On My Weigh with Annie

Annie of  Annie's Ruby Slipperz has started a program to encourage everyone to get healthy in the New Year.  Annie's posting some great tips on nutrition and ways to keep yourself motivated.  There will be an opportunity to check in and report how you are doing every Saturday.  I don't know about anyone else, but being part of a group helps to keep me honest and motivated about my goals.
Annie is so nice.  I wanted to post her button for the On My Weigh project here on my blog, but I didn't see any html code.  I left a comment asking for help and within a few minutes she got back to me and offered her help.  Of course, it was right there staring me in the face.  I think the fat cells are affecting my thinking.  I really need to join On My Weigh

More to do in 2012

Sorry this is text heavy.  There are pictures at the end.

In 2011, I actually managed to finish some UFOs that were languishing in my sewing closet for years.  This was due in no small part to the UFO Challenge held on the off shoot of my favorite online quilting group.  CQ-4-CBee is a subgroup of Cyber Quilters set up for special projects and challenges.  I only finished 3 of the 9 quilts I posted in the beginning of the challenge.  I also gave away one of the tops I listed and took apart a top that wasn't working the way I planned.  That left me with 4 of the listed UFOs on my challenge list.  I also participated in the 100 Quilts for Kids Challenge and the Hands 2 Help Challenge.

I've learned that having a goal with an end date really kept me focused and I was able to bust lots of stash and finish a few more UFOs.  For 2012, in addition to the 3 challenges I posted about yesterday, I have joined a few more to keep me on target.  Although most of these Quilt-Alongs and Challenges have end dates, there is no pressure involved.  If I am unable or unwilling to continue, it is not a problem for me or other participants.

I plan on participating in 3 monthly challenges:

The 2012 NewFO Challenge at Cat Patches  invites participants to start 1 new project per month.  The term NewFO was  coined in response to the UFOs all of us claim to be working on.  It encourages everyone to start something new without feeling guilty about finishing.  I definitely like that.

The Monthly Make It Group 2012 hosted by the Felt Fairy  is committed to making at least 1 new item every month.  The item does not have to be quilty to participate.

In addition to these challenges, I also plan on an additional scrap challenge.  The Scrap Attack  over at Stitched in Color encourages quilters to finish a quilt made mostly from scraps by the end of March.

I will also be trying to complete One Crazy Quilt Block per month.  The finished block will be at least 6 inches.

The last challenge I plan on taking part in is the Building Houses from Scraps project.  This group is making one tiny house from scraps each day.  At the end of the year, each quilter should have 365 tiny house blocks plus a larger house block for the center of the finished quilt.  I absolutely love this idea, but have not completed a block yet.  The blocks finish at 3 inches and I am really struggling with the size.  I cannot keep the seams straight and the blocks will not lie flat.   I will either have to enlarge the block or expend my energies elsewhere.  I am pretty much resigned to the fact that tiny is not my thing.

When I first read through the list of  groups I have signed up with, I felt it might be overwhelming.  After examining my goals for next year, I realized that  challenges are a good fit with my goals and that many of them overlap.  For me, that is an excellent reinforcement.

I worked on a new Disappearing 9 Patch quilt yesterday made from 5 inch floral charms that have been sitting in my closet for years.  The floral charms as well as the tone on tone solids were cut from scraps.     This quilt is designated for the local women's shelter.

The buttons for all of these groups (with the exception of the Crazy Quilt Blocks which is no longer accepting members) are on the sidebar.

Fabulous Temptations for the New Year

There are so many fabulous things happening on quilting blogs right now it's hard to choose which ones to participate in.  There aren't enough hours in the day for me to try all of them so I've narrowed it down to a few I can't resist.   


When Mary of the Curious Quilter announced her 2012 Postage Stamp Quilt Challenge and Swap, I knew it had to be on my "Must Do" list.  Mary has plans for monthly posts, swaps, giveaways and a year-long Postage Stamp Quilt challenge.  Click the button on my side bar for all the juicy details.


Marcia over at  Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting is having a Scrappy Quilt Challenge.  She is offering free quilting to one lucky quilter who finishes a top using her scrappy tutorial.  I started mine today.  Pictures of  the fabrics  I 'm using  are  below .    The top needs to be completed by January 17th.  You can get further details by clicking her button over on my side bar.

Over at Pleasant Home there is a  month long Scrap Along.   There will be:  articles on scrap organization,  ideas for scrappy quilts, tutorials, scrappy tutorials, and even a Scrappy Board on Pinterest.  There's lots more info to see.  That button is also on my side bar.


There are a few more that I will be participating in .  I will post about them tomorrow .

Winners of the Birthday Giveaway

Sorry for the delay in posting the winners.  Blogger does not like my new computer and athough it allowed me to create a draft, it would not allow me to publish the post.

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration with their family. We had a lovely, if quiet celebration.  The day after Christmas is always a bit of a let down.  Luckily, today is the day to choose the winners of my Birthday Giveaway. 

There are 77 names in the bowl.  57 are followers of the blog with an additional 20 names of  people who left comments.  The first winner is:  

Tonya's name was chosen first.  Tonya is a follower and also left a comment;  "They are not the only ones that read your whining post. LOL. I just don't always comment when I am so busy and behind. My son's birthday is tomorrow. I know how it is. Well, happy birthday. So kind of you to have such a big giveaway! Notice how comments come out of the woodwork when you host a giveaway?"

Sheila's name was chosen second.  Sheila is a follower and also left a comment:  "Happy Birthday! Very generous give away.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."

 Sharon V's name was chosen third.  Sharon left this comment:  "Happy Birthday KatieQ!!! Hopefully in spring we can arrange a meet up - got wheels now."

PattiLou's name was chosen fourth.  PattiLou is a follower.  I will contact the winners so that they can make their choices.

Funghi for the Fun Guy

If you are someone that doesn't like mushrooms, read no further.  My mother's parents were from Poland and mushrooms were an important part of my grandmothers's recipes.  This recipe is not one of my Babcia's, but it is wonderful.  I found this recipe for Hungarian Mushroom Soup at the For the Love of Cooking blog.   All of the recipes at this site are delicious.  The only changes I made were substituting Smoked Spanish Paprika for the regular paprika listed and Greek yogurt for the sour cream.  I didn't have time to go to the store for the sour cream so we had to make do.  We have made the soup twice and when I make it again, I will definitely plan ahead so I can use sour cream.  The taste was fabulous, but Greek yogurt is thick so it didn't blend as well as I would have liked.
A salad with shavings of Romano or Parmasean, some crusty bread or the Pillsbury crescent roll in the picture, and a glass of wine makes a heavenly dinner.
One more sleep until Christmas.

Happy Birthday to Me and the Present is for You

Since only Sharon V and Debra S read my whining post about my birthday being so close to Christmas (http://saltmarshpath.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-is-for-birthdays.html), you might not be aware that today is the big day.  Even thought it's my birthday, the presents are for you.  I will be offering 4 items.  If you are already a follower, you are automatically entered.  You may have an extra chance to win if you comment on this post.  If you are just dropping by, feel free to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing.  I will draw 4 names next Monday, the day after Christmas and will notify the winners that day.  The winners will be able to choose a prize in the order their name was drawn.

The first item is the 2012 Quilts calendar by Debby Kratovil which includes instructions and patterns for 12 quilts.

The next item is an Antique Fair jelly roll by Blackbird Designs for Moda.  The picture is a little dark, but the prints are beautifully muted country colors.

Next, I am offering 3 beautiful patterns by Jill Finley from Jillily Studio.  I won the patterns at a giveaway on the fabulous Stash  Manicure blog.  I love them, but after doing a thorough inventory of my books and patterns, I already have so many projects that I want to try, that I know that I will never use them.

Last, but not least, are 2 items that I won earlier this year.  One is the pattern Rows and Bows for Fall and Winter by Seams and Dreams that I won in the C-Bees UFO challenge.  The other is the book, Nature's Way, autographed by the Granola Girl herself, Debbie Field.  Tucked inside the book is a sheet of Heat and Bond to help you with the applique.   I was thrilled when I won the blog giveaway.  The patterns in the book are gorgeous, but alas, I know that I will probably never make them.

Maybe these items have been waiting for you to use them.  I hope so.  Leave a comment and you may find yourself with a new project for the New Year.

This giveaway is now closed.

Giveaway Winners

It was amazing to see that there were 220 comments for the giveaway.  Welcome to all of the new followers and congratulations to the three winners.  The winning names were drawn by my favorite Retired Guy.

The Ruby Charm Pack was the most popular.  The winner is:

Anya said, "Ruby would be my first choice, but any of the prizes would work! Thanks for the chance!

Second in popularity was the group of 6 Fig Tree fat quarters.  The winner is:

Kathy said, "I so would love to win anything Fig Tree so count me in and thanks, you gals are great to do this for us.

Last, but not least is the winner of the Happy Camper dessert roll.

is Marjorie of Marjorie's Busy Corner.  Marjorie said, "I pick the dessert roll,please....what a decision to make..lol. I love all of them."

The winners have been notified and their prizes will soon be in the mail.

If you were not a winner, don't fret.  In honor of my birthday, I will be offering another giveaway later today.