January in Review

I can't believe it is the end of January already. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was thinking and writing down my goals for the year. Since it is the end of the month, I will just review what I have done towards those goals.

We had two different people over for meals this month. One is a family that has befriended us since arriving. I had promised their daughter I would make enchiladas and so we had a fun Mexican feast night. I tried two new recipes and both of them were keepers -- one was Mexican rice and the other refried beans. We also had a couple over that are in the small group. It was fun to have them here. We also have Bible study here once a week though the past two weeks have been leaders meetings. I did bake cookies for them last night.

We took an outing this month to the Museum of Science and Industry. Now I want to think about what we will do next month. The snow and cold has make it a bit difficult.

I worked on my Unfinished Projects and finished two projects this month and worked on a third. I didn't even begin a new one.

I finished my Walk in the Garden quilt. This was made with homespun fabric. I finished the quilting and then sewed the binding on. I had quilted this so maybe that is why it took me so long. One reason to finish projects when you begin them and not 12 years later is you won't risk losing fabric. I couldn't find any of the plaids or stripe fabric for the binding so I just used a navy. It works and looks nice.

This is a square quilt and really thin. I think it is because it has cotton batting/wadding. I think I originally made it to be a wall hanging. Right now it is just on the pile of quilts.

I finished my jean quilt. This was made from old jeans that I have collected. It was all sewn together and even had the backing and batting pinned. I had started to quilt it and had issues with my machine. I spent a few days ripping out some of that old quilting and then quilted it. I just wrapped the backing around and made that the binding. I am sure there is some technical name for what I did.

This quilt just cost me the batting. The denim were saved from old jeans that we had worn out. The backing is the last of my fabric from my days working overseas in manufacturing. I was able to get sample yardage from the vendors at times and that is where I got this. I love the quilt. It is nice and heavy because of the denim which feels good on the cold mornings.

I also did a number of shares for the I Spy quilt. I am having fun with that one.

I am continuing to blog regularly. What do you want to see or hear about? Tell me otherwise I will just keep posting what I can think of but I wold enjoy some ideas.

I am tracking what I purchase and bring into the house as well as how I use things. This is all part of my goal to have less things in the house at the end of the year. I think I got rid of over 100 items this month.

I did pick up my knitting one time and knit one row but then ripped what I had done. I can't say that I knitted this month. That is okay. I had other things happening.

We didn't go on a hike this month unless you count putting on our boots and going up the sledging hill. That might just count as we had two snowfalls that were enough for sledging.

I am learning to flex and give myself goals that I can achieve. Not everything for the year can be done in a month.

February is a short month but I should be able to get some things done in these areas. I am also working on some goals that were not on my original list. (I didn't share my whole list.)


Beth