This Week's Splendid Sampler 2 Blocks

My goal has been to complete one block per week on the Splendid Sampler 2 Stitch Along, even though four blocks are scheduled each week.  I'm happy to just plod along.

This week I was organised and cut out everything for four blocks.  One is still to be pieced, as I still have to concentrate when working on foundation paper piecing.  That's my project when I finish this blog post.

Creative Harmony

Metropolis

Trip to the Quilt Shop

I can't wait to have a look at all the blocks together.

Now to have a quick look at everyone else's versions.  I love seeing all the different looks using various fabric choices.

I'll be linking up over at the Splendid Sampler site.

Splendid Sampler 2 - Making Templates by Jane Davidson and Storm Season

I've just finished a second block for the week, which I'm pretty happy about.  I'm aiming for one a week, so any extra are a bonus.

Another nice and easy block, using my favourite machine applique.  I really need to start doing some of the more detailed blocks or it will become a chore at the end of the project.

There was no extra added to the leader and ender project with this block, just lots of ends to tie off.

I wonder what blocks will be on the agenda this coming week?

I'm linking up with The Splendid Sampler.

We had a nasty storm here on Tuesday afternoon, just as I was driving home from work, so I got nicely caught up in it.  There were branches flying everywhere along the road - fortunately not large ones.  We ended up getting 17mm of rain in about 10 minutes.  It blew right in to our windows on our verandah side, which is four metres deep.

When I went for my walk yesterday, as well as lots of smaller branches lying all over the place this tree had lost rather a large limb.

This afternoon it built up again and we had another wild storm, though not as bad as the one on Tuesday.  We thought we may get a nasty hail storm when we noticed the green colour in the sky, but we only received  a small amount.  The thunder is still rumbling away out there now.  So far we've received 16.5mm and it is still sprinkling.  

We are currently on water restrictions and can only water on every second day.  The good thing is that this rain has fallen on our watering days, so we have been able to let nature take care of things.  Bonus!

Splendid Sampler 2 - Starry Night Starry Bright and making a start of RSC

Yesterday, when I went to put away the fabrics after cutting out the RSC quilt, I actually tidied the drawers of fabric.  The room itself looks no different, but at least the fabrics in that chest of drawers are tidy.

Then it was time to work on another Splendid Sampler 2 block.

This one is Starry Night Starry Bright by Pat Sloan. 

I'm linking up here.

I also started to make the first Rainbow Scrap Challenge block in red as a leader and ender.  What a great way to get a second block made for minimal effort......then again....these blocks require minimal effort anyway.

I was wondering where to store the completed blocks when I remembered that I have a container I bought years ago thinking it would hold complete 12" blocks, but it doesn't.  It has been sitting empty in a cupboard ever since.  It holds 10" blocks perfectly.  What  pity I didn't think of it for the RSC blocks last year.  I'm feeling very organised with this project.  Now to transfer that to other projects.

On an aside, there was a lovely sunrise when I went for my walk this morning.  Here's hoping the red sky does herald some rain.  Fingers crossed.

We normally quickly remove weeds that pop up in the gravel paths in our yard, but how can you remove this cheerful little heartsease? It is welcome to remain under the clothes line.

One Monthly Goal and Rainbow Scrap Challenge for January

I've been umming and aahhing over what to work on this year and this month.

I'm not really in the mood for working on any of my UFOs at the moment.  I was also a little undecided whether or not I would join in on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC), as I didn't necessarily want another really bright quilt.  I did know that I wanted to start a Leader and Ender quilt, but what design?  Therefore, I couldn't make up my mind as to what One Monthly Goal (OMG) to set myself.  I'm such a procrastinator.

After browsing Pinterest for a little while (far too long) I finally made a decision.

Yes, I will join in RSC by making a leader and ender quilt. I like the idea of the leader and ender project, but I also want to get it finished and not be hanging around for ever.  Therefore, it needs to be something rather simple that can be picked up and put down easily.  Why not a plus quilt?  That is something I keep saying I'd like to make.  

I found a tutorial by Cuckoo Blue from back in 2017 that I think will fit the bill nicely.  The blocks finish at 10" square, so I think a quilt 50" x 70" will be practical snuggle quilt. That means just three blocks are required each month with an extra five to make up numbers at the end, or along the way. There is a charm pack of low volume fabrics sitting on my shelf, as well as a nice little pile of light grey fat quarters, so I think I am set to go.  Red is the colour for January.  My plan is to use these as leaders and enders, however, I'm guessing that for this month I'll just get them done and have some more prepared for future use that way.  I feel so much better now that a decision has been made.

Therefore, my OMG for January will be to prepare some blocks for this quilt and to complete the three required for January.

In the background I will be plugging away at my Splendid Sampler 2 blocks.

Hopefully, I will be a bit more organised next month.

I'm linking up at Elm Street Quilts and So Scrappy.

Just a little update... while I was waiting for the linky for the RSC to come up I started cutting out the RSC project.  I got a little carried away and have the complete quilt to cut out, including each colour for the entire year. Knowing what pattern I am using for the whole project helped immensely.  Now it should be a nice, quick easy leader and ender project.  No stress, just how I like it.  

A New Year Just Begun

Well, another year has passed and we enjoyed the final evening of 2018 with friends at the local Party in the Park, culminating with a fireworks display.  Rather a nice way to end things.

Looking back,  2018 was a much calmer year for Mick and I compared with the last five or six.  We are well and truly settled into our new home, continuing to make some home improvements, got to have some great trips away, both in the caravan and flying to the UK and I'm enjoying working for just three days a week, which allows me time to spend with my Mum.  (Yes, I still have to finish blogging about our holidays before I forget everything, even if it is six months after the event.)

On the sewing front I am so very happy to have completed six UFOs, some being very old.  There are still more, but I only added one UFO and my Splendid Sampler, which I consider to be a WIP.

I also completed three quilts - one was a UFO, which went on to win a prize at the local show, which I'm pretty chuffed about, and the other two were started and finished without becoming a UFO.  I think that One Monthly Goal (OMG) really helped keep me on track and One Project a Month (OPAM) is also good for that reason.  The Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) with the associated quilt along was also good to keep me going on the third quilt I made.

However, to keep things real, my sewing room is still a hot mess full of boxes of "stuff". 

One final thing that I'm pretty pleased about this last year is that I have lost quite a bit of weight.  In the middle of the year I had a bit of a health wake up call - nothing serious - but enough to make me think that I should take a bit more care of myself.  So, after we returned from the UK I started doing some walking and eating more sensibly and feel so much better for it.  

So what for the year to come?

We are looking forward to some more travelling in our caravan.  There is so much to see out there.  

I'm sure there will be some form of home improvement going on here.

On the sewing front, I will certainly continue to participate in OMG and OPAM.  Just having a small goal each month, even if it is just to complete a certain stage of a project really works for me.

I still have a long way to go on Splendid Sampler 2, and do not think I will have any hope of maintaining the four blocks a week that are being scheduled.  If I do one block a week I will be happy, even though it will mean the quilt takes two years to complete.  I just want to keep plugging away at it.

I'd like to join in the RSC again this year, as it was a fun way to use stash and end up with a completed quilt at the end of the year.

I certainly wish to keep finishing UFOs.  I still have a list, but the quick and easy ones have mostly been completed, so this will now take a little more effort, but any that are crossed off are a win in my opinion.  Here's hoping I don't add any new ones to the list.

One thing that I would like to try this year is to have a leader and ender project sitting beside my machine.  I've been looking at patterns of quilts.  I have Mum's fabric stash over here now.  There are some quilting fabrics, but not very lovely ones, as well as other cottons.  I think I could make a really scrappy quilt, but I need to have a little think and plan first.  Then, I had a light bulb moment.  Why not use the RSC as a leader and ender project.  Now to decide on a project that will fit the bill.  We'll give it a go.

I certainly want to work from my stash and not buy more fabric without it being for a specific project that I am working on at the time.

So, as you can see, there are no goals set in concrete.  Just wishes that may or may not come to fruition.  The main thing is for me to have fun along the way.