sew & tell - some almost finishes and the future our linky party

Hello friends!
Did you all have a nice holiday?  I hope so.  It's always fun to slow down and enjoy time with family and friends.

We got hit with strep throat/scarlet fever (it sounds so much more dramatic, doesn't it?) pretty hard this past weekend.  I spent most of the day we got back from our trip at the doctor's office trying to get both of my kids evaluated.  It was a frustrating morning at best, but they are both on the mend.  Having sick kids and trying to fight off being sick yourself + the lack of sleep is exhausting.  Not that I want to whine any more than I already have . . . The reason I'm telling you all of this is because it is my excuse for not finishing my quilt for today.

So here it is. Almost finished.

backing fabric - IKEA; binding - Amy Bulter Full Moon Dots in Cherry

It's such a big project I don't want to post a picture of the whole thing before it's really done.  Some how that ruins it for me.  Since last Sew & Tell I did finish all the quilting (but one block) and got the binding (minus one edge) hand sewn into place.

Frankly, I'm tired of looking at the blasted thing.  I'm going to have to finish it, wash it, and put it away for a while before I decide to look at it again.

I didn't *quite* get our Christmas stockings finished either - enough to fill them, but they are missing a lining and a cuff.

Fabric - Holiday Happy by Happy Zombie

Great tutorial at Fabricworm though!  It was me, not the tute that facilitated their incompleteness.

I have several bee blocks to catch up on and a whole list of other to-dos that I want to get to, this year.  I've decided to schedule out all my projects for the year, so I'm not scrambling about what to work on next.  Maybe it will help keep me on task and actually finish things faster.

I know it's the beginning of the new year and all of that, and I do have some goals that I've laid out for myself, but these ideas of mine have been pressing on me for several months.  I have been feeling a great need to change the way I've been running my life (or not running it, as the case may be).  I'm tired of feeling tired, frazzled, unorganized and unproductive.  I spend a lot of my days feeling like I'm spinning my wheels.  And I know I can, and should, be a kinder, more creative mother.

Part of this change is going to require some serious focus and a time diet as I've coined it.  I have to cut some things out that are eating up time that should be used otherwise.  For instance, finishing organizing and settling into our house (that we've already been in for 7 months), setting up a weekly cleaning routine, planning menus, playing with my kids, getting my head back on straight so that I can truly enjoy the people and things I love.

Blogging, Facebook, and yes, even sewing (esp. feeling the need to have something each week for sew & tell) have become center stage.  I don't want to abandon them completely, but I need to cut them out for the time being.  I've set aside the month of January to really focus on getting my act together.

The little break from blogging that I took in December was good. Before that it was starting to feel like a chore and I didn't like that at all!  I love blogging!  I love sharing and seeing what you are sharing!  I love Sew & Tell - but I feel like that's all this blog has become, and there's so much more that I would like to be writing about.  That I used to write about.  So I'm re-evaluating Sew & Tell as well.  I'm thinking we will move to once a month.  As we've grown in numbers I feel like some of the original excitement has worn off because there has gotten to be too many links to visit.  I'm thinking about maybe limiting the number of link ups, so that those who do participate won't spend their whole weekend clicking through links.

These are all just thoughts I've had, and I'm not really sure what Sew & Tell will evolve into.  I appreciate your patience and understanding as I try and figure all of this out.  I hope this all doesn't seem super heavy.  I'm just trying to improve in the areas of my life that will make me better and happier.

The next sew & tell post will be sometime in February - probably mid-month.  I will let you know ahead of time!

I'm excited to see the gifts that you made for Christmas, or any other sewing project that you've completed!  Please just one link per person.  If you have multiple items, put them all in one post and then we can see them all with one click!  You all are amazing and inspiring!

PS there are no more free thumbnail linkies.  I don't want to pay just yet to get the pictures on the links again...

PLEASE READ THIS POST IF YOU ARE NEW TO LINKING UP!  :)

NEW RULES FOR LINKING UP!  Please read carefully.  The delete monster will be eating non-compliant links.

1. Please write the post for sew & tell - or add a blurb mentioning sew & tell to a post written earlier in the week.  If you are linking to a post with your own tutorial, please make sure it was a finish from this week and that the completed project is shown first.

2. One linky per person. (please put multiple projects in one post.)

3. Link to your specific post.  (See here for permalink instructions - or email me.)

4. Link back here with a link or a button.

5. Comment on everyone's posts!