Welcome 2013!

A very happy and blessed New Year to you! :)

As a school bus driver I have had the last week off - splendid holiday, and some much needed down time.  When I wasn't here and there visiting with family - my FAVORITE activity has been playing with my Christmas present!  Hubby got me the EQ7 - and I just LOVE it!

In an attempt to better manage my time and limited space, I will be trying something new.  Since I am cutting and sewing all on the same small table area - it takes a great deal of put/picking up and getting out/setting up to plan, cut, or sew.  It's very frustrating and time consuming going between tasks.  So I thought if I could plan out what projects I'm interested in working on, say this month, then cut, cut, cut for the first week of the month, as many projects as I can - then I could put up my cutting mat, clear the area, and set up for sewing for the remaining 3 weeks.  I don't actually know if I can cut enough for 3 weeks - but then I guess there's always playing on my EQ7 if I run out of things to do until my next "cutting" session!

So, with this being week 1, I'm going to see what I can get cut and prepped for sewing this month.  First up is a red and white log cabin.  I saw this quilt a year ago on one of my favorite blogs Alycia Quilts.

I've been dying to make one ever since.  One of my first projects I toyed with on my EQ7 was this log cabin.  After getting the hang of the software I played with another version of the layout also.

So this is what I've cut out this morning, and I've got the foundation blocks cut for an applique project.  I saw the Rose of Sharon Block Challenge in an old issue of Quilter's Newsletter, and I remembered those blocks - and ALL additional blocks from the various quilters who participated in this challenge - were available for free download from the ElectricQuilt website.  

So my background blocks are ready, and I think I may applique 1 or 2 blocks each month making this a long-term project.  I don't know how many blocks were downloaded with the file - its all the blocks everyone involved in the challenge created - not just the blocks from the book.  I got dizzy after I got through looking at about half!  Really! Several hundred - just beautiful!  Just trying to just pick out a few to make a quilt!

Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut!

One thing I LOVE about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - Twilight Zone!  I've got my little TV, and all those wonderful black and white episodes to keep me company! :)