2010

-->

This last year was a tough one for me personally, but I did accomplish some of my quilting goals. I finished several tops and succeeded in getting several quilts quilted, either by a long-arm quilter or doing them myself. I have several that I need to finish the binding on, but they are quilted and out of topville which is a step in the right direction.
My rainbow quilt is ready for binding, though I had to go and re-buy the fabric to bind it, as I cannot find the piece I had saved from the inner border anywhere. I know it will turn up and since I love purple, it will get used in another quilt.

I finished and sent on its way the quilt for my son that I started about 20 years ago. My other son's guitar quilt is at the quilters waiting to be quilted. She even found a guitar motif to quilt it with. I am anxious to see it. I still have some embellishments to finish when I get it back.
I finished my Christmas place mats and a matching wall hanging and quilted a second Christmas wall hanging as a gift. I finished a few small wall hangings and got others ready to quilt. I know there are a few other projects in there that I finished this year as well.
I have several wall hangings sandwiched and ready to quilt in 2011, and am still working on finishing up other UFQs (Unfinished quilts), and have a few gifts started to finish up early in 2011, but over all even with my health issues I feel that 2010 was a productive quilting year for me. I can look back on it and say that I accomplished things with pride.

The 18 year UFQ

I started a quilt back in 1992 that I never finished until this last Thursday. It was for my oldest and by the time it was done I hated it. It was made of cotton and cotton blend fabrics, and was pieced willy nilly.
For some reason I chose to zigzag every seam on the top. It did not look decorative, and I have no idea why I did it. I also chose to use thick polyester batting, what a pain to quilt. It was one of the first actual quilted quilts for a bed that I had every made. I always tied large quilts at that time. Most of the quilts I made at that time were baby quilts. I did an awful job of machine quilting it, and am embarrassed to even claim it today. I used double fold bias tape for the binding and only sewed one edge to the quilt. In fact I actually serged the edge. I had to fold over the bias tape three times to bind the quilt. The corners were very thick due to the serged edges. It was a pain to bind.
Over the years there were several times I thought about throwing the whole thing out, but for some reason I never did. Several months ago my oldest asked about the quilt and if I was ever going to finish it. I avoided it for the last few months, but decided that if he wanted it I would finish it for him for Christmas and so I finished it.
He was very excited to get the quilt yesterday when we met for lunch. He said he slept with it last night. He also said he planned to put it on the back of his couch. Now that I do not want to see.
He has a quilt that is much more well made that he received for his 16th birthday that I would much rather he place on the back of his couch.
But at least I can say that it is done, even if it took me over 18 years to finish it.

Selling My Creations

Several people have commented on my quilted creations over the last few months. Included in their comments was the question, "How much do you charge for your bags?" or "Do you sell your quilts?" and others along the same line. It got me to thinking about a second career, since I am retiring at the end of the school year. I have been contemplating getting a long-arm and doing quilting, but now I am considering selling things on consignment, or making things to sell at craft fairs, and the Saturday Market, our weekend summer market.

I am now checking out prices on line, and in stores here in Anchorage, to see what things similar to what I make are going for. I am thinking this might be worth giving a try. I can always give things as gifts if they do not sell. I may find that I actually make some money, and that it is a wise investment. I will never know it I do not put myself out there and try.

I am thinking that place mats, baby blankets, purses, and table runners might be the place to start. I could also make aprons and bibs. I am contemplating this idea as I look at the different fabrics I have in my stash, and what they would make up into.

I can see spending time sewing up things that might bring joy to someone else, and bring a smile to my pocketbook. Though I am not a moneygrubber, it is a way to supplement my retirement and allow me to rotate out fabrics and bring in new ones with the money I could earn.

Contemplating this idea and working out details to see if it is feasible.......I have 6 months to work out the details prior to my retirement.