2026 - Here We Go!

 2026 - Here We Go!!!

The past few years I have completed a yearly BINGO card of goals. I love a list!

I won't lie ... a blank BINGO card is pretty intimidating!

But, pretty exciting too!

The possibilities are endless!

2026 ... Here We Go!!!

TO DO LIST - PART THREE

 TO DO LIST

PART THREE

Reclaiming my outdoor living space ✔

TO DO LIST - PART TWO

 TO DO LIST

PART TWO

Cleaning, treating, and staining the neglected deck.

Getting ready to stain my newly cleaned and treated deck. My outdoor living space has been unlivable for more than a few years now. We all know that I'm an indoor girly but that is no excuse to let things go as I have. 

This year I have begun the process of reclaiming my outdoor spaces.

I chose Behr waterproof deck stain in Slate

Clean, treat, and stain deck ✔

TO DO LIST - PART ONE

 TO DO LIST

PART ONE

Spring and Summer 2025 has turned into the season of completing chores and checking them off of my To Do List ... regardless of the fact that it is HOT OUT THERE!

😎😎😎

Lots of yard work on my To Do List and some of these items have been on this list for years, I'm ashamed to say. In years past I had gotten very comfortable with the lawn service I hired doing the bare minimum. This year I am reclaiming the reins and doing my own yard work again.

My daughter spent an entire day helping me remove the moss growing on my deck and scrubbing it down and treating it with a mildew control scrub.

Earlier in the season I emptied and moved my raised bed garden. The plan is to plant pest repelling plants in order to make sitting on the deck a pleasant experience. 

When washing and prepping the furniture for painting I began to realize just how much metal lawn furniture I own.

I am fortunate to have a bit of sturdy metal lawn furniture. I have 4 smaller chairs and 3 side tables that fit nicely around the firepit I was gifted when I first moved into my house years ago. I purchased the deck furniture - table and 4 chairs on Facebook Marketplace in January of 2018 when I was living in an apartment, for $150.

Once cleaned and dried the painting began ...

I took 2 days to get all of the furniture painted and 2 days for the paint to dry and cure completely. I'm so happy with the results.

Lawn furniture cleaned and painted ✔

 

Halfway

June 2025

And, just like that 2025 is halfway over.

The first half of 2025 is 6 days from being behind us.

WOW ... just WOW!!

I have been busy and managing to get a few things done here and there.

I've been making things and checking a few things off of my lengthy TO DO LIST.

Stay Tuned for more on all of that ...

 

Yard Man Extraordinaire

 Yard Man Extraordinaire

Yesterday was a wonderful day for a great many reasons but one of those reasons was all of the extraordinary work my youngest son did for me in my yard.

Not only has it been wonderful being with and getting to spend time with my son who drove in from afar to be with me for Mother's Day, he brought his nifty tool bag and know how with him. He worked so hard yesterday and knocked out so many of the yard projects on my ever growing list of yard projects.

I have been trying to get my front flower bed planted for over three years. This flower bed is hard as concrete clay soil. Impossible to dig through with a shovel.

A rented garden tiller from Home Depot proved extremely helpful in preparing the soil for planting.

Endless Summer Hydrangeas

From the beginning I wanted to plant hydrangeas but then thought I should plant mountain laurel or azaleas on the advise of others.

At the end of the day, I'm thrilled that I got the hydrangeas that I really really really wanted.  

The hostia plants from my aunt's yard in Ohio were replanted for better spacing.

My son's nifty bag of tools

I didn't get a before picture ... but you couldn't see my shed for the over growth of saplings and underbrush.

A dead tree from my neighbor's yard fell into my yard months ago. Thinking ... incorrectly ... that my neighbor would take care of the issue, the dead tree laid in my yard for months. My son was able to get the tree cut up and moved to the curb to be picked up by the city.

My son planted the hydrangeas, hung the hose minder, detangled and connected the hose. I am amazed with all of the work he was able to complete in one day.

I'm so blessed and happy with all of his hard work.

What a gift.

Being Kind

 Being Kind

Being kind to others is easy but being kind to myself is a struggle. I really have to work at and be intentional about being kind to myself.

The other day I came across this list on social media. A schedule of activities to prompt kindness and self-care ...

I love a list! And what is kinder than making a list of ways to be kind to yourself and those around you.

12. One day devoted to your hobby/hobbies

13. One day focused on cleaning/decluttering an area in your home, car, yard ...

14. 

What would you add to your "self kindness" list?

2025 Monthly Money Saving Challenges

 2025 Monthly Money Saving Challenges

I came across this list of challenges and shared it with my sister. She has agreed to do these monthly challenges with me so that we can hold each other accountable.

I won't lie, January has been a really tough one for me. I enjoy eating out. Also, for me, eating out is often more economical for me than buying groceries.

Especially these days with grocery prices as high as they are.

B-I-N-G-O 2025

 B-I-N-G-O 2025

In 2023 my sister sent out the BINGO challenge, basically you complete a BINGO card with goals you would like to accomplish throughout the year.

Below you will find my 2024 BINGO card with the goals I completed marked off. Under that you will find my 2025 BINGO card.

It is a fun way to keep an eye on your goals and the goals that you complete.

Let the fun begin!!

Emotional Support Chicken

 Emotional Support Chicken

My daughter signed us up for a class to crochet Emotional Support Chickens and yesterday afternoon we completed our chickens!

I cannot begin to tell you how much fun we have had crocheting our chickens!

The class was sponsored by The Bees Knits

An amazing local yarn shop.

The pattern for making an Emotional Support Chicken can be found HERE

on Ravelry

My daughter is already working on her second Emotional Support Chicken.

Who knows ... we may end up with a chicken coop full of crocheted Emotional Support Chickens.

🐔🐔🐔

Getting Things Done

 Getting Things Done

This year has been a year of getting the things done that I have needed to do for years now.

Yesterday, I took a vacation day in order to get things done.

It seems that I am at the age where I forget just about everything. i.e. no long term memory! I decided to write the tasks that I needed/wanted to get done on post it notes and posted them on my dashboard. As I completed them I removed the posted note ... and was on to the next.

This worked perfectly for me ... I will be doing this again and again!

This made for a very productive day for me! I'm proud of all that I was able to accomplish.

Sewing Room Goals 2023

 Sewing Room Goals for 2023

You know how I love I good LIST!!!

For more than a few years now, I have had a "running" list of quilting and sewing projects. I enjoy keeping track of where I'm at with any given project. This list is also a place where I put quilting and/or sewing projects I want to make in the future. For me ... a good list ... helps me stay focused and on track. So without further ado I present to you my Sewing Room Goals for 2023 list.

2023

Things I want to MAKE

1. FEATHERS - Anna Maria Horner pattern, I want to use Essex Linen for the background fabric and straight line quilting. I’ve decided to make this as my Harry Potter themed quilt. Wingardium leveoisa 
2. HAZEL HEDGEHOG -  **Started this colorful quilt on 08/20/2022**
3. A Year In Solids (quilt book) - 12 quilts, all in Red/White

Quilts Completed 2023

1.

Works In Progress

1. Moda Charm Pack x 4 - 72 x 72 - quilting, binding
2. Scrap Quilt 15 - Easy Patchwork - 72 x 72 - quilting, binding
3. HEARTS - 75 x 75 - batting, quilting, binding
4. Red/White Mugs - 66 x 66 - quilting, binding
5. Red/White Strings - 70 x 80 inches - quilting, binding
6. Quilt 18 - Batiks - 70 x 85 inches - batting, quilting, binding
7. Happy Camper Valerie Quilt - 55 x 55 inches - quilting, binding
8. Clean Your Paws Quilt - 63 x 63 inches - quilting, binding
9. Scrap Quilt # 19 - Scrap Bag - 45 x 54 inches - quilting, binding
10. Scrap Quilt # 20 - Tula Pink - 60 x 70 inches - quilting, binding
11. Legendary Quilt Kit - 62 x 70 inches - backing, batting, quilting, binding
12. Hazel Hedgehog - TBD - piecing, backing, batting, quilting, binding
13. Denim and Lace - 57 x 72 inches - piecing, backing, batting, quilting, binding
14. Churn Dash - Red/White - 06/16/2022 began working on this quilt
15. Red/White Little Red Houses - ongoing project
16. Red/White Abstract Orphan block quilt - ongoing project

Quilts in Queue

1. Jacob’s Ladder quilt pattern (Red/White quilt)
2. Dahlia Horse quilt blocks
3. Aviatrix Medallion - Elizabeth Hartman pattern 80 x 80 inches - 
4. Dane’s Graduation quilt (the Lone Star) - in storage
5. Pat’s Air Force Retirement quilt - in storage
6. Gypsy Wife quilt - in storage (it is the Halloween theme)
7. Mermaid Quilt Kit -
8. Alpine Houses Quilt Kit -
9. Smoke and Rust Pumpkins Kit
10. Llamas Quilt Kit
11. Chill Cabins Quilt Kit
12. Color Wheel Quilt Kit
13. Anna Maria Horner Wheel House Kit
14. Fancy Little Foxes Kit
15. Wash Your Paws Kit
16. Denim and Lace Kit - started 09/18/2022
17. Golden Afternoon Quilt Kit -
18. (3) Mermaid Panel Quilts - 

Red/White Quilt Collection

19. The Mugs Sew A Long - 72 x 75 inches - (quilting, binding)
20. Red/White Strings - 70 x 80 inches - (quilting, binding)

Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilts Collection

21. Scrap Quilt 15 - Easy Patchwork QAL - 72 x 72 inches - (quilting, binding)
22. Scrap Quilt 18 - Batiks - 70 x 85 inches - (quilting, binding)
23. Scrap Quilt 19 - Scrap Bag - 45 x 54 inches - (quilting, binding)
24. Scrap Quilt 20 - Tula Pink - 60 x 70 inches - (quilting, binding)
25. Scrap Quilt 21 - 16 Patch - TBD - (piecing, backing, batting, quilting, binding)

Puttering

 Puttering

I'm in the "let down" phase ... that period of time right after the holidays. That period of time where I don't really know what to do with myself. I want to get back into the habit of reading my Bible daily. Taking the time to center myself and enjoy the Word of God.

This year, instead of resolutions, several of us in the family are doing a BINGO card of goals. Things we would like to accomplish in 2023. One of my goals is to knit 5 pairs of socks this year. This time of year is the toughest time of the year for me. I have to work hard at finding the joy in life ... instead of feeling like everything is a struggle. I'm coming to realize that puttering around, focusing on this or that for a few minutes here and there help me. I don't become overwhelmed and I get a few minutes to enjoy whatever it is that I land on in those moments. I'm hopeful this year I will learn to love myself a bit, forgive myself a bit, and take care of myself a bit.

Getting Ready

 Getting Ready

I'm thinking that 2023 will be the year of Red/White Quilts

So I have begun planning what that will look like.

Patterns and Fabrics

So much joy!

Happy New Year! 2022

 Happy New Year!!

Red/White Orphan Blocks Sampler

This one isn't even on the list ... I always seem to have an orphan blocks quilt in progress!

You know how I love to make a list ... I love them! They keep me focused on goals and I love checking items off of a list.  So ... here we go ... My 2022 Sewing Room List ... These are the quilt projects that I will continue to be working on in the new year.

                                                            2022

Things I want to MAKE

1. FEATHERS - Anna Maria Horner pattern, I would like to make this quilt again. Actually two more times. I would like to make a Red/White version and the version with the Sarah Watts fat quarter bundle that I have. I want to use Essex Linen for the background fabrics on both of these quilts.
2. HAZEL HEDGEHOG - Elizabeth Hartman pattern, I would like to make this quilt again, as well, using the fat quarter bundle I purchased from Pat Pike. Also, using Essex Lien for the background fabric. Either the Malibu blue or the muted green color. 

Quilts Completed 2022

1. 
   

Works In Progress

1. Modern Maple Leaf - hand-quilting
2. Cactus Quilt - 70 x 80 - 
3. Great Smoky Mtns. Nat’l Park - 60 x 67 - 
4. Fancy Fox II - 60 x 72 - 
5.  Quilt 12 - Triangles - 60 x 70 - quilting, binding
6. Scrap Quilt 13 - On Point - 80 x 90 - quilting, binding
7. Red/White Sampler - 60 x 60 - quilting, binding
8. Scrap Quilt 14 - 64 x 78 - quilting, binding
9. Candy Crush 2.0 - 64 x 64 - quilting, binding
10. Moda Charm Pack x 4 - (may add 1 more border) backing, batting, quilting, binding
11. Red/White Historical Redwork - backing, batting, quilting, binding
12. Crescent I - 60 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
13. Crescent II - 60 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
14. Stars and Stripes - 60 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
15. Scrap Quilt 15 - Easy Patchwork QAL - 72 x 72 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
16. Scrap Quilt 17 - Solid Paint Drips - 68 x 70 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
17. Pumpkins - 66 x 80 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
18. HEARTS - 75 x 75 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
19. Red/White Mugs - 66 x 66 - backing, batting, quilting, binding
20. Red/White Strings - TBD - piecing, backing, batting, quilting, binding
21. Scrap Quilt 18 - Batiks - TBD - piecing, backing, batting, quilting, binding

Quilts in Queue

1. Red/White Airplane quilt
2. Jacob’s Ladder quilt pattern (Red/White quilt)
3. St. Louis 16 (Red/White quilt)
4. Dahlia Horse quilt blocks
5. Aviatrix Medallion - Elizabeth Hartman pattern 80 x 80 inches - 
6. Gypsy Wife quilt - in storage (it is the Halloween version)
7. Legendary Yeti Quilt Kit
8. Mermaid Quilt Kit
9. Alpine Houses Quilt Kit
10. Smoke and Rust Pumpkins Kit
11. Llamas Quilt Kit
12. Chill Cabins Quilt Kit
13. Color Wheel Quilt Kit
14. Anna Maria Horner Wheel House Kit

Red/White Quilt Collection

1. Historical Redwork Embroidery - (backing, batting, quilting, binding) 
2. The Mugs Sew A Long - 72 x 75 inches - (backing, batting, quilting, binding)
3. Red/White SAMPLER 60 x 60 inches (quilting, binding)
4. Red/White Orphan Block Sampler - piecing 
5. Red/White Strings - piecing - I need 13 more blocks

Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilts Collection

1. Scrap Quilt 12 - Triangles - 60 x 70 inches - 
2. Scrap Quilt 13 - On Point - 80 x 90 inches - 
3. Scrap Quilt 14 - Jelly Roll - 64 x 78 inches - 
4. Scrap Quilt 15 - Easy Patchwork QAL - 72 x 72 inches -
5. Scrap Quilt 17 - Solid Paint Drips - 68 x 70 inches -  
6. Scrap Quilt 18 - Batiks - TBD

Black / White Quilt Collection

1. Black/White Tribute Star - 60 x 60 inches
2. Hazel Hedgehog ???
3. Yeti ???

Wild and Wonderful Weekend

Weekends are glorious!

I spent the weekend in my sewing room ... the entire weekend! And it was glorious.

My Saguaro Quilt - pattern by @Kairleoaks on instagram is now complete and ready for machine quilting.

💖💖💖🌵🌵🌵

I started this quilt last weekend and spent my mornings last week working on these cute blocks.

After sorting, cutting, and organizing all of the parts and pieces ... I spent Sunday morning piecing the blocks.

Sashing ...

Borders and this quilt top was complete!

I really enjoyed making this quilt top. It was such a fun one. There is a fair bit of cutting but the blocks really do come together quickly. 

I used various green fabrics and Kona Solid, Azalea Pink as the background.

Saguaro Quilt

 The Saguaro Quilt

What I have been calling the pretty cactus quilt ...

I am following a tutorial by @kairleoaks on instagram.

She has a wonderful tutorial on her blog for this project. This is another one of those quilts on my list of quilts I want to make.

Yesterday morning I woke up earlier than usual and decided to start working on cutting instructions for this project. There will 360 of these little green squares.

I love the backing fabric I chose, this is KONA in Azalea Pink

Getting a head start on my weekend of sewing.

This is going to be a fun one!

One block complete ... Eleven more to go!

Stars and Stripes

Stars and Stripes

Thimble Blossoms pattern Stars and Stripes

I love this pattern. I've made a baby quilt size and now a full size bed size. I love this pattern, I love how it sews up. The pattern is easy to read and you can add your own color way options to change it up.

The sashing fabric finally came in last week and I spent Sunday morning finishing this quilt top.

Like I said, this pattern sews up quickly and beautifully.

It didn't take long to get the sashing cut and pieced.

I had a lot of fun making this one.

Stars and Stripes forever!

#quiltsinthewild

 

Ticking Them Off My List

As you know ... I love lists ...

For years I have acquired quilt patterns that I wanted to make but just never had the time to make very many of them. In the last three years I have finally had the time. So I have been ticking those quilt projects off of my list. 

I purchased this quilt pattern as soon as it was available. I love everything about it. It feels really good to get this project in progress. 

I've also been working through my stash of fabric so not all of my flag blocks are the same.

I also made a couple of extra blocks that I plan to make pillows with. I have ordered the teal fabric that I need for the sashing and the backing fabric.

Now I'm just waiting for it to arrive in order to finish this one up.

I love that I am able to finally make some of these quilts that I have always wanted to make.