With working yesterday and then hubs having a firehouse meeting last night, I didn't get a chance to write this post until now. It isn't anything huge or important and I certainly don't need to do this, but it was so cute that I just wanted to share.

As I headed home from the Free Motion Quilting class on Sunday afternoon, I called hubby to let him know that I was on my way. He told me that he and the kidlets were heading out for a few minutes of play time in the snow.

When I turned the corner into our driveway, this is what I saw.
Isn't he cool! They accomplished this masterpiece in just 45 minutes. He is all decked out with apples for his eyes, a carrot (appropriately) for his nose, small twigs for his mouth (that poor hubs just couldn't get to curve into a smile no matter how hard he tried), pebbles for buttons, sticks for arms, some caution tape for his scarf and a sand bucket (interesting choice of pink, I'm sure by Miss Sunshine) for his hat.

Jammer had already headed inside to get warm but little missy wanted to keep on working on him for a bit so I was able to snap a few cute photos. She is very serious about doing a good job.
After a ton of attempts of getting her picture actually next to the newest (though temporary) member of our clan, she finally agreed. Sometimes it is maddening just how much of an imp she can be, on purpose, and my attempts at getting a nice shot was just another of those times.
I'm so proud of my creative little family and very happy that they actually got to enjoy this typical rite of winter. Last year we had practically No snow so something like this was impossible then. I'm guessing that this won't be the last snowy fella (or gal) that graces our front yard this season. I'll just need to make sure that they don't steal my new scarf to use for adornment the next time.

Towards the end of last week, I received a newsletter in my email Inbox from one of the local LQS. As I usually do I clicked through to their website to check out their latest class offerings. Lo and behold, what did I see but non other than a beginners Free Motion Quilting class being held on Sunday (yesterday) and next Sunday. And the price for the class couldn't be beat.

I figured by that late date that the class would be full but was very pleasantly surprised when I called to learn they had one open spot left. Yippee skippee! A quick giving of my credit card number and I had a play date all scheduled. Other than the really quick tidbit I learned during the end of my Quilting 101 class over 3 years ago, this would be my very first foray into Free Motion Quilting.

The LQS is 45 minutes away so at noon I headed out. It was a lot of fun to leave hubs with the chicklets and get in a few hours of Me time.

The instructor was really nice and I had a great time. She explained all the basics that we needed to know, talked about needed and recommended products even one that I had never heard of before (Vanish thread available from Superior Threads that is actually corn starch which dissolves away when it is spritzed with water).

After practicing with the walking foot by sewing a grid on our class sandwich, we switched to our Free Motion (or darning foot) and practiced on the panel samples she provided. My piece had a ton of really small features and I had to go very slow in many areas but since this was all about getting the feel of the machine and the movement of my hands along with speed control, it didn't have to be perfect. Given the time, there was no way I would have been able to get all of this completed but I made a decent dent in it. Here is the front. I had a Maroon thread because that is what contrasted well with the practice pieces that I brought but it doesn't show up well for the outlining on the front of this piece.

This is how the back looks. I don't think it looks too horrible. And so that you know scale, the panel block is only 8" square so you can see just how tiny some of the features on the front really are.

Jammer came home from school with his usual weekly homework sheets and I was happy to see that the first ones of the year were really fun. Yesterday's sheet had an outline of a snowman and the instructions said that he was to decorate it anyway he wanted to, using any materials that he found at home. I imagined that soon the kitchen would be covered with Elmer's Glue and glitter. Yucko mess!

He actually surprised me when he said that he wanted to color his snowman. I explained that although that would be just fine if that is what he really wanted to do, I thought that the teacher was hoping he'd do something a bit more creative. He said "like how?" The light bulb in my brain went off and I said "how about you cover him with different bits of fabric?" (always the quilter trying to sneak fabric into more areas of life, LOL).

He wasn't too sure what I meant but I ran upstairs, got my 2 bins of scraps along with 2 pairs of scissors (regular and pinking) and a glue stick. I then explained my idea. He absolutely loved it. He dove into the bins and pulled out this scrap and then that scrap, had me cut them into bits of various shapes and sizes and he glued them down wherever he felt like it.

Ta Da!

Yesterday was officially the start of a new year but today is when it really begins. Today is the return to the normal school & work day routine, the rush to get lunches made, kidlets and hubby out the door and myself to work (on the days that I do work).

This is sort of how I felt this morning.

A kicking, moving kidlet in bed with us (yes both of them were there, as usually ends up) and a bit of sinus stuffiness had me awake at 4:45 am. Since I can't sleep if I can't breath, I figured it was time to get up. Being upright and a couple of cups of java later, I'm feeling better.

There were high hopes of getting tons of sewing done over the weekend and these past two non-weekend days but that didn't happen. Between the running around getting the last things needed for Jammer's birthday party done and the intense need to get the house bedlam under control, I never made it into my studio. I don't do well with mess (it really stresses me out) and although the plan yesterday was to just "work" on organizing and finding homes for all the new toys in the morning and then sewing the rest of the day, I ended up dealing with the their "stuff" the majority of the day and then sat in a chair after dinner until bedtime. But at least in the end, the playroom/future library and both of the kid's bedrooms are in order once again and I feel a ton better about that. We even managed to separate out a number of things that they no longer play with to be sold at the giant consignment sale in March.

The one thing I did accomplish yesterday that is my annual never-to-be-missed tradition is watching this from beginning to end.

One of my biggest bucket list items is to actually one day work on a float and then see the parade live and in person. Anyone that has an inside line to how to get to do this I will forever be indebted to you.

The end of 2012 didn't see a ton of sewing (Crafting by the Numbers updates coming soon) but I did manage to finish the month's Quilt U Be Mine block additions and handed it off to hubby to drop at the post office for me. I also got a bit of a reprieve for the "rush job" quilt finish. That family ended up having to go out of town unexpectedly for the holidays and she asked me to hold off sending it until after they are home. The final stitches on the binding will get completed this week and then as soon as I get the "we're home" email, off it will go.

Today is the 1st Wednesday of Marlene of Stitchin By the Lake's "Blog Neighbor's To Visit This Week". This is a fantastic idea and such a great way to meet new-to-you bloggers that you'll surely want to follow in the future. I'm not on this week's list but be assured that little ole me and my humble blog will be soon.

New Year's Resolutions have never been my thing. I'm more of a "Mindset" sort of gal. Even though I am a true List Queen, I don't believe in making a list of resolutions. Ironic, isn't it? A List Queen that doesn't make a list of resolutions? And I don't wait until the last days of the year to start thinking about the past months and the future. That impromptu exercise actually occurs about every quarter (sorry my mind will aways be fiscal date oriented). That part isn't really tied to the calendar quarters but instead tied to the change of seasons...the end of winter and heralding in spring, the end of the school year, the end of summer and start of the new school year and finally the end of the holiday season.
But during the extreme hub-bub of Christmas preparations and celebrating both of the kids' birthdays, I usually put a lot of time into thinking about what sorts of things I want to accomplish in the coming year.  That has been one of the biggest subjects of my brain's ponderings over the past number of weeks.

2012 has been full of learning and growth for me quilting wise and I'm looking forward to a trying a ton of new things in the coming months. Along with the just announced Modern Mini Mystery Round Robin 2013, there are 2-3 additional events in the works. And to be totally honest, the fact that in just over the year since this blog was born, I have written 225 posts and already have 285 followers just flabbergasts me. Not too shabby at all for my first year. Never in my wildest imagination when I started this blog did I think I'd be where I am at today. Who knows what wonderful things the future will bring?

The one huge thing that has bothered me a great deal lately is the fact that the majority of the projects on my To Make list never even got started this past year. Currently there are 33 specific projects on that list, projects that I have all or almost all the fabric for already, just sitting and waiting. And the list doesn't even include project decisions for all the other yardage and precuts that I have in my stash just waiting for the right inspiration to strike.

So with me figuring out what I want to concentrate on in 2013, I had to figure out how to go about accomplishing that. By this time next year, my goal is to have at least 40% if the items on the list done and crossed off. In addition to the existing list, I currently have 8 quilt patterns in various stages of development. I just need to find the time needed to finalize the plans, make up samples, test them and design the packaging. During the new year, I really hope to get some of them published and perhaps in the hands of a distributor to be available online and at local quilt shop near you. I'm finding inspiration for new blocks and patterns everywhere I look and those visions just have to become reality.

In order for me to make the most of my sewing time, I had to figure out what my overall Mindset will be. And to that end I have decided to resist joining the vast majority of swaps and blog hops, unless of course it is an over-the-top terrific one. I'm sure that there will be a few that will get added to my schedule but for the most part, I'll be watching from the sidelines. Same goes for fabric purchases. I honestly am not crazy about buying all the beautiful fabric and then not doing anything with it.  There are some absolutely terrific bargains to be had right now plus a few new lines coming out that are on my radar and Yes I will do a bit of shopping, especially so that I can offer up some really great giveaways next year, but otherwise I'm going to limit my stash additions as much as possible.

So by now you might be wondering how I actually will get my Mindset. Well I've always believed and known that something was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. if it took my breath away the instant I saw it. That has aways been my litmus test of "I must do" or "I must have" and that is the test that I will be using this coming year to decide whether or not to join an even to to purchase some new fabric. If I don't get breathless when I first see it or I don't end up with insomnia because I'm thinking about it too much, the vast majority of swaps, bees and new fabric releases will be left for others to join or buy.
Now don't get me wrong. I know I will join a couple of blog hops here and there and I'm certainly not going to avoid buying new fabric altogether, but I will be severely limiting myself in order to be able to get a lot more of those items on my list actually done. But overall Think Big, Dream Big will be my mantra in the hopes that a large number of my projects and new ideas come to fruition. One never knows what might actually happen if one opens the mind to all the possibilities.

So there you have it. My No New Year's Resolutions "plan". No matter if you are a resolution type of person or not, I hope 2013 is very productive, successful and over-the-top happy for each and every one of you.