UFO progress

I LOVE all of you! And I truly appreciate your reading my blog, and I've received so many fantastic suggestions. Jan gave me a BRILLIANT suggestion for the two UFO Clubs. I will pick a project to work on in one of the UFO clubs, and the assignment for the second one will be to quilt and bind one of my quilts. That's BRILLIANT. I'm going to have to do that as soon, I'm going to run out of room in those tubs, and I really don't want to buy another one. 

Yippeee!!! I love when a plan comes together. So thank you, Jan! You've made my day. 

And to emphasize that point here's what happened yesterday. 

I dug out some brown embroidery floss, and I did the wee bit of stem stitch embroidery that I had forgotten the previous day. 

The last part of the stem stitch on Enchanted Autumn

The backing, binding, and the top are now in the "to be quilted" pile. I CANNOT wait to follow Jan's advice and start quilting those quilts! 

I was delighted with the fabric I used for the border for that quilt. 

The border fabric for Enchanted Autumn

It has all the colors I used in the quilt and a leaf motif. It was perfect. Not sure where I found it, but it was in the project box, which is now empty and waiting for another project. As I return to decluttering, I know there are projects in plastic bags or no container, and those will get put into the plastic project boxes (Iris containers) that I've been using. 

I have other work to do, but now with the end of the year so close, I'm trying to reduce the number of UFOs as much as I can manage. What is wrong with me? Why couldn't I be focusing a bit more during the year? No worries -- I made fantastic progress this year, and I had other things to do during the year. 

I had to give the Double Wedding Ring bed runner a good press as I had not done that in my haste to finish it at the last sewing retreat. So I got that pressed, switched a couple of seams, so everything twirled nicely on the back, and I found one small seam at the edge that I had not sewn. So that top is done! This one is on the 2019 UFO list. 

Then it was onto the bias binding. It's always challenging to know exactly how much bias binding is required for a quilt with a curved edge, so I made lots! But the binding is also done. 

Making continuous bias binding

Then I searched the backings and couldn't find anything I really liked. I went through my boxes of batik fabric and found a couple of candidates, but not enough without some piecing to be done. 

Then I remembered that I had some green striped fabric that I desperately NEEDED many years ago. It was in the striped fabric bin, and IT WAS SUPER EASY TO FIND since I knew exactly where that was. The color is a bit bright, but no worries -- it's going to be just fine. 

The backing for the double wedding ring bed runner

And so this project got moved to the "to be quilted" pile as well and one more project off the UFO lists. 

Double Wedding Ring bed runner - waiting to be quilted

There are still a couple of days before the end of the year, and well, this next project won't take that long. Not nearly as long as those other two I just completed. I've put off finishing the yoga bag for some time, and this one is on the 2019 UFO list. And all that remains was to add the seam binding to the two end seams. 

One of the seams to be bound

I knew the job would be fiddly - that's why I was procrastinating. So I put on my big girl panties and got to work. It would probably have been better if I had made bias binding, but I did not, and those corners were "fun" to go around. 

Attaching the binding by machine

The pattern designer (byAnnie.com) likely recommended sewing the binding by machine front and back; I was NOT going to do that. It's a HUGE challenge - I did that with my backpack, and it was a hassle. 

So once the first side of the binding was stitched in place, I dug out a needle and thread and did the hand stitching. It allowed me to watch a couple more episodes of The Great British Baking Show. And I wonder why my Mom is more interested in watching "her" shows than she is in talking to me!! Since we were kids, she has been that way -- god forbid if she missed an episode of "The Edge of Night" or "Another World."  Can you believe that after 40+ years, the names of those are embedded in my brain?

Hand stitching and watching The Great British Baking Show

That hand stitching was fiddly. It was hard to hold the bag, there were four tight corners to go around, and it was bulky. BUT the good news -- one end is done!

The binding looks amazing before I turned that half of the bag inside out. 

One side of the binding stitched in place

And there's the other side. With my tiny little stitches, I doubt that stitching will come undone. 

The other side of the binding

And there it is, turned inside out, and the binding looks fantastic. 

The binding inside the bag

And now I get the fun task of doing that all over again on the other end. But I'm motivated right now, and I MUST get that done. I WANT that project off the UFO list by the end of this year!

I'm perusing the list to see what else can get done before the end of the year. I have one project in mind, and I'll see how it goes later today if I pull that one out. Some of those projects just need to be sewn together. So the blocks are done, the sashings (if any) are cut -- they just need to be assembled. That won't take a lot of time. However, it may take time to lay the blocks out. While I'm fussy, the actual block placement isn't supercritical in most cases. I throw them on the wall, make a couple of changes and then start sewing!

But I have a couple of quilts that I would like to get quilted before the end of the year, and I do have a project that I need to spend some time learning and one more project that I need to write instructions for. Hmmm -- what to do? And I have a sewing machine to start reviewing for QUILTsocial. Plus, some paperwork for the class registrations should be done. Hmmm -- what to do first?? 

I won't be lacking things to do. 

OH -- I also embroidered one more block for the Kimberbell Candy Cane Lane. There were no issues with this one, but lots of fiddling trimming for that tree with foam beneath to make it extra puffy!

One more machine embroidered block

And I had a helper. Well, not really a helper, but I was snacking on some hummus and cucumber. Since DH feeds the girls veggie bits when he cooks, they think they can get veggie bits from me as well. OK -- I caved and gave her some veggie bits. I mean, she was begging but trying to be very discrete! How could you not surrender? 

MOM -- can I have some veggie bits?

And that's a wrap on yesterday. I just pulled up my UFO presentation to save a copy for January as I will start putting it together. I need to choose one of my quilts to quilt and bind for January! Oh, what fun I will have today as I peruse the pile to see which one screams the loudest! Oh -- I just took a quick tour downstairs, and I already know which quilt it will be. I'm super excited!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!