Piggy Bank Challenge

I'm going to link up with Val for her 4th annual Piggy Bank Challenge 

This will be my 3rd year linking up and I have done pretty well in the past. I'm going to be using my same cookie jar for storing my funds and hope to surpass my savings from last year. I have a few quilt orders that people are thinking about placing and this always boosts the savings fund. 

 -- but who knows since Quiltcon is in February and my savings may be going toward that trip. 

This year I'm really hoping a move is in the plans so these savings could be the beginning of redesigning a new sewing space or perhaps a new sewing desk with a lift, or maybe a Tv in the sewing room. 

Thanks Val for hosting this fun challenge and I can't wait to see how well everyone does at cash in. 

Wonderland Swap

I have to say that the best thing about going on a quilt retreat is meeting people that you know online in real life and then finding out that they are as amazing as they seem and totally get you. 

What's even better is being able to meet people and find out they have similar interests as you outside of quilting and then something awesome happens -- private swapping and secret making. 

A few months back I came across an Alice in Wonderland swap that I was hesitant about because many of the people signing up were private and this was an all crafts swap, being hosted by a person I wasn't very aware of the level of the swap. (Ok, that sounds kinda stuck up / rude but I've done a fair share of swaps and by this time I know what I am looking out for and to listen to that little voice in my head when it says step away.) 

Fortunately for me, one of those awesome people that I've met through blogging, swapping and retreating is Karri -- so i ask her opinion of this swap and because I know she is a Wonderland lover as well, and might want to join in. We come to the decision that a private swap is probably going to make both of us happier and take out the mystery element of craft swap. So I set out to unsecretly stalk her pinterest board and began drafting up an idea. 

She said she wanted something for her home like a wall hanging or pillow or a bag -- works for me cause that's what I enjoy making most. 

my initial draft started to take shape and evolve

I'm super excited about the finished mini (to the point that I forgot to take a completed photo of the top) and came close to keeping it for myself but it, and some goodies were Karri bound as the quarter wrapped up. 

I anticipated it's arrival and you all already know quilty friends are the best so here's the awesomeness that now joins my Wonderland collection. 

This was my 13th finish in the 2nd quarter. 

What does the 3rd quarter hold?

As we move into the last half of 2016 it's time to think about the overall goals of the year and what projects I will be linking up this quarter. I'm hoping that it's filled with lots of time for sewing and many completed projects, since as usual I have way more goals that are likely to be completed. 

I have some ongoing items that I will be doing monthly
-- bee blocks for 2 hives, maybe picking up a 3rd and I've been doing quite a bit of hive jumping 
-- the Traveling quilt groups got started in June so that's going to be an awesome adventure till Feb 2017

-- Block of the Month till October

Things that I know I will be finishing (deadlines)
-- McKinney Guild Swap (7/26)

-- Star mini Quilt Swap (8/15)

-- 1st year clothing quilt for McKinley (9/30)

These projects are all in the works 
-- Scrappy Crossroads (needs binding when it returns from Rena)

-- Mini Moda Love star -- needs quilting and binding

-- KS bonus jewel box from extra blocks 

-- Weekender Bag as part of the sew a long

-- tessellations -- still 25 blocks to be put together 

-- Moda Modern Building Blocks -- I'm going to make an abbreviated version of this one

-- Lucky 21

Some items that I want to get started 
-- Plus side quilt with Fig and Plum 

-- Kate Spain Christmas spectacular

-- Broken Herringbone Quilt

-- Swoon

--All Squared up using Priory Square

-- Ellie Crafty Carrier 

-- Chevron and On Quilt with Botanics charm packs 

-- gift items or other swaps that might come up 

In non quilting goals I have a wedding scrapbook to put together that I will be gifting to a lovely couple -- I had plenty of supplies just sitting around waiting to be made into something or be sold so I thought this would be a great gift for them. 

That's 18 things plus the ongoing items, I think that might be plenty to keep me going this quarter. 

Piggy Bank Savings -- Round 2

In 2014 I cam across Val's Piggy Bank Savings Challenge and linked up not thinking much about the dollars that I was squirreling away , the real surprise was at the end of that round I had saved over $1100 (and i had bought a Featherweight) without really trying. 

I joined up again for the 2015 - 2016 round and now it's time to anti up again to see what kind of savings the year has held. When I realized that the end was near I wasn't feeling very hopeful for my savings this year because of the nearly 6 months I spent doing very little which meant little had been put into the savings jar because I couldn't climb the stairs. 

I knew that my online savings had been depleted by $350 to attend Stash Bash and the savings jar had also taken a $200 hit before the retreat for some spending cash for fabric shops on the way to retreat. ($550 in Stash Bash Withdraws)

Val was kind enough to send us a reminder a month before the link up as a final push (though I read it as being a week away instead of a month away) so I got to counting and money rolling and see what damage had been done. 

A $130 in the stash jar and add in $30.50 in rolled change 

a Surprise find of $40 in the rolled coin storage -- from where I had sold quarters to my husband for car washes (yeah you read that right, i sold him back his loose change.) 

Bringing the saved total to $200.50 

Honestly, I was kind of disappointed by this number, after having done so well last year. Then I remembered that I did have a downstairs savings spot to put cash while I had been injured and found another ...... $700. 

This is mostly from selling some items and was contributed to by my husband since last years savings went to him to buy a supercharger for his car. (it's a good thing he's cute)

Total savings this year -- $900.50 and a trip to quilt retreat. Since I was a month early on my counting I'm just going to add the bits I've saved this month toward next years pot.  

I'm not really sure what fun things will come from this money but I do know there are several wonderful things that I saw on Instagram from Quilt Market that have my attention and there is talk of going to Quilt Con in February.  

2nd quarter accomplishments

This quarter I started off by linking up with 18 goals and I am happy to report that it was a very productive quarter -- I completed 14 items, meanwhile 6 projects are in the works and 6 things weren't started. 

Completed 
finish up the Stash Bash Revamp project -- I came so close to finishing it last quarter and knocked this one out early on in April in time to take it to the Stash Bash. 

the 2nd item that will be in my Kitten mini swap -- The mini sew together bag turned out great and my recipient was very happy with her package. 


the spell bound quilt is currently in the process of being quilted -- Has been finished and is ready for Halloween 

Sew together pouch as an angel gift -- completed 

I made a few little pouches for gifts 

My awesome roomie from mini bash also got a pillow gifted to her 

I also managed to make a few Hour Baskets to gift while at The Stash Bash for our awesome cooks.
(here, here and here)

I want to finish up my Tula Sampler Quilt -- I got the sashing finished at Stash Bash and won long arming so it went off to Florida with my friend Kira and when it came back it was awesome. Now it's all finished. 

I'm still needing to finish up the blocks for Wanta Fanta -- not only did I complete the nearly 30 extra blocks I needed but I sent it out for quilting and she is wonderful. 

One swap that attracted my attention was an Alice in Wonderland Swap, I paired up with Karri and we made this a private swap instead.

Completed one of the scrappy trip along quilts that will be heading off to charity

Items that are in the works

I still have the Scrappy Cross roads in my basted pile -- sent off for long arming

There is another scrappy trip along quilts for charity waiting to be quilted 

Moda Love Star waiting for quilting 

I hope to get back to tessellations and finish up the other half of the blocks to start planning a layout. -- still 30 blocks to go 

Moda Modern is still hanging around and it's looking more like it will be an abridged version of this huge quilt -- I have about 1/2 of the blocks completed. -- untouched this quarter

Lucky 21 is something that's still hanging around. -- It got started at stash Bash and the HST units are trimmed. 

Still sitting unstarted 
Swoon is still on my want to make list and I am thinking about 
changing up my initial plan and incorporate a solid for the diamonds in with all the prints from Rock N Romance

My sister has requested a cross quilt that she saw online -- no pattern for this one, just the image so that should be fun. 

I'm looking for a project to use my Proiry Square fabric -- I now have a pattern in mind and hope to start on assembly 

Kate Spain Christmas Spectacular quilt -- North Woods comes out in June, so really this is a 3rd qtr goal but I could go ahead and start sewing all those HST that this project will entail. -- I was able to market sample charm pack and hope to start on this very soon.

I want to start working on the bag pattern I got for Christmas 

I will be making a first year clothes quilt for a little girl, whose mom really loved the one that I made for her brother. -- turns out I went back to the dentist in June so this is now a 3rd quarter goal 

So plenty of progress and several completions but lots still on the list. I'm trying to finish off things before starting new projects and I'm finding this to be a difficult process for me. As I'm looking forward I have a few swaps coming up and small items to make that will hopefully keep the creative juices moving. 

I'll be linking up these finishes with the 2016 FAL 

June Sew and Stash Report

The month started slow and involved a room rearrangement which helped to break the mental block I was having -- the other thing that really helped was a great fabric sale at Sewingly Yours. 10 yards of indulgence.

I got things started by completing my bee blocks. One of the ladies is fairly new to quilting and is building her stash so I sent her a care package of goodies along with her blocks (-6 yards)

I made up my traveling quilt center and label block (-.5 yards) 

I made the exterior pockets for the Weekender project (-1 yard)

I joined in with several others of you in making heart blocks for the Orlando shooting victims and sent some extras for binding or backing (-6 yards) 

I made some special kitty memorial blocks 

I've been busy working on an Alice in Wonderland Mini to swap with my friend Karri that should be arriving to her any time now. (-2 yards) -- I finished it and shipped it off without a full completion photo, oops.

I'm not one that usually does things in the realm of home dec or clothing alteration but I hemmed up 4 sets of curtains for a friend and also took the cut off from one set to make a valance for her kitchen -- I always remember a little to late why this is not my thing, but it turned out pretty good anyway. 

So only one real finish this month and I'll be doing a full post on that soon (once my recipient sends me a photo) but it's still been a full and fulfilling month. I started the month at 92.5 yards lighter for the year -- brought in 10 yards this month and cleared out 15.5 yards. New total for 2016 is 98 yards lighter for the year. 

OOOOOOhhh so close to the 100 yards mark but I know that will happen in July because I'm doing 2 swap projects and hope to finish off some straggler projects that didn't quite get finished this month/quarter that are really close to being completed.