UFO group update - part 2

I am truly blessed. There was never any sleeping in at my house when I was a kid. I lived on a farm and we had to get up. There were no questions, no whining, you just got up when it was time to get up. And there was no time to sit around and drink coffee and read the paper - you got up and you got to work. Thankfully, that discipline has stuck with me. I can get up in the morning and I'm off to work (sewing) within a few minutes. I get some of my best and most productive work done before 6 AM. This morning was no exception and I'm jumping up and down. BUT - I'm not sharing that with you today - that's something you have to wait until tomorrow to see.

Again - I have my Mom and Dad to thank for that. I'm not sure what happened along the way and why the younger generation didn't learn those skills. Life is not as urgent? Parents are more lenient? I don't know, but I do love that "private) sewing time in the morning. Or I go to the gym, but since I can't do that right now - I'm sewing.

The big news of the day yesterday is that Quilt Canada, which was supposed to be held in June (and had been postponed until September), is now canceled. I figured it would be. The city of Edmonton didn't need a bunch of wild quilting ladies running around in light of the current situation. I would guess that all events with large gatherings are gone for 2020.  Loads of organizations are going online. And why not? I think some of these events are going to find that the attendees are going to be much happier with virtual events than real events. Spring Quilt Market is now going to be held virtually - it was canceled a while back. I'm excited about that. I can get to see what's happening without incurring the expense to be there and not have to be out of total production for 6 days. I know that I'm going to love the virtual world.

Let's get back to the UFO homework. There are 14 of us in the group and there's a whole lot of finishing happening. I sure hope that is the case for all of you as well. I know that Elle is sewing up a storm and I think she said (in a comment on the blog) that she got FOUR UFOs to the flimsy stage this week and working on a new project that she'll have finished by today. Then onto quilting them! Some day!!!  Way to go Elle!!!!

And NOW for the UFO homework.

First up today is Laura. She's working on PRISM Squared and has slowly been assembling all those sections. Her goal, this month, was to get all the sections together. And they are and the best news? It looks pretty darn flat!!!!  Yeah - awesome job Laura!!!

Laura's PRISM Squared

This quilt is also on my UFO list. I did loan my ruler to someone so they could make a tuffet. I do need to get back to work on this quilt - it might be my June UFO homework. No worry about getting the ruler back immediately. I had a porch drop off/pick up from Ronda last night and she lent me her ruler. Now that I have the ruler, I'd better take a stab at getting that quilt done!! Next month!!!!

A loaner ruler so I can work on my PRISM squared

Actually, I think that Ronda loaning me the ruler is quite fitting. I remember teaching this class and I had ALL my sections pieced and ready to cut. Someone (and we shall not name names - right Ronda?) had screwed up and so I GAVE her one of my sections. I need to remake that section and that's where I'm stalled.

Laura's goal for next month? To piece the outer frame for the quilt.

Next up is Elaine S.  She's working on the Snowman Collector quilt by Stitch Connection. Her goal was to get all the rows together as well as the first border. BUT - she got the entire quilt top together. Yeah!!!!!   I love the little white stool for the quilt holder.

Elaine's Snowman Collector

Her goal for next month is to get the FOUR borders on this quilt. One of them has some pieced trees in it. But we have nothing else to do so why not get some UFOs done? Yep - I've got that quilt to make as well. I should say finish because some of the blocks are complete. Sigh.......

Diane T had machine-embroidered this beautiful block with a peacock on it. Her homework was to make a cushion using the embroidered block. It's a bolster pillow and it's GORGEOUS. I love the lines of decorative stitching that she did for the quilting and notice that there's piping on the ends as well. Great job Diane.

Diane's bolster pillow

Her goal for next month is to assemble nine of these blocks for her snowflake quilt. If memory serves me right, these blocks are paper pieced. Diane is one member of our group who is still working so she's squeezing the sewing in on her off time. I never thought to ask if she's working from home or commuting.

Diane's snowflake blocks that need to be assembled

Liz didn't get her homework done, BUT she's been madly making masks for various organizations and she's just finishing up this placemat for a friend who isn't coping with the self-isolation very well.

Liz's placemat

She even ventured outside her comfort zone and quilted the placemat. That's so exciting. Everyone needs to start small and the more that we can slowly ease out of our comfort zone, the better we will be.

Her homework for next month is to get ONE of her appliqued blocks done.


Shelly's goal for the month was to get all the blocks together and trim them. Let's see what she got done. And another quilt top - DONE!!!!!  Way to go Shelly.

Shelly's quilt top - DONE

We get pictures of her quilts hanging on this wire. Is that a clothesline? It looks very high for a clothesline, but then I'm used to the kind that doesn't swivel around. We had to walk the entire length of our clothesline and there were THREE cords. That black wire in this picture looks thick - I swear she is pinning those quilts to her electrical or phone wires. I wonder what's the real scoop.

Her goal for next month is to get the backing and the binding prepped for the quilt. She also works. And the goal is to not outdo each other - the goal is to get things done according to each person's schedule.


Diane P's goal was to get this quilt quilted. This is another one of Diane's VERY old UFOs.

Diane's quilt - QUILTED

Here's a close up of some of the quilting. Nice job, Diane!!!!

Detail of Diane's quilting

BUT she wasn't done. She didn't have any binding for the quilt so that wasn't on the goal list for this month. However, thanks to curbside pickup at her local quilt shop, she managed to get some binding, and now the quilt is completely DONE!!!!

Her goal for next month is getting the applique stitched in place on two blocks of Stitcher's Garden. It looks like she has the bits cut out and the backgrounds prepped.

Diane's homework for next month

And last on the list, but not the least is Katheleen. I have to laugh as Diane and Kathleen had joined the group as virtual group members and now we are ALL virtual group members!

Her goal was to get Section one together which is in the top left. It looks done to me!!!!

Katheleen's Snow Days quilt

Her homework for next month is Hmmm - I don't seem to have the homework. Should we assign that she has to have the ENTIRE quilt top together??? She's still working so that might not be possible. I need to check on that.

WOW -- I just love seeing all these UFOs becoming finished projects. I'm excited about the finishes and the progress that I see the others accomplishing and I'm especially excited for myself. Seeing progress on my projects makes me feel better about what I have. Yes - there's still way too much, but the fact that I'm getting some of these big things done - well, that's priceless in my mind!

And a big thank-you to Ronda who not only did the porch pick-up, but she dropped off three current quilt magazines as well. I shall read them and then tuck them into the retreat laundry basket. Imagine that - but there's still a LOT of room in that laundry basket. I plan on adding ONE more project which I hope to check out maybe later today.

Magazines via porch drop off

I spent more time on the phone and Zoom yesterday and I was messing with some technology stuff which I got to work! I'll share that story tomorrow.

OH yes - the webinar. I need to get that scheduled. I'll be working on that today and you'll get the link.

I finished The Nightingale yesterday. OK - I cried. Do you know how hard it is to listen to an audiobook and trim flying geese units when you've got tears streaming down your face? It's a heartbreaking book, but then I would guess that most stories that happened during the war are heartbreaking. I needed a break from tough books so I found a mystery book for my new audiobook and a thriller for my new physical book as the one I just finished was a non-fiction book. I set a goal of 50 books for this year - AH -- I think I should change that, but I don't think I can. Oh well - I like exceeding my goals and I think I'll exceed that one for sure since I'm already at 30 for the year!

On that note, it's time to get the rest of the day started. 

Have a super day and remember - do something amazing or productive or creative with your GIFT of time! This won't last forever and we don't want regrets.

Ciao!!!!