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

Indigo and Black

This week I finished making the rest of my August blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Our color for the month is indigo (purplish blue), with black and grey as alternate choices. I tried to pull out blues that tend toward purple for my appliqued circle blocks. Here they are on the design wall along with all the other blue circles from an earlier month, plus 50 bowtie blocks in blacks and greys.

I also finished the top for my UFO of the month which has quite a bit of black in it. Last week I talked a bit about my method for joining the diagonally set blocks together in this quilt. Check out my post from Monday if you would like more detailed information on that technique. I am almost done piecing the back for this quilt.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday.


Julie in GA