2018 UFO Challenge Update

I'm quite please with the progress I've made catching up with the UFO Challenge.

This was for January and it is now finished.

Then I immediately picked up February's UFO to keep my momentum going.

It is now finished.

The backing has been pieced for March's UFO, Jamestown Landing.

The batting is cut and after this weekend, it will be basted and quilting started.

We went to the beach last week for a couple days so I took April's Mischief Quilt project with me.

All the pieces that were cut are glue basted now.

I even got a couple more blocks sewn together.

I have no intention of finishing this in April,

there is too much yet to do but I do plan to make progress on it.

It is now my only hand stitching project.

If I were to grade myself on this project of catching up, I'd give myself a B+.

I am also excited to report that On Ringo Lake will not become a UFO,

it is at the quilters right now!

Here's a story for another time. 😉😉

Design Wall Monday

January's 2018 UFO Challenge quilt,

Stars and Strings is basted.

I'm quilting!

Walking foot Ultra Wavy Line Quilting!

This is an excellent tutorial at Better Off Thread.

It's really fun to do. 

Not all lines are perfectly spaced,

there are some wiggle wobbles in there

but I think perfection is highly overrated.

After a few hours of listening to Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts on YouTube,

I am about 3/4ths finished with the quilting.

I took a couple of breaks and by the time Ernie had dinner ready,

I was ready to be done for the day.

I'm so excited to have my mojo back.

Check out the cute cute doll quilt and all the links today at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

2:30 Monday afternoon....hubs didn't feel good so it was a quiet day at our house. He parked in his chair with his book and the remote and a quilt.  I went into the sewing room and TaaDaaa, finished quilting this quilt and the binding and label are on. I will stitch the binding in the evenings. I'm calling this a finish!

2018 UFO Update

I had such great intentions when I wrote my 2018 UFO Challenge list.

Then my life happened and most of my sewing mojo went missing.

And then with the 2 cowboy quilts completed for the brothers,

the mojo has returned.

My focus is first going to catching up on the UFO Challenge.

I read Judy L's post UFO Push! and that really put me in the mood to get going.

The back was made recently for the January UFO, Strings and Stars.

So when I cut the batting for the 2nd cowboy quilt, '

I cut some for this one too.

It is now basted and ready for a rainy day of quilting-probably Monday. 

I can't wait to lay the thread I want to use on this.

Variegated yellow.

Maybe. 

Since the table was set up already and I was in movie mode,

I decided to get the borders pinned on to Circle of Jewels, my February UFO.

It's lots of fiddly work and border 1 is pinned and glued in place,

ready for some machine applique.

Border 2 is cut and ready to add.

I purchased a wide back for this one so I only need to cut batting.

For March's Jamestown Landing, 

I have 4 pieces of wide back that I am hoping is enough.

When I cut batting for Circle of Jewels, 

I will cut for this too and maybe April's, depending on what it is.

So that's it in a blog post!

No UFO finishes yet,

but I am ready to knock them off the list now.

Can't wait to see what the April number will be.

(I know what I don't want it to be.)

Please be nice Judy L. 

It's no April Fool's joke.

April's UFO is #5, Mischief Quilt. 

Which is good since it is my only hand stitching project in progress. 

Almost Mid Month UFO Progress Report

Normally, at the first of the year, I'm all gung ho on my UFO project.

This month it is Strings and Stars.

The only thing I have done is measure it and decided not to add a border. 

I'm going to use it at the beach for a sit outside cover up.

I ordered a baptist fan stencil and it came the other day.

I need to decide how to mark it so the marks stay on while quilting 

but come off when I'm finished.

I'll probably just mark one row at a time. 

How will that work with my pin basting?

I don't know.

 I'm not a spray baster,

I might have to convert and become one.

I have been working on my #4 UFO in the evenings while watching TV 

This is the zip bag of parts and pieces.

I decided today it was time to lay it on the bed and decided exactly what I need to do to finish it.

I knew I needed more full rosettes to get it to the size I want.

So here's my chicken scratch list on top of my box of more parts, pieces and papers.

For a minute I thought I might call the blue row my last and finish filling in the top with half yellow/orange rosettes.

Then I told myself to not wimp out and finish it like I originally wanted.

This is an awesome design my Mickey Depre of Pieced Hexies fame.

This is her free On The Road Project for 2016-1017.

I started mine August 2016.

I'm hoping to have it ready to quilt when #4 is called for Judy L's UFO Challenge.

January's UFO

Judy L has chosen UFO #10 for the 2018 UFO Challenge. 

I'm pretty excited--my #10 is Strings and Stars.

Every time I see this quilt top, 

I think about if I want to add borders or not and usually I say no to myself.

I'll measure it again and then make the final decision.

Oh gosh, a light bulb just went off in my head! 

I have a box of string strips already made up, 

what will that look like!

I kind of do have a plan.

I plan to do some walking foot quilting like I did on Taylor's quilt.

I have the thread picked out already.

I'm still thinking about the binding. 

I have some of the blue sashing fabric left but not sure if there is enough.

I don't remember how much of the cornerstone fabric I have.

That would make a great binding.

Should just go scrappy?

I also know that I'm going to use some of the older quilting panels

 that my friend gave me for the back.

I'm going to piece scraps of batting that will empty out another bin.

Looks like I'm about set with my big plan.

2017 UFO Challenge Update

Judy at Patchwork Times is doing her 2017 UFO Challenge 

and I'm playing along.

I'm not a great player but I'm trying.

Last month she chose # 11 which is my Scrappy Stars.

I had a bunch of 3" string blocks and crumb blocks so I got busy.

I saw a quilt Bonnie was working on and I loved her stars so I made mine like hers. 

My quilt top is a cuddle quilt,not bed size.

I'm pretty anxious to quilt this one.

I had all the blocks complete before retreat.

I thought it would be fun to show Bonnie how I was setting my blocks.

I haven't seen her finished quilt.

I just know that this is as far as I'm going with mine.

Daisy tested and approved. 

Now I can get  out June's UFO and get busy with that.

I have 6 complete blocks and parts for several more.

This is UFO #7,

Deli Geese Project, a free design from Pat Speth of Nickel Quilts.

I started March 2014

If you search her archives. these are still available.

(While going to get the link, I noticed an new project has started.

Do I dare look???)

I've decided to march forward with another cuddle quilt.

I'll figure out how many more I need and get busy, 

I'm sure I have enough charm packs and squares to make more than enough blocks.