New Year's Resolutions & Giveaway

Two winners chosen at 4 pm New Year's Day. I notified Patty and Kathryn. The contest is over.

It's coming! It's coming! 2013 is coming SOON! Are you ready? Do you have any New Year's resolutions? And how did you do last year? Can I share with you what my resolution (yes, only one, let's be realistic here) was for 2012? I resolved to always listen to the voices in my head. Wait! Don't leave! I'm not crazy.

We all recognize those little, tiny, insistent "voices" that seem to compel us to take a different path, to make a different choice. And most are based on good information. I paid more attention to my hunches in 2012 and I was very thankful I did. Don't speak that sharp word. Stop speeding. Only eat one cookie (and not 5). Be kind to the person you don't like.

Happy New Year blocks from my Quilter's Block a Day Calendar
And what about quilters' resolutions? What are yours for 2013? At the bottom of this post I'll ask you to share your own quilter's resolution (and any others you have: lose weight, go back to school, save more money, etc) and I'll have a giveaway (actually 2!). But, I was reminded of a challenge I made to myself regarding making a block a day for an entire year! Yes, can you believe it?

Here is the first paragraph as it was published in Quilt Magazine in 2003. The story is actually true!

"I heard of a professional quilter who challenged herself to stitch a quilt block a day FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. It seemed an impossibility for anyone other than a woman stranded on a desert island with her sewing machine, fabric and thread. It certainly couldn’t apply to me - a busy wife and mother, living in a very large metropolitan city with an outside job to help put two daughters through college. Where did this lady find not only the time to sew a quilt block each of the 365 days in a year, but where did she get the mental persistence to make one on her busiest days, her down days, her days when she traveled? I never got a chance to ask her. No need to wait for New Year’s Day (though I did) to begin. I just set out to do it! Here is how..."

For the full story and tips on how to keep it all together with a monthly theme, click on the article here:  Block a Day Challenge

I am going to post these blocks throughout January, February and March so you can see how I did. The set is over 10 years old - yikes! 90 blocks!

Now, for the giveaway for the New Year. I have a partial jelly roll from Blank Quilting - 13 strips 2-1/2" x wof. They are from their Fabrications Brights Collection and are so fun to use with a black or white background.
Half jelly roll (13 strips) = 7/8 yard
13 strips in bright, playful colors and patterns
And the second giveaway? A sample collection from Red Rooster Fabrics a few years ago. These 6 fabrics are approximately 10" x 24" for a total of one yard of fabric. They were crying on my shelf wanting a new home since I never bothered to use them.

Earthy sunflower collection of 6 fabrics by Red Rooster
What do you have to do to win? Tell me your Quilter's New Year's Resolution. Or any other resolution for 2013.  I will use the Random Number Generator to select my winner.

Please be a follower. I don't want you to miss all my future posts about my own Block a Day challenge. I will be sharing over 90 blocks!

Remember, in order to win, I must have your email. And the contest deadline is New Year's Eve at midnight.

I read every one of your comments, though with a heavy volume when there's a giveaway (wonder why that is?), I can't always reply. But I do value what you say and I bet I'm going to really enjoy all the plans and resolutions you share with me! Thanks so much for visiting.

Comments

  1. I will have to learn how to work in 8 hours what I usually work in 12!I definitely have to remove Pinterest from my head!

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  2. A block a day? I wish! I travel 4 days a week for work; there's no way... I would like to make a block a week, though - that would make a nice size quilt at the end of the year - maybe TWO! My resolution for 2013 is to make 4 baby quilts (for which I already have the fabric) and one quilt bigger than a baby quilt.

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  3. Resolutions...I lost 30 pounds last year and gained 15 back. I want to get it back off and a lose a few more pounds on top of that.

    On a quilting note...Make donation quilts from my stash and use my long arm to quilt them up.

    PS...Please don't add me to your generous giveaway. =)

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  4. My resolution is to finish one Christmas project a month and one de-cluttering project a month. Now I may do more, depending on the size of these projects, but this is the minimum.

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  5. Every month I will make one quilt entirely from my stash. It will be fun to dig out those fabrics that have been waiting too long to be used!

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  6. to make 4 quilts for our church quilt ministry. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  8. My usual resolution "Finish Them!"

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  9. My new year Quilt resolution is to work on my "unfinished" box! Get one project done in a month, and by the end of the year, it should be almost empty!

    pinkgrammy@gmail.com

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  10. My resolution for 2013 is to make at least one charity quilt a month for our guild's charity, Kid's Komfort. A nice way to try out patterns, practice machine quilting and use up scraps!

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  11. I am a follower! My quilter's resolution is to finish the braid quilt I started in blue, and make another one in pink for my two grandkids. I am letting myself off the hook and planning to have them professionally quilted, because it will be triumph enough if I actually get the tops done. My personal resolution is to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE and meet some people this year, lol.

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  12. My resolution for this year is to work only on UFOs.
    I am a follower. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  13. Hmmm... quilter resolutions: don't give up; keep sewing; take a break; learn paper piecing!!! amateurquilter at gmail dot com

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  14. My quilting resolution is to finish 2 quilts in progress before starting a new one. My other resolution is to eat healthier and get more exercise. Same as last year ... sigh!

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  15. Happy New Year to you...for me; I resolve to make some projects besides large quilts. Quilts is what I normally stick with; but I want to venture to more runners, pillows, wall hangings, etc. plus my quilts.
    To be a bit inventive in my wanderings...lol

    I do follow.

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  16. I want to finish an appliqué quilt. I have seven of nine blocks finished and some appliqué to do on the borders. I also have two tops done that I will have basted by a longarmer and then I'll quilt those. BEFORE I start anything else.

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  17. My resolution is to choose some smaller projects this year so that I have something to show around the house that says I am a quilter. Table toppers, table runners etc. Instead of just huge quilts that take forever to finish. Oooh that would be a great BOM thingy for a blog. Petit project of the month. A monthly small project you can complete something each month.. I wish I had thought of it sooner!!

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  18. 2013 will be a year of trying new colors, new fabric lines and new designers.

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  19. My new years resolution in terms of quilting would be to learn paper piecing, then to use the fabrics I already have and not by even more that fly around then (cuz frankly I doubt I will ever use all the ones I gathered in the past 2 years, ever in my life). Personally I wanna try not to get myself worked up so quickly when I'm angry about something, because it's really not doing me any good health wise. :)

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  20. For 2013 i want too get some of the Ufo finished that has been hanging around way too long.

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  21. My resolution is to complete at least 2 UFO's for every new project I start.

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  22. I LOVE New Years Resolutions... my quilting ones are 1) average 1 UFO finish a week (I have LOTS) and 2)learn how to FMQ.

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  23. One of my quilting resolutions is to make an intermediate scrap quilt from the Fons and Porter magazine. Thanks for the chance at your giveaway.

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  24. My resolution is to make an red and white hand appliqued quilt along with an Amish inspired solid color quilt. Both are out of my normal quilt choices so it should be fun. Thanks for the chance and have a fantastic 2013!

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  25. My quilter's resolution is to inventory my UFO's and finish two of them for each and every new project I start. In my other life goals, I want to start into a new and healthier lifestyle by changing my eating and adding more exercise into my day. My hope is to lose forty pounds this year. My other goal is to organize, organize, organize. Why? So I can find what I need more quickly and have more time to play!

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  26. I want to learn to use my HQ sit down quilting machine. I mainly do wall size and smaller quilts and want to do more table runners to cut down my stash. Great giveaway! jbechosend at sbcglobal dot net

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  27. My resolutions of 2013 include losing weight, exercising, and getting my diabetes more under
    control. My sewing resolution
    is to complete the large quilt
    that I started for my husband
    about 2 years ago. Hopefully
    I can get it done by next Christmas. I am a happy follower.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

    wigglypup2(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  28. My resolution is to finally organize my attic/craft room and purge some of the things I've collected and hoarded up there for the past 27 years. I plan to do an hour each day until it's complete.

    shel704 at aol dot com

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  29. I resolve to make up two quilts that I've been kicking around.
    rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com

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  30. My quilty resolution is to work on Christmas gifts throughout the year. I did that a couple of years ago and it was really fun and made Christmas special. I don't know how I fell away from it, but this year I am back, complete with a list I made up of projects from Sew, Mama, Sew's holiday tutorials and a chart of what I'd like to make for whom. I plan to use fabric from my stash almost exclusively, unless the project is a quilt.

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  31. I would like to make 3 large quilts this year, one for each of my children. But I wanted to do that last year too. I do want to do more sewing this year. I'm a happy followr of yours. Thank you for your great blog.

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  32. My resolution is to make at least 10 quilts this year. I have so much fabric and it seems not enough time but I am sure hoping to change that this year. Thanks for a great giveaway.

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  33. My main resolution is to work on my WiP list and get these poor neglected quilts and projects DONE before I start anything new. I have 9 quilts in different stages of done-ness so wish me luck! And that is only part of my WiP list! Happy NEw YEar! I am an email follower.

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  34. My quilters resolutions for 2013 is to make at least 4 of the quilt kits (Yes I have mooooore}. The second is to not leave Christmas sewing off until the month before like I did this year. I am a followe.

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  35. Less time reading blogs and more time sewing??? I'm determined to finish one UFO a month next year!

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  36. My resolution is to finish declutting my house, organize my sewing room.

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  37. My resolution is to piece and quilt my oldest son's quilt that i have been promising him for the past 3 years.... I keep getting sidetracked with other projects..... Thanks for sharing

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  38. I don't make New Year resolutions, as then I feel guilty for not keeping them. Instead, I set myself a set of goals, each a little further along than the last, and try to do those. This year, I want to finish the 3 UFO's I have stashed in my room.

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  39. I'm up to the challenge of a block a day - that is doable! My resolution is to always finish the project at hand before starting another!! I have several WIPs that are bugging me to finish them, wouldn't have that bug if I'd finished them in the first place! =0) email: playdoll2(AT)gmail.com

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  40. My resolution is to lose 20 lbs this year, my quilty resolution, get at least half of my 390 UFO's finished, quilted and given to my guild's charity, Eagle Ranch.
    Joan in GA

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  41. Oops. that's 30 UFO's not 390. LOL
    Joan

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  42. My 2013 resolution is to quilt one quilt a month from my pile of unfinished quilt tops. And to lose some weight (again), but keep it off this time. I bought your Block-a-Day calendar for Christmas gifts for my sisters two years ago (plus one for myself) & my youngest sister made a block a day for a month. She recently put them together & made quilt for their bed. Thanks for the giveaway. And Happy New Year!

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  43. Like many quilters 2013 is yet another year to practice my FMQ.
    Thanks for the giveaway and Happy New Year!

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  44. I am retired and don't think I could do a block a day for a year. Maybe a block a week. I am resolving to work on my UFOs this year. They have really piled up in my sewing room and I need the space for other things like more fabric. My hubs says if he doesn't see fabric going out then I can't have fabric coming in. He is right. Just this one time though. Don't tell him I said that.

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  45. My resolution is to finish a few of those UFO'S lurking in my sewing room , it feels so good when I do complete one . Thanks for the chance I am a follower and love your blog!

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  46. My goal is to keep up with the blocks of the month that I have begun. I Just wrote them all down yesterday and am fixing up my little sewing room to put them all where they are visible so that it will inspire me to keep up.

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  47. I resolve to be more constructive and organized. I will paint my sewing area again and rearrange to make it a happier place to be. And I will have TV in my sewing studio! Loving that Red Rooster Debbie. I am a follower. Thanks

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  48. I resolve to learn to FMQ on my machine so I can finish my ufo's.

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  49. My resolution is to have more organization in the sewing room. I am going to try and get some projects together so that I'm not spending hours trying to decide what is next. Let's see if this happens.

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  50. My quilting goal is to make as many quilts as i can and donate them. My favorite is the neonatal unit (and those strips would be perfect). To date i have made and given away over 200 quilts, and since i dont have a sewing machine, all were hand pieced and hand quilted. I cant afford to buy fabric because i only receive 345.00 monthly for disability. So i enter all fabric/kits contest on line. Some bloggers have been kind enough to donate fabric and scraps which i truely do appreciate. Thank you for a great giveaway and a wonderful blog babscorbitt@gmail.com

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  51. My resolution? Just to finish the quilt that has been waiting on me for 4 years. My Moms Dresden.

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  52. My resolution is to gift myself 2 hours every day to use in my craft room working on a project. Too often I give away my time and just end up with the frustration. Oh and of course I want to shed 15 pounds, my son at age 48 has finally found his love and is getting married for the first time in May!!!!! That's it, just praying for a safer 2013

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  53. I'm really ready for 2013 to get here. I'm hoping this will be a better year. I want to get better at my longarm quilting so I can share doing quilting for friends. Love the colors of both giveaways. Thanks for all you do.

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  54. My resolution? Finish 10 quilting projects this year....any 10 *grin* Maybe a few UFO's, maybe a few new ones? Can't wait to check back in next year and let y'all know how I did....

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  55. My resolution is to FMQ my 3 queen size tops on my home machine, and to piece together the 12 blocks I've had for 2 years and complete the quilt too. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  56. I am a follower
    These are great give a ways. The Earthy Sunflower would go great in my front room. I have yet to make pillows for it.
    My resolutions for 2013. Loose weight (already started) and to clean my sewing machine after every project.
    quilting[dash]lady[at]comcast[dot]net

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  57. I'm a follower via email. I'd love to try a block a day but will have to put off starting until later in the year as I'll be out of town and away from sewing machine for most of January and a bit of Feb! The days I'm here will have to be working on those darn UFPs!

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  58. I follow you through emails. Goals are really hard for me, because I want to sew everything for everybody. So I decided that I was going to focus on my UFO's 6 boxes big. Get those out of the way and my mind might be clearer. Ha! Ha!

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  59. I don't usually plan on anything different anymore. I know they don't happen! LOL! I would like to work in more sewing time however and will try to work on it. I have been following you for awhile now.
    hulseybg at gmail dot com

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  60. My Quilting resolution for 2013 is to get my sewing room organized and to finished quilting some ufo projects started. I also want to learn more about machine quilting.
    These are my goals for 2013. I want to make lap quilts for my elderly in laws and one for my elderly mom this year. I have been collecting pretty fabric for several years to make these quilts and hope to get this done this year.

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  61. My resolution is to get in better shape. I need to return to the Y, and start toning my muscles and using the weight machines. A habit has to be formed in my thinking and continue to my actions. Wish me luck! I know I can do it.

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  62. My email is sgatda@frontier.com to previous Bluequilt comment. Thank you

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  63. I resolve to learn more, to try new things even if they frighten me. I have started by joining Don't call me Betsy's BOM , Lucky Stars which is paper piecing (something I have never attempted) and I am going to try FMQ, right now I just do straight line or wavy line quilting.

    thelady(at)hotmail.com

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  64. I am going to finish old projects this year instead of starting new ones. Last year I did finish 3 old projects , so this year I will say 5 old projects. Patsy Pirnat
    sewpatsy1@comcast.net

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  66. sorry, I messed up the last comment. My resolution is to spend more time quilting and trying new techniques. Thanks for the giveaway. aurea.gillis@gmail.com

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  67. I'm resolving to get my UFO's finished so that I can sew from your Block Calendar.

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  68. I have several quilt tops some dating back to the 1980's that need to be quilted. So my resolution is to try to do as many as I can before next year 2014.
    I have a quilting machine now that I need to practice on so these tops will be perfect.

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  69. Happy New year! I want to master the Free Motion Quilting skill and also lose some weight :)

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  70. As for a quilting resolution, I want to get a sewing space set up. For myself, I want to lose more weight. I lost 85 lbs last year and gained some back. I want to lose what I gained and more.

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  71. I want to laugh every day. Enjoy my life and photograph it. Swim and do yoga and love myself and all my family members. I could say I will worry less but boy, that would be a hard one.

    Kathy Mathews
    Quilt98@hotmail.com

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  72. My resolution is to finish my daughter's wedding quilt--no date for a wedding but I want to finish it while I can still hand quilt. Thanks for hosting a giveaway!

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  73. I will be retiring in 2013 and my New Years resolution is to quilt when I want and also to garden when I want.

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  74. I never follow through on resolutions so I rarely make them any longer. I am making just one however for 2013. That will be to get away from the computer and at my sewing machine more. I have so many things I want to do and they aren't ever going to get done if I'm reading all the amazing tutorials lining up even more things I want to do online.

    I am already a follower also.

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  75. My resolution besides the obvious to lose weight would be to stop procrastinating and to finish wips and enhance my sewing skills. I do follow you and thanks for the giveaway.

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  76. I'm resolving to brush up on the skills I have, and learn some new ones this year. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  77. I must clean up and organize my sewing room! Have a good new year, Debby.

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  78. I am a new follower and would like to be counted in for this giveaway.

    I would like to quilt more as my quilting has taken a back seat in 2012.

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  79. My New Year's resolution is to eat healthier, exercise more, and finish up my WIP's. Thanks sew much for this chance to win! :-D

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  80. I want to finish some of my UFO's, lose a few pounds and finish a new quilt i'm still designing.

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  81. I really really want to make creative art small quilts, improv and textures, trying more drawing and save money for a new machine..

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  82. My resolution is to finish the many quilts I have started, learn to hand quilt, eat better.

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  83. We are moving this year so my new year's resolution is to go through and pack up all my fabric and accessories!!

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  84. I resolve to buy only what I need for a project that I am working on, not just adding to the stash because of a sale.

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  85. To try very hard to quilt the completed quilt tops under my cutting table...

    sowingstitches[at]gmail[dot]com

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  86. You have no idea how delighted I am to have found your wonderful blog. The quilting bug bit me almost three years ago and I have been hooked ever since. I was doing a paper piecing Google search . . . That's how I happened into your little corner of blogland.
    I'm happy to meet you! Your newest follower, Connie😊

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Thanks for stopping by Debby Kratovil Quilts! If you had a question and don't get an answer from me, please feel free to email me at: kratovil@his.com