Monthly Lists and Swoon

     Do you make yourself a monthly list and try to put things that NEED to be done on it and actually follow it?  I've been doing that for I'd say 2-3 years.  Most times I put things on it that I actually get done.  I try not to over anticipate spare sewing time and not make my goals unattainable.
     For January, I knew I'd have our trip to Florida and a few other day things to do so I kept the list
easy for my first month of retirement.

     1) Assemble my Designer Mystery BOM December block and assemble my Swoon block
     2) Sew binding on the Jamestown Landing quilt
     3) Finish assembling a baby quilt for a teacher at school

     I am proud to announce that I have # 1 and # 2 done and I'm halfway done with my baby quilt.
That kind of was put on the back burner so I could assemble the "Celtic Solstice" mystery quilt but since I'm home and ready to sew, the Celtic Solstice is going to get the border assembled and attached today so it can wing it's way to the quilter on Saturday along with my Snowman Gathering quilt.

     One of my monthly goals as well are self imposed BOM's that I started last year with stash fabric and one of those is assembling Camille Roskelly's "Swoon" quilt.  It's a lovely 80 X 80 quilt and believe it or not, it only takes 9 blocks!  Each block is 24-1/2 square!  That's one honking big block!

The one on the left is the one I made today and then the other picture is the 4 I have done to date.  If I move these 4 up and make 2 more, they'll fit on the design wall but the 3 after that will not fit!  I'm always in amazement at just how big these blocks are and Camille is right, they are "lovely".

Well, as long as I'm here and writing and adding pictures I'll show you what I've purchased this week.  As I've mentioned, I'm on a semi self-imposed spending diet (due to retiring 1 year early and have to wait till January 2015 for a pension check) and have to really pick and choose what I spend and do it wisely!

The left items are things I ordered and paid for in 2013.  Who can resist Goodnight Moon fat quarter with a free book when I ordered?  That book is one of my daughter's favorite books. She mentioned today that she has the bunny in it's jambes in one of the MANY boxes of treasures down in the basement.  I'm sure next time hubby goes down, the bunny will come out with him :)   The baggie under the fq bundle is a BOM that I am doing with Red Geranium Cottage and saw the snowman pattern so I had her ship that with this month's kit.  And then of course, a new love story by James Patterson.  I don't read his other books but I LOVE his random love stories.  It's always nice to get a man's point of view in that genre!    While in Florida I shopped at only 1 quilt shop and at the Expo and pieced up 3 patterns, the thread heaven the thimble fabric , and the 2 fat quarter bundles there.  The other 2 patterns and the thread were purchased at the expo along with a little something for a friend.
I'm keeping all my receipts monthly then will add them up and keep track of my spending.  I was going to start keeping track of my fabric amounts but that's not for me, I can keep a receipt and add.....

     And not to let the day go by without a shot of my new "sewing partner"........
Here's Luna.........  A friend mentioned just now on Facebook that it's like when my kids were small and they'd come in and sit in the room and talk to me while I sewed....Ellen, if I had thought of it I'd have taken a picture of my Sarah sitting on the floor next to Luna and talking to me.  She's not working today so she needed to come in and talk while I sewed.

I'm thinking Luna is a pretty darn cute buddy but I doubt she'll be able to do much with needle and thread!

Hope you're having a nice day...even though it's been raining all day here!!!

Peggy