Slow Week & List Making

This week has been painfully slow in the sewing department. Despite not doing any homework last week for my class, I did not get any sewing done either. I did spend some time cutting at lunch one day for a table topper sample. I have made the sample, but am working on "in progress" samples to show how to make each step.
I've taken on a 3rd job to help out my MIL and earn some extra money for Christmas, so I spent a late night and an early morning last week training. This week I am doing the job with hubby while she is out of town. There will be some late nights for us, but it's only for a few days.
Friday night my aunt watched the kids so I could go to club. Three of my closest sewing friends were all at retreat and I was feeling majorly bummed I did not get to go again this year. It was opening hunting season weekend and Paul was out hunting. It's the one time of year he gets to do his hobby, so I put mine on hold. My friend Nicole was there, so we visited, A LOT! We did more visiting with Tammy and her mom than we did actual sewing. I finished three of the four quadrants for the Carpenter's Star.
Last night I actually got a chance to sew them together. I also added the black and pink borders to the top and bottom. It is now the perfect size to fit the piece of minkee I have for the back.

This minkee was the inspiration for the colors I used on the front. It is a quilt for Mikaela for Christmas. This weekend I am planning my own self imposed hunting widow weekend. The kids are going with Paul for my dad and his wife to watch while I work on Sat. and part of Sun. This leaves me free to quilt the night away on Friday night, Saturday night, and most of Sunday. I'll do some laundry and cleaning too, but I plan to get several projects done. I made a list of all I want to accomplish and if I get half of it done I will feel so much better about ending the year on a good note. I have all my homework done for this week as well, so I am free to quilt, guilt free!

This past weekend was a whirlwind and I didn't sew on Saturday or Sunday! This was the first days of sewing I have missed since June 16 when I started keeping track.
The kids and I went to my dad's old house to help with the moving and packing on Saturday. We had supper at my brother and SIL's house. Mathew loved riding on his cousin Owen's tractor.

Sunday the kids and I spent with Grandma Leslie. We did some fun shopping and played. Mikaela tried on some of the new clothes she got from her cousin Molly. She's really into layering all sorts of clothes now. It was pretty cute to see her "dressing up".

Mathew was cheering on his daddy's Chiefs since he hadn't made it home yet. Usually I sewing during Sunday night football, but since it was the Chiefs/Broncos game I watched with the family.

See how sad he was that they lost? Or maybe it was because he has a cold, is teething, and no longer gets to nurse. He's been one crabby baby all weekend.

I am a huge list maker. I make lists and then make lists for lists. I have a notebook I use for my UFO's and I made a list several years ago of all the projects and what I had for the project, what I needed, etc. and each one had a page. I have now whittled the book away to almost nothing. I started a new book in September. There is a page for each month. I set goals and then write down what I accomplish, even if it isn't a finish. It really helped me this year with all the UFO's. I was able to set goals and work on projects that were just lingering. When I finished my October goals, I went through my big UFO list from the start of the year and made an end of year goals list. I dated it October 21, 2013. It had 7 projects/quilts on it. ALL of the projects are completed! Three were baby quilts or bigger, a table topper - which turned into 3, a bag, a book, and a treat bag. I also made a list of UFO's and since then have completed 5 of them! I have completed 3 of my 7 goals for November and have made progress on 3 others.
I also started a list of NEW projects I want to work on pretty soon, which includes 7 projects. So many things to make and do, so little time!
I have a list for this weekend and what my priorities should be, so I stay focused on finishing some quilting while the kids are gone. I also started lists for next year.... I know, I know, that seems so far off, BUT I have plans. This year was the year of small projects, all but 2 of my finishes were under 50" so I could quilt them on my frame. The UFO's hanging out still are big quilts, mostly queen or larger. I should be able to move my frame to my dad's house in either December or January, depending on the weather and schedules. This will allow me to have it at full size. I won't be able to quilt all the time, as it will be a drive to get there, but I'll be able to have it big and we'll have more room for us at the house. So I started a list of mom's UFO's and mine. These are all ones I want to work on next year. My thought was I would have 12 for each of us and finish one of each per month. However, I have only come up with 9 for each of us and some are kind of stretching the definition of UFO.
So this is my rational for all the lists and how I am able to accomplish so much. I have my goals list sitting on my desk at work and I look at it randomly throughout the day and think about what I can get done at night. I typically only sew Monday and Tuesday nights. Wednesdays I teach class and am too tired when I get home. Thursday and Fridays we a lot of times go out as a family, either to do errands or pick up milk for the kids or just shop and spend time together. I sometimes sew when we get home, but most of the time I don't. I usually get to do a bit of sewing on Sunday nights.
Now that Mathew is almost 1 and I am done nursing I have a little more time at home, but I do not have my 2 breaks at work, so I miss that hand sewing time. Sewing keeps me sane!