January Finishes

I was busy the last couple weeks and moved three UFQs to topsville, finished piecing another quilt that was in progress, pieced backs for two quilts, and started on two other quilt tops. At this point in time quilts that move to topsville are finishes at least for all intents and purposes.

for all intents and purposes - in every practical sense; "to all intents and purposes the case is closed"; "the rest are for all practical purposes useless"

I am sending two of the tops off to be quilted and when they return they will be bound and then travel to the recipients.

The first  top is a Blue and Yellow Friendship Star Quilt that I started for myself long ago.  I still need to piece the backing for this one.

The second was from a swap I did several years ago. I call it the Green and Burgundy Quilt. The backing is pieced and it is ready to go to the quilter.

 

The third is from a swap I did years and years ago, where I sent out the focus fabric and asked that they use blues, and whites, with some green to make the blocks. I call it the Blue Hoffman Swap Quilt. I still need to piece the backing for this one.

The fourth is called Two Simple and will be going to someone special when it is quilted and bound, so I am not posting a picture of it until I get a picture back of it with its recipient.  I finished the back for it and it is ready to go. For now you will have to be satisfied with a peek at the backing fabric.

I love the pattern I chose for this and plan to make one for myself using blues.

I am still working on finishing up things, especially my UFQs, but I am also working on new things that are gifts, including a couple of baby quilts and a quilt using the Pat Sloan pattern "Coins in the Fountain."  I have the rows for one baby quilt put together and will finish it up on the first or second of February and pass it on to the grandmother.  The baby boy arrived early and he is a cutie. I have the strips pieced for the "Coins" quilt, but need to cut the sashing and the fabric strips that go between the pieced rows.  This one is a gift also. They are not UFQs, but WIPs or Works in Progress, but they will count as finishes as soon as I sew the last stitch. They will have to be included in my February Finishes, since tomorrow is the first and I am not staying up to finish them tonight.

Happy Stitching and may you finish several UFQs or WIPs  in the next month.

Busting UFQs

Today I finished the top for one of my UFQs and it will be going to a friend after it is quilted.

I started on another UFQ only to discover that one of the blocks, which I  received in a swap years ago was so badly done it was falling apart at the seams literally.  I cannot believe that even a beginning quilter would allow such a poorly sewn block to leave her house, but obviously one did. I trashed the block as there was not hope of saving it, though I did try taking it apart and putting it back together, but it was no use. Luckily, I received 15 blocks in the swap and am only using 12 in the top so the extra two will go on the back.
I am pressing another set of UFQ blocks today so they are ready for me to put together for a top, as my goal is to move as many UFQs to topsville as I can.
I will post picture tomorrow as it is too dark for me to get a good one this late in the day, after all it is Alaska and our days are short in the winter.

Fabric Diet

One of my goals for 2013 is to go on a fabric diet.  For those of you who do not know what a fabric diet is let me explain.

A Fabric Diet is where I do not purchase fabric, instead I use from my stash.  I can only purchase fabric if there is nothing in my stash that will work for a backing or I am in need of a specific fabric to complete a project.

I plan to shop my stash for any new projects.  That means I have to pick from the fabrics that I already own when starting a new project.  I have a large collection of fabric so that should not be a problem for the most part. The problem may arise when it comes to finding fabrics in my stash that go together, or if I have enough of the fabrics that I have to complete a project.