April Feature – A Lovely Year of Finishes

April Showers Bring May Flowers and the middle of April bring us our next feature!  Today we have Mary, also known as Fairly Merry, with us.

Blog name: Fairly Merry, Mary Merrily Quilting Away

Blog address:  fairlymerry.blogspot.com

Name you’re known by throughout quilting world: Fairly Merry – IG, Flickr

What’s your ALYoF goal this month.

To finish my Messenger bag! Done and you can read about the finish here!

How do you approach your sewing goals?  

I will look at photos of similar projects on Flickr and blogs, IG photos, and see how other sewists have approached a project.  What color combinations did others use? Will those work in my project?  I like to go off of photos rather than directions, I tend to skip over directions, which has caused a problem now and then.  Sometimes I dive right in, like my recent messenger bag – no pattern!  Yikes!

How do you organize/prioritize your projects?

I TRY so hard to be on time, not my best feature, but I will always get things done.  I’ve been working on several nurseries for friends, and the due dates of the babes have tended to be the dead line for those projects.  I have commissioned projects which I’m trying to keep high on the priority list.  Sadly, I have found that very little sewing time was being devoted to me, and this year I am changing that! I am working on a few ‘me’ items regardless of other deadlines.

For organizing and keeping project fabric together, I have a selection of baskets, bins, and ziplock bags.  I like to keep the fabric with the project until it is completed.  I’ve had projects sit mor months, and then suddenly I want to use the fabric in something else, and there is a flurry of activity as I finish the first project to see how much fabric is leftover!

Baskets for Organizing Projects

Scrap Storage

What is your current favorite project that you are working on? Will you share pictures with us?

With the messenger bag finish, my next favorite project is the Feathers quilt, pattern by Alison Glass.  These are both projects for me!

My all time favorite to make for gifts is the Divided Basket, pattern by Noodlehead.  Adore this basket as a nursery gift, Easter basket, bathroom basket, it is fun to make & chose different color combinations.

What is your dream project to work on?

I have two quilts I would love to make 1 is using the steam punk templates and the other is the Marcelle Medallion in the Liberty Love book.  Both of these are in my thinking process, but I have purchased the books, patterns or templates needed.  One day……

What is your favorite time of day to sew?  Late night, little or no interruptions!

And here is her favorite quilting companion – Brandy

What is your favorite quilting/sewing accessory?

I would have to say my Bernina 750 – it is a dream machine.  I don’t think there is a project I can’t tackle using this machine! I’m still finding new stitches and playing with new presser feet.

 What is your number one quilting/sewing goal for 2014?

My first goal was to bring down my number of obligation sewing projects (not that I don’t adore sewing for others!) and bring up the number of projects for myself.  I am beginning to focus more on commissioned projects and selling.  I have an Etsy shop, and I would like to begin listing items, so far I’ve sold via Instagram and to people who know me.  Selling & orders should help me bring down my stash as I make a bit of funding for more stash.  It’s a viscous merry go and I’m gladly stuck riding.

Thank you so much Mary for being our April Feature! It has been wonderful learning more about you!

Shanna and I hope that all of your goals are coming along and that you are getting closer to a finish every day!!!