Whoops - I have been busy :)

Whoops I can't believe it is nearly a month since I last posted.  I guess working 4 days a week really makes time fly.  It is still exhausting and in fact I have been off sick for the last week and a half which of course I am blaming on the 4 day week :).  I have shingles and for those of you who haven't had it before it hurts!!!  I am due back to work on Monday (really have to go back as I don't have any more sick leave left) but I am still incredibly tired and in a fair amount of pain.

But all that aside I have been busy crafting.

I have finished 2 quilt tops

for a baby due August 2011

for my nephew J bday in November (the applique was needed as Jot took to the quilt top with a pair of scissors)

Finished off J&T Wedding Quilt (still need to put on the label)

Front

Back

MMQG Oh Beehave blocks for Rachel

Burp cloths for numerous new babies.

 

And lastly I have knitted two hats for Jot.  I am not going to show a picture of the first as it is about two inches too short and it really badly made (but in my defence I was knitting while feeling my worst)

I am in the middle of my last 5 Fandango blocks and although I would like to get the top finished this month realistically I won't really get the chance in the next week (I will try though). 

I was meant to make my big sis bday and xmas gifts this month too but the materials needed haven't arrived from the US yet.  So I have been focusing on quilt tops this month and will focus on birthdays and christmas for both my big sis and my niece (for whom I think I have everything) in April.

I also designed my MIL quilt for her Christmas present as they will be with us at Christmas and I would love to see her face when she opens it and have also been working on a design for a quilt for my parents ruby wedding anniversary (which is in two days - I was convinced it was next year so have talked my parents into waiting for their present :) )  Not sure if I am going to go with something I design myself or some sort of an Irish chain.  Lots to think about.

For now though I am think I might curl up in front of the TV and attempt to make Jot some mittens to match the hat. This could be amusing :)

Have a good weekend

Jots Mum

2011 Goal 3 - General

Finally (and this is a big one for me) my general life goal of 2011.  Most of my ideas that didn't sit in either of the two previous areas were too small to become measurable or are dependent on things outside my control to come to fruition.  So I decided to lump most of my small goals under one heading and work towards them slowly and be degrees.  This goal is not attainable in 2011 as it is more of a long term goal but at least part of it is attainable.

So my General Goal is:

To live a more simple and frugal life.

Not very specific at all is it.  So I have some supporting goals which I am going to mention here (and a lot more that I will hold over to another year)

1) Limit Technology - I spend far too much time on the internet (browsing forums, facebook - the biggest time waster on the planet and playing games) and watching TV (I often find myself channel hopping because I can't think of anything else to do but there is nothing on I want to watch) so I am limiting both.  I currently do one or the other (or both) every day and I plan to reduce that to 4 days in 7.  So on 3 days/evenings I will have no internet or TV.  More time to sew, knit and read.

2) To Budget - To set a budget with a strict savings policy.  To buy second hand where possible.  To buy food in bulk and utilise various methods to preserve it for the rest of the year (this crosses over into my next supporting goal).  To save up for 'big ticket' items such as our new kitchen and bathroom.

3) Food - To grow as much of our vegetables and fruit as possible.  To buy in season and in bulk utilising R work suppliers where possible.  To eat less processed foods and less sugar.  To plan menus and eat with Jot.  To prepare meals in advance and freeze.  To create a 'recipe folder' of healthy recipes that can be used to plan menus.

As it is tough to set most of these into a time frame as life is ongoing I am going to give each of the three supporting goals a timeframe of 6 months and review my progress (or lack thereof) at the end of June 2011.

In wrapping up my three (well five really) 2011 goals I wish you luck in setting and attaining yours in 2011.

Happy New Year.

Jots Mum

2011 Goal 2 - Me

I struggled to narrow this group down to one goal as I had loads of ideas and things I want to do for my 'development' doing things I love.  After much consideration I decided to focus on expanding my skills in my newest hobby - Quilting.  So my 'Me' goal for 2011 is:

To complete (piece, sash, quilt and bind) a 9 block sampler quilt


I was hoping to do this as part of a class but I don't think we can fit one in in 2011 so instead I am setting it as a challenge to myself.  To make it 'SMART' I am going to do it as a Block a Month from Jan to Sept with the remaining months for the sashing, backing, quilting and binding with the goal to have it completed in time for NYE 2011.

I think this will be a great way for me to develop my piecing and quilting knowledge and combined with the MMQG Quilting Bee I think I will end 2011 with more knowledge and confidence in this very satisfying art.

I am thinking about opening this up as a quilt-a-long challenge to anyone out there so if you are interested leave a comment and I will figure out how it is going to work.  It will be a fairly simple BOM as my skills are fairly limited at the moment but I hope to choose more complicated blocks towards the end of the quilt a long.

2011 Goal 1 - Family

I have used this goal to cover my extended family as I have been toying with this idea for the last couple of years.

My family Goal is:

To Hand make all Birthday and Christmas presents for all extended family in 2011 (this will include any special occasions that crop up births, marriages and the like).

So to make it Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (SMART) I have decided to allocate 1 or 2 members of my family to focus on each month.  The month in brackets is their birthday month.

Jan - SIL (Mar)
Feb - BIL1 & Dad (June)
Mar - Big Sis & Niece (July)
Apr - BIL2 & FIL (Aug)
May -  R (Aug)
June -  MIL & Mum (Sept)
July -  Jot (Sept)
Aug  - Lil Sis & BIL3 (Nov)
Sept  - Nephew 1 (Nov)
Oct - Nephew 2 (Jan)
Nov & Dec - Xmas stocking fillers and Kris Kringle as well as CC gifts etc.

So my goal is to make 2 gifts for each person in their month.  One gift will be for their birthday and the other for Christmas.

The calendar above will be incorporated into my side bar once I have written up my Me goal (which is also split by month) and had a look at what extra quilts I want to make this year so I can allocate them as well.  I will then recap at the start of each month what my goals are and at the end of each month see how well I have done.  (It will also be pinned above my sewing machine so I don't get sidetracked which is far to easy these days)

So heres to a very productive 2011.