Persistent and determined...

My Quilter's horoscope says that the Taurus quilter is persistent and determined and always finishes a project... (http://www.astrostar.com/QuiltersHoroscope.htm). It also says something about giving lots of quilts away, etc. etc.
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SOOOO - Just for fun, I started to scroll though my 2006 projects (2007 isn't done yet, so doesn't count!). Take a look at all the photos below... What do you think....???? Persistent and determined - through 3 countries with a Little Boy, yup that is me - I love to finish a project!!! NOT that I always love the project when I am working on it - sometimes it takes shear grit and determination to keep at it, but I keep my eye on the prize - I love the finish! Didn't I just say that? Even if I don't immediately finish a project, I keep going back to it, time and time again - until it is finished. Some tops take me years to make, others I complete within a month. But eventually, I get them all done. And guess what? Sometimes it is my "ugly duckling" quilt that I end up loving the most.

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You would think that all I do is SEW, but NOT so! Our days are jammed packed full of activities, business, cooking, traveling, visiting, play dates, etc., etc., so I am not quiet so sure how I got all this done. It is actually a bit of a surprise to myself! BUT - sewing is how I relax - or destress. I am not sure if I was really stressed in 2006 and as a result - did a lot of sewing OR if I was super relaxed because of all the sewing! LOL!!! Let's just say - sewing "balances" me.

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Actually, I've been so busy this past week that I did this post in segments - a little bit each night. I didn't realize it was so long until I got to the end... So - here goes -

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January 2006 - Austria - I was working on: Cot quilt, Grandmother's Choice Blocks and Octagon Flowers. I also knit a scarf.

February 2006 - Austria - 1st FINISH for the year - Cot quilt! I was working on Cars and Stars and Desperado. I knit 2 scarfs and pieced a little doll quilt.

March 2006 - Austria and Cape Cod- I completely pieced my huge Bars quilt! Cars & Stars has an inner border, I started on Mitre Box Squares and Desperado is finished. (2nd and 3rd finishes for the year!). Desperado was made for one of my niece's - for her Teepee!

Also in March, I gave this quilt to one of my Grand-nieces - it is made from left-over log cabin strips - using only the light pastel colors. I made this last year and just had gotten it back from the quilter.

April 2006 - Cape Cod and Canada - A border month! I added borders to Whirly Gig, Broken Dishes and 2 baby quilts - all these quilts were made prior to 2006! I also quilted an I Spy top (pieced several years earlier). And, I finished off 2 small flanned quilts for Little Boy. I started a scrappy blues square quilt. I sewed Little Boy a sunhat and made a girlfriend a top. Up to TEN finishes now!

May 2006 - Canada

Mitre Box squares is done! Scrappy Blue squares is done! I am working on green Ocean Waves. Twelve finishes!

I also mail a comfort quilt to my Nana's cousin. For some unexplained reason - she did not receive this quilt until right before Christmas!

June 2006 - Canada and Cape Cod

Put final borders on my heart swap quilt - 13th finish. Blocks were swapped YEARS ago. I made the connector blocks and additional heart blocks in summer of 2005. Continue to work on my green Ocean Waves... I am also working on a Country Wife top and checkerboard borders for an old log cabin top.

July 2006 - Cape Cod and Canada

I KEEP working on Green Ocean Waves and Country Wife. Also, I am working on a plaid Ocean Waves (it is now in Austria so no recent progress, but here is a photo anyway!). Little Boy got a small cuddle quilt (#14 finish). I also made him his 1st pair of hand-made flannel PJ's - he loved them so much that ever since I've made all his PJ's.

I also gave my adult niece this quilt - the main setting squares are made from her kindergarten dress! This quilt was made previously, but I just got it back from the quilter. Oh, and I made my girlfriend a tank top.

August 2006 - Cape Cod and Canada

We are up to the borders on Octagon Flowers! I am also working on my checkerboard border for my log cabin. I made my sister some valances and knit 2 booga bags.

September 2006

Some finishes! Green Ocean waves and Octagon Flowers (Up to 16 now)!!! I am working on a seashell table runner that I started in 2003 (still not finished!), continue to work on Country Wife and my Checkerboard log cabin, plus I am knitting a shell scarf (still on needles!). Oh, and Little Boy up-ended my scrap bin and on the bottom were a bunch of wonky hearts, so I made more.















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October 2006 - Canada and Cape Cod

Finish #17! Cars & Stars is done with a final border!

Little Boy gets MORE PJ's and a fleece robe.! I KEEP working on Country Wife. Whirly Gig is back from being quilted and I give it to my Dad (see April for photo).

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November 2006 - Cape Cod

FINALLY - Country Wife is finished (#18)!!! This quilt was a big challenge for me to finish, but I am not sure why! I started it in the summer of 2005 and am thrilled with the final top. I am making fleece mittens and American Girl doll clothes for Christmas presents. Little Boy is wearing his new fleece robe that I made him last month.

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December 2006 - Cape Cod and Austria

I was working on Grandmother's Choice blocks, got Shakespear completely pieced, but not sewn altogether (that would take several more months! and started Judy's Gratitudes block... Most of my Grandmother's Choice blocks and the Gratitudes are still in Austria - I think I will ask DH to send them to me!

Quilts that I gave away this year: 2 for nieces, 1 to a grand-niece, 1 to my Dad and 1 to my Nana's cousin. Little Boy, of course, gets his fair share of quilts! Shakespear was pieced for my DH's niece. Broken Dishes will go to a sister and Stars & Cars will go to a nephew when they come back from the quilters this year. I might have also given a queen scrap Road to St. Louis to another sister, but that could have been the year before. I do like to give some quilts away, but I also love to keep my own BIG bed quilts and rotate them around!

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I do NOT remember making each and every single one of these quilts and when... but by reading old blog posts and sorting my digital photos by date, I was able to piece it together. And we are talking only 2006 here! A lesson learned - I really need to LABEL all my quilts as soon as they are made - even if I think I will never ever forget. I really like my digital camera and sorting photos by date!

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2007 will be a bit harder for me to track because I have my photos spread out between THREE different computers right now. I've had a very hard time switching over to Vista and my Canon software hasn't been upgraded to Vista yet. My favorite computer doesn't have Vista though, BUT for some reason that computer has stopped reading the Canon card! And, then I usually put photos on my laptop when I travel. Hopefully by the end of December I will have all my photos merged onto 1 computer and backed up for good measure! I wonder what I accomplished sewing wise in 2007? How do I bust my stash and create beautiful quilts? By being persistant and determined!