It's all about UFOs

OH --- I had set a schedule for this post for tomorrow morning and forgot to take it off. Ooops!

 We had a good session with our UFO group this past weekend. So much is getting accomplished it's blowing my mind, and repeatedly, I hear that the only reason people finished something is that they committed to getting it done for the group!

I have to include myself in that group. I'm working on an applique quilt that I taught as a year-long class in 2015, and I don't seem to have gotten much of it done during that year. It's the last UFO project on my2018 UFO list, and I'm making good progress. I've noticed that this is the LAST applique project on my UFO lists. It's NOT the last applique UFO I have -- I just know how slow I can be with applique. My goal is to get the top done by the end of the year! WAIT -- I haven't committed that to the group; that's just in the back of my head!

I will be opening up a new UFO group starting in January, and I'll only be taking TWENTY people as that is a good number to deal with in one hour. If you are interested, here are the details, and you need to think long and hard if this is the group for you. 

Here's how it works. 

1. We meet once a month on Zoom (Sunday morning). 
2. You set the goal based on your schedule - it can be big, can be small. I like to set a stretch goal for myself, but not too big. But big enough to make advancement on my UFO. 
3. If you don't get a picture of your completed homework to me before the class, you forfeit $10. 
4. We meet all year long, but July and August are "free" months -- if you don't get your assignment completed, there is no money to be lost. 
5. Technically, the group is to finish UFOs, not work on current projects, but sometimes, people need help with a current project. 
6. You need to pay a deposit of $100 upfront, so if you don't get your homework done, I don't have to chase you for the money. 
7. Any money forfeited goes to the local food bank at the end of the year. 
8. You don't have to make the monthly Zoom meeting - just as long as the photos of your work get to me on time. 
9. There is an annual sign-up fee of $25. 
10. You can be anywhere - we have one person from the US in our current group.

SO let's see what people got done this month, and we have some overachievers in the group!

My picture is first this month, so my three Oak Reel applique blocks are for the Enchanted Autumn quilt. They are fused and stitched in place with a blanket stitch. Yep -- this quilt WILL get done. 

My three applique blocks

Colleen is working on Fleur, and her goal was to get three blocks hand appliqued in place. You WILL get this done, Colleen!!! You can do it!

Colleen's applique blocks

Diane's goal was to make TWO jellyroll rugs. 

Diane's homework

Well, not only did Diane get those two rugs done, but she did these as well. 

Two more rugs

And these got done as well. 

And two more!

And these. That's our Diane -- she goes for the STRETCH goals every month. That's how you get things done!!! I don't think some of these were technically UFOs, but that's OK. Out of the NINE rugs that she made, I think she only had FOUR of the "rope" balls made. 

And THREE more!

Elaine got the blocks laid out for her snowball quilt, and I think she started to sew it together. 

The William Morris snowball quilt

She also got some labels made and sewn onto four quilts!

Labels made and sewn onto quilts

Jane is struggling with this project, and I'm glad to see it's NOT on the list for this month. She didn't quite get it finished, but she is close!!!

Not finished - oops

Katheleen, at last, got this giant quilt quilted. I think it's been on her sit-down quilting machine since April, but it's now on the bed, and Hobo Kitty approves!! It's very heavily quilted with about 20,000 stitches per EACH of the 13 center blocks. 

Katheleen's quilt on the bed!

And she has SEVEN much smaller quilts basted and ready to quilt!

Seven quilts ready to be quilted!

Linda G got the border on this wedding quilt for her granddaughter. I love the story of this one. The light fabric is muslin used to make a muslin of Linda's DAUGHTER'S wedding dress. How cool is that? 

Linda G's wedding quilt

Linda W finished quilting this quilt, and the binding is also on. 

Linda W's quilt quilted and bound

And she got more than 10 blocks completed for the Town and Country quilt. This is going to be precious when it's done!!!

More blocks for the Town and Country quilt

Lynne is working on her One Block Wonder with a panel. Her goal was to cut and get the hexagons sewn together. This is spectacular! Now to do the assembly, and what about those wicked angles. 

Lynne's Ome Block Wonder

Morgan finished quilting her Christmas Fig quilt, and it's stunning. I love the quilting on the border, which was done with a template (ruler work). Actually, the entire quilt was done with rulers and templates. I love it because after she finished her homework, she decided she was close enough to keep going and got the entire thing done! Now that's motivation and inspiration to us all!

Ruler work on the borders

Morgan's quilt - ON the bed

Nancy completed the top of this harvest-themed quilt. It's adorable, and I LOVE that border.

Nancy's harvest-themed quilt

Rose finished piecing the top of a bargello bed runner! This was supposed to be a table runner, but that's a HUGE table runner! It works much better as a bed runner. 

Rose's bargello bed runner

Sharon is hand appliqueing some Hawaiian blocks. Her goal was to get one more done. 

Sharon's Hawaiian applique block

And here are all her blocks to date. One more to make!!!

Sharon's Hawaiian quilt

Shelia assembled this quilt from two small kits that she purchased - YEARS AGO.

Sheila's quilt top

I love the label on the kit as it shows it was purchased from a long-gone store. 

Can you read the name on that label? 

Susan finished assembling her Chic Picnic by Sew Kind of Wonderful. And the only reason she finished was that she set the deadline with the group! There are a LOT of curves on this one!!

Susan's quilt top  - DONE

Suzi completed four Dear Jane blocks. 

Suzi's Dear Jane blocks

So there you have it -- all the completed homework for this month. 

Would the club work for everyone? Probably not, as you have to be motivated to finish these projects off. There is NO ongoing monthly motivation unless you come to the Virtual Retreat or the Monday sewing. But you have the peer pressure of each month confessing that you couldn't get the work done, and you have to forfeit the money as well, and since I have the money, it's easy for me to slip it into the envelope for the foodbank. So far, we have $125 in the kitty, which will be donated in December. 

Think LONG and hard about the above rules and if you think that this would work for you - remember STRETCH goals are good, but small ones work just as well. I want people who are HIGHLY motivated to work on their UFOs in the group! If you just want some sew-along friends, then come to the Virtual Retreat. In our one-hour UFO Zoom session, we review the homework and hear each person's success or failure (mainly success) for that month. 

I'll be starting a BRAND NEW group in January with a limit of 20 people, and there may or may not be an opening in the current group. Send me an e-mail if you are interested - elainetheriault@gmail.com.  Tell me approximately how many UFOs you have and what's the year of your oldest UFO. If there are more than 20 people interested - well, let's see if that even happens. I'm not sure I want to start a third group, but if it helps people clear up their UFOs, well, it's all in the name of not leaving clutter for our children, and I'm all for that!!!

I've got a phone appointment with my doctor on Wednesday. I think something is a bit wrong with the leg. I can't bend the darn knee past 90 degrees which isn't a good sign. Although I can walk, no problem. Sleeping last night was awful. Let's hope it's not serious, but I think I'm just kidding myself when I say that. I'll keep you in the loop. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!