quilt retreat

Last weekend my sister and I packed up our sewing machines and our projects and headed to the quilt retreat! We were both pretty excited for it this year since there was a time when we didn't think we'd be able to go this fall. But as it turned out we made it happen and couldn't wait to work on our projects. And to make it even sweeter, we were both able to get off a whole day on Friday so we had ample time to get to the retreat and really get some work done.

As always it was so nice to see the other quilting ladies and catch up with them. It's almost like having my Grandma there with me. It's a real comfort to know that they still care about Cassie and I. They get a real big kick over us being there and continuing the tradition of it. There were actually some other girls out age that went this year too so that was pretty exciting for us. It's not very often that I meet quilters my age and sometimes I worry that it may die out after a while. I hope it won't. For all the old lady flack it gets, quilting is still a really beautiful art form I think and people would appreciate it more if they really knew the work that went into it.

Long story short we had a blast. We were able to get so much accomplished and had a really fun time with each other as well. I took the T-shirt quilt that I started during the Spring retreat. I hadn't really gotten much done back in the Spring so there was a lot of work to be done for it. I'm super pleased to say that my hard work really paid off. I was able to get 4 rows sewn on and only have 2 more to go. And I couldn't be more pleased with the way it's turning out. I can't wait for it to be finished!! I've wanted this quilt for so long.

Here are a few pics from the weekend. I don't have any of the quilt currently...I kind of want it to be a big reveal!

yes I had lunchables!

and yes they were delicious!!

the applique FCS square I made. It's a little silly but I still like it

the strips monster

the rooms of ladies

my happy little space

figuring out where I wanted the shirts to go

Row 1 complete!

The Crown Royal suit

About a month ago a friend of mine contacted me about making a Crown Royal suit for Halloween. My first thought was "He wants me to make him a Crown Royal bottle looking outfit"? Lucky for me he was referring to a dress suit made with the colors of a Crown Royal bag, purple and gold. Always looking to try something new, I said "sure thing!" having never made a suit before.
So my friend and I picked out the fabrics and notions I would need for the suit and construction began. The colors were a perfect match and I was pretty excited to get started. For the most part constructing the suit wasn't difficult. There were the usual flubs though, sewing the wrong sides of the pants legs together making it look like a mermaid tail, realizing that the standard arm length in the pattern isn't long enough AFTER you've hemmed it, sewing buttons onto the wrong side of the jacket opening. The usual. That's what I get for working late at night but alas, one must use the time she has. The one aspect that gave me the most frustration was the binding for the inside of the jacket because it was made with a lining fabric that proved difficult to work with. It was nearly impossible to cut an even 1inch strip so when I ironed the edges over it made for some very skinny parts. And skinny parts only make it impossible to sew on to a seam allowance. Not gonna lie, it was a pain and I never looked forward to it. BUT the end product was very much worth is because the gold striping really made the inside of the suit look sharp. So here it is, the Crown Royal suit:

 I wish I had taken more pictures during construction. When you get into the zone it's hard to take a break for anything haha.

the finished suit!

the jacket

these gold buttons really added to the finished product

i looove the way the lining makes the inside look! so sharp!

the back pockets came out prefect!

Tom sporting his new suit when he came for a fitting. I still had to hem the sleeves and pants.

Overall I couldn't be more pleased with the way this suit came out! And more importantly, my friend is beyond thrilled about it! It fits great and looks great too. With a gold dress shirt and a sweet crown, this will end up being a very unique Halloween costume and I can't wait to see whatever pictures pop up of it! 

slouchy beanie

A while back a friend of mine say me working on a hat at work. His immediate words were "Can you make me one with really bright greens and blues and stuff", and I said sure! I chose an aqua blue, bright, orange, lime green, and black yarn by Stitch Nation. I wanted some black in the hat to make it a little manlier and in hopes that it would make the brighter colors really pop. I didn't want to make a regular ol' striped hat so I decided to intermingle the colors throughout the hat. Little did I know what a pain in the bum this would be! Switching colors so many times in one row made for lots, and I mean LOTS, of ends to tie in. But despite that, the hat looked killer and all the work really paid off. And my friend couldn't be more pleased. The smile on his face was payment enough for me.

Overall I'm really please with the end result of this hat. It looks super cool and different. And the fit was perfect as well. It even fit on my big noodle!

crochet fun

I feel like someday, whenever I figure out how to crochet, I should do this to a tree! Doesn't it just look so happy and comfy and warm?! Why shouldn't a tree have a sweater?! hahaha And a rainbow one at that!
I just couldn't help but be amused by this and there are plenty more to see here.

Quilt Around Chautauqua

This past weekend the annual Quilt Around Chautauqua/Fall Festival was held at Chautauqua Institution. Since I work there I couldn't wait to spend the weekend surrounded by quilters and their gorgeous creations! And boy was I not disappointed. The quality and craftsmanship that was on display was like nothing I'd ever seen. And there were SO many! The Festival was spread throughout the Institute in 10 buildings, each dedicated to a guild or two. The hotel I work at fed nearly 300 people per meal and housed 250! I've never been around so many quilters in my life.
It was impossible NOT to feel inspired by the work I saw. The patterns and color choices and variations of different ideas; truly awesome. My sister and I literally walked from quilt to quilt doing the "oohs and ahhs" and pointing out the ones we loved (my sisters boyfriends followed along, putting his input in from time to time. such a good sport). What was even more fun was running into a lot of the ladies that we quilt with, many of whom knew our grandmother. It's always a pleasure to chat and catch up with them. Cassie and I aren't sure if we'll be able to make it to the retreat this fall so we've already decided that if we can't we'll just have our own retreat and visit the ladies at the camp. It will be fun regardless.
So here are some of my favorites from the show. I hope your enjoy them and are inspired as well! 

a wall of fall!

on of my favorites! I SO want to make a Halloween something!

tooooo cute!

PUMPKINS!! yay

My Friend Kim and her friend made these!

 They bought one cut of each fabric and divied them up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

these colors are to die for and I LOVE the snail trail pattern.

update

I know I've been pretty sparse in my posting lately but it's for good reason! I've been working on a few gifts lately so I can't go posting pictures of them for all to see! That would ruin all the fun. BUT I will say that I'm almost done with them so once they are given I will be able to show them off here.

I haven't been a total waste of space!

In other news, my sewing station has been all packed up for my moms house warming party this weekend I simply can not wait to get it all out next week and work on some projects. I've been over flowing with creative ideas lately that I'm thrilled to finally try. It should be good stuff.

So be patient and stay tuned my loves. I promise as soon as I can show you the goods I will! 

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Ravelry

The other day I was searching around the world wide web for some knitting patterns and happened to stumble across the coolest site! It's called Ravelry and it's basically a facebook-esque site for knitter and crocheters to share projects, patterns, and all things fiberous! Needless to say I was in heaven. I had taken a bit of a vacation from knitting so finding this site only fueled my fire to get back into it regularly. That day I started a hat and had it finished 2 days later (pretty good for working 70 some hours a week).
So if knitting and/or crocheting is your thing, then check out this site! It's pretty exciting to know that there are tons of people out there in the community who want to share ideas and projects.
{plus on of the questions in your profile is "what's your favorite cuss word?". my answer was "shit". :)

a valance

Again I find myself being ashamed at my lack of posting with this blog. At the same time though, working 3 jobs has kept me from really being able to get much sewing done.

BUT I recently met a woman who needed a valance made and I was able to learn a thing or two. First off, if you want your valance to be wavy and bunchy, BUY 2X the fabric as the length of the window. I made this mistake on the first valance I made. Secondly, put your loop for the rod at the TOP of the valance, instead of attaching it to the back of it. Again, a mistake I made on the first one. With the loop attached to the back it the front of the valance will hang away from the back, making it lay strangely. And finally, if your valance has more than one fabric on the front of it, it's a safe choice to stitch in the ditch and secure the front to the back. Again, this keeps your sides together so they don't poof out, away from one another. I was sooooo pleased with the way the second valance came out, as opposed to the first one. So was the woman that I made it for. It matched her bathroom perfectly!

hung up in my parents bathroom.

new skirt!

A many of you know, or may not know (who knows!), I work part-time at Joann Fabrics. This is truly dangerous as all my paychecks just end up returning to Joann Fabrics! It's a great way to support my craft habit and a terrible way to keep my bills paid. I digress.
So a few months ago I spotted a bolt of fabric in the clearance section that was a thick striped navy and white. INSTANT LOVE. (FYI, I LOVE all things navy....and pumpkin flavored for that matter...anywho). At the time that I found said lovely fabric I didn't really need it nor did I have a plan for it, so I hid it among the other fabrics hoping it would still be there when finance and inspiration crossed paths. About a month later the fates aligned! I decided a skirt would be the best plan of action for my beloved fabric. And boy was I right!

note to self: mirrors make for crappy pictures!

i still love it though

Originally I wanted to have the stripes going sideways but with the pattern I used it was pretty impossible to get the panels to line up. Regardless though, I LOVE the way it turned out. It's a bit piratey but I don't mind, and paired with the right top it looks less piratous.
I have some other clothing projects rolling around in my noggin so hopefully I'll be able to start getting the gears running on them. The beautifully weather is inspiring for some reason so here's hoping.

back on track

photo courtesy of Patty Illingworth

My frequency in posting has been shameful and I apologize. I've been pretty busy lately but luckily that hasn't totally killed my crafting progress. SO to catch things up I'll tell yous about the Spring quilt retreat! What a success! I didn't get to spend as much time at this retreat as I did in the Fall but I felt like I was able to accomplish so much more! I was able to make HUGE progress on the Double Irish Chain for my mom and step-dad; even after messing up an entire row. It felt so good to really see my progress and have it start looking like an actual quilt, instead of a few rows sewn together. And what's even more exciting was that the momentum from the retreat allowed me go home and finish the entire top the week afterwards. My mom adores it! Now I just need to make the back and have it quilted. yay!

finally some REAL progress!

At each retreat one of the ladies will teach anyone who's interested, a quilt pattern. The Spring quilt just happened to be a T SHIRT QUILT!!!! Now, some history: Throughout high school I ran in track and attended an invitational every weekend. At each invitational the school sponsoring it usually sold t-shirts. Of course I had to have one from all the meets! {duh} SO needless to say, between the meets I went to and the team shirts we got each year, Sarah had quite to collection! Towards my sophomore year in college I decided that it was time to start packing these tees away to save for a quilt someday. Over the years I kept my eyes open, in search of a t-shirt quilt pattern that I liked, with little luck. So between not having a pattern and not really having the time, my shirts sat in boxes, awaiting their time to shine. Fast Forward to the Spring retreat and you can only imagine my excitement when I saw the pattern for the quilt being taught this year! It was perfect! Mix and Match sized shirts surrounded by 2 inch squares of whatever fabrics I chose. I dug out all my tees and chose the ones that would be put into the quilt. (What a walk down memory lane) My high school's colors are blue and gold so before the retreat I bought a bunch of fun blue and yellow fat quarters to surround the shirts with. After being taught the process to make the quilt it was all I could do to NOT work on only it for the rest of the weekend. Luckily I didn't take ALL my shirts with me. But I'm super excited about the fabrics I chose and I can't wait to work on it more regularly.

my strips of fabric and some t-shirts

It felt so good to have the time and space to get some real work done for once. And of course seeing the ladies that attend. They are all so sweet and supportive and I can't help but feel good after being with them. I'm so looking forward to the fall retreat and my sister and I have been considering doing the early bird so we can get up there sooner and have more time to work.

CLEARLY we are related...

And not to worry, this WILL NOT be my only post to catch up! I promise! :)

leg warmers

I made leg warmers!!!!!!!! I have a 70s/80s party that I'm attending this weekend and of course a costume is a must. I chose Flashdance as my inspiration and my outfit wouldn't be complete without leg warmers! Now, can I just tell you all the beauty of free patterns??!! Lion Brand Yarn has a huge library of free patterns and all you have to do is register on their site. SO I did a search for leg warmers and got a few options to choose from! I was pretty excited. Now, me being who I am, I couldn't just pick one to make, of course I had to mix and match patterns and needles to make something I liked even more. This caused a little confusion in the end product but for their purpose the leg warmers will serve nicely!
Yes...I do realize that one of my warmers is multi-colored. I had to buy another skein of yarn halfway through my second warmer and when I got to Joanns to buy the yarn, the color I needed was sold out. Since this was Monday and I didn't have time to wait around I just bought the next closest color. Again, for their purpose the color thing doesn't really concern me terribly.
After realizing how easy there were to make I might have to bring leg warmers into my life! They are so comfy and 80's and wonderful.

It is upon us! The spring quilt retreat is this weekend!! yay! My sewing at home has been thwarted by trying to sell our house so I'm really looking forward to getting some serious quilting done. I've also heard from some of the other ladies and I'm excited about the group that will be there this time around. The weather probably won't be very spring-like but I guess It's a good thing we'll be indoors. When I think back to the end of the Fall retreat I recall thinking to myself that I would have so much done between then and now. Looking at what still needs to be finished, it's safe to say that not much has gotten accomplished, at least not in my quilting world. As much as I wish this weren't the case...it is. I have done much knitting tho so I can't be entirely defeated. I was also able to make another purse (for myself). This is has fabrics that I like much more so I decided I had to make it.   

I had seen the fluer-de-lis fabric in the clearance section at work for weeks so when it went on double sale I knew I had to have it!! It was clearly meant to be. The purple fabric I found in the clearance too so overall it was quite a steal! I can't wait for this winter weather to go away so I can carry this around town! I was also able to finish another project but it's a birthday present so I have to keep it on the dl for a little while longer. 
There are also some future projects that I can't wait to start. I got my hands on some new patterns and fabric a couple weeks ago and I very excited to get back into clothes making. The patterns are a lot more modern that the patterns I inherited from my aunt and grandmother. So much of their stuff was from the 70's and not very attractive haha, sorry ladies.

so many projects!

It's official! I've become someone who has anywhere between 5 and 10 projects going on at one time!! I'm not even sure how it happened! I was working on a Hat/Glove/Scarf Combo one minute and last night I found myself needing to get individual bags for the other 3 projects I had going on! This also explains my lack of posting or pictures. Apparently I've been starting things instead of finishing things! {tisk tisk}But last night was the last straw. I started a cross stitch for my mom, that I'm pretty excited about because I decided to change every thread color in the pattern. So last night I put my mental foot down! I will not start another project until I finish 1...or even 2 at this point! Luckily I'm pretty close to being finished with 1 project so I'm not totally bogged down.
On a more organized note, I had to do some major tidying last night. With all the knitting/crocheting supplies that I inherited came a huge mess. All the needles were in baggies and scattered here and there. Anything small was just floating around and I had a basket of old, rough yarn that filled my closet. Now, my house is currently on the market so keeping it clean is imperative in case someone wants to see it. With half of my knitting supplies buried in this basket in my closet and the other half in a box in our spare bedroom, finding anything I needed was quite the pain! Something had to be done. I bought some stack-able plastic containers went to work. At the end of the evening I had a large bag full of yarn to donate and all of my knitting supplies organized and in one place. Boy does it feel good. The basket went back into my closet but since I was able to make room for the stuff that used to be on top of it, I can actually get to it now. Even this morning when I woke up and glanced in my closet I immediately felt good about seeing just the basket in there. It's amazing what a little organization can do for your soul! It's as though I can breathe easier.
So, that's all I have to report for now. As soon as I get something finished I'll be sure to post about it! :) I'm excited to get back into cross-stitching too. It's been a while and I had forgotten how much I enjoy it.

Have a Happy Monday!!! :)

seam allowance

tada!

One of the first things you learn about sewing with a machine are seam allowances. For those that don't know, a seam allowance is amount of space from the edge of your fabric to your stitching.
As a young sewer, for some reason, I never really payed attention to seam allowances and it usually got me into A LOT of trouble. I was a speed sewer and didn't have time to pay attention to such things. This made for lots of seam ripping and back-tracking and groaning.
I college I HAD to be better about paying attention to seam allowances. I was either being graded on the things I made or they had to go on stage for a show. It was a good thing because I finally started to slow down and take my time. My work became better and better.
------> Fast forward to the present time!<-------
I've been working on a new quilt lately with a pattern called a disappearing 4 patch. With all the other things I've been working on I only sew a block now and then just for fun. Well, this bit me in the butt the other night. I had made two blocks before Christmas and they came out beautifully. This past week I had a little time on my hands and decided to make another block. I cut out the fabric(four 6" squares) and sewed them, cut them, and sewed them again. For some reason things weren't lining up like they were supposed to tho. I looked at the finished product and it clearly wasn't as nice as the other two. I compared them and this new one was VERY much smaller than the others. The edges were uneven and it was much smaller. It was all very puzzling. Until it hit me. MY SEAM ALLOWANCES!!!! I forgot that the first blocks had smaller seam allowances. Luckily I had enough fabric to cut new squares so, today, that's what I did. The difference was astounding.

Granted the edges on the new one are still a little wonky, but that can be fixed. The important part is the difference in size. Clearly the smaller block will not fit in the quilt with the others.
The moral of the story: watch your seam allowances!!!!! They are not to be under-estimated. At all. Ever. Really.I'm serious.  :)
Hopefully the rest of my blocks won't give me as much trouble as this one did! If this is the worst then I think it will be a wonderful quilt.

FINALLY

I finally made it back into my sewing room and boy did it feel good! Monday I only worked half a day (a much loved treat) so I was able to commit myself to getting behind my machine. First thing on the To Finish list, the Christmas pants. At this point they might as well be called 2011 pants! Since there wasn't a lot to do on each of them I was able to finish Roy's and Cassie's before heading to the gym. That night I finished my own pants and immediately put them on! They are a little long in the crotch(a minor detail) but beyond that they are perfect! Roy's fit  him wonderfully and I'm so glad to have finished them. Note to self(AGAIN): start next years pants BEFORE November!
Tuesday night I get out of work a little early and I was entirely unmotivated to go out in the tundra to the gym, so to the sewing cave I went. My next project that needed to get done was another Christmas gift. I know, I know, clearly being on time during the Holiday's isn't my strong suit. This gift needed to be mailed anyway so I didn't feel TOO bad. I guess at this point I can reveal what the mystery gift is. I made purses for my girlfriends. I had been wanting to make a boho-esque sack purse for a while and searched high and low for a pattern, to no avail. Eventually I decided that I would have to take matters into my own hands. With craft paper and pencil in hand I drew up a pattern and hoped for the best. This is the first purse I made.(big thanks go my sister for modeling!)

  When I was finished I had a reversible cross-body sack purse! I couldn't have been more thrilled with the end result.  The front pocket was a little too small so on the rest I adjusted that. Also, I decided to put a pocket on both sides so no matter what, there was on inside and outside of the purse.

  I can't believe that it turned out as well as it did. And as an added touch I put a super cute decorative stitch along the top 

This purse has become my knitting project bag at the moment. I like the fabrics but I found others that I like much more so I plan to make that soon haha. I picked out specific fabrics for each of the girls and went to sewing. For some strange reason, I only took pictures of 2 of them (something the girls can remedy for me hopefully).
 

I hope the ladies that received them enjoy them. Each was a token of my true gratitude for their friendship and love. I love each of you dearly.

A much deserved Thank You

During the holidays I couldn't help but reflect on the people I was grateful for who have influenced my life in small and large ways. In the crafty part of my life, two people, other than my grandma of course, kept popping into my head. I would like to take some time to thank these two people in today's blog post.
First, I need to thank my college professor Jessica (Greene) Thonen. When I switched majors in college, I quickly signed up for a costume construction class. Jessica was my professor. The class started off as a refresher for me. I hadn't sewn in a while so the first couple weeks were a great warm up for what was to come. I had almost forgotten that I was pretty good at this sewing thing. As the class went on I found myself being challenged more and more and Jessica was there to assist me along the way. The next year was my senior year and between my work study job in the costume shop and my classes, I lived at the theatre. I was sewing things that I had never sewn before, making my own patterns for clothes, and experimenting with fabrics. At this point, Jessica was not only my professor, she was my boss. She gave me free reign to try and either fail or succeed. She challenged me to try things when I wasn't so confident in my abilities. She believed in me when I didn't. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. I had been given a place to go out on a limb and try things. Did I mess up? Of course. Did I learn from my mistakes? You bet! But I was fortunate enough to have an environment where I could try. Jessica provided that for me. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today, in life and in crafts, if it hadn't been for her. So, to Jessica (Greene) Thonen, I thank you from the depths of my heart! You picked up where my grandmother left off and helped me become the confident artist I am today. I am eternally grateful for you!
Second, I have to thank a long time friend, Holly Jones. Holly and I have known each other for probably 6-7 years now, but it wasn't until last year that I knew she was an accomplished crafter. I began reading her blog and seeing all the wonderful things she was making. At the time I was living in Florida, doing my internship, and had not re-discovered my crafting potential yet. Fast forward to this past summer. I began knitting and sewing more often and had been keeping up with Holly's blog. Suddenly, I became inspired. Up to that point I had been keeping the things I made, to myself; not showing anyone, except my family, or really telling people about it. I didn't think it was anything people would really care about. Reading Holly's blog gave me the confidence to create my own and feel ok with showing off my hits(and misses) in crafting. So, to Holly Jones, I thank you so much for being my craftiness inspiration! You're one of the genuinely sweetest people I know and you deserve every happiness in the world. I look forward to seeing all the great things you make in 2011!

Back to the grind

Let's just all take a deep breathe...and exhale. Don't you feel better??
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday filled with love and joy! Mine was certainly eventful, as always. With all the holiday insanity I hate to report that I was unable to finish the Christmas pants for my family in time. Christmas Eve morning I was rushing to get the finishing touches done on them but it just wasn't going to happen. I admitted defeat and after our present opening with my uncle was finished I couldn't help but reveal what the big secret was. My family was thrilled. I was able to finish my Mothers pants so I made her wear them. She loves them and I love seeing her wear them. My aunt and uncle have decided that they would like some for next year too. So if there is one lesson to be learned here it is, START MAKING THE PANTS BEFORE DECEMBER! :) Lesson learned.
After that day, all sewing/knitting ceased. I barely worked for 2 weeks but I still felt it necessary to take a breather from all the frantic crafting I had been squeezing in. That and the fact that my sewing room has had an occupant all this time (It's the spare bedroom). It was nice to take a break tho. Leading up to Christmas, I started to get stressed out every time I was working on something. This only affected my work in a negative way and I started making mistakes here and there. Not good. The day after Christmas, it was like a weight had been taken off my shoulders. I could breathe again.
This past weekend, it was time. Time to pick the needles back up and get back to crafting. And craft I did. 2 hats and a fingerless glove later I couldn't believe what I had accomplished! I never felt rushed or pressed for time. I knitted when I wanted to and it felt great.
My first project was a slouchy hat that I had only made the rib on. I had seen the recipient of this hat a few times over the holidays and every time his first words were "so when do I get my hat". This made it project numero uno on my list. He never told me what colors he wanted for his hat so I was excited to have a little artistic freedom. I had been eying some yarn and joanns and decided this would be the perfect time to use it! It was manly but not boring. In less than a day I had a hat, in a pattern that I had never done before too! I couldn't help but feel proud. 

It's hard to really see the idea and it's still a little stiff, but with some wear it'll be quite the slouchy hat. I really like how the variegated black-to-gray yarn came out. I had never used that kind of yarn before so I wasn't sure to to expect at first. Can we say "pleasant surprise"?!
I've shown the pictures to the soon-to-be owner of this hat and he's just as excited as I am. I couldn't be happier with how it came out. 

The next project I was determined to finish was a pair of fingerless gloves I had started for myself back in November. I'm currently obsessed with purple and my winter coat is gray so I bought the yarn to make striped gloves. I was able to finish one but then the holiday hectic-ness arose and my lonely glove didn't have a friend in sight. This needed to be remedied immediately. I finished the glove in a little over an hour. Easy peasy. Next I wanted to make a matching hat. I flipped through my book of hat patterns to find the one I have been using. As I flipped I noticed another hat, one with ear flaps and tassels. My creative juices were flowing from the joy of the slouchy hat so I looked over the requirements and steps to make this new hat. There were terms I didn't know and needles I had never used before. Any other day I would have been intimidated and ran! This day though, I knew it was time challenge myself and try something new! Plus, I wouldn't feel so bad if I totally messed up  it up, since it would be on my head.

I dug through my knitting treasure chest, found the utensils I needed, took a deep breathe, and began to knit. Anything I didn't know, I looked up online (a HUGE help), and while at work the next day, I had finished it! I couldn't believe the LACK of mistakes! It certainly wasn't perfect but it was a far cry from the first scarf I tried to make. It fit my head, looked cute, and didn't have any holes! I couldn't wait to show it off to you all! I've already had people ask me for matching sets and I look forward to having them get better and modify them to really make them my own.
I can't think of a better way to start off the new year! Here's to new projects and having the confidence to conquer them! Who knows, maybe I'll make a whole sweater this year!!!