Starting off my 2018 early

The hype is already in motion on Facebook to finish up those UFOs (UnFinished Objects).  I have decided to join the American Patchwork & Quilting's UFO Challenge this year.

Basically, you pick twelve of your UFOs and number them from 1 to 12.  Each month they will pull a number.  Whatever number they pick, you are to work on the corresponding UFO, that month.

Below is my full list.  There are really only 27 UFOs to do, but I have decided to add back onto the list all the quilts that I still have to bind, before I can gift them, and those that I want to go back and make a label for.

As you may have noticed from the list, I have a lot of labels to make and all the recently finished quilts to bind.  I've numbered everything, because on top of the American Patchwork & Quilting's UFO Challenge, I will also select my own number.  My number will be selected when I finish the quilt for that particular month, and I can get other things done too.  Basically, whenever I don't know what to do with myself or don't know where to start, I will select a number and just start there, until my mojo kicks in and takes over again.  

So.........I've cleared off my design wall, cleaned up my quilting studio, and I am ready to go.  Like many on the Facebook group, I've also decided to start early.  According to the American Patchwork & Quilting's UFO Challenge Facebook group the number for January has already been picked.  It could have been just for an example, however everyone is going with it.  January's number is 12.

According to my list (above and below), that means I will be working on my paper piece Xmas pineapple blossom quilt ***AP&Q UFO#12-JANUARY***

I started yesturday, in the afternoon, taking out all the blocks and Christmas fabric scraps for this quilt.  I already had 14 blocks completed and throughout the afternoon, I made an additional 6 more.  In total there are 80 blocks to do, which means I am now 25% of the way done on the blocks.

I am sure many of you have realized by now, that I work in numbers.  They motivate me.  The way I look at it, is like this.....I have 20 blocks/25% complete (glass half full), I only have 60 blocks/75% left to do, and that works out to only 2 blocks per day to have them all done by the end of the month.  Two blocks is very manageable.  So now I start out with a positive attitude and feel motivated and have a sense that I can succeed and accomplish this.  LOL...just try and stop me!!!

Believe it or not, it works!  You know the mind over matter business..... Try it and see.  You can and will succeed.

Here's to another great year!! Cheers!

**My 2018 UFO list - Starting the year with 27 UFOs, goal is to reduce this to 15**

1. Quilting-Reconstructed Dresden plate quilt (my own)
2. Quilting-Stashbuster's ugly/sunshine BOM quilt (no destination, yet)

3. Quilting-Tiny town quilt (my own)

4. Main work-Drunkard's path quilt (my own) ***AP&Q UFO#2***

5. Main work-Red hearts quilt from Sharon (charity)
6. Main work-Brown bear paws quilt (my own) ***AP&Q UFO#3***

7. Main work-Tumalo squares quilt (my own) ***AP&Q UFO#4***

8. Main work-Farmer's wife sampler quilt (no destination, yet) ***AP&Q UFO#5***

9. Main work-Texas braid quilt (no destination, yet) ***AP&Q UFO#6***

10. Main work-Xmas/Solstice star quilt (my own) ***AP&Q UFO#7***

11. Main work-Mel's romance & roses quilt (family) **AP&Q UFO*#8***

12. Main work-Scrappy Carolina chain quilt (charity)
13. Main work-Reconstructed bright 6-point stars quilt (my own)

14. Main work-Reconstructed 1st & 2nd bow tie quilt (my own)

15. Main work-30s fabric Omigosh quilt (no destination, yet)

16. Main work-Monkey wrench quilt (my own)
17. Main work-Silk triangles quilt from Carol (no destination, yet)
18. Main work-Witch/pumpkin wall hanging (my own)

19. Handwork-To grandmother's house we go (my own) ***AP&Q UFO#9***

20. Handwork-Green & red appliqué quilt (my own)

21. Handwork-Hexagon quilt (my own)

22. Handwork-Line Gallery cross-stitch (my own)
23. Paper piece-Xmas pineapple blossom quilt (my own) ***AP&Q UFO#12-JANUARY***

24. Paper piece-Scrappy flying geese quilt (charity) ***AP&Q UFO#1***

25. Paper piece-Pineapple quilt (no destination, yet) ***AP&Q UFO#10***

26. Paper piece-Wild & goosey quilt (no destination, yet) ***AP&Q UFO#11***

27. Paper piece-Mini blocks log cabin (my own).  

Final totals for my 2017 UFOs -- GREAT YEAR!!!

On my 2017 UFO list, I starting the year with 45 UFOs, the goal was to reduce this to 25.  The final numbers:

Total number of quilts completed - 26

Total number of quilts/wall hangings added to the list - 9

Total number of quilts removed/dismantled - 1

Total number of quilts left to be completed to achieve my goal - 2

Final total of my top 12 priority list for 2017........ I completed 8 out of the 12 and made some good progress on a couple of the others.  I think those are good ratios.

Overall it was a very good year with progress on my UFOs.  They got out of hand for a while there, but now they are getting more manageable.  I feel great, and I am looking forward to reducing my list a bit further.

More progress on To Grandmother's House We Go quilt

On the second evening of handwork, I did some of the trees on the left of the evergreen tree.  The progress is slow going, but with every needle full of thread I sit there and admire the progress I have done.  I am liking it and I am enjoying the calming process of one stitch at a time, one after another.

On the third evening of handwork,  I am filling in the branches of the trees and a few sprigs of grass.  The picture is starting to take shape.  I am guessing, that I am more than two thirds of the way done, on these trees.

I just had a thought.....as I am looking at these pictures, I remember when I was in school and we did these books with flip pages.  They would have pictures of objects that when flipped would move across the page.  Does anyone else remember these?  If I were to take these picture to make a flip book....wouldn't it be neat, seeing the picture grow?

Anyways, I really like doing this handwork, though I've already had to put it away for a bit, as I am on a deadline, to finish my Canadian Northwind quilt by the end of the year.  I want just one last finish, so I am pushing toward it.  In the New Year I will start back up on the handwork.

Wish me luck.

My daughter's Christmas present to me

My daughter has been busy, making me my Christmas gift.  Isn't it pretty?  I love it!  This will be my winter wall hanging.  My daughter has been working on this for a while now, as these hexagons take time to do.   They are all hand pieced hexagons, which measure just over 3/4" per side.

She designed the wall hanging on her own and all five snowflakes are different.  It's beautiful!!!

I already have the quilting of it, planned out and can't wait to get started on it!

Yesturday, my daughter and I spent some time together and we went for a ride out to Kitchener, to check out a sale at a quilt store.  My daughter is just finishing off her Remember Me quilt.  That quilt is made with signature blocks and pinwheels, using civil war type fabrics.  My daughter calls them warm colours.

This is what we found for the borders of her quilt.  Very pretty.  This is going to look great on her quilt.  That small border really brings out the colour and design of the larger border.  My daughter also found her backing fabric, so this one will be ready to quilt once she adds the borders (pictures of the quilt will follow, once she has completed the whole quilt and it is quilted).

Hope everyone is having some good relaxing family time during the holiday week.

Xmas/solstice star quilt

I've been working hard getting ready for Christmas, making up the business samples, a bit of hand work, some of the Xmas/solstice star bocks and a whole lot of Canadian Northern wind blocks.

Now that Christmas is done, I have a few days between to putter around in the quilting studio getting things done before the New Years celebrations start.

I am still hoping to finish the Canadian Northern wind quilt, before the end of the year.  There is still a chance of it, with only 20 blocks left to do.  The blocks should take me approx. 4-5 hrs and the three borders maybe another 3 hrs.  It is possible to get the quilt top done.  

The quilting part of it....well, not sure I will have the time for that.  My machine may still have the large panel on it for the samples.  We will have to wait and see, though I am not going to push it too hard, as I want to spend time with family too, but they too have plans of their own, so we will see....

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and best wishes for the new year.

Started the To Grandmother's House We Go quilt

I was so excited to see the Sampler Cross-stitch done, that I..........started the To Grandmother's House We Go quilt.  This is a pattern by Crabapple Hill.

I've had this pattern for a while and have been collecting my black fabric and creamy/beige fabrics.  All my pieces for the blocks and the flying geese border have been cut out for a while too.

Right after I finished the cross-stitch, I started to iron the natural unbleached muslin.  It took me a couple of days on and off to iron and trace the design.

The next evening I couldn't hold myself back, I started stitching the design.  This is the bottom design.  The one with grandmother's house.  It's not the most complicated, but also not the easiest.  It took me all evening just to get the top of a evergreen tree done, plus the start of the line that marks the land going across the design to meet the house.

I am liking it so far, but this is going to take a long time to finish.  I will keep you posted with my progress.

Finished my Sampler cross-stitch

On Friday, right after work, I went to bed sick.  Hubby brought me a hot water bottle.  I just could not get rid of the chills.  Runny nose, major headache, achy bones and chills spells cold/flu to me.  I have been fighting it for going on two weeks, since it entered the house starting with my hubby, and to my son.  My daughter is still fighting it, but I now have it.  I slept and slept.  Slept in on Saturday and took it easy the rest of the day.  I guess my body was sick of resting, that this morning it woke me up at 5:00 am.  I woke up wide awake, the kind that you feel upbeat and ready to tackle the day.  The way I was feeling, there was no falling back asleep.  I still have the runny nose and now a soar throat, but everything else is gone.......for now anyways.  Let's hope it was a quick recovery and I am done already.

Here we are.....the finished Sampler Cross-stitch wall hanging.  Last week I finished the floral border.

I am so excited that I have this done.  I put it up on my design wall for now, until I can figure out how to frame it.  Doesn't it look pretty?  It took me since 1993 to get this done.  I worked on it on and off, but obviously, mostly off, considering it only took my four full evenings to complete the whole bottom section.

Well, at least it is done!  I am excited!  I was so excited to see this done, that I..........

My Xmas/solstice star quilt is coming along

I have so many things on the burner, sometimes I just don't know what to do and where to start.  That is when I make a plan to keep it simple.  So I have decided that during the day I will work on this, and during the evening I work on my hand work.  I have a couple of secondary blocks done for my Xmas/Solstice star quilt.  It is starting to take shape.

I wanted the blocks on the design wall, but the Canadian Northwind quilt was there.  That's ok though, as it forced me to put the top two rows together.  So, in a sense I am working on these two quilts at a time.

While I was assembling the two rows of the Canadian Northwind quilt, I was using my units for the Xmas/Solstice star quilt as the leader/enders.  I will just keep working like this, as long as I can, and make a dent in both quilts.  It's a win win.

I am still trying to get just one more quilt top done before the end of the year.  Who knows, maybe I will be successful and get both done.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.  Next weekend we are heading into Christmas, hope you have all your Christmas shopping done.

Back to my Sampler cross-stitch

At times when I don't have the energy to piece on my machine and just want to relax, I take out some hand work.  Sometimes I take out some handwork when I want to veg in front of the TV with a movie.

While I was going through my list trying to be realistic with what I can get done, I realized that I haven't done much hand work.  This time of year is great for that, as I like to rewatch the Christmas movies.  So......I took out the Sampler cross-stitch to work on.  This is where I left off.

In a few days of concentrated stitching and numerous Christmas movies, this is how much I accomplished.  I am excited to see it this far along.  And it was painless, just stitching while relaxing and watching movies.

I am at the bottom of the cross-stitch.  The only thing left to do is the floral vine that goes around the perimeter of this section.  Nothing more than a few more movies won't solve.  Stay tuned, I am so excited that I will not let this one be put aside, until it is done.

Making some progress on a Christmas quilt

By this point in the year, one has to realize what is reasonable to get accomplished and what is not.

I realize that there is nothing on my list of 12 priority quilts, that is near to the finish line.  All the quilts I have to assemble still have a ways to go.  Not including the quilts only needing to be quilted, and of the three that are left to be assembled, the Xmas/Solstice star quilt is the closest to the finish line.  At this point, I have half of the blocks done (blocks in the picture on top left).  I also have about half of the units, that make up the secondary block, done (at the bottom of the picture).  So.......I am really making an effort, to try and get just one more done, before the end of the year.

I have all the units sorted and counted.  The pinwheels are all assembled (bottom left).  I have all the parts of the chevrons sorted and in the process of being assembled (top right).  The last unit that makes up the block is all together with the half square triangles (bottom right), are waiting to be sewn.  I even have the red and black pieces that make up the border started (left middle).  They are probably two thirds of the way done.

Let's see how far I can get on this one.......

Keep cheering for me, I am going to need a lot of good vibes!!

Sharing my quilting studio

With the online Longarm Quilter's group, we got together on the 10th to celebrate the season.  On top of all the inspiration, from various members, this time we also shared our quilting studios.  As I have the pictures, I thought I would also share them with you.

This first picture was taken while I stood at the doorway to come in the room.  All of my stash (ie yardage, strips and scraps) are behind closed doors, in the cupboard on the right, the one behind the machine on the left, in the unit under the window and in numerous containers under the sewing machine table.

I try to keep most of it hidden behind closed doors, in order that I don't get overwhelmed by the volume of stuff.  Below is a picture of the other end of my studio.  The door is on the left hand side, but not shown in the picture.

I am not really getting a lot done in here right now, otherwise the room would be messier.  I've had to break to look after stuff for the business and get ready for Christmas.  I only left the one project on the table, in case I get some free time to sew.

This next picture is of my second quilting studio, down in the basement, for my longarm machine.  This is the room that I recently (just less than 1 year ago), fixed up and painted to set up my longarm.

Again all of the clutter is behind closed doors.  The quilt sitting on the longarm is a guild quilt waiting to be quilted.

Hope you enjoyed this small tour of my quilting studios.

Xmas pineapple blossom

On my list of Top 12 Priority, I have a quilt that hasn't been started until recently.  It is my Xmas Pineapple Blossom quilt.

Back in July, I did make an attempt to start the blocks, but I was stuck on the corner pieces.  The first choice I made was a dark grey with stars all over, but you couldn't really see the diagonal line affect.  The second choice was the opposite, when I chose white on white with Christmas theme fabric, but that one was too stark.

I wanted the quilt to have some warmth to it.  That is when I set out to find a soft yellow or gold.  I didn't want beige and I didn't want too dark of a gold, so I ended up with this.

  

This yellow seems to work very well.  Do you like the little blinking owl in the small strip?  That was a part of a name tag fabric that someone had given me.  This quilt will have a large selection of fabrics in it.  It is an assortment of fabrics that I collected over the years, and a good portion of fabric scraps given to me by friends, who no longer wanted their bits and pieces of scrap Christmas fabrics.  I will have a lot of old mixed in with the new.  It will be so great!

So far I managed to make two full sections, which consist of four blocks and sashing.  The sashing fabric I am using is left overs from making a Christmas tree skirt, oh.....about ten years ago, if not longer.....lol.  I actually think it was from closer to fifteen years ago, prior to when I started quilting.  

I am not sure why, but some of the fabric was cut down to 2" strips, but never used.  So, when I was looking around for something to use as the sashing, I came across this pile and thought, why not.  It is not a solid or fabric that reads as a solid, which would be my usual choice, but I think I am going to like it.  It is still dark enough to hold it's own, and the consistency will help it stand out, in a not so in your face sort of way, if you get what I mean.

We are getting really close to Christmas.  As I only have this much done so far, I can pretty much be assured that this quilt is not getting done in time to be used this holiday season.  I am fine with that.  I'm just glad that I finally made some progress on it.  It has been set aside for now, but not put away, so maybe during my holidays, I may get a chance to work on it.  We will see......

Today, I am off to the Online longarm group meeting in Oshawa, at Whirls N Swirls.  They are a group of inspirational quilters.  All are willing to share ideas and motivate each other.  We are doing a 'tis the season celebration at the get together and will be sharing food and pictures of our quilting studios.  We will be playing a game of guess who's quilting studio this is.  It should to be fun.  I will share mine in another post.

Progress on the cross-stitch sampler wall hanging

I am trying to finish at least one more thing, before the end of the year, from my UFO list.  Everything on the list is in various stages of completion.  I could just pick one of the quilts just needing to be quilted, but I wanted to make more progress and, besides it had to be something I could pick up during small bits of found time.

That pretty much meant it had to be handwork.  So.....the lucky contender is my Sampler wall hanging.  I actually started this waaaaaayyyyyy back in 1993.  I used to do a lot of cross-stitch at that time.  That was before I found quilting and haven't looked back ever since.

Here is where I left off the last time I touched it.  It is the bottom half of wall hanging.  The top section is completely done, outlines included.

I have been disconnecting myself from the internet this past week.  I have a lot to do around here and I am get more done when I don't have the distraction of the internet.

After I have accomplished what I wanted to get done that day, I sit relaxing to watch Christmas movies and doing some cross-stitch work.  Below is how much I was able to do in the one week.  Nice.  I am so happy with the progress.

Now the only thing left to do is complete the vine that continues to go around the perimeter.  I am very confident that this will be done by years end.

Early reckoning with my UFO list for 2017 (December/2017)

My design wall for December.  Still haven't had much time to sew at the machine with these blocks.  I've been working on the samples for the business.  It may not happen until right after Christmas, when we are all off during the holidays.  

It is always rush, rush, rush leading up to Christmas and all the family get togethers, that between Christmas and New Years our family likes to lay low.  We do activities together and also take some time to relax.  The kids with their gifts, my hubby and I putter around getting things done during the day and relaxing in the evenings.

We are ALREADY in December and this is usually when we take stock of everything that has happened throughout the year.  Quilty wise I am feeling accomplished.  I will not meet my goal set out at the beginning of the year, but I feel that given everything that has been going on, I did a great job.  The year is not over yet, so I can still get some stuff done, but if not, I will still be happy.

At the start of December, according to the list below, so far I have 19 quilts/wall hangings completed and only have 9 left to do, to meet my goal to reduce the projects down to 25.  That is pretty good, I think.

**My 2017 UFO list - Starting the year with 45 UFOs, goal is to reduce this to 25**. 

Note: **#** refers to a quilt that is on my top 12 priority list

Total number of quilts completed - 19

Total number of quilts/wall hangings added to the list - 9

Total number of quilts removed/dismantled - 1

Total number of quilts left to be completed to achieve my goal - 9
  

Completed quilts:

45. 16-patch pinwheel quilt (for friend)

6. Green spiderweb quilt (my own)

3. Amish shadow quilt from Carol (charity)

11. Spools quilt (my own) **3** 

28. Purple & blue squares quilt from Carol (charity) **12**

1. Grandpa's star quilt (charity)

27. Log cabin quilt from Sharon (charity) **11**

7. Flower garden quilt (my own)

4. Split 9-patch quilt (no destination, yet)

2. Flo's upholstery blocks quilt (charity)

33. Mini pumpkin wall hanging (my own) **7**

9. Lise's Dresden plate quilt (commissioned) **1**

44. Machine wall hanging (my own)

51. Log cabin wall hanging (guild donation)

10. Sabryna's yellow nine patch quilt (my daughter's creation) **2**

14. Small Dresden plate quilt from Carol (charity) REMOVED
12. Beach ball quilt (charity)

53. Starry night sky NICU quilt (charity)

13. Random coloured log cabin quilt from Carol (charity)

25. Purple stars quilt (my own) **9**