been giving me some wicked tension issues, so all I could use was my regular foot. Straight lines can still make a great spider's web! Even E had fun following the lines :)

More stash fabrics for the pillow backing.

Thanks for stopping by! Now, go say "boo!" to those other bloggers listed at the top of this post... I hope you all have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

PS: Finishing these projects in time for the blog hop was also my ALYOF Goal finish for October. I was number #19 on the goal setting link party. Here is a link to my goal post.

This 'n' That

The daughter's room has been painted, her furniture has been painted, and her walls are being decorated. My husband's office desk will be painted soon, along with some reclaimed wood shelves. 

Pictures to come... eventually!

But in sewing news, I have a few projects on my to-do list! I can't chat too much about this one, since it's for the upcoming Halloween blog hop...

I have two baby quits basted and ready to be quilted, plus two others than still need to be basted first. Let's not even talk about the baby gifts for friends and dresses for Ev that I'm excited to sew!

I'll end this random posting with some stormy pictures. I was able to practice using my camera's remote and shutter speed settings to try and capture lightning bolts, since we had quite the show last week... the storm did eventually get to us, and left us with more than 2" of rain. 

Part Time Farmers

We may have moved, and Dan may have gotten a new job, but that doesn't mean we're not still farmers!

We are still close enough to the family farm that we can go there on the weekends. In particular, he'll be sure to help out with harvest and planting.

I'll still enjoy documenting farm life... even if we're not there all the time.

So, we may have moved physically away from Frog Creek, but this blog is staying On the Banks of Frog Creek :)

Wave Your Flag! {Blog Hop}

Welcome to my day on the Flags on a Stick blog hop! 

For this hop (that the amazing Mdm Samm thought up and instigated with the wonderful Thearica as organizer and cheerleader), we were supposed to create a flag... Thank you to both of you for all you have done, and of course, lots of love to our hop sponsors (See Mdm Samm's post for their information)!

I made a Birthday Flag!

You see, little Evelyn will soon be turning ONE! And, I wanted a little something to spruce up the dining area for her special day (this is definitely an inside flag). I also want to be able to use it through the years and use it for all the birthdays in the family... therefore I made it reversible!

See, here's the boys side! 

No, this is definitely not a crazy way to say that I'm expecting a little boy to be joining the family anytime soon (uffda!). I just figured if Evelyn and I get to enjoy the girly side on our birthdays, then Dan needs a boyish side for his birthday :) 

... 

... 

... and if it would so happen that we are blessed with a baby boy someday, then so be it, I already have a birthday flag ready ;)

I've been wanting to practice my lettering appliqué, since I plan on helping Mom make more of these Monikered Baby Bags in the near future (her usual new-baby-gift). I think I got plenty of practice in with this project! My flag turned out to be about 16" x 30" with the hanging sleeve.

While planning this project, I also wanted to use up my scraps - each of the letters were cut from my scrap bin of 5" charms. The balloons are made with 3" scraps, and the prairie points (a first for me! such fun!!!) were made with triangles cut from more 5" charms.

The ric-rac is from my stash (the blue package actually had a copyright of 1931 and told me to wash it by boiling it with pure soap or soap flakes. Hmm... not exactly my usual washing routine...)

The white fabric, binding and sleeve material are also from my stash.

I chose a windy day to take pictures... 

But then again, it's usually windy here... that's just the way of life out here on the prairie! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Now, go see what kind of flag everyone else is waving today...  And be sure to share some love with them!
March 27th

Bumbleberry Stitches

Quilted Delights

Red Quilts

On the Banks of Frog Creek (I'm waving from here!)

Words & Stitches

K and S Sweets and Stitching
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PS: The entire time I wrote this post, I was singing my alma mater's fight song. The first lines go like this...
Ring the Bells for South Dakota...  the yellow and the blue...  daaa, da, da, da, da, da, daaaa, da...  da, da, da, da, da, da...  (Can't you tell I know it real well?! Ha). However, for this hop, you know that I couldn't sing it correctly.  I had to sing it like this... WAVE THE FLAG FOR SOUTH DAKOTA! :) That is all.  Happy Hopping!

Put a Ruffle On It! {Ruffles Blog Hop}

It's here! 

It's time for the Cha Cha Ruffle! 

Mdm Samm has done it again... this time it's the "Think Ruffles" Blog Hop with main cheerleader Amy from Sew Incredibly Crazy. Thank you to both of these amazing ladies for organizing such a fun hoppity-hop!

Anybody ready for some Cotton Eye Ruffles?

My first project is straight out of a country vision of sunshine and clotheslines! This clothespin bag is made out of some denim yardage (thrift store), an embroidered table runner (yard sale), and feedsack fabric (antique store). All items (including the buttons) were from my stash and I used this tutorial... if you decide to also make one, be sure to watch the video; the tutorial makes so much more sense after watching the video. I look forward to the warmer days ahead when I actually get to use my "Ruffly Pin Pouch!" Putting the laundry out on the line with this pouch by my side will sure make me sing the Party Ruffle Anthem :)

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You didn't expect me to join a ruffles blog hop without making something for my little Evelyn, did you? :) This "Ruffled Halter" is made from a fat quarter bundle of Pam Kitty Picnic fabrics I won from the sweet Amy of nanaCompany a few months ago. The pattern is one of Oliver + S's free patterns I found on their website. The smallest size was 18 months (Evelyn won't be that old until October), but I haven't added the elastic to the back yet, so I can make it fit her when the time is right... I'm thinking it will be a nice top for 4th of July :) She'll just be livin' on a ruffle!

My favorite part of this sewing project is that the ruffles are cut on the bias, so you don't need to hem them traditionally. Just an easy topstitch along the edge is all you need - yay for less ironing!! Reading that part of the directions made me want to twist and ruffle right there beside my ironing board...

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Last but not least, here is my "Tote of Ruffles!" I love using reusable grocery totes, even though I've gotten out of practice of remembering them since moving back to SD... I hope this ruffli-fied tote will get me back in the mood of remembering!

More stash busting... the same denim and purple feedsacks from the clothespin pouch, plus some added blue feedsack fabric, a doily and some white/purple striped fabric for the lining. I made this pattern up by myself. This doily lended itself well to being attached... I just zigzaged along the two concentric circles, which leaves a fun ruffly edging! Yup, I'll be that cool mom in the grocery store with this unique tote ;) maybe I'll just have to do the Cupid Ruffle while grocery shopping! Put I promise not to shout out "Who let the ruffles out?!" That is not what a cool mom would do, ha! (Maybe I should just be glad that I have several years before I have to worry about Evelyn thinking about having a cool mom...)

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Thanks for stopping by! 

Now, take a sip of Ruffle Potion No. 9 and go enjoy the rest of these ruffling ladies! 

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Malini's quilts

Missouri Mel

Just Quilt It

In the Boon Docks

On the Banks of Frog Creek (You are ruffling along here!)

Sparrow In Flight

Are you... "Thinking Ruffles?!"

I'm hopping into another blog hop! This one is all about ruffles :) Since the announcement, I've already finished one project... I hope to make one or two more, so wish me luck!

Let's all...
"Think Ruffles!"

March 5th - 14th

(My day is the 5th!)

A Lovely Year of Finishes - 6 Months of Fun

 

I started participating in Shanna and Melissa's A Lovely Year of Finishes in July, meaning that I just barely have 6 months of successful goals. Here is what I accomplished with my goals...

July

Four Table Runners 

Hand Quilted(!)

Friend's Wedding Present

August

Twin-Sized Quilt Top

Scrappy Stash-Busting Goodness

Evelyn's Future Bed

September

Christmas Tree Skirt Top

New Pattern - New Experiences

Friend's Future Wedding Present

October

Pillow Cover

Dan's Grandmother's Hardanger Embroidery

Simply For Us :)

November

Christmas Tree Skirt Top

Scrappy Stash-Busting Goodness

Another Friend's Wedding Gift (Summer Wedding!)

December

Diaper Repairs

Replacing Elastic

Evelyn :)

I very much appreciated Melissa and Shanna's A Lovely Year of Finishes... once Evelyn arrived, it became harder to find time to sew, but sewing is necessary sometimes to keep me feeling like more than a milk cow ;) So, the goals helped me find little snippets of time to get a little sewing in. I look forward to  more goal setting in this new year!

January Goals.

 Enough of this only-sewing-to-repair-cloth-diapers from December. Enough. I'm going to sew for enjoyment, and that is that. (Well, as long as Dan can take some time away from bookwork and farm work and dismantling a rundown house and watch Baby E for me!) But truly, I plan on sewing this month!

My official goal is to piece, baste, and quilt two table runners. 

You can see in the picture that I already started the piecing, so I should be able to achieve my goal. And if things get real productive around here, I might even get the binding attached! But... don't hold your breath... Evelyn rules the roost, and she's not too keen on letting Momma have a lot of free time. It's a good thing she's cute ;)

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And just for fun... a little sneak peak... 

I've got big plans for this garage sale find from several years ago! It involves hammering and stamping and bending. Can't wait to have some crafty fun!