2011 Quilty Resolutions

Back when we rang in the new year, I was pretty busy keeping a newborn alive and managing two other kids under the age of five...I didn't have much time to make any resolutions except to try to get some sleep!  When I was checking in on Sandy Hasenauer's Quilting for the Rest of Us blog about her 2011 Quilty Resolutions and how well she's done so far, I thought maybe I'd make a few of my own even if the year is almost halfway gone (how did that happen!!!!!!!!).  So, for May-December, here are my resolutions:
1.  Get more accurate matching my seams.
2.  Try making a pieced back.
3.  Bind correctly.
4.  Plan ahead to enter more categories at this year's county fair.
5.  Sew more!
6.  Improve my free motion quilting.
7.  Try new rotary cutting techniques.
8.  Use my EQ7 to make some patterns.

I've already made some progress on #3 (I took a one-on-one class a few weeks ago).  I also have done a lot more sewing (#5) by getting up about 2 hours before everyone in the morning approximately 3 times a week.  And I'm planning on doing #2 this weekend.   I got new labels in the mail yesterday from Spoonflower.  I saw these on Jaybird Quilts and I always love everything Julie Herman creates.  It took no time at all to create a label from some clipart.  I think it's pretty cute, but the print quality is kind of low.  The black doesn't really "pop" on the white of the fabric.  That, however, is probably my fault.  There is probably some way to adjust the resolution or something like that.  But I am happy with how they turned out!

The price was right...less than $20 for a yard of labels.  You can also design, upload, and order your own custom fabric designs.  I liked scrolling through all the fabrics that had been entered in their contests.  It is amazing the designs people made themselves.  And I was really impressed how quickly my order arrived.  The website message said to expect my order in 25-28 days, but it was here in less than a week!