Friday, January 8, 2010

back in the land of car payments and other stuff.......

I have lived debt free (and money free although things have gotten better since I moved to Utah) for the last few years due to sad circumstances...life does that sometimes...Yesterday it all changed...We went car shopping...new car shopping....I had a lot of anxiety but I fought it down and we now have a new explorer in red to match the tumbleweed...( the vintage trailer we are redoing...). I love the car, we will see how I feel about the payment....There is something to be said for vehicles that are paid for, ugly or not....Lisa and the kids are coming in March and I have promised her my car...She is pretty happy about that as she is car less right now. I think once you see how a nice fat curve ball thrown at your life can change things, things like car payments can be pretty scary..Anybody else out there feel the same way? So I got a new car...mmmmmmmmm....
In the sewing room I have started a new quilt.....It is in oranges and browns and I think it is going to be pretty sweet looking. As in hella cool not sugary cute. This is the pattern I am using...

I like using patterns that you can use big, bold fabrics with...I think they are my favorite because they make a statement...Here is the fabric coming together in a quilt.

A lot of quilters that have blogs have been making quilt resolutions.....I have two finished tops that need to be quilted, and two sets of blocks that need to be pieced together and that is about it...I think my type A personality makes me attack a project like a bulldog and go at it until it is done....That can be a good thing and a bad thing....I do know that this year I want to make more quilts....I would love to have a big Christmas quilt for our bed by next December, but right now I am tired of all things red and green...When Christmas is done, I am done until the following December....I also joined Barb's 'Row round robin....http://bejeweledquiltsbybarb.blogspot.com Maybe a Christmas theme would be good...I don't know, I haven't decided yet.... I also don't buy or stash a lot of fabric. I think what saved me was when I first started quilting, I had a one bedroom condo and I sewed in the middle of the living room....good times. It does not lend itself to hoarding and I got used to just buying for a specific project....I was reading quilting blogs where people are talking about destashing 1000 yards of fabric.....HOLY COW! I do have a lot of scrap pieces from projects that I hope to use, but not big pieces or yardage....I did get two project kits for Christmas though....One is a Valentines table runner kit and yellows and reds and then a little hot pad pattern kit in Valentine fabric....I am looking forward to making these soon...

So here is to lots of great quilts in the year 2010...For me, and for all you other quilters.....
I also still am doing a monthly exchange for art quilties and then a nature journal page round robin....Here is my fifth nature journal layout....


This picture shows front and back...I really just let loose and had fun with paper and paint....I like to paint and draw eyes so that is where it started...This nature theme has been hard for me...which is really strange because I love being outside and looking at everything. I think I just have a hard time taking it from my head and getting it onto something in an artful way. This is a strange piece, but I like it and I had fun. What are your projects for this year?

8 comments:

Jen xo said...

Hi Melinda , first of all im better at paying things off than saving....sad i know!

i think the quilt colors are really smart it will look lovely.

ive joined a paper dress one a month so im not over committing!!

my first big project is to get a room in order in order to create as all my stuff is creeping all over the house...... Happy New Year to you too..jenxo

Pat said...

I have too many unfinished projects.....can't even name them all...and hope to get 10 or 12 of them done this year, for sure. Your plans sound good, too.

Unknown said...

i love that new pattern, and I can't imagine destashing 1000 yards either, my stash is mainly fat quarters, hardly any yardage

Quiltingranny said...

What? No picture of that fabulous red car? I hate car payments, but they are sometimes a necessary evil. I stash, but not like others I read about. I make charity quilts and many times as you know, I could be a charity, so it helps to have fabric on hand when I am broke! HAHA!! Just a few UFO's, I am like you, I want them started and finished! Love the new quilt!

Mrs. Sew and Sew - Karen said...

I am like you about payments...I don't like them but sometimes can't help having them. Seems like it is always something to pay for. I do stash but not as big as most. I have made a new goal for myself of finishing 12 projects this year. That is not unreasonable. I just need to focus more. The time I have free I need to use more wisely.

I love the nature journal. You are so creative. The eyes are awesome! Can't wait to see the quilt finished. Have a great weekend and enjoy that new car! ~Hugs, Karen

Patty said...

Melinda I know what you mean about car payments. We currently have two, only because I had been driving "junk" cars for the past six years and decided to get a newer car, then on Valentine's Day I was driving my Husband's car to work on an icy day and got into a crash and totaled his car so that's how we ended up with two car payments!
I like the colors of your quilt, I want to start some new but am sticking to finishing up.

Jenny said...

I keep resisting the car payment thing even though I am constantly tempted. My car is 9 years old but my husband has a kind of fancy, entertain clients one that I use sometimes. Yours sounds lovely. I like that contemporary quilt top...is that appliqued on there? It looks neat! I try and do a monthly UFO schedule but keep it pretty small. The one quilt I actually made that wasn't a rag quilt is at the quilting ladies in North Dakota. I'll have to show it to you when it comes back. Stay cozy.

Yarni Gras! said...

your work is amazing as always! As for those 'curve balls', we've had SEVERAL...too many to count. Right now we really need a new vehicle but I'm too afraid.....
As for projects....well hosting the YOE and HOT MAMAs will keep me busy...and I promised to make myself some things this year so hopefully I'll do that!