April One Monthly Goal

Finishing my Fiesta Log Cabin quilt top was my One Monthly Goal for the month of April. It is also one of my projects for the 2017 UFO Challenge at Patchwork Times. I am very happy to say that my goal has been reached!

I started the Fiesta Log Cabin quilt in 1998, piecing 36 Log Cabin blocks, joining them together, and adding borders. Unfortunately, I was never happy with the finished look of this quilt top. It was an awkward size (55" square) and I didn't like how the borders turned out.

Fiesta Log Cabin, 1998 version

I decided to remove the borders, stitch more blocks to make the quilt rectangular, and maybe change the border design. Here is my first attempt with an extra row of blocks added to the top and bottom, plus a new possibility for the borders. At this point, the center of the quilt measured about 42" x 56", and adding borders would take it up to 54-56" x 68-70".

I still wasn't wild about the borders, so I decided to eliminate them entirely and add another row of blocks all the way around the quilt, taking the pieced area up to 56" x 70". That meant making 32 more blocks to add to the 48 that were already done. 

Fiesta Log Cabin, 56" x 70"

I considered going with an asymmetrical setting, but decided to stick with the centered Barn Raising set. The blocks have all been joined together into a quilt top, and that was my goal for April. I'm happy with the way this top turned out, and look forward to getting it quilted sometime soon. I think I have enough of the lighter print for a back. Speaking of the fabric, here is a closer shot featuring both prints.

I am linking up with the One Monthly Goal--April Finish Link-up at Elm Street Quilts and with the 2017 UFO Challenge at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

April 2017 Goals and March Report

March was a busy month with lots going on, but I managed to make good progress on several of my quilting projects. I met my One Monthly Goal, and although I didn't complete my two tasks for Judy's UFO Challenge, I did move both of those quilts closer to completion. Here's my list from March.

1. One Monthly Goal--Finish up the third Star Cluster baby quilt.  DONE

2. Add borders plus piece a back for Maple Stars top.  BORDERS DONE, no backing

3. Quilt and bind Stack & Whack Spinners quilt top. Most of the quilting is DONE

4.  Rainbow Scrap Challenge--make a set of red Scrappy Trips blocks. DONE

Also figure out another pattern to make using the pile of 3" red strips  MORE SCRAPPY TRIPS

5.  Meadow Mystery--join all blocks together into finished quilt top.  DONE

APRIL GOALS:

1. One Monthly Goal and UFO Challenge #1--Fiesta Log Cabin remove borders and make more blocks to make this quilt rectangular

2.  UFO Challenge--quilt and bind one of my Christmas panels.

3.  Wonky Log Cabins--join blocks, add borders, quilt and bind.

4.  Rainbow Scrap Challenge--Make 4 Scrappy Trips blocks with multicolor fabrics.

5.  Finish the quilting and binding on the Stack & Whack Spinners quilt shown above as #3 for March.

That's the plan for the month ahead. I will report back at the beginning of May with a progress report and a new set of goals for the next month. I am joining the One Monthly Goal link-up for April at Elm Street Quilts and Judy's 2017 UFO Challenge at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

March 2017 Quilting Goals

I posted a list of quilting goals at the beginning of February, but it ended up being a very disappointing month as far as meeting those goals. Too much time was spent being sick, followed by trying to catch up at work. The only goals I completed were making the Scrappy Trips blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (see them HERE) and making more blocks for the Meadow Mystery quilt.

Maybe March will be a more successful month...

1. My One Monthly Goal is to finish up the third Star Cluster baby quilt. The center of the quilt is done, it just needs the borders finished, then quilting and binding. Baby is due around the end of March or early April, so this is definitely my #1 goal.

Star Cluster baby quilt

2. My attempts for Judy's UFO challenge haven't been very successful yet, but I'm still hopeful. She pulled #5 this month. For my piecing list, that means adding borders plus piecing a backing for this Maple Stars top.

Maple Stars, 47" x 62"

3. The #5 project from my second list on Judy's UFO Challenge is to quilt and bind this little Stack & Whack quilt top, a former class sample from 1999.

Stack & Whack Spinners, 45" x 53"

4.  Rainbow Scrap Challenge--make a set of red Scrappy Trips blocks. Also figure out another pattern to make using the pile of 3" red strips, maybe a Quilt of Valor?

5.  Meadow Mystery--join all blocks together into finished quilt top.

That's the plan for the month ahead. I will report back at the beginning of April with a progress report and a new set of goals for the next month. I am joining the One Monthly Goal link-up for March at Elm Street Quilts and Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

UFO Challenge--January 2017

Judy at Patchwork Times is once again hosting a UFO Challenge this year. Each participant makes a list of 12 UFOs, and each month Judy picks a random number to let us know our assigned project for that month. The number for January was 3.

I had so many UFOs around that I submitted two lists--one that is mostly piecing and/or borders (see that list HERE) and one that is mostly quilting/finishing (see it HERE.) Here are my #3 UFOs for January:  

Green Crossroads--quilt & bind. Nothing got done on this project.

Ring Around the Stars--started May 2001. The original plan back in 2001 was to make a bed-sized quilt, but I realized part-way through that I didn't have enough of the background fabric. The center of the quilt was all together as shown in the first photo, measuring about 51" x 63". 

I added two borders to the quilt center, bringing it up to 61" x 73.5". 

Ring Around the Stars
61" x 73.5"

Here is a close-up shot so you can see the fabrics.

I liked this pattern so much that I did make a bed-sized version of it with most of the same fabrics. This one has a different background, which really brightened up the look of the quilt. It was completed in 2002 and is one of my favorite quilts ever!

I am currently 1 & 1 on my UFO Challenges. Hopefully I can do better in February. Waiting to see what number Judy draws! I am linking up to Patchwork Times for Judy's end-of-the-month showing of our results.

Julie in GA

2017 UFO Challenge List #2--finishing

This is the second list that I will be linking up with Judy Laquidara's 2017 UFO Challenge. You can see my first list HERE and read about Judy's "rules" for the challenge HERE. The projects on my second list are finished quilt tops (or close to it, just needing borders.) All of them need quilting and binding. I'm hoping Judy's challenge can help me turn some of these into finished quilts! 

1.   Santa panel--I have several Santa panels stashed away and would love to get at least one of them quilted before next Christmas!

2.   LeMoyne Stars baby quilt--blocks/top made as part of the 2014 Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Needs quilting and binding.

3. Green Crossroads--I made this quilt top in 2014 and got it partially quilted in 2015. I just need to finish up quilting the white squares and the borders, then add a binding.

4.   Blue and yellow nine-patch baby quilt--top made in 2013, needs to be quilted and bound.

5.   Stack & Whack Spinners #2--this quilt top was made as a class sample in 1999; needs to be quilted and bound.

6.   Paisley Placemats--finish 4 more placemats to complete the set of 12.

7.  Thimbleberries Applique--this is an old Thimbleberries pattern that a group of us in a former quilt guild made together in 2001. It would make a nice tabletopper for Christmas.

8.   Storm at Sea Heart--heart was pieced in 2001, inspired by Doreen Speckmann's designs. This needs borders, quilting and binding.

9.   Stack & Whack Spinners #1--this was the first version of the same design as #5, made in 1999. Needs to be quilted and bound.

10.  Chinese Coins (Snowballs)--top made in guild workshop in 1998. This might be my first every scrappy quilt top, and it deserves to get finished!

11.  Reversible Mini Storm at Sea--I was thinking about making a Storm at Sea quilt back in 1998 but couldn't decide if I wanted to use a light or dark background. I made two mini samples (22" square) to help me decide. Partially quilted, needs quilting finished and binding.

12.  Around the Twist--this may be my oldest UFO, dating back to 1995. The quilt top is a half-scale version, measuring only 23 x 31". It was my first attempt at machine quilting and turned out so badly I couldn't finish it. I would like to take out the old quilting (monofilament thread), replace the batting, and try again.

Alternate #1.  Hoffman Challenge Butterflies--top made in 2001, needs quilting (already pinned!) and binding.

Alternate #2.  Stack & Whack Kaleidoscope--quilt top made in 1999 using the old Pointillist Palette fabrics for the background. I might add a border, then quilt and bind.

Alternate #3.  Mini Geese in the Cabin--20" square mini quilt made for a guild challenge in 1999. Quilt and bind.

I am linking up my list at Judy's UFO 2017 page. You can find Judy's explanation of how the challenge will work HERE. Finishing quilts is my least favorite part of the process, and I hope this challenge helps me get some of these UFOs finished!

Happy quilting and happy new year!


Julie in GA

2017 UFO Challenge List #1--piecing

Judy Laquidara at Patchwork Times is hosting a UFO Challenge for 2017. Each participant makes a list of 12 UFO goals for the year. At the beginning of each month,  Judy will draw a number between 1 and 12, and that is the project we work on for that month. This will be a new experience for me, and I'm hoping it will motivate me to finish off some old projects. There are certainly plenty of those around here!

My projects are listed in chronological order, with the dates showing approximately when a project was started. I had a hard time narrowing it down to 12, so I have included a couple of extras/alternate projects. These are all piecing projects, and I will be compiling a second list of quilting/finishing projects.

1.  Fiesta Log Cabin (Feb. 1998)--make more blocks and redo borders to make quilt longer /rectangular instead of square. 

2.  Sawtooth Diamond (Oct. 2000) I made a pile of tiny little HSTs for this Amish-inspired quilt design. It's time to do something with those triangles, although it's quite likely it will bear little resemblance to the inspirational photo.

3.  Ring Around the Stars (May 2001) This one shouldn't be too hard--it just needs the border finished.

4.  Mini Snail's Trail (July 2001) I need to figure out a plan for this quilt, which is often where I get bogged down in a project. After that I can get back to making more of these little 3.5" blocks.

5.  Maple Stars (Feb. 2003) The blocks in this quilt were made as part of a guild exchange. I joined them together into a top, which currently measures 47 x 62". I would like to add to the borders to make the top larger, and also to piece a back for it. 

6.  Pineapple Star (May 2003) I made the first diamond block of the star in a workshop, then made the rest in the following months. This is another project where I need to decide how I want to finish it, then just do it. Possibly make more blocks for a ring of diamonds around the star.

7.  Woven Ribbons #1 (Aug. 2004) The top for this quilt was made in 2004, then quilted around 2007 or 2008. All it needs is binding. I guess this should really be part of the UFO finishing list, but I am going to keep it here.

8.  Dresden Stars (June 2013) I started this quilt in a workshop with Edyta Sitar. The five blocks shown are finished except for the centers. I need to make three more blocks, then set everything together.

9.  Border print tablerunner (Oct. 2013) I made a set of placemats for a niece as a Christmas gift, but need to finish up the matching tablerunner. She and her husband are having a new house built, and this would be a perfect housewarming gift.

10.  Tell It to the Stars (Jan. 2014) This was a mystery BOM by Judy Laquidara in 2014. I kept up through most of the year, but lost my momentum when we got to the borders. I have seen photos of several beautiful versions of this design, and I would love to finish the borders on my quilt.

11.  Stabilstor Organizer (June 2014) This isn't a quilt, but something for my quilting room to help organize my supplies. I got the pattern from Nancy's Notions for an over-the-door organizer to hold rolls of interfacing, stabilizer, etc. Mine is started but needs to be finished. 

12. Rainbow Bowties (Jan. 2015) I made bowtie blocks all through 2015 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. It's time to get those blocks joined together into a quilt top. The picture is an EQ7 version of the layout I am planning to use.

Alternate project #1.  Scrap Hexies--started in August, 2013 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. They are English Paper Pieced, and I have all the units made, just need to finish joining them together.

Alternate project #2.  Girl's jacket--I used to teach a pattern similar to this at a quilt shop, and found this partially completed jacket in my collection of UFOs. It just needs the patchwork sections stitched down to the sweatshirt, then the front edge and closures can be finished off.

I am linking up my list at Judy's UFO 2017 page. You can find Judy's explanation of how the challenge will work HERE. I'm not sure I will be able to deal with letting someone else choose what I work on each month, but it's worth a try! I know there are many quilters who do well with these monthly UFO challenges, and I need any motivation I can find to help get some of these UFOs done!

Happy quilting and happy new year!

Julie in GA