Red and White Table Runner

Today I would like to show off one of the table runners we did for our Secret Santa giveaway we do to families in our area in the 12 days before Christmas.

This was a simple to make table runner and went together quick.  The center was cut with my Dresden ruler and sewed together in a line.  I then put a 1 inch and then 2 inch border around it.  I had originally planed to do the white with the red on out side but ran out of red.  I do think it turned out pretty good all the same.

Here is some close ups.  Yes my shot duplicates the white on red and red on white dots I did try to do it more random buy hey this is what you get.

All in all I am pleased with how it turned out.

Owl Pillow and other goodies

Tanya has been having fun making these cute pillows.  They were made for Christmas presents for our niece and nephews.  Though this one stayed closer to home then the others.  This one went too Julia our baby.  I do not know if she loves it, but I know that I do.

Next week, starting this next Friday we will have our 100th Link a Finish Friday (link up is open for a week) It is my pleasure to announce a special giveaway as part of this link up.  My LAFF sponsor Fat Quarter Shop has given me a fun extra for this next week a giveaway.

It is a Jelly Roll called Chantilly by Lauren + Jessi Jung.  So you have just under a week to make something new (or decide what old thing you have finished) to link up.  Every one will be allowed to link any item made with in the last year to enter this special giveaway (up to 4 items per person).  

Link A Finish Friday #99

Please remember to thank our sponsor by visiting their store at http://www.fatquartershop.com/ their blog http://www.fatquartershop.blogspot.com/ and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/FatQuarterShop

Gift Bag - 33 Stitches

On the Trail to Forty - My Imperfect Life

Texas Threads - Simply Pieced

Friday Finish - Jo's Country Junction

These are some of the fantastic things finished last week.  Please link up what you have been working on.

 Linky Code can be found on the right side bar

1) Who likes rules. Toss them out.

2) Add a link to your finish blog or where ever you show off your finishes (Not limited to quilts but I like them the most).
3) Visit a few of the finishes and comment or encourage them on.
4) Monthly random winner picked from all of the months linkups to $15 gift card from Fat Quarter Shop.

Not required but fun to do

1) Follow my blog.
2) Follow the blog of all those that link.
3) Link back to my blog.
4) No finish, go quilt and stop reading the web.

Owl and Stars Rag Quilt

Today we would like to show off the newest Rag Quilt.  It is a cute and simple quilt made out of owl's and Stars.  The star's are ones we have used in a few different quilts we enjoy them much.

The back is a pretty blue Tie-dye that also has been used many times.

New Year 2014

It seems that another year has come and gone and I am now starting my 3rd year of quilting.  So many things have happens to me and my family over the last 2 years.  The first is obvious we have more quilts then we know what too do with and for gifts I get fabric rather then items.  Funny how that is.

This is my list of goals from last year

Goals for Richard

1. Learn to Paper Piece.
1. Sword & Shield's Quilt
1. Quilt that James and I plan to make
2. Charity Quilt that I want to make with blocks others make.
2. Temple Paper Pieced Pattern (I have 2 of them, one I won and one I bought) I currently lack the skill to complete them and would like to build up to that skill.
2. Sew Curves
1. I got a Drunkards Path template that I want to make at least one quilt out of it.  (Oh wow did this one)
3. Go Big with my quilts.
1. I would like to make at least 2 queen size quilts for my bed.  (As seen above I have the center to one but 2 did not get done)
4. Go bigger making more twin size quilts.  All my kids think they need more quilts and I never did finish  my older daughters that was planned, but never finished for Christmas last year. (Oh look Finished Rebecca's and made one for James, Yes its not finished guess he hast to wait)
5. Go all Orange
1. My wife hates orange and I think that this more then anything else, spurs me to make more of them.  I have plans for at least 3 orange quilts for this year, maybe more. (Yea can say I made more then 3 orange things this last year)
6. Go more modern
1. I belong to a modern quilt guild and its been pointed out to me, that I don't do much modern, so I need to make some more modern quilts. (This I can say is a success some what James quilt is modern,  I made a table runner or 3 that also could fit this mold)
7. Enter a quilt or 10 into competitions. (I had 2 quilts hang a HMQS so this is a success)
8. Make more patterns and custom blocks. (This has been a great success follow my pattern link above to see all the patterns I have made and sold or given away many of them)

Goals for Tanya

1. 2 Puzzle quilts.
1. Jared's School (done)
2. Just Because (done)
2. Rainbow Quilt with Ticklish (Many ticklish things accomplished)
3. Tanya's Mom's Pinwheel Quilt. (This is a sad failure it should have been last year OK 2 Christmas back but still not done)
4. Finish the blue and brown hearts quilt for our bed. (Crash and burn here, Tanya did make a baby quilt of some though)
5. Two lap size plus quilts, one out of Twirl, and one for Jared in Greens and Oranges (his request, he liked the quilt James got for Christmas, but didn't like the one he received). (I believe this was a fail?)
6. Learn to be more daring and quilt some of my tops.  I have quilted mini tops and one baby size.  (still totally avoiding quilting.  She has done a few more table runners and hot pads though,  3 baby quilts quilted by Tanya, but bound by Richard)
7. Learn to bind a quilt instead of having my "Binding Fairy" (Richard) do it.  I think I will start small with the unfinished 12 day wall hangings for next years Christmas.  (Binding Fairy is on strike and she still has not done  Oh well a great goal for a new year, 1 wall hanging and 1 hot pad bound by Tanya)
8. Make a pieced rag quilt.  (I will have to check with Tanya but I believe she did this)
9. Make a couple of lap quilts for friends (hum I think we blew this one off) We finished one, and have a top for another.
10. Have fun instead of major rush to finish for deadlines ie Christmas. (Last minute rush to finish pillows for Christmas and James quilt a week over due)

New Goals for 2013

Richard Healey

1. Complete 100 items
1. This can be quilts or table runners or hot pads (expect to see a rush of hot pads at end of year lol)
2. I need to learn FMQ to up my quilting game.
1. Quilt some hot pads and table runners to start with.
2. Take a class
3. Meet new quilters
1. I have become disillusioned with my modern quilting guild.  It has been a year and a half and I still don't feel like they want me at their meetings.  I would like to find a new guild or 3 to visit this year and learn more things.
4. Be a better blogger.   The end of 2013 I would go weeks with having nothing but LAFF.  I need to do better.  This means quilt more, blog more, visit more blogs, comment on more blogs and to giveaway more stuff on my blog.  Bring the love back to my blog.
5. Quilting Ideas
1. Create new Quilt patterns
2. Try new colors, shades, maybe even solids
3. Make more variety of items, quilts, table runners, hot pads, wall decorations, etc.
4. Be bold and do what I like and not be dictated by others of what is cool or correct to do.
6. Quilting Business
1. Get organized
2. Get Logo, Business Cards, Banners, etc to sell at events
3. Track the income and spending of all my quilting to track what is going on.
4. Make a Business plan and then follow it.

Tanya

1. Organize sewing space.  It was moved 3 times last year and stash and other supplies all over house.
2. Stop being scared and try to sell some items locally, even if a complete failure.  
3. Get business cards that have my Names on as well.  Print up banner we had designed.  Change our blog page to match design found on etsy.
4. Do my moms quilt, stop being scared.
5. Use up some the stash we have and not buy so much fabric.  Make at least 10 baby size quilts with 75% or more of fabric come from stash instead of buying more.  

Over the last week I have gone though the blog and done some house keeping the biggest of which is that I put the tag "2012 Complete", "2013 Complete" etc on each post so I can do 2 things first figure out how many complete items I have for each year.  Numbers are misleading as they are posts not items but hey who cares so if you count each hot pad etc it is a little higher and 2 times we posted 2 quilts in a day.  Also added "Pieced Quilt", "Rag Quilt" on those by that type also did some things like "Table Runner"

So Totals ending 2013

2012 - 95 Completes

2013 - 70 Completes (I went down some, but still impressive)

LAFF - 97 weeks and counting

Pieced Quilts - 86 

Rag Quilts - 65

Table Runners - 7

Hot Pads - 7 (this is number of posts I have made 20 or so)

So I have a lot to live up too this next year.