I have decided it is time to be totally honest regarding my UFOs this year. I have made it my goal to work on them and try to move them forward and complete them this year. At the moment I have two memory quilts I am working on that are not UFOs, one I am currently piecing and one I am working on cutting out. I do have one or two new things I plan to start including the Gypsy Wife quilt, but I really plan to spend the majority of my time focusing on completing my UFOs.
To be totally honest listing them here on the blog is taking a big step toward making progress because I believe if I share with others it will help to motivate me to make more progress on completing them. I have them listed in a composition book by categories. I chose my categories several years ago and every year or two I start a new quilt journal, listing my projects that are not completed and adding in new ones as I start them. I divide them into categories.
Hand Applique:
I have ten projects in this category and they range from small wall hangings to a large quilt. One I take with me when I travel and am making slow progress on it. Another I need to cut out more pieces to complete the border, a third one has all the blocks pieced but needs the leaves appliqued on to each block. I am slowly making progress on these, but I cannot do handwork for an extended time due to issues with my hands.
1) Mouse Pads
2) Cherries
3) Wild Berry Vines
4) Batik Leaves
5) Apple Quilt Leaves
6) Tulips
7) Hawaiian
8) Pumpkin
9) Morning Glories
10) Chicken
Embroidery:
I have five projects in this category including a beaded tree wall hanging. Two of them will someday be large quilts. Again I cannot do as much as I use to so they are what I consider to be long term projects and I just hope to move them forward and finish a block or two this year.
1) Red Winter Wonderland
2) 2012 Aurifil BOM
3) Snowmen on Blue
4) Birds
5) Beaded Tree
Embellishment:
I have one quilt that I need to finish the embellishments on and finish the binding to be done. Again this is all hand work so it is slow going.
1) Flip Flops
Block of the Month:
I am working on Fancy Forest and have to finish the owls and the hedgehogs. I have the thistles cut out and plan to add bears to the mix, which are also cut out. I pull this one out randomly to finish a block and would like to complete all the blocks this year so I can decide if I want to make it into one large quilt or several smaller quilts.
1) Fancy Forest - a) Owls, b) Hedgehogs, c) Thistles d) bears
Hand Piecing:
This category has a friendship star quilt I started years ago when I was teaching my students to hand piece a block as part of a math project. They each made a small wall hanging and hand quilted them. I also have a couple of Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts in this category that are done in different ways and an English paper pieced star quilt as well as a few blocks for my No Cats On My Quilt Sampler.
1) No Cats on My Quilt - a) Hexagons, b) Tumbling Blocks, c) spools
2) Friendship Star
3) Grandmother's Flower Garden - a) stamped, b) English Paper Piecing
4) English Paper Pieced Stars
Paper Piecing:
This category has 5 projects, one block for my No Cats On My Quilt, a Mariner's Compass quilt that I need to finish one more block and then decided if I want to make more. I also have my Tottenville Toads and Iced Saw Blades that I have just one or two blocks done on and need many more, as well as my curved Flying Geese quilt that needs several more blocks made.
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| Tottenville Toads |
1) No Cats on My Quilt - a) Trees
2) Mariner's Compass
3) Tottenville Toads
4) Iced Saw Blades
5) Curved Flying Geese
Machine Piecing:
This is a big category. I have 21 projects I have started in this one. Several have all the blocks done and simply need me to put them into rows and complete the top, while others have one block done or have the rows pieced so they are all in various stages. One or two also fall into the Hand Applique or Paper piecing category, like the apple quilt and the No Cats On My Quilt, so they are counted twice.
1)Voices of the Past - all blocks completed and layout designed
2) Purple Saturday Sampler - blocks done
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| Voices of the Past |
3) Yin Yang - one block done
4) Valdez Mystery - one block done, all blocks cut out
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| Valdez Mystery |
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| Flower Power |
5) Flower Power - in progress
6) Argyle Beauty II - 6 rows pieced, need to pick the border
7) Wandering Star - one large block is done, sections of small blocks partially done
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| Black Tie Mystery |
8) Black Tie Mystery - three sections done
9) Snowflake Rag Flannel - needs three more blocks cut and quilted.
10) Apple Quilt - all blocks are done, needs applique
11) Bryce's Bunny - needs last border (center pieced by my youngest son years ago)
12) Pin Wheel Stars - needs a few more blocks bordered
13) Memory Quilt for Theresa - in progress, blocks all partially pieced
14) Memory Quilt for Sonseeah - blocks partially cut out
15) Black and Cream Quilt - some blocks completed
16) Mom's sweatshirt Memory Quilt for me - sweatshirts are cut apart
17) Hockey Quilt - in pieces
18) Nine Patches on Point blocks done
19) Lover's Knot Table Topper II - center complete, strips cut
20) Two-Step Jelly Roll Challenge - 81 blocks complete
21) Screwed up Fall Swap Blocks - 16 blocks done
22)
Ugly Fabric Challenge - 2 blocks complete, 2 blocks partially complete (due January 31)
23) Fall Swap - 14 blocks received, need to make one of my blocks and set on point.
Needs Borders:
I have 5 quilts that are in need of borders at the moment. One I have done the Seminole border strips and need to double check the length before attaching
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| Tiffany |
1) Tiffany - borders pieced
2) Single Granny Square - need to piece borders
3) Red, White, and Black Buggy Barn Hearts - borders cut
4) Flower Basket - needs borders
Other Projects:
I have 13 projects in this category ranging from a Professional Tote to an elf, to pot holders and table runners and pillowcases. I have a box of pillowcases cut out that I pull out and make randomly to donate.
1) Professional Tote - cut out, quilted, and partially pieced
2) Sew Together Bag I - cut out
3) Sew Together Bag II - cut out
4) Butterfly Purse - hand quilted
5) Space Purse
6) Alaska Tote
7) Log Cabin Tote - 1" strips cut
8) Elf - partially put together
9) Amish Doll Dress - Need to find this one as the doll is made.
10) Pot Holders - I have a bunch cut out that I pull and make randomly for gifts or donation
11) Mystery Table Runner -
12) Orphan Blocks - a) stars, b) red and cream pinwheels - not sure yet what I am doing with them.
13) Friendship Star Table Runner - needs backing and quilting
14) Pillowcases - two cut out and ready to piece (these are a gift.)
Topsville:
I have 5 tops awaiting quilting, that I need to find or piece backs for.
1) Good Night Sweetheart - need to piece backing
2) On the Road Again - needs backing
3) Northern Nights - needs backing
4) Stack and Whack - debating if I will quilt this or send it off has backing
5) Bonus Table Runner form my July Mystery - needs borders and quilting
6) Memory Quilt for Theresa
7) Memory Quilt II for Sonseeah
8) Buggy Barn Hearts
Hand Quilting:
I have two tops in this category and pull the smaller one out as a take along project.
1) Snow Boarder - partially done
2) Slice and Dice - partially done
Quilting:
At the moment my quilter has seven of my tops. One is done and the rest are waiting for her to complete them so they can come join my binding pile.
1)
March Winds
2) Winter Quilt
3) Christmas Star Swap - next up
4) QMU Christmas Star Swap
5) Small Dark Waters of Kauai
6) Small Light Waters of Kauai
7)
Waters of Kauai - quilted and waiting to be sent home.
This one has arrived home safely and is awaiting binding.
8) Memory Quilt for Theresa
Needs Binding and Labels:
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| Daisy Days |
This is my largest pile. I have 36 quilts ranging in size from wall hanging to queen waiting on a binding. Some I will hand stitch the binding down on and the others I will do by machine. They all need labels as well.
1) Red and White Stars Swap
2) Log Cabin - binding made
3) Flip Flops of Summer - binding attached to the front, needs embellishing
4) Barbara's Antiques - binding attached to the front
5) Undercover in Houston - binding attached to the front
6) Daisy Days - binding fabric selected
7) Braid
8) Eight Point Stars - binding attached to the front
9) Twenties Treasure - binding attached to the front
10) Pink Saturday Sampler - binding made
11) The Substitute Teacher Lap Quilt
12) Crazy Hearts
13) Blue California Confusion
14) Red, Cream, and Blue Mystery - binding selected, just need to find the rest of the fabric
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| Red, White, & Cream Mystery |
15) Red Saturday Sampler
16) Undercover in Houston III (apples on white) - deciding on binding
17) HST Stars
18) Shamrock Wall Hanging
19) Bryce's Lizard Quilt - binding made (my youngest son pieced this one in third grade.)
20) Joel's Attic Windows - (my oldest son pieced this one when he was in about seventh grade)
21) Shopping's Done Lap Quilt
22) Hearts and Houses Wall Hanging
23) Baby Girl Strip Quilt
24) There's No Such Thing As Too Much Fabric Wall Hanging
25) July Mystery Baby Quilt
26) Blue and Yellow Friendship Star
27) Pajama Party Mystery
28) Run to the Border (dark green apples)
29) Lady Bug
30) Buggy Barn Black and White Stars
31) Pick Up Sticks II
32)
Baby Boy Strip Quilt - this one needs to be done as the baby has arrived.
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| Simply an Illusion |
33) Fall Tree Mystery
34) Undercover in Chicago
35) Granny Square Baby Quilt
36)
Simply an Illusion
37)Waters of Kauai
38) March Winds
39) Winter Quilt
40) Christmas Swap
41) QMU Christmas Swap
42) Theresa's Memory Quilt
43) Small Dark Waters of Kauai
44) Small Light Waters of Kauai
I have one more quilt in this category that I need to finish the border on and get it in the mail and one more quilt that I need to start this year, but I am waiting on her color choices.
Part of the issue with my quilting was getting behind when I was traveling back and forth to Tennessee a few years back, doing a ton of substitute teaching, and a broken wrist with tendon damage that stopped me from quilting or at least severely limited my ability to do handwork. This year I have cut way back on my subbing and have been very careful not to fall on the ice.
If I counted right I have 200 UFOs, as some are listed in more than one category and I only count them once. That does not include any new quilts I may start. Some of these are very small and just need a few stitches here or there, others are large and need all the blocks sewn together, or simply need me to pick a sashing to finish the top.
My plan is to move forward or complete one UFO per month this year at a minimum. That will reduce them some and some months I would like to complete two or more.
Last year I completed finished 15 projects, so I am sure I can get at least that many, done this year. I have one that needs a label and one I am working on binding at the moment so those will be my first, two finishes of the year. I am off to work on binding a quilt this afternoon, maybe I will get my first one done for the year today.
I spent a lot of time thinking and looking for fabrics to use with the challenge fabric and trying to figure out what to do. I saw a quilt with hearts and decided that would work, but I knew I had to find a pattern or design a pattern that would work with my 1/8th of a yard of challenge fabric, so I sat down with paper and pencil and began sketching out multiple designs. I finally came up with the design you see below. I am not sure if there are others out there that have come up with the same pattern, but mine uses 2.5" strips. I made a test block using fabric strips left over from a quilt I made my niece.
