2017 Things to Remember

2017 Things to Remember

2017 Finished Projects

Blogs to Read

Places to Share

Projects to Follow

Books Read




Blogs to Read

  1. http://luannsloosethreads.blogspot.com/
  2. http://margaret-margiestitcher.blogspot.com/
  3. http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/   
  4. http://persimondreams.blogspot.ca/p/project-quilting.html
  5. http://minimalistbaker.com/
  6. http://www.sewslowly.com/
  7. http://bluenickelstudios.com/
  8. http://theinboxjaunt.com/
  9. http://gwynedtrefethen.blogspot.com/
  10. http://sixtyandme.com/ - Videos
  11. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com
  12. Decluttering Article:  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-ultimate-decluttering-guide-130-things-to-get-rid-of-238982
  13. http://eepurl.com/cvHCtv
  14. http://destulipesetdescoeurs.blogspot.com/
  15. http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/
  16. How to Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions Article: Start with two questions: “Why don’t I do this already?” and “Why do I feel the need to do this now?” And give it a month.
  17. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp
  18. Shasta- High Road Quilter - http://highroadquilter.blogspot.com/
  19. Wanda - Exuberant Color - http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/ 
  20. Chrissy - Made by Chrissie D - http://madebychrissied.blogspot.com/ 
  21. Katrin - Now What Puppilalla?- http://puppilalla.blogspot.de/ 
  22. Sarah - Confessions of a Fabric Addict - https://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com
  23. http://drbenkim.com/balance-exercises-elderly.htm
  24. San Diego Canyoneers  http://www.sdnhm.org/calendar/public-programs/canyoneer-hikes/
  25. Organized Hikes in San Diego  http://tchester.org/sd/lists/organized_hikes.html
  26. http://niftyquilts.blogspot.com/
  27. http://blog.morningglorydesigns.net/
  28. http://wombatquilts.com/
  29. http://freshlypieced.com/
  30. http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/
  31. http://www.cloverandviolet.com/blog


Sharing

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1.  Finish A-Long - Organized each quarter.

http://www.shecanquilt.ca/
2016 Q4 Finishes link will stay open from now thru January 7, 2017

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2.  Ad Hoc Quilt Along - 

  • AHIQ links up on the FOURTH TUESDAY of each month.
Join our group by linking work on an improvisational or utility quilt. There are so many paths to follow: Scrappy to minimalist, reusing clothing to ice dyeing. Traditional block to free-hand design. Embellishment, applique, hand or machine piecing. We encompass any quilt created without a preconceived plan especially those with a practical purpose. 

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3. Scraptastic Tuesday - Share your scrappy projects.

On the second Tuesday of every month there will be a linky party on Nicky's blog

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4.   Throwback Thursday


 The first Thursday of each month is your chance to link up a blog post about a project from your dark, quilty past. Just think about all those quilts made before you started blogging - the good, the bad, the ugly. Tell a story and show how far your skills have come!

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5.  Work in Progress Wednesdays

Each Wednesday you're invited to take part in Weekly WOWs linky party as bloggers around the world drop in to share their stash busting efforts.

http://estheraliu.blogspot.com/

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6.  One Monthly Goal

January Goals? Go straight to the January Goal Setting Link Up!  (linkup closes on January 7th at 11:55pm est)

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7.  UFO - 2017

http://www.patchworktimes.com/ufo-2017/

 Post list of 12 projects to finish in 2017 - then devote one weekend a month to sewing it!
Quiltathon 2017 – Save the Date!
January 5 - 8 (Thursday - Sunday)
February 8 - 11 (Wednesday - Saturday)
March 24 - 27 (Friday - Monday)
April 3 - 6 (Monday - Thursday)
May 18 - 21 (Thursday - Sunday)
June 18 - 21 (Sunday - Wednesday)
July 21 - 24 (Friday - Monday)
August 20 - 23 (Sunday - Wednesday)
September 14 - 17 (Thursday - Sunday)
October 4 - 7 (Wednesday - Saturday)
November 10 - 13 (Friday - Monday)
December 6 - 9 (Wednesday - Saturday)

Projects

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1.  Growing Up QAL 2017


Now let's get down to some details.

RULES: So, the main rule for the QAL is that you need to share a picture of one of the blocks before the next month pattern is released. The picture should be shared by 11:59 pm EST the day before the next month patterns goes live. 
Sharing Linky Post: http://alidatweloqdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/01/growing-up-qal-2017-linky-party-post.html
Note that you won't have to complete any sashing or anything else except one version of one of the blocks: the blocks are fairly easy so it's not that hard to follow along, I promise!

--
Here you find links to the different post for the QAL: http://alidatweloqdesigns.blogspot.com/p/growing-up-qal-2017.html

 JANUARY
- 2: Applique Silhouette - have files (one and two)
- 9: linky
- 16: sashing ideas - have file 

Smashing Quilt Sashing (Growing up QAL) - January

- 23: inspirations and reminders
- 30: inspirations and reminders
Can you see the rose?  More contrast needed. 

Better contrast - would be fun to have different polka dots for backgrounds.  Isn't this a pretty design?

My test piece.

This was totally not fun.  I like the rose but decided I would not be doing this 2017 QAL.  Instead I will work on projects I already have.  I plan to still follow along to learn from Ailda, last year's QAL was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.

FEBRUARY:
- 6: Traditional Piecing
- 13: linky
- 20: sashing ideas - 

Smashing Quilt Sashing (Growing up QAL) - February

- 27: inspirations and reminders

 MARCH:
- 6: Curved Piecing
- 13: linky
- 20: sashing ideas
- 27: inspirations and reminders

 APRIL:
- 3: Embroidery Mandala
- 10: linky
- 17: sashing ideas
- 24: inspirations and reminders

 MAY:
- 1: Improv Piecing
- 8: linky
- 15: sashing ideas
- 22: inspirations and reminders
- 29: inspirations and reminders

 JUNE:
- 5: Dear Jane-style triangles
- 12: linky
- 19: sashing ideas
- 26: inspirations and reminders

 JULY:
- 3: English Paper Piecing
- 10: linky
- 17: sashing ideas
- 29: inspirations and reminders
- 31: inspirations and reminders

 AUGUST:
- 7: Bargello
- 14: linky
- 21: sashing ideas
- 28: inspirations and reminders

 SEPTEMBER:
- 4: Stained Glass Applique
- 11: linky
- 18: sashing ideas
- 25: inspirations and reminders

 OCTOBER:
- 2: Foundation Paper Piecing
- 9: linky
- 16: sashing ideas
- 23: inspirations and reminders
- 30: inspirations and reminders

 NOVEMBER:
- 6: New York Beauty
- 13: linky
- 20: sashing ideas
- 27: inspirations and reminders


------------2.  2017 Quilt Doodle BOM ~ A Traditional Mystery!

List of supplies below and the layout of the quilt. It will be a combination of piecing and applique.
The base the design is a traditional Dresden plate.
Finished measurement 63” x 80”
Small print fabric work best for this quit.
Yardage… is an estimate with extra added in.
6 1/2 yards cream/ white background
¾ yards green
½ yard- binding
16 different fat quarters- an assortment of colors will work best, the extra fabric left over from the
Dresden design will be used for appliqué designs.
Backing – 6 yards
Heat n Bond Lite
Dark brown or black thread for machine appliqué

A new section or appliqué design will be announced the first of every month.
The first section will be out January 1st. (2017)
Patterns are FREE the month that they are released, as soon as the next month is released the
previous patterns will still be available for a small fee… here are the links.
What kind of quilt is it… I will tell you it is not a holiday quilt.
The appliqué designs are a collection of what you would find if you went to my grandparent's home.

 Tutorials can be found on the Doodle blog: http://quiltdoodledesigns.blogspot.com/

 Patterns can be found on the website http://quiltdoodledesigns.blogspot.com/ and on Craftsy (Not until the 1st of the month):  http://www.crafty.com/user/201922/pattern‐store

January Tutorial: http://quiltdoodledesigns.blogspot.com/2017/01/januarys-blocks-sweet-little-kitten-and.html
January Pattern: have
Feb: have

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3. Milky Way Sampler Quilt A Long

Milky Way is a paper pieced sampler, and just like with the half-square triangle blocks, we’re starting with easy blocks, and working our way towards slightly more complicated blocks (but still not that complicated, I promise). They’re 10″ finished blocks.

 I’ll be sharing that month’s block right here on the blog, and sharing any particular tips or tricks to remember. The month’s pattern will be available to download for free from Craftsy for that month. On the first of the next month it will still be available but for a small price, and the next month’s block will then be available as a free download. So you will have a whole month to download the block before it becomes a paid pattern. (Australian time zone)

On Instagram, we’ll be using #MilkyWaySampler to collate all our posts, and feel free to tag me too – I’m @blossomheartquilts. 

Coloring Page - BLOCK 1 SIRIUS
BLOCK 2 CANOPUS
BLOCK 3 – ALPHA CENTAURI
BLOCK 4 – ARCTURUS
BLOCK 5 – VEGA

---------------4.  Rainbow Scrap Challenge
Each month a new color is presented, we are challenged to use scraps in that color to create what ever block we like.  http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/ Link to posts with images on the site and click to see what others are working on!

These are the colors for 2017:
  1. RED                                               March
  2. ORANGE
  3. YELLOW
  4. GREEN                                         May
  5. AQUA                                           FEB
  6. BLUE
  7. PURPLE                                       JANUARY
  8. PINK
  9. DARK (BLACK/BROWN)
  10. LIGHT NEUTRALS
  11. MIXED COLORS                        April
----------5. The Splendid Sampler™ -   http://www.thesplendidsampler.com/blocks-and-bonus-projects/  DONE now there is a book with all blocks.
------------6.  Instastitch  http://www.suespargo.com/store.php?cat=94  DONE 12 blocks need to refine the file names. Project to do some day!

-------------7. Block Lotto  http://www.blocklotto.com/list-of-blocks-made-this-month/
Collecting the patterns and reading the blog.   Jan Feb Mar Apr May
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8. Cultural Fusion  http://culturalfusionquilts.blogspot.com/ 

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9.  Feather Boot Camp  http://www.suzanneearley.net/feather-boot-camp/

----------10.  Esther's BOM - 2017 it's a mystery BOM so remember to check it out at end of the year!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/EsthersQuiltBlogBOMGroup/

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11.  Lenzula's BOM  No BOM during 2017  http://www.lenzula.de/en/

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12.  http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/p/mystery-quilt.html  DONE

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13.  https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/p/have-jolly-little-christmas.html
Remember to go to site and download during 2017!

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14.  http://www.365challenge.com.au/
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15. http://www.aquiltinglife.com/p/2017-quilting-life-mystery-block-of.html
Remember to go to site and download during 2017!
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16. http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/p/bella-skill-builder.html
Remember to go to site and download during 2017 - there are videos to follow too!

Books Read 2017

Finished December 2017 -  Dreams of my Russian Summers   This one took quite a while to read.  The vocabulary is intense - very advanced.  Or maybe it's the sentence structure that was advanced.  I read it while on trips and had many starts and stops.  The pictures woven of life in Russia and France are incredible.  Because of the starts and stops I missed out on getting the big picture in the book, there are some going back and forth in time that I realized at the end that I had misunderstood.  I think my Mom read the book originally as there was a recipe in her handwriting that fell out as I got to the end of the story.  This would be a great book to read as part of a class.
Finished April 2017 - The Girl on the Train   Meh.  I am writing this a few weeks after finishing the book.  Had some interesting bits, but I felt like it was rather contrived too.  My friend and I picked up at a free library, so I read it.  And now I can give it away.


Finished April 2017 - The Little Paris Bookshop  Fun idea.  A bookstore on a barge.  Hard to picture that this character had his tied up for 20 years while he pined about an old girlfriend (married to someone with an open marriage).  His trick is that he gives people books that will help them, heal them, make them better. He gives away a table, a log lost letter from the girlfriend is read. Things change, the story takes a new twist.  One that shows part of France that sounds appealing to visit.  There were some phrases that seemed to show insight to life.  The ending was not what I exactly thought, but pretty close to it.  Too much of a coincidence, a sappy way to end the book.  Oh well.  I still would like to take barge down waterways in Europe.   "...We men become a pain if our job's the only thing we were ever good at..."

 Finished April 2017 - Put the Kettle On: And Other Cultural Disconnections 
A simply wonderful collection of articles mostly published in the Waterbury American. She shows deep insight and understanding - and has an appealing way of writing about life.

In the page I have photographed, she is talking about a friend who collected articles and pictures of places she wanted to visit, but  "With so much to choose from, she is afraid she will make the wrong choice.  Selection is always exclusion after all....."  As I read this sad piece I thought of the blocks I have put on my life.  Which language to study?  Can't decide between German, Swedish, Spanish, Italian so here I am 63 and I haven't mastered any second language.  Which quilt to make?  There are so many I collect patterns and pictures and fabrics and can spend a day looking at videos on how to bind and inner corner without committing to trying the technique.  Which place to visit?  Yes, there are so many choices.  What order to de-clutter and clean?  I just need to do something then I can do more!  Another story was about the lessons her dog had taught her.  After reading it I appreciate even more our little Buffy.  "Not long after we adopted (our dog) Sam, I realized he was a better Christian than I would ever be.  He was devoid of temper, pride, or envy.  He forgave promptly and completely.  His instinct was love.  It was not something he had to work at. Mostly, Sam taught me how to be old and that being old and brittle is not a cause for pity or regret, but an opportunity for solicitude and tenderness youth so often forgets....."  Oh it would be wonderful to be able to write like Tracey A O'Shaughnessy.  I hope my friend enjoys the book as much as I did.

 Finished March 2017 - I Feel Bad about My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman  A selection of stand alone chapters that all together tell stories of the life an intelligent, chic, sophisticated woman.  She talks about wanting to preserve her youth and being stupid enough allow herself to be talked into buying a magical cream - the sales girl lowered her voice and said she could get the new cream by going to the basement where it was hidden away for special customers - like it was an illegal drug.  [I recently was duped into making a huge purchase for creams to smooth the skin under my eyes.  Of course it didn't really work - wasted that money royally.]  She talks about moving into an apartment that she loved, only to be pushed out by raised rents and questionable new common space decorations.  She had such a different life, but what a positive, funny way she viewed things.  I wish I could have been friends with Nora.
A selection of quotes posted online.  If I hadn't given away the book I would have added more...
“Here are some questions I am constantly noodling over: Do you splurge or do you hoard? Do you live every day as if it's your last, or do you save your money on the chance you'll live twenty more years? Is life too short, or is it going to be too long? Do you work as hard as you can, or do you slow down to smell the roses? And where do carbohydrates fit into all this? Are we really all going to spend our last years avoiding bread, especially now that bread in American is so unbelievable delicious? And what about chocolate?” 
“Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was twenty-six. If anyone young is reading this, go, right this minute, put on a bikini, and don't take it off until you're thirty-four.”
“When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.” 
“…the amount of maintenance involving hair is genuinely overwhelming. Sometimes I think that not having to worry about your hair anymore is the secret upside of death.”

Finished February 2017 - Me & Mom & Me   Jeepers!  Well I have been suspecting I was an under accomplished person, and reading this book confirms it.  This was an amazing life story.  Even with set backs galore some people are able to step out, above and shine.  They work to do this stepping, but fate somehow smiles on them too.  Very inspirational.  We always tend to think others are like us, and to plan our interactions with that in mind.  But we are all so different too.

 Finished February 2017 - Paris to the Moon  The stories of five spent in Paris by a family.  Written by the father, the wife is rarely mentioned.  I was first struck that they had decided that after the birth of their first childen they decided the only time they would be able to live in France was before the boy would attend first grade.  So limiting to think that when one is first together and the world has so many opportunities.  It has only been lately myself that I have realized that I may not get to do something as there is only so much time (and money).    He discusses how the French follow thru on friendships, while Americans can put them on hold - the author prefers that latter - but oh the first appeals so much to me!  He talks about how the French have medicine for all, that in emergencies one is just given care and medicine.  No paperwork or insurance companies to bother with.  
"It's true that you can't run away from yourself.  But ... You can run away."  
"The turkey was so delicious I thought it might be a different kind of bird." 
"After all, spinning is its own reward. There wouldn't be carousels if it weren't so."  
"It is only in crisis that we find lucidity about ourselves - though only after the crisis is over. "
Some good sections in the book, others that made me cringe because he was making statements about all French as if he knew everything.  Dated as it was published 2000.  Still it's fun to dream about living again in another place. The back pages have a list of other books about Americans living in France.

 Finished January 2017 - Three Cups of Tea  The story itself was well told, the ending was a call for money for a charity that has since been shut down as the money was spent on self-promotion, trips so was very disappointing.  The writing brought me into a very different world and way to live.  It's too bad the money was not all spent as the people donating it thought it would be.  And even worse that one of the co-writers became so depressed that he stepped in front of a train to end his misery.  I didn't know about the sham until looking for the link to the book for this list of books read....


Errors Published on the Internet:
For Info: http://www.robertbrewer.org/surprising-book-facts-infographic/
and  http://internettruthdebunked.blogspot.com/2014/10/internet-lists-debunked-surprising-book.html




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