When I started this blog, I promised I’d share the failures in addition to the successes. So here you go. A fail!

Well, in my defense, it’s not really a sewing fail. It’s just an unfinished project. So, a failed timeline. Rarr.

The #SewMyStash2015 challenge proposed by Leasa for June was called “Harvest June” and we were tasked with making something fall-related. I was pretty excited about it because I’m always behind when it comes to sewing for holidays. How exciting would it be to have a fall-related item completely ready-to-go in the fall because I had already completed it in June?

Proactive crafting!

But, excuses excuses: dealing with all this moving nonsense in the past month or so has really put me behind. I’ve spent a lot of time getting the new house in order (or, attempting to – I still have so much work ahead) and sadly, getting the craft room in order has not been at the top of priority list. Boo.

But aside from the monotony of moving, June brought about some pretty magical distractions too: my brother got married! So for the first half of the month, I was wrapped up in finalizing everything I needed for the wedding. And then I traveled to Wisconsin for the big moment.

Magical wedding distractions in the north woods! Also, let’s talk about how much I love that bear ottoman.

Anyway, when the wedding was over and I finally felt like I had gotten my craft room to a functional place (please note that “functional” does not mean “finished,” “completed” or “ultimate dream craft space”) I did put some of the housework aside for a bit and took the time to get back into my sewing. After such a long hiatus, it was incredibly comforting to hear the hum of my beloved machine once again. The past month or so has felt so task-oriented. Taking the time to get back to my “old self” for a few hours was a much needed break.

My first night back in the sewing biz – with a little help from an episode of The Bachelorette.

For Leasa’s challenge, I decided to tackle a (free) witch paper piecing pattern that I discovered last year (around the time I paper pieced this pumpkin). My favorite, favorite part about this piece is the witch’s green face and striped stockings. They add a burst of color to the otherwise black-and-gray color scheme. I do worry that it’s a little too reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz when I’m shooting for Halloween here. But hey, a witch is a witch, Wizard of Oz or not!

My goal is to make a Halloween-inspired wall hanging that consists of this witch and some additional quilt-y elements. Unfortunately, the other pieces I am working on to piece with the witch are taking longer than expected. So technically, I did not meet the “Harvest June” deadline because I didn’t finish this project in June. #Fail

But, #SewMyStash2015 challenge aside, let’s think about this scenario logically: I’m about halfway done with a Halloween project IN JULY. So… is this REALLY a failure?  No way!  I’ve never been this far ahead of schedule with any of my holiday craft projects. So I still consider this a win!

July’s challenge is “Holiday in July.” I wish I could participate, but I’m committed to my witch! I’m determined to finish up the Halloween piece before starting something new.

Maybe I’ll tackle holiday projects… in August. Well let’s be honest, by then I’ll be thinking about Halloween costumes. Sheesh – we just celebrated July 4 yesterday, and I already feel like the fall holidays are rolling in too fast! Eek.

How early do you start fall/winter projects? What are you working on now?