June 2018 recap and Mid-year check-in

Old Glory by Sam Sarah

I started June the way I finished May - with lots of stitching. Having stitched a little almost every day in May, I continued into June and had three nice stitching finishes, so let's start with them. I picked up several pieces that were closed to finished so that I would have some quick satisfaction (and not so many UFOs!). 

Follow Your Heart - love this message, especially with a teenager in the house!

Whipped Spider Web - Noel Heart by Victoria Sampler

Pink Rainbow Scrap Challenge Blocks

On the quilting front, I didn't have tons of time quilting this month, but I did move along a couple projects. I finished up my pink rainbow scrap challenge blocks leftover from May and got started on my June blocks (they aren't yet done, but should be by the end of this weekend). 

Teal Strips for Rainbow Scrap Challenge Blocks

I did a little quilting for a friend of mine - she made two of these table runners and I got the first one done - now to decide how to quilt the second one. I love her text fabrics and the bright Kaffe Fassett maple leaves. 

I then decided it was time to get going on a few UFOs that were really close to being done, so that I'd have at least a little progress to report by mid-year! I finished up my Crayons quilt and also my Carol Doak block-of-the-month. I am so glad to have both of these done! The Crayons quilt will go to a new baby that I know, and the Carol Doak quilt will hang in our house. 

Crayons baby quilt - a finished kit!

Carol Doak 2007-08 Block of the Month

Here's the stash report and stitching time: 
Fabric used this month: 1 yard
Fabric added this month: 0 yards

Fabric used year to date: 28 3/4 yards
Fabric added year to date: 20 yards

Net fabric used: 8 3/4 yards

Sewing days in June: 9
Weeks of sewing at least 3 days: 1/4 - 25% success
Sewing/quilting time: 6 hours

So, now that we've recapped June, I thought it would be good to check in on my goals for the year: 
1) Reduce UFOs - get to 12 or less by year end:  With the two I finished this month, and two added from my retreat, I am still at 17 - better make some more effort to get to my goal in the second half of the year. 
2) Participate in the rainbow scrap challenge - Done - although I am a little behind, I am close and still enjoying the blocks each month. 
3) Do more quilting and crochet - I am doing well with the quilting - my goal of spending 15 minutes 3x a week has given me a reason to head downstairs many nights. I have already quilted 7 projects (my goal for the year is 12), and I have done hardly any crochet. With all the stitching, the crochet has taken a back seat, but I am okay with that. 
4) Lose and keep off 5 pounds - I've been up and down quite a bit with this goal, but made a couple changes the last few months that are helping - I've started taking my lunch a few days each week, and I've made it a priority to get some evening exercise in. As of the end of June, I was down 3 1/2 pounds, so I need to make a little more progress and then really work on maintaining the loss.  

I would say that, at the halfway point, I am pretty pleased - I am going to make a little more concerted effort to work on the UFOs over the next few months, and keep myself going on the evening exercise and, if I can be successful on both of those goals, I will be really pleased. 

Happy 4th to all in the US and hope July has started well for all of you. I learned the other day that my blog hasn't been sending me comments for the last 3 posts, so I have attempted to fix it...hopefully it will be resolved with this post, but if you haven't heard back from me, thanks so much for your comments!