Crazy Quilting Update & 2013 Goals

Crazy Quilt

This week I have added the inner border and the outer border to my crazy quilt.

This is where I am with it at the moment.

The thin black border is only 3/8th's of an inch wide.

The white border will be about 3" wide.

But now here are two reasons why I am putting this quilt ON-HOLD for a little while.

1. Working on this quilt all though January and almost half of February has put me way behind on my main projects for this year, and I really need to get going on those before I end up NOT ABLE to do them because I have run out of time for certain deadlines.
2. This crazy quilt is extremely heavy because of all the jewellery, beads and other embellishments, and I am having trouble with my (bad) shoulders again. So trying to 'heave' this quilt around now it is all put together is not helping my situation,and has prompted me to take a break from it.

So.... I am sad that I have not had a more productive stitching week. 

I was hoping to have this quilt finished by now, but I must accept the fact that I will never have 100% use of my arms again (since my unfortunate shoulder surgeries), and I have to put up with whatever I can manage on a day-to-day basis.

Looking on the bright side of it though....it's a great excuse to get someone else to clean my windows, hahaha.

Goals for 2013

I have already posted about my crazy quilt goal for 2013, and a little bit about how I am approaching the TAST challenge this year too.

You can find that post HERE >>

I mentioned the Crazy Quilt in bright colours, a different shape and minimalist stitching.

A reminder pic of the crazy quilt blocks.

This is going to be a stained-glass rose window quilt of my own design and will be machine embellished.

The TAST project is not the same as the Rose Window Quilt.

And now here is Part Two of my GOALS

I have found this book of velvet fabric samples in my craft stash. It's been there at the back of the cupboard for many years just waiting for a chance to shine.

It's time has now come.

This is what I shall be using for my TAST project.

At the moment this project is called: "An Embroidery of CHANCE"

After reading the next sentence here, you will probably be thinking that I have completely 

LOST MY MARBLES (and you may be right, lol)

My 2013 TAST EMBROIDERY project commences with 3 DICE and a coin-toss

(or is 'die' the correct plural for dice?) 

It will be a true Embroidery of Chance and I am expecting to have a lot of fun along the way.

And to quote my previous post about this project -

CHANCE will determine every aspect of embroidery.
I will take whatever TAST stitch occurs each week - that is the first RANDOM aspect to happen that I have no control over.
And then.......every placement, every thread, every fiber, every stitch, every characteristic, every style - will be taken by chance, and will be innovative, fresh and contemporary.

This project will be FREE FORM embroidery. No plan, no design, no barriers, no idea what is coming up next.

There is also NO finished item planned. The stitching IS the project. '

I will expand on this in the next post when I ROLL THE DICE.

Other Goals

I have a very large cross stitch of a steam engine with about 6 carriages to finish. My mum stitched most of this before poor eyesight made it too difficult for her, and I want to finish it in memory of her.

Learn to make Bobbin Lace.

Create a Mixed Media and Free Form Crochet piece for an annual challenge in the International Free Form Crochet Guild.

Happy Stitching