My January Stitching Goals Check In

It's the start of the year and I have a new blade in my rotary cutter, a new needle in my machine and it has had a good old dust, so I'm ready and rearing to go with my January goals.......there are a few.

Firstly, there is my One Monthly Goal - I know that I won't get the opportunity to get much stitching done in the last week of the month, so am trying to keep this one relatively simple.

I plan on making two Splendid Sampler 2 blocks and I think I have made a decision on the setting.  About half the blocks have a white background and the other half have coloured.  Some blocks are a tad undersize, so I need to have something where I can do some tweaking without it being too noticeable.  I will put a one inch border around each block.  White around the coloured blocks and a soft 30s green around the white blocks.  My aim is to select and source that green fabric, so I can start working on sashings next month.

The colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for January has been announced.  It is green. 

This year I don't plan on making a quilt, rather two cushions. They will both be 18 inches square.  One will be the pineapple block, which I have never made before, with a white contrast.  The other will be drunkard path circles on a darker background.  I have made large drunkard's path blocks, but never small.  Conveniently, I have the templates, which were a giveaway with a magazine subscription many years ago.

I will have to go and hunt out some fabric for these.

Working on, or finishing a UFO is a new challenge this year.  I could never commit to finishing a UFO each month.  I know it wouldn't happen, but at least making a bit of progress is a good start.

I wasn't sure what I would work on, but when I went digging in a tub I found this forlorn orphan Santa block.  This was my first ever attempt at foundation paper piecing from a very long time ago, maybe 15 years.  Sadly, the top left corner dips down more than the seam allowance, and to do lots of unpicking was all too hard at the time.  I'm pretty sure, if I go looking, I'll find a bit of that background fabric, or something very similar to add onto the corner.  Goodness knows, Nothing ever gets thrown away, so it may just be there.  I will turn it into something.  Maybe a hanger, maybe a potholder (which I think was the initial intention), who knows.

This will also meet two other little goals.  I WILL finish it, so it will be able to be reported to Kris for One Project a Month and Lou and I have decided to make a Christmas decoration each month.  Nothing like killing three birds with one stone.

Of course, I will work on my Leader and Ender Black and White Quilt as I stitch away.

Wish me luck.

I'll be linking up with Elm Street Quilts and So Scrappy.  Pop over and see what the others get up to.