Friday, January 4, 2013

A Stitch In Time: December Finishes Giveaway Winner

It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials. –Bruce Lee

I apologize for the delay in announcing the winner for December. The site that hosts the linky just sort of evaporated for a bit yesterday, and all the linkies went with it. I was kind of sweating it. I assume that there was some sort of testing or upgrade or maintenance going on because everything is back today in working order. And so I am excited {and relieved} to announce the winner. Grasshopper drew our winner for this month and he picked #17.
Amour Pam Kitty Love


Congratulations to
:partytime: Bente:partytime:
at I Like to QuiltBlog


Bente will receive a Fat Quarter Bundle of Amour Pam Kitty Love by Pam Kitty Morning from The Fat Quarter Shop. If you haven't had a chance, make sure to check out the fun quilt-along that The Fat Quarter Shop is hosting with this adorable fabric line. Besides the sweet little Julemus {or is the plural Julemi? :lol:} Bente made, she had seven other finishes. If you have a minute, see all of the other fun things she was up to last month: #6, #7, #8, #9, #15, #16 and #19.


The January Finishes Linky Party is open, so you can link up as you go throughout the month. Remember to include the January Finishes button {code found in the January post} somewhere in any post you link up. Code for a button for your sidebar can also be found in the January post. The giveaway, sponsored by The Fat Quarter Shop, for the January drawing is a a charm pack of Comma by Zen Chic.

Comma by Zen Chic

Today's post brought to you by:

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

A Stitch In Time: Buttons

It is necessary to try to pass one's self always; this occupation ought to last as long as life. –Queen Christina of Sweden

We've just kicked off another year, with plenty of potential do knock a few projects off those WIP, UFO and Ph.D lists. I'm excited to host a monthly linky party again this year. I'd like to send out a special thank you to The Fat Quarter Shop, who will be sponsoring the giveaway each month. As I did last year, there will be a new button for each month, which links back to that month's specific post. The month-specific button should be included in any post you link up during that month.

New for this year, I've made a general-purpose button for your sidebars. It is a link to the main linky party index page on my blog {the A Stitch In Time tab, above}, which always shows the current month's linky party and includes links to previous months. Just copy and paste the code into an HTML gadget on your layout page to save it to your sidebar and you can always find your way to link up when you have a finish.

A Stitch In Time Linky Party

I like to keep an index page of my finishes each year. It is nice to have one place to keep track of everything. Plus, I can't link up to my own party {although I really wish I could. The Fat Quarter Shop always has something really nice they are giving away}, so I have to have somewhere to show it all off, right? Keeping an index page of your finishes is not required to participate in the monthly linky parties, but if you'd like to keep track of your finishes on your own blog feel free to use this button, which you can put in your sidebar and have it link back to your index page.

My 2013 Finishes

Here are instructions on how to do make the button link to an index page you create on your blog:
• After you have posted your index page, click on View Post {instead of View Blog} so that only your index post is open and showing on your blog page.
• Copy the code below {the button is 165 x 255}.


• In a new tab or window, open up your blogger Layout page.
• In the sidebar area, click on Add a Gadget and select HTML/Java Script from the menu that pops up.
• Paste the button code into the text box.
• This is the important part — your button won't work as a link to your index page unless you do the following: go back to your index page and copy the URL {starts with http://} from that specific post and paste that over top of the text in the button code that says PASTE YOUR URL HERE. The URL should sit directly in between the quotation marks in the code, with no spaces before or after or any other characters in that area.
• Save the button to your sidebar. When visitors to your blog click on your button, they will be taken to your 2013 Finishes index page which {hopefully} has a list of everything you finish this year.
• Make sure to update your index page as you post about your finishes this year. If you want, include links to each individual post for easy reference back to your finishes.
• Leave me a little note in the comments with a link to your blog so I can come and visit you and see your finishes.
• Have fun with your finishes!

A Stitch In Time: My 2013 Finishes

Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity. –Bo Bennett

It is always fun to start a new project, but I find that I get more satisfaction in seeing a project finished. I like to keep track of the projects I finish throughout the year. I did it for 2010, 2011 and 2012 and it is fun to have one place to record everything so I can look back and see my progress. I'll update this post each time I finish a project and will leave a link to each project here, as well as linking my finish posts back to this index.

If you're interested in starting your own finishes index page, feel free to use my little button. I've posted the HTML code for the button and instructions for linking it back to your index page here.

Here are my 2013 Finishes!
• January: five finishes
Two Stitchy Kits
Two Felted Wool Christmas Ornaments, like the ones I made in December. I didn't take pictures or post about them, but I'm totally counting them as finishes.
Little Boy Blue Quilt

• February: one finish
Echoes of Eternity Double Wedding Ring

• March: zero finishes

• April: three finishes
Miss Butterfly's Flower Garden Zig-Zag Quilt and Matching Pillowcase
Ironing Board Cover

• May: one finish
Folded Fabric Star Tote Bag
Mini Star Quilt

• June: zero finishes

• July: zero finishes

• August: zero finishes

• September: zero finishes

• October: two finishes
Sea Glass Batik Quilt
Magicka Wizard Robe

• November: one finish
Ripples Drunkard's Path Quilt

• December: six finishes
Machine Quilting P.'s String Ring Dresden Quilt
Two YW Personal Progress Holders
Christmas Table Runner
Two Monogrammed Luggage Tags

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Out With the Old: 2012 Finishes in Review

That's the motivation of an artist — to seek attention of some kind. –James Taylor


I kind of felt like I was moving in slow motion this year. I'm always looking for the balance between satisfying the everyday have-to's and still finding time for the the really, really want-to's. Looking back, I finished more than I thought. It is kind of nice to see a whole year's worth of work all in one spot.

Today's post brought to you by:
My 2012 Finishes

A Stitch In Time: January Finishes Linky Party

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.
–Raymond Chandler


Welcome to the January Finishes Linky Party! I hope you're excited for a whole new year of finished projects. I know I am looking forward to knocking a few things off my Ph.D and WIP lists. I'd like to send a huge thank you to everyone who participated in 2012. We had 581 finishes linked! That is amazing! Welcome to anyone who is new and thank you to everyone who continues to participate! I wish you lots of luck in getting your projects finished!

To participate in this month's linky party:
• Finish a project {finished as in done, finito, nothing more to add, ready to use/display/give away} with some sort of stitching in it and blog about it or post a photo of it on Flickr.
• Scroll down to see what other bloggers are up to and link to your own finishes.
• Please include the January button in your blog post. Copy the code in the text box below and paste it somewhere in the post you link for this month's finishes. The button is a link to this specific post, so that other bloggers can find their way over and link up too. If you'd like a button for your sidebar, the code is at the bottom of this post.


• Each time you link up a finished project, you're entered to win the January giveaway, a charm pack of Comma by Zen Chic.

Comma by Zen Chic

• Thank you to The Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring our giveaway!



The Fine Print {which might be boring but you really should read}:
• Projects must include stitching of some sort. For example: appliqué, crochet, cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting, practical sewing {garment construction, bags, curtains, etc.}, quilting.
• Projects must be completely finished. As in done, finito, nothing more to add, ready to use/display/give away.
• You can pick something new to do, but projects do not have to be started during the month. If you pick up a UFO, Ph.D, WIP and finish it during the month, it counts.
• Finishes must be completed during this month, but you have until noon MST on the 1st of the next month to link your post.
• Post about your finish and then link your specific post {instructions here} above. Links to your blog and not the individual post about your finished project will be deleted.
• Have more than one finish this month? Great! Post about each finish individually and then link the specific posts up separately. Each finish, and therefore each link you add, counts as one entry for this month's giveaway.
• If you've already posted about a finish for this month, there's no need to do a separate post. Just add the button to that post and link up.
• Please copy and paste the code below to include this month's button somewhere in the post {not your sidebar} you link up for this month .

January Finishes

• Don't have a blog? You can link from your flickr account. Just post a picture, include a little note about your finish and a link back here {code included below} in the description. Then join the linky party.


• Want a button for your sidebar? Copy and paste the code below into an HTML gadget for your sidebar. This button is a link to the main A Stitch In Time Linky Party page, which always has the current month's finishes and links to all previous linky parties.

A Stitch In Time Linky Party

• Make sure to visit a few of the other links and leave them some love {ie, a comment}. A good rule of thumb is to visit two links for every one you include.
• Winner of the sponsored giveaway will be drawn randomly from among the links and announced by 8:00 pm MST on the 3rd of the following month.
• Instructions for making an index page to your finishes can be found here.
• Kindly consider changing your comment settings to the pop-up window option for faster and easier commenting for visitors to your blog. Instructions can be found here.