Moving toward next year

I finished this quilt before Christmas.  I know it doesn't look like a Christmas quilt but I consider it one because my inspiration was this Christmas/Santa puzzle we do every year at Christmas

I set the blocks differently because they are 'Rising Sun' blocks and it seemed like they should be rising from the East.  Also, the quilt was quite dull without the sashing.  But, nevertheless, it is finished.

I call it my "Fear Not Little Flock" quilt because of all the sheep fabric from 2002.

I added the quote at the lower left hand corner of the border.  I've learned something about adding words at the bottom of a quilt.  The words often get tucked under the mattress and isn't even seen.  I'm going to keep that in mind next time.

I brought the border up on top on the bed in the above picture so it could be photographed.

I put the "Block in the Spotlight" quilt on the frames over a week ago but didn't have a chance to start quilting it until this morning.

I started on the spool block and only got three completed with 2 partials in the time I sat at the frames.  It's going to be slow going but I want to finish this quilt before another year passes. 

I want to do a small cable in the borders but I don't have anything that will mark the blue adequately.  So I think I'm going to try a technique I used when I made the Welsh Quilt (on the ironing board below).  I marked and quilted it from the back.  I'm going to quilt all of the quilt but the two borders and then quilt them last.

I'm making progress on the Comfort and Joy quilt.  I want to have this one finished by next Christmas so I can gift it to one of my daughters.

It is so fun to work on.  And I like that I can do a little applique and then do a little piecing depending on my mood.  I made a flying geese strip this morning and sewed it on the left side of the cabin (not in the picture).  A little bit at a time, it's all progress.

I had all kinds of energy last week (something I'm not normally known for) and I gave my sewing room a deep clean.  I found all these spools I've been saving to see how much thread I use in a year.  There are 12 empty spools and I also used at least 16 balls of pearl cotton.  This was my year for big stitch.

Here is my little sewing space with the bolts of yardage for backing under the sewing table.  I have my light box on top because I use it for applique (all the time).  And, I take the light box down when I'm  cutting things out.

This is the space just to the right of my sewing table.  I have to have my iron and ironing board close by.

 And this is the closet behind me as I was standing to take the picture above.  The room is quite small but it's my own space and I don't have to clean things up after every sewing session.  I can just close the door and walk away.  I also don't have the grandkids going through things and changing the settings on the sewing machine.  They see the closed door and don't investigate.  Good kids!

I have fabric etc. in another closet downstairs.  I'm hoping to someday get it so everything will fit in this room.  

My quilting goal this year is to concentrate on one thing at a time till it's finished.  I love to make the tops (that's the most fun) but I'm not as fast with the quilting because of time and sore fingers.  I think that's one reason I quilted 6 quilts with 'Big Stitch' last year.  I can do more in a shorter period of time.

I'm set for the new year.

Robin