New Year...New Challenges

Happy New Year!  Even though I haven't been busy blogging for the past few months.  I have been quite busy.  I have not one but two QUILTS under my belt.  (Pics below).  Yes I said quilts.  I have always admired handmade quilts.  I dated a guy in college who's mother was an avid quilter and I remember thinking then "Wow this is something I could really love!"  Then I quickly walked away knowing that at the time I didn't have the time nor the money to get addicted to quilting.

Fast forward more years than I would like to admit...Susan at yarnability opens SewInclined.  She sets up an entire room of sewing machines for customer use, has classes for both sewing and quilting, and stocks many beautiful fabrics.  I held out for as long as I could (ok maybe I could have held out longer, but really the blue and green fabrics were screaming my name).

I started slowing.  Making some place mats for my dining room table. Yes I used the blue and green fabrics - which caused me to have to totally rethink my decorating scheme for my house.

I fell in love!  I couldn't stop thinking about quilting and patterns and color combos.  I was hooked.

So I signed up for the Jelly Roll race at the shop and picked out my Jelly Roll.  Wow who knew that sewing 1600 inches of fabric could be soooo fun!  I wish I had stopped to take pictures of everyone sewing that night.  Good thing there is a new Jelly Roll Race coming up here soon.

I then decided to visit Wilson's Quilt Shop in Hagerstown.  Oh my was I in trouble.  I came home with another Jelly Roll and a registration for my first quilting class - ABC's of quilting.

My quilting enabler friend, Audrey, went back with me and we picked out the fabrics for this class.  Good thing we had guidance for the wonderful ladies at Wilson's.  If not, I think we would still be trying to decide.

After four classes, I had a completely finished quilt!  My color choices caused quite the commotion during class.  I guess I went a little too modern for the owner.  Oh well, I absolutely love it.

So much that I have signed up for my next class - Sassy Strips, started a Red, White and Blue quilt, and am going to a quilting retreat in March.  Oh and I bought this guy.

His name if Philip Pfaff.  He is an embroidery/sewing machine.  He does everything I need him to do and them some.

So if you are thinking, wait I thought this was a knitting blog, you are correct.  And from this point forward it will also include my adventures in quilting as well.

I would also like to challenge my crafty friends for 2014.  I am setting a personal goal of 14 completed projects for 2014.  These 14 projects will include both quilting and knitting and projects that I have started at any point in time.  So who is with me?  If 14 projects seems overwhelming, I challenge you to set your own personal crafty goal and list it below in the comments.  And please feel free to ask me anytime how my projects are going (or gently remind me how much time is left in 2014)!!