DAGMT 2014 Wrap-Up and Winners

It's over for another year. We've sewn 20 minutes a day all month and we have scads of finished projects. Hotties, for once I am not being sarcastic! Write this date down!

Have you seen the Flickr group? 103 photos and counting as of this morning! Have you checked out #dagmt on Instagram? Projects galore! Many of you have not posted to those groups but have been quietly working away on your own, checking in with me now and then through Facebook or this blog, and I hope you've always sensed how excited this all makes me.


I've loved reading your blog posts and getting a glimpse into your sewing lives. I've loved seeing how some of you wing it, and some of you are way more organized than I could ever hope to be:

My favorite part? It is typed and in pretty font. Mine would be randomly written on scraps of paper to be found throughout the house.

One of you kept a running tab of how many hours you sewed each day right on my FB page, totally freaking out several other people who thought maybe they were supposed to be doing the same. I love that while she only pledged 20 minutes, she never sewed for less than an hour and most of the time it was closer to two. THAT, my lovelies, is EXACTLY what I am attempting to instill in you. Sit down and don't stop until you have to pee.

Maybe that's what I'll call DAGMT next year.

 Projects were done that were started in 2010:

Ivy has a bed!

And projects were completed that were started when I was only a wee thing in the 80s. If only I could actually show you the photo of Barbara's awesome cool bowtie 80s fabrics quilt that looks totally modern, but you'll have to visit the Flickr.

So thank you all for another great February of sewing our faces off. I'm thrilled to inspire so many of you to start the process of a dedicated 20 minutes a day, and even more thrilled when you tell me you plan to continue. A tear may have been shed when I got this message from Renae, creator of the Ivy bedclothes, yesterday:

"I learned a lot this month. Sometimes I over think projects waaaay too much. Deciding which fabrics to use, what design or pattern would work best, and the mother of all decisions…how to quilt something can literally take me hours/days/weeks to figure out. To the point where it can suck the fun out of it, so I throw it aside and there it sits for ages. Something so simple as making a list and committing to creating for even just a few minutes a day FOR THE SIMPLE JOY OF IT, has completely changed my attitude. I’ve learned to STFU and just DO IT before my precious few minutes are wasted. I’ve also learned, and I think most importantly, not to feel guilty for adhering to those few minutes a day. What’s that old adage? ”If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” Words to live by. So thank you Beth Kerr Helfter of EvaPaige Quilt Designs for a fabulous February! I hope to keep it going!"




Hope to keep it going? I know where you live, Renae, and I am not above showing up with a fabric whip.

I didn't get as much accomplished as I hoped, having to use some of my two hours a day in actual pattern writing and kit producing and other creative pursuits, but I did managed to get several of my planned projects knocked out.

My first Scrap Squad quilt is completely done after I quilted the heck out of it, and I can't wait to be able to reveal it all on Friday! But for now, here's a little foretaste:

Check out that miter! Holy perfection!

  And I got two of three sizes of my new pattern put together, and the smallest almost quilted:

Lime is a neutral, hotties.

So I'm well on the way to feeling better about my projects, and that is another thing it is all about.

And now, the prizes!

Fat Quarter Shop $25 Gift Certificates:
Barbara Townsend
Carlene Daly

Follow That Thread $35 Gift Certificate
Karen Salemi

Purple Moose Designs $20 Gift Certificate:
Vickie Skinner
Kaelyn Anglefoot

Sew Fresh Fabrics $25 Gift Certificate:
Renae Mathe

Gotcha Covered Quilting - Moda Layercake and Charm Pack
Mary Wolter

Pattern and Mistyfuse from The Patchwork Pearl
Shauna of Shauna's World

Sweetgrass Creative Designs "The Thrify Quilter"
Kim Rennie

Passes to "A Quilters Gathering", Manchester NH November 6-9
Laurie Bulkow
Ginny LoDuca


Congratulations to all of you! Please contact me with your addresses if you would like your prizes. Pretty sure you would.

And many many thanks to my fabulous sponsors for this event. While the prize of a cleaner studio with fewer UFOs is really enough, a little extra something is so much fun to be able to award and I truly appreciate your generosity. I hope all of you will continue to visit the sponsor pages and shops as they are all hotties extraordinaire!

DaGMT may be over - but as Mr. QH just pointed out this morning, it's National Craft Month! And National Quilting Day is March 16. So no excuses. Keep on 20 minutes-ing!