selina quilts: December 2020

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Resolutions 2021

Thanks go out to Carla for coming up with this ever so interesting Hop to wrap up 2020 and kick off 2021 in such a positive manner.

A couple of years ago I used my blog to post my New Years resolution. It was to use my embroidery machine each month of the year by including an embroidered item in each hop I participated in. It was successful. Being held accountable worked wonders for me.

When I first started my blog it was primarily for me to keep track of what it was I was crafting and why. From the beginning, what I made was wonderful quilting friends from around the world. I have spent most of my blogging time learning new skills and concepts from all of you generous people, truly a win win.

Resolution #1 is to go back to blogging on a more regular basis not just for hops. While I am posting what I have accomplished for the hops I am not keeping track of the other stuff I have accomplished or hope to accomplish. So I plan on having at least 1 non hop related post per month.

Resolution #2

Hopefully this group of 2020 UFO's will go away.

Resolution #2 should help with resolution #1. I want to finish at least one of the items I have sitting in the to be finished pile per month. Not limited to 1 per month but at least one per month. some are small and just need me to sit down and DO IT. The group above are the starts not finished from just this year. There are 14 projects lying there.

Next up are the pre 2020 UFO's that I still would like to see finished. The first picture below are the more recent UFO's. Maybe 2 years oldish. Placemats and mug rugs.

Next up are Santa and the snowmen, items that are 6 plus years old. They are half quilted. I have no idea why they are still hanging around. I take them out regularly and do nothing. This go round I have separated them into 3 separate baggies hopefully if I can get one of them done I'll feel better.

Oh and yes I do have other UFO's but they don't interest me anymore so adding them to these would, I think, cast a negative vibe. Also there may be a couple of more from this year that need finishing that are buried in the disaster that is my sewing space. Those will be added to the group as I find them.

(2 weeks after writing this paragraph and I have found 2 more)

Last but not least Resolution #3 is that I want to work on staying focused on a project without a deadline or it becoming another UFO. It amazes me how focused I can be if I have to be, as in a date for a blog hop post, otherwise I just bounce from idea to idea. This is the reason I have the need for resolutions #1 and #2.

So here they all are nicely collected in one place where I can just reach in and pull something out when I need something to do. At the moment there are 19 projects. I'm aiming for 12 completions but will be thrilled with at least 6. I'll keep you posted in upcoming blog posts 😉😉😉

I am looking forward to reading everyone's resolutions and being on the lookout for different perspectives on what each of us wants and or needs to get done going into the New Year.

Here is a complete list of all of us who are sharing our goals today. Go visit, leave a note and Last but definitely not least I am wishing all of you a Very Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year.

Wednesday, December 30th

Just Let Me Quilt
MooseStashQuilting
Words & Stitches
Sew Many Yarns
Websterquilt
Cocoa Quilts
QuiltFabrication
Stitchin At Home
Ms P Designs USA
Life in the Scrapatch
Kathy Kwilts and More
Karen's Korner
Quilt Schmilt
selina quilts
The Joyful Quilter
Becky’s adventures in quilting and travel
Karrin's Crazy World
Quilting and Learning: What a Combo
VroomansQuilts
Cynthia's Creating Ark
PamelaQuilts
Quilting Patchwork & Appliqué
Kathleen McMusing
Quilting Gail
Homespun Hannah's Blog
appliqueand...
Songbird Designs
Storied Quilts
Susie’s World

She's Stitchin Again
Creatin' in the Sticks

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Virtual Cookie Exchange Blog Hop - plus a give away

Hello, hello, hello. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit with me and all of the other hoppers who are exchanging virtual goodies this week. Many thanks also to Carol for again taking on the task of coordinating this special event.

I have mentioned before that I am not a baker. I have determined that the problem for me with baking is that it requires to much rule following and I don't like to follow rules ( that's why I'm a quilter ). I discussed this with my sister who does bake and we determined that our mother (another who didn't follow rules) didn't bake. We could only remember her making one type of cookie when we were growing up. All I could remember was that it had sweetened condensed milk in it.

Magic Cookie Bars by Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

I googled cookies with sweetened condensed milk and there they were. Apparently it is an extremely popular cookie world wide. What I loved most about finding the recipe on google was that people responded to the recipe and wanted to know why it was put together in a different order than they were taught. It really did make me smile.

Well I choose to make them the way the questioners were making them. It felt more comfortable for some reason.

The recipe uses nuts in addition to the chocolate chips and coconut flakes and has suggestions for other items. My household splits on the use of nuts so I divided the pan into 3 sections. One end section I used nuts while the other end section I used craisins and the middle section got some kind of a mix of the two.

Since this is a Christmas hop I packaged an assortment of my cookies for 2 of my friends as early presents. I etched 2 small plates with Christmas trees and wrapped them up in cellophane. Then I added an etched ornament of the same but smaller tree.

The cookies are gone and they got rave reviews. One friend decided that they were a healthy snack because of the craisins 😋

This turned out to be a wonderful look back into my childhood so thanks Carol for a great time on so many levels.

So I'm having a give away of sorts. Of late I have had to admit to myself that I am drowning in scraps. Scraps of all sizes and shapes. None of them organized or pressed because that would be close to rule following.

I have at least 6 large laundry baskets and several drawers of them and I want to give most of them away. Huge variety of types colors and prints no rhyme no reason. I am willing to ship boxes, bags and envelopes of assorted scraps to some of you in the US (sorry but postage is limiting).

If you are interested in scraps leave a note in your comment and I'll be in touch. I'd love to know what you might do with them but that's not a necessity in getting some. Depending on the interest will determine how much I mail to how many. I won't start mailing until the new year and then depending on how many of you are interested, packages may take a bit to get shipped out but my goal is to get this project done by the end of February at the very latest.

So that's it from me in Sunny Florida ( don't cuss me out, today we are having a low of 34 ).

Please make sure you visit everyone one who is virtually sharing their cookies and other Christmas memories. Here is a list for your browsing convenience. Looking forward to hopping with you all again in 2021. Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Above all Stay Safe.

December 1

Creatin' in the Sticks

Doreen – Just Let Me Quilt Guest

Life in the Scrapatch

Ms P Designs USA

Just Sew Quilter

Cathie's Craftworks

Cynthia's Creating Ark