A plan is needed

As of this morning, at 6 AM, I have not touched ONE project I brought with me. WOW—can you believe how well I packed? It was another very successful day, and I'm excited. However, I'm also learning (well, I know this) that having a plan is vital! 

In the past - long, long ago - I would flit from project to project. In my "new" life, I'm pretty good at sticking to one thing. I don't get distracted by what others are doing. I'm focused. There has to be a plan, or I will never get close to finishing these UFOs. Now, with my year-long projects, I work until my monthly assignment is complete - I don't have to work on JUST one project until it's done. 

That means that when I'm at a retreat or even at home, I work on a project until it's done, or I can't go further. I've got two projects laid out over the tables—no one needs them anymore, and there's still that one left, which I may touch before I leave after lunch. Just for the sake of bragging rights! 

Let's see what happened yesterday. 

I worked on this quilt and sewed as much as I could. It's the same pattern as the one with the orange and gold sashings. The fabrics in the center are black-on-white. A section of it was already completed at another retreat. This time, when sewing it together, I started by making it wider—10 blocks. It was only eight blocks wide. 

The start of another quilt top

At this stage - it's 10 blocks wide by 8 rows. I want it to be 12 rows long to make a lap quilt. I had some extra pieces of the white and black, so I pieced what I could. 

Then, I pulled out the next project, which used the same fabric. So, I stole from that one and got the center of the 40 remaining blocks together. I added as much sashing as I had. I now need sashing for 36 more blocks, and then I can sew the top together. 

Partially completed blocks

I'll dig that out when I get home, and it can come back to the next retreat. It's a simple, mindless project. My counting skills were not good when I cut the extra rectangles to make the blocks. I had extras. That's because I forgot that I had some blocks already together. DUH!!! These will go in the box of black-and-white scraps. 

Extra rectangles

Then, I pulled out another project I inherited from that donation. It's a small table topper, but I discovered there wasn't enough fabric to make it. I thought it was partially completed. So this went in the bag to take home, and that fabric will get put on the shelf in the appropriate place. The pattern will be recycled, and it's done! Getting something done does not always mean making it! 

A non-complete kit

I went back to working on the second black-and-white project. What was I thinking when I started this? I think it was a project to use up the strips from the other two. Anyway, I had begun to cut the shapes, so I soldered on. After I stole from this one to finish the other, I cut as many pieces as possible. There are only scraps left. 

Cutting for the next project

It's a split 9-patch block. I love the look. But some fabrics just don't fit on either side, like the one at the bottom of the photo, although it looks darker than lighter here. 

The split 9-patch block

I managed to complete 13 blocks with the fabric I had. I'm using the Easy Angle ruler to cut half-square triangles from these 2 1/2" strips. It works super easy!

13 blocks of split 9-patch

Getting enough contrast with these fabrics is tricky! After I took this picture, I thought I should have put a pop of color in the offset half-square triangle. Hmmm --- what do you think? I've done thirteen blocks, and all of them would have to be completely disassembled to put the pop in. It's a donation quilt, and I think it looks OK. It would be BETTER with the color, but it seems OK like this. 

I'll cut more strips, and it'll come back to the next retreat. 

By this time, I had rescued the bag of 6" novelty squares from the car and laid out the quilt top. 

Adding the final row to the I Spy quilt

It didn't take long to add that extra row; this one is ready to be quilted. It's now 8 squares by 10, which improves the proportion. 

A novelty quilt top - DONE

At some point in the day, I heard a crunch and flipped open the lid of my machine to find this! 

ACK - I ran out of thread!

It doesn't surprise me—I've been sewing like mad! Thankfully, someone beside me came to my rescue, and I am good to go. I made a note to return the thread when we leave! 

Then, I pulled out another project. OK—seriously—what the heck am I thinking? This was a kit I had prepared when teaching a paper piecing class many years ago. I had one extra kit. I do NOT need to make this. 

A paper piecing kit

It's a small snowman. What would I do with it? So it all went in the bag to go home. The fabrics will go in the appropriate scrap boxes, and the paper will be recycled. As mentioned, a project does NOT have to be done! If it's started, I'll likely finish it, but if it's not started, I'm thinking long and hard (OK—only a little of either is required). Let's move on!

I did have a small kit for a snowman with me, and all the pieces were precut. That might as well be done - it's pretty easy. I just need to applique the wool felt on for the nose and hat or something like that. It won't take long to finish, and it's cute. I might be able to finish that one this morning. 

A LONG snowman wall hanging

Then I pulled out the big bag of scraps I brought. It's all the leftover Canada-themed fabric from the Quilts of Valour quilts Diane had made. The bag has sat on those tables at home for a long, long time, and it's time to make a plan. 

Just like anything, if you don't know what's there, it can be daunting. So I emptied the bag on the table. No one is going to need those tables! I found two rows of log cabin blocks sewn together. 

What was in the bag of scraps

The rest was a pile of scraps. Oh boy, so I started sorting and found these pieces left over from the Northcott panels from 2017. 

Canada-themed panels

And all these Canadian flags. 

Canada flag blocks

There were two provinces like this. Is anyone from Nova Scotia interested in this, or can anyone use it? 

Nova Scotia theme

I also found this one, and there is a lady here from NFLD, so I'm giving her first dibs on it whether she wants it or not. 

Newfoundland theme

I'm in the process of ironing and sorting the remainder of the scraps. I have three piles: fabric that would work to finish that log cabin quilt, one of non-Northcott Canada-themed fabric, and one of the scraps of Northcott fabric. My focus will be the log cabin quilt, and it may come back to the retreat because once I have everything sorted and ready to go, finishing that quilt top will be easy as pie!!!

Then I'll take stock of what's left and maybe make a quilt from non-Northcott Canada fabric - if there is enough. I think I'll create a scrappy frame around the Canada flags and add a cream sashing (I've got loads of strips of cream). The one thing that I didn't like when Diane made those Canada quilts was that she cut up the neutral (cream) and made binding out of it! ACK!!!!! I would never have done that. So I didn't use that for the binding, and now I have yards of 2 1/2" strips. But it would make good sashing between those Canada flags. 

WOW --- see how much easier it will be to tackle that bag and get rid of it when you have a plan? OH MY GOSH -- I feel so much better about that bag now, and I KNOW I can get it done. That's one more thing off those tables in Studio B!!! 

So, if you are overwhelmed, I bet many times it's because you have no idea how to tackle the problem. Lay it out—see what you have, and then go from there!!!

Three people left yesterday, so we are down to seven. When I entered the sewing room this morning, I saw that half the group was packed, so they will likely leave early! I'm leaving after lunch as I'm on a roll. Hey, I have one more project to work on!

Speaking of that, I had better get going - I'm super excited to finish the ironing and sorting. Again, guess what? They are tedious, methodical jobs, but honestly, those are the BEST parts of quilting. And to me - that is what quilting is all about. It's not about ramming fabric through the machine at breakneck speed to make the latest and greatest quilt. It's about letting the fabric talk to you and letting quilting be your therapy. It's our hobby, after all, and if we aren't happy with what's happening, then maybe we need to find a new hobby!

I'm all about cleaning up; slow and methodical is the way to go. I'm thrilled to death about all I accomplished during this retreat, and hopefully, that means I'll be more thoughtful about packing in the future. I get an A+++ for packing this time!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!