Making makey plans

In the words of my 2yo daughter "I makey" but whenever I say it, it never sounds cute like when she does! So thinking of things that I want to makey this year has given me a little spark to finish current projects so I can 'move on'.

The first thing that I'm hoping to finish soon is my Mystery EPP Quilt.  I *fingers crossed* should have the top bit finished in a couple of weeks but then what do I do? I've never made a big proper quilt before, I know I need batting, a piece of fabric for the back and some binding but how do I join it all together without stuffing it up? Yes, I could send it off to have it quilted but I think I'll use that option as my last resort, I'd really love to make it ALL myself. So I jumped onto Craftsy and found this course that looks like the next step but I don't think it includes binding..so then I could follow it up with this one.  How does that all seem to you? Yes, I'm asking you!  Oh.. and tell me, where do I get fabric wide enough to back the quilt?

Ok, so hopefully my first big finish for twenty sixteen will be this quilt but then what?

Perhaps I need to justify buying more fabric by using up my scraps AND making some gifts at the same time so I thought I could start with this class and have fun learning how to make a super fab bag because looking at the materials needed, I actually have everything in my cupboard except the magnetic snap. I have already 'played' with quilt as you go technique (above piccie) but I'd like to learn more about it & this bag course would be perfect. Then moving right along with my learning, I'd love to use up this pile of fat quarters that I won earlier on last year.

What should I make with them?  Hmm, this has been stumping me but then I saw this qayg class and she starts off with making placemat, then table runner then cushions & so on. I kinda like this idea, I can use my stash, practice my qayg technique further and make matching items for my house ..or as a gift. I likey that makey plan!

With all good plans, there are detours such as this fabric trims bowl I made in the middle of sewing my quilt top and dress for Laney. I was finding bits of cotton stuck to me, the tablecloth and on the floor so I whipped up this little bowl for such ends.

Sew, now I feel pretty good about my fabric plans (see the pun!!) and am thinking what else do I want to do. I kind of learnt some basic cake decorating skills late last year with a cupcake course and then confidently decorated three birthday cakes so I'm happy with that but what I'd really love to do is decorate cookies! I've found two cookie Craftsy classes that I think would be fab but I think I just need to choose one. So in order to decide I had to really read through their class Overviews, Materials & Lesson plans and have decided on this one as it includes a cookie recipe (the other one doesn't, boo..).

Apart from trying to finish off my current shawl, I am eager to start the Buccaneer shawl using this lovely grey/slate colour as the main colour but apart from this knitty project, that is my makey plans so far...I also want to learn how to knit brioche BUT that brioche project is about 5 knitty months away, so I'm not going to start thinking about that one yet!

What are you plans for 2016?
Honestly, apart from these ideas to learn new things, I try not to think too far ahead! 
~ I need to learn how to finish my quilt that I've already started.
~ I want to expand my skills with the quilt as you go as I think there is more for me to learn and I'm getting stuck for ideas but just playing with it with no goals in mind.
~ I'd totally love to learn to decorate cookies in time for either Valentines Day or our anniversary in April but truly, that's all I have focused on so far!