As you know, I've made myself an aggressive list of UFO projects to be finished. I didn't quite complete the list for 2017, got about halfway through the 2018 list and there are twelve new projects for 2019. I'm not removing/replacing any of the items on any of those lists. I want them done and ideally, I would like them finished by the end of this year. That means I would have to finish TWO UFOs per month.
I've already finished one UFO and madly worked on another one last night.
The one I'm working on is called Jamestown meets Stonehenge or was it Stonehenge meets Jamestown? I can't remember how it went. It was a year-long class that I taught at a local shop that has since closed.
The quilt got put away with one block left to make. That missing block was made a couple of weeks ago. The center section of the quilt was on my design wall in three pieces. I needed the design wall on the weekend, so I bite the bullet and sewed those last two seams to make the center of the quilt.
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| Jamestown meets Stonehenge |
The quilt top got put aside for the weekend classes. Hmm - in trying to keep stuff at a minimum in the studio, I decided that I would attempt to put the borders on it and get the binding and the backing made as well.
The work tables were relatively clear so that makes putting a border on a large quilt a whole lot easier.
I started cutting and pinning and sewing. Just a note here - I NEVER or very rarely pin as I make blocks or sew the blocks together. But when it comes to borders? I measure and I pin and I NEVER forget to do that. Otherwise, you may have a very ripply border.
There are three borders on the quilt. Between last night and this morning, all three borders are now on the quilt and pressed!!! I'm so happy I could jump up and down.
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| The top is finished!!!! |
It's not ready to be put away just yet. I have to measure the quilt and see how much binding to make and then make the backing. I'll show you my options for backing. I think I found something that'll work just fine. I will NOT buy more fabric for backings. I've loads of yardage designated for quilt backings.
As I was getting near the end of those borders, I started to think about the next UFO project that I would like to work on. Most of them are huge and will take a lot of time. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to work on these UFOs. I have quilts to quilt for customers and quilts to make for commitments so the time I get to spend on my own stuff is very limited.
However, I went to those UFO lists in my Task Master book and I found two that will work perfectly for the next project. Now to pick one of them to focus on. I'll let you know what I pick if I get around to it today. There's a lot of work to be done today and I should be making samples!
Yesterday was Monday sewing and that is a designated day to work on my personal projects. I have decided this year to focus on those UFOs and I'm making great progress on the Gingerbread Joy quilt. I almost completed all the prep for the second to last applique block. I was so pumped up that when I got home, I kept right on prepping. All that remains is to make 3 more stars like the red one on the pressing mat and four more circles. That shouldn't take long at all.
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| Almost completed the applique prep for the second to last applique block |
Here's my little applique prep station. See how I spread out? I do the same thing wherever I go. But I did condense myself yesterday when we had a lot of people show up for Monday sewing.
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| My applique prep station at home |
In keeping up with all the parts of this quilt, I had cut the large and small pieced block pieces for that month. As I was sewing the borders on that other quilt, I used the half square triangles as my ender/leader project.
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| Ender/leaders |
The half square triangles for the small block are almost all sewn. They need to be trimmed and hopefully get the block together today. We'll see how the day goes. There are way more urgent things to be working on than those HST.
To recap the Gingerbread Joy (which is also another UFO). There are three applique blocks left to do. I'm stitching one down, the second one is almost prepped and ready to be glued in place. The last one hasn't been started. There are 2 large pieced blocks - one is cut and one hasn't been touched yet. Of the two small pieced blocks, one is cut and partially sewn, the last one hasn't been touched yet. I could even get so brazen as to start sewing the blocks together! Hmm - I could lay it out on the design wall? NO - get the blocks done first and work on something else - like one of the two projects that I have in the back of my mind.
I have to say that I'm so excited about the progress of my UFOs. I just wish that I had of got myself in this gear years ago. I now have 20 years of UFOs to deal with. It's not pretty and I really want it tidied up. I can't imagine leaving the mess for someone else to deal with. Slow and steady - make lists so nothing gets forgotten and FOCUS. That could be by designating times of the day or week (like I have with the Monday sewing) or early in the morning (when you're all fast asleep), or whatever. But without the reminder to work on the project or the FOCUS, the project won't get done.
The other thing and I've been pretty good about it is to NOT add to the UFO list. I think in the last two years that there is two, possibly three quilts that didn't get finished during the year. At least the inflow has slowed to a trickle and that helps enormously as well.
Or you could be incented by the $10 in the UFO club that we have going this year. I'll share that with you tomorrow.
According to the news, we're in for another Snowmageddon. Stay warm, stay safe and SEW, SEW, SEW!!!!
Have a super day!!!!
Ciao!
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