Goals for 2014 and January

Having closed out another year, it's time to look back and reflect but also time to look forward and plan. I feel I do both pretty well. So here are my finishes for 2013:

 

1. Fracture Quilt - Complete Top, 2. Applique Toucan, 3. Red and White Star Quilt, 4. Low Volume Baby Quilt, 5. Christmas Quilt, 6. Riley Blake Challenge

The Riley Blake Challenge quilt was finished on New Year's Eve, I just don't have a final picture yet.

I will be participating in the 2014 A Lovely Year of Finishes again. I also decided to wait to restart Color Bee Shocked, because of some issues later in the year that I haven't quite gotten over. Instead I somehow managed to sign up for the Stash Bee, without actually remembering signing up. I have February as the queen bee. 

My January goal is to make the January block and finalize my plans for February, make a block, and write a tutorial.

As a stretch goal I have the following:

1) Finish putting together the Community Quilt top; I've given up on waiting for other people to make additional house blocks. 

2)  Keep cutting half hexies.

My sewing goals for 2014 are as follow:

1) Finish the Community Quilt

2) Finish the Hexie Wedding Quilt

3) Finish the top of the Plus Wedding Quilt

4) Make a commissioned plus quilt

5) Learn how to use a longarm machine

6) Make baby quilts as necessary (perhaps one for us, we'll see, no news yet)

August Finish - Toucan Quilt

My goal for August was to finish the Toucan Crib Quilt. I am horrible at coming up with interesting names for my quilts, so they end up being called something simple based on the main attraction.

I did actually finish the Toucan Quilt.

I cut 33 5.5" squares each of yellow, green, and tan/brown. Putting those together into the quilt top was by far the quickest part of the process.

Next I found, blew up, and mirrored a picture of a toucan to use as the basis for my applique. I used rough edge applique with a straight stitch around the edges to anchor the fabric.

I ended up having to take a row off the top and the side because it wouldn't fit on the pre-cut batting I wanted to use. Instead I used one row on the back in between some striped green flannel.

Quilting was relatively easy as well, until I got to the toucan. I did stitch in the ditch along the edges of the squares, and then outlined every part of the toucan and leaves. That part took forever.

Binding is a Denyse Schmidt fabric I picked up at Joann's.

Finally I embroidered my initials and the year in the bottom right corner. It's kind of hard to see, since it's green on green. Now I just need to wash and send it.