Giving

Oh how I love giving handmade. Crafting something with someone specific in mind. Putting love and thought into items for loved ones.  It is my good friend's birthday tomorrow and I put together a sewing basket for her. The basket is actually this tutorial, the needle book from this tutorial, and the pin cushion a block that I started for the log cabin quilt along that I never got around to finishing. Along with the handmade items were some thread, owl ribbon, and a pair of embroidery scissors. Some chocolate may have snuck into the basket last minute as well. All of these items are things in my own sewing basket that follows me around the house - that carries me from project to project. 

This basket is going to a friend that is really close to me on the Big Island. When I first moved here I was homesick and needing a friend. This sweet sweet lady took me under her wing -  and over crafting, coffee, and books we visited and shared what was on our hearts. I'm so excited for her to open her present and to see her face when she sees all of her handmade goodies. Do you have a friend that warms your heart? How do you show that you appreciate them? 

Also along the lines of giving - I won my first ever giveaway during the #scrappylogcabinQAL on intsagram!!! I can honestly say that I have never won anything before - so when I found out that I won this bundle of goodies from #elnorac I was stunned and so blessed. Already the pouch is holding all of my sewing notions and it totally makes me happy every time I see it. 

Oh it has been such a wonderful week for handmades! 

Linking up to Finish It Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts 

Sweet Hour...

Yesterday was a giving kinda day. Giving in the best kind of way. Giving my time and energy to my sweet sweet boy who needed cuddles and kisses and feeding. Giving of my time to my wonderful husband who had a hard day and needed to go to Jujitsu class to blow off some steam. Giving of my efforts to host bible study - cooking and cleaning so that our sweet brethren would feel comfortable and satisfied. Giving of my patience to the piano student I had yesterday that needed just a bit more patience than usual.

That type of giving usually fills my cup. Usually being the operative word.

There are times - those anomaly times - when giving in that way can drain me.  Yesterday was one of those days.

So after that one thirty a.m. feeding - I found myself drawn to wake up. To have a cup of coffee. To have a sweet hour of prayer. To read my bible. To stitch on my coming home quilt in the quiet of the early morning hours. And I find myself wonderfully filled.

Oh how important it is to take time for yourself! To make time - even if it is in the middle of the night. I find myself wonderfully energized for it. It's during those slow moments when I take the time to count my blessings... and realize that my cup is indeed full.

A New Year - Goals (although a bit late!)

Happy New Year everyone!

I know - I'm a bit late... by like three weeks late. And actually 2 posts too late for my first post... But I love New Years!!! There's something about it - the newness, the potential - it's so refreshing and so so inspiring. Goal lists have been popping up everywhere around the house - on scrap paper, in various notebooks, in my planner. All sorts of goals - spiritual goals, mothering, crafting, cooking.  I wanted to compile a list of my crafty goals this year in one place. So here it is!

Joining:
I want this to be a year of joining! Currently I am involved in a quilt a long on instagram under the hashtag #scrappylogcabinQAL. I blogged about this quilt top here.

I also joined a Finish along over at On the Windy Side and blogged about my finish goals here.  I'm really excited to get projects done! This pot holder is actually the oldest WIP in my basket!

If you're interested about the Finish Along you can read more about by pressing the button below. 

Quilts
This goal is mostly about family. Last year my sister, niece, dad, and baby boy were recipients of a quilt. I would like to make a quilt for the remaining family members who are currently quiltless.

* Mom - and I know the perfect pattern and have already bought the fabric for it. My mom asked for a happy quilt - and how happy can these colors possibly be!

* My two nephews. I haven't found the pattern that I want yet but I know it will pop up!

* My husband and best friend - he needs a quilt that he can call his very own.


Sewing 

I want to learn two specific things this year: paper piecing and free motion quilting.  I want to use this book to learn how to do the projects in this book. A lot of the things that I've learned about sewing were from the author of this book. I want so much to be able to learn how to do paper piecing so that I can learn how to do some of the amazing projects here.

Learning free motion quilting is just so beautiful and wonderful in the swirls and ability to move freely. I still have to do some reading on it and get a free motion quilting foot for my machine.


Garment Sewing 
Oh this is something that I have been wanting to do since Liam was born. I want to be able to make this little guy clothes! It must be such a wonderful experience to be able to make something for your child that will keep them warm, but most especially can be used for play! So ::crossing fingers:: hopefully we will see some garments on the blog this year!

Stitching 
I have long admired the work of Amanda at the frosted pumpkin stitchery. So this year I have upped and joined the year long sampler Story Time!  Looking back at all of the projects on my list I realized that most of the projects were for family - so this project was put on the list solely for selfish purposes. I'm allowed that right? I'm still waiting for my materials. I purchased them and am anxiously awaiting them in the mail!

Do you have any crafting goals for the new year?

2015 - Finish Along

This year I want it to be the year of joining. After joining in the scrappy log cabin quilt along on Instagram (blogged here), I have come to realize how wonderful it is to join in with people while crafting.

I actually found out about the 2015 Finish Along on Instagram from one of the other ladies posting about her scrappylogcabin and I thought that this would be just the right sort of project to join along!

I have four Quarter 1 Goals:

1. I want to quilt and bind my scrappy log cabin quilt from the #scrappylogcabinQAL. I blogged about the finish top here.

 2. This project has been in my sewing basket for the longest time and I would love to finish it and start using it! My Hawaiian Appliqué potholder. This was one of the learner projects that I started on but when I started my Coming Home to Kuiippo quilt, it just got forgotten.

3. I want to utilize my scraps from making my scrappy log cabin quilt to make scrappy log cabin pin cushions using this pattern. I want to make three - one for me and two to be gifted!

4. I don't think that this will get quilted and finished in time, but a personal goal is to get the top done before quarter one ends. Perhaps I can quilt and bind it in quarter 2. This quilt is intended for my mom. She has been patiently waiting for it!

Well, those are my four goals for Quarter 1! I'm very excited to be joining in this project! =D

If you are interested in joining you can find out more information by pressing the button below!

Joining a community - a finished quilt top!

 I've joined instagram!!! It is such an amazing community to find inspiration. There are so many crafty people out there! As mentioned earlier, I joined the #scrappylogcabinQAL (blogged about it here) and it has been such an amazing experience! We post every week the blocks that we make - it is so nice seeing what other people do! And commenting on people's posts, and having your posts commented on - it's like having a crafty conversation! Wonderful!

I can't believe it, but only after two weeks, I've finished my quilt top! I have never finished anything so fast! I think it is all because of this wonderful community that I find myself in! People are so nice and encouraging as well! Well - because of this wonderful experience, I am looking forward to doing other quilt alongs that come up! =)

I love the scrappiness of this quilt. This is actually my first scrap quilt and I am thrilled with not just the result but the process as well! I didn't realize how sentimental it would be to put together fabric from remnants of different projects made for loved ones. Oh how wonderful it is to have all of that love in one project! Although I have several loved ones birthdays coming up - I keep telling myself that this one will stay here. In our home. Because it signifies so much of the family that we hold close to us on the mainland. In a small way - it is like keeping a bit of them close with us.

Do you like scrappy projects?

Linking up to Finish it Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts