After much procrastination, I finally started my monthly quilt club project.  I actually started is a couple of weeks ago, and came to a screeching halt.  The first step was easy = sew the bottom dark green lower grass together with the dark blue sky.  Got it!  The next step - cut out the upper grass section.  Epic fail.  I cut it out backwards.  Since it is a kit, I didn't have enough fabric to cut it again, so had to back to the quilt store.  I finally remembered to go in and get the fabric, and started over, but by then, I was so nervous about cutting out the applique parts I put it off.....

Finally, I started it, and once I got over the 'I'm doing it wrong again" fear, it went together pretty quickly.  I'm having issues with the instructions - I read and read and read them, then go on to the next step, and it refers to something I should have done in the last step that I didn't see!  (Mainly because it wasn't in the step - you have to read the entire page of instructions to get everything.)  I't all a learning experience!

I finally finished a hat for me!  I don't know how many of the "messy bun hats' I made - 20? At least that!  I don't wear my hair in a messy bun style (still too short!) but I do wear it in a ponytail now - and I found a pattern that has a slit up the back, buttons at the bottom, and.....it's a ponytail hat that works for me! Every time I started to work on it, I got an order for a messy bun hat that I needed to do, so it took me forever to make a simple hat for me.  

As usual, I want to try a few more tweaks with the pattern -   I'm sure I could work up a few different variations.....and pardon the photo - next time I won't do it myself - selfies of the back of your head are hard to take - at least a "flattering photo" is - you should see the ones I didn't use!!!  (No, I take that back - you CAN'T see the ones I didn't use.....I didn't use them for a very good reason!)

Finished!  I put the last border on my "Farm Girl" quilt last weekend - just in time to start the new year's club.  This quilt was a 'row a month' as part of the quilt club.  For 8 months, we got fabric for one row of blocks - we got to choose which fabric we used for which block, which made for some interesting choices by me.....I still need help with color combos - with the last two months the flying geese and borders.  I do like making blocks, and this one had a lot of fun blocks!  Even the flying geese weren't too bad - I started them early in the project and made a few each time I sewed.  Much better than making 106 of them all at one time!

This next year, we will be making projects from Kim Diehl's Simple Christmas Tidings.  This quarter, we are making a snowman wall hanging.  It has lots of applique - not my normal, so...on to learning new and exciting things!!!

Now that it's stopped raining for a bit, I've been able to enjoy the full moon.  Not that I can take great pictures of it, but it's been beautiful!  The first shot is on my way to work (yes, while driving up I-5 out my car window - so it's a little blurry) and the second one was taken the night before in the back yard.

I talked (well, texted, really - I was at work) with Dave yesterday, and it looks like his new house doesn't need to have the electrical completely re-done ($13,000+) and the work should be done next week, and he can move back in the following weekend.  Woohoo!  

When I went to bed last night (or at least the last time I looked....) we still had snow.  Not so much this morning.  We've had over an inch of rain so far, and it's supposed to be raining all week.  Back to normal Redding weather......

We got snow this morning!  We got a lot of snow for Redding, though those of you in other climates will laugh if we call this snow......it's the most we get!

And I wonder why I never get anything finished.....I was doing the last of the quilting on this quilt, and I had help - and she didn't appreciate me moving the quilt around in "her" space either....

I did get the quilting done and the binding sewn on - the last step is hand stitching the binding (not there yet....).  Woohoo!  I used "Borders Made Easy" strips for a decorative quilting on a sashing. I like how it turned out, but I so need more practice.  The good news - I have 3 or 4 more quilts ready to be quilted, so I will have lots of practice!  The last of the sashing looked much better than the first of the sashing.......

Happy New Year!  I'm not the best for making New Year's Resolutions and sticking to them, but it is a time of the year to reflect and make a conscious decision of things I want to do in the coming year.  Not that they are resolutions, but....in 2017 I want to:

• Travel more - take advantage of the RV and respite services and go camping, etc.
• Quilt more - I haven't touched my quilting in over a month - time to get back to it
• Crochet more - I said last year that I wanted to do more thread crochet, but didn't do much - this year I would like it to be different - I haven't made snowflakes in a couple of years, and I miss them.  I haven't made a doily in probably 3 or 4 years, and I love to make them.  This is my doily year!  (just kidding - I want to make a couple of doilies, but what do I do with them after I make them???)
• Keep better track of what I do make :)

These are all personal items - I'm not going to add all the things that I "should do" or "have to do" to the list - they are the things that keep me from accomplishing my resolutions!

Here is a sample of why I don't get more thread time - the latest craze is the "messy bun hat" - and I got hit up by everyone at work for one.  Luckily, they don't take a ton of time to do, and I've been having fun playing with the different yarns and patterns.  Some of the patterns I used are here, here, and here.