will 2016 be better?

I dislike making resolutions for the new year.  I think I've covered this in past years and this year is no different.  But it does seem that if I make goals for myself and write them down, I do better.  Even better yet if I have an external deadline (like the birth of a baby)...  So while I'm not going to list my goals here, I'm going to see about finding myself a notebook and keeping that for myself.  I love checking things off lists, so perhaps this will help?

The one goal I will share with you - because it is quilt-related, like my blog - is that I hope to sew a LOT more this year.  In fact, I am going to try to at least do something sewing-related every day.  Even if it's just to tidy up my sewing room for a few minutes - something.  I have too many projects in the works and too many more I'd like to start.  And I'm going to try to do better about sharing them - a photo a day perhaps from my sewing room combined into a weekly post?  We'll see how it goes...

To start the year off, I decided to participate in the Merry Mayhem New Year's Day mystery quilt-along.  This is a mystery quilt project that is free only on New Year's Day.  Clues are given hourly for part of the day and then disappear at midnight.  I got a VERY late start, as steps one and two were given ahead (one was choosing and cutting fabric, two was making a lot of half-square triangles) and due to a mistake on my part, one of my fabrics ran short and I had to run out to get some more!  But you're able to print the clues, so I did, and I worked until just about an hour ago to get it finished.

I knew the name of the quilt was "Blowin' in the Wind" and two size options were given, but nothing more.

You need a light, a medium and a dark fabric.  I went through my stash and decided on an off-white linen-look print, an orange print and a blue polka-dot fabric.  I thought they looked nice together and the colors seemed to be of an equal color saturation, so no one was going to get washed out.

I started sewing units...

It was all going well, but there's a lot of orange next to blue.  Somehow I thought there would be less orange touching blue.  And then I sewed home plate.  So this quilt has now become the Tigers quilt...as in the Detroit baseball team.

This is where I left things Friday night.  I didn't really start sewing until after noon and all those half-square triangles needed squaring up.  Most were pretty close to right, but I know if I don't do that step, everything gets progressively worse and I end up angry at myself for not taking the time.

Saturday I was up and sewing early, though there were a few distractions...like having to eat and my "helpful" cats...  But by the end of the day, I had all of the blocks into rows!

There are four different block types and for whatever reason, block C gave me more fits than any other.  Some of the blocks had seams nesting nicely, some did not.  Block C falls into the "not" category, but so did Block A and those seemed just fine.  I think I ripped at least part of every row-seam in every one of the C blocks at least once.  And they're still not perfect, but slightly off points will not make the quilt any less warm, so I've made my peace with it.

Today I was determined to get the top done.  After a few chores again this morning, I was back to sewing.  And I got the top together!  It measures 58"x70" and I do believe is going to get a Detroit Tigers print for the back.

And here it is...blowing in the wind!  I stood out there for quite a while, hoping the wind would die down enough to get a full-quilt shot, but my fingers were getting numb and I decided this would have to do.  (Note to self: get better place to take quilt photos!)

You can see where I had to add an orange - the half-square triangle points are a solid that match the orange rather well.  With the print added in and from a distance, it looks not so matchey, but I assure you it does.  And I was amazed that my local Wal-Mart (which just started carrying fabrics again - woo hoo!) had a nice quality solid orange that matched.  And since it was the only place open at noon on January 1st (and just a mile up the road), I was very, very happy to find it.

I think I'll bind it in orange, but I do have enough of the blue to bind as well.  I think once I purchase fabric for the back, I'll see how things look...

I'm not entirely sure this will stay mine.  I like it (and the fabrics I used were some I liked from my stash...not just "whatever" leftovers), but I also have a feeling this quilt is meant for someone else.  I'm not sure who yet, but I hope I figure it out before I decide to use it!  (Of course, I have to actually finish it - quilt it - yet...)

So there you have it.  It's January 3rd and I not only have a first top finished for the year, but I've so far kept up with my goal to do something sewing every day.  I don't imagine I'll finish a quilt every three days this year, but I sure hope this means a promising year.  Or at least better than last year.  (From which I still have at least two quilts I finished and have to share...)

Here's to a quilty 2016!

Katie