2012 UFO Challenge...

I didn't do really well as far as UFO finishes were concerned in 2011. I had some bespoke quilts to make: John and Kaylin graduated from High School (that is two large quilts), three of Erin's friends had babies (I actually made five lap/twin sized quilts - two older siblings were gifted their own quilts as well), and three charity quilts that weren't on my UFO list were made up and given to the Guild. Hmmm... that is ten quilts that I hadn't counted on, so I guess my "miserable" showing of only two UFO finishes isn't really all that bad!
OK, so for this year I'm going to list the ones I didn't finish from the 2011 UFO list. I take that back... I'm going to list SOME of the UFOs from last year, and swap out a few for ones I really want to finish (unfortunately, I have more than 12 UFOs). Here goes, with more description and photos to follow.

1.) Chicken Quilt - pieces and pattern in bag.
2.) 2006 NB Shop Hop - Three blocks made, directions and fabric in bundles.
3.) 2007 NB Shop Hop - Bundles for blocks in bag.
4.) Judy Martin BOM from Petaluma - Ten blocks finished
5.) Bonnie H's "Orca Bay"
6.) Blue/White Snaill Trail -
7.) "Olivia" Quilt -
8.) "Funky Chicken" - Two blocks made, Eleven to go.
9.) Cathy's "Bento Box"
10.) Stars and Courthouse Steps - in a bag, status unknown.
11.) Log Cabin Single - most strips cut, in a bag.
12.) Bright Strips - cut out, don't remember much about it.

OK, so there it is... the ugly truth. I'll have to replace the list on my sidebar so I can keep up with what I've completed. A Happy and Productive 2012 to Everybody!

October Was Productive

Got some pieces finished, so I have something to post... finally!


Kaylin's graduation quilt is back from Kerstin's, and has been "Gifted" to her! She (Kay) was back from school in California a week or so ago, and I gave her the quilt. She was thrilled! Her University's colors are blue and gold, so Here s blue and gold... without being too 'in your face' about it.

Here is a close-up showing off the design, and Kerstin's beautiful topstitching. Lots of tiny teal and pin-dot batik HSTs, but the result was worth it! Don't you just love the Blue fish batik? It is so Kaylin!

This one is "The Road Not Taken", a Drunkard's Path Sampler that Kerstin, Vicki and I were working on together starting in 2009. We were trying to improve curved piecing skills here, and I accomplished that; I'm comfortable with sewing curves now. I'll probably not do another DP, but it was a good experience. Now that it is finished and sashed/bordered, I like it... in progress, I hated it! Background too fussy, wrong colors - all of it. Right now I have no plans for it's home, so it will probably stay a flimsy until I make some sort of decision.

Frankenquilt !

The rains have started up here in the PNW,
and the animals are coming in with muddy feet. The kitty spot in the window gets lots of use, and the way up appears to be across Nan- Nan's teacart. I have a few pieces of antique furniture that I'd rather weren't too badly damaged by water (actually mud), so I decided table runners were in order. This is the first one: "Frankenquilt".

Miss Parker thinks it is a nice addition, but she objects to the colors, even though grey does go with everything.

Only One New Baby This Year.

This Summer, Erin and I only made one special Baby Quilt.

Amanda chose periwinkle, lime green, and yellow for her quilt colors, and Erin went through the stash... finding fabrics she liked. We did a Disappearing Nine Patch with two borders. Very quick and satisfying... and cute, too! DNP has become my "go-to" baby quilt.

Kids and Quilts

When Erin and I made the baby quilts for the "New Moms" last Summer, she asked if we could make one for Claire, too... so she wouldn't feel left out of all the new baby goings-on at their house. Of course we made Claire her own special quilt. I posted a picture of the baby quilts a while ago. Mom Sarah sent me an eMail saying it was really sort of hard to get the quilts AWAY from the kids so they could be washed (the quilts, not the kids!) Don't Claire and Grant look happy and snuggly?

Twins' Quilts are FINISHED!

I'm pretty excited this weekend. I finished the Graduation Quilts for the twins. They've been sent to Kerstin for topstitching, and will be presented to the kiddos on June 4th at their party. I know this is a bit of a risk, but the chances of either one of them looking at my blog are so slim that I'd rather my friends see what I've been doing than worry aboout it.
Kaylin's is the top one; the dark blue batik was purchased in Roseburg last year when Kerstin was up for the Sisters' Quilt Show. It is fish.




John's is the second one... "Super Surfer". The light blue came out with a very green cast in the photo... it is actually a pretty true blue, but I had to take the picture in the house. It was raining, DUH! It is OREGON in Winter.

And now, for something totally different...

It is String Hearts for "Block Lotto"!

One of my "Bloggy Friends" mentioned she was making some string hearts for her Block Lotto group... and it looked like so much fun, I emailed Sophie to see if I could join their group. I thought one or two blocks a month until I manage to finish Kaylin's quilt would be do-able. These heart blocks are a bit addicting, though. Very quick to make and really good stash busters. All those little bits that are too narrow for the strip bins, but too big to throw out... what a good way to use them! This one is my first (and the one I like least - the strings are too wide and the colors need to be brighter).

February's UFO is Number Ten

Well, I figured out which UFO I need to finish for February!

Judy L. drew #10, and for me that was the "2006 North Bay Shop Hop." I had managed to put all the blocks for the quilt (still unwrapped) as well as the backing and setting fabrics for it into a bag to keep everything clean and tidy. Nice Fall colors in the fabric selection and I chose an interesting setting pattern, too.

I liked the idea of making this quilt "someday" and reliving memories of the Shop Hop trip Kerstin and I took... driving around to the twelve different quilt shops, miles and miles apart in the North Bay, to collect all the blocks in one day. It wasn't getting any closer to becoming a completed quilt, though, hiding in those bags-within-a-bag.

So far I have completed two of the blocks, and on the third one I'm doing a "new" thing for me... needle-turn applique. I'm glad I have joined Judy's UFO challenge. Soon I will have two quilts from the list finished! YYAAY!

UFO #10 for the Challenge...

OK, at least I looked it up. Number ten on my UFO list for the challenge is "NB Shop Hop - 2007". I'll have to go upstairs and see which one that is! I should have put Post-Its on the bags containing the numbered UFOs! Definitely a "to-do" for today... right after I finish planting the apple trees.

The kids have District Swim Finals this weekend - so not a lot of sewing will get done. I am going to be a "Bad Auntie" and take Kaylin some fabric scraps from her quilt as a teasing sort of joke! Tee Hee! She thought it funny when I did it with Alex, but we'll see her reaction this time around. (Johnny just looked a little confused when I brought him three miserable little fabric pieces and told him it was his quilt.... boys??!??)

Two Down, a Gazillion to Go !

This is the Christmas Quilt, made from "Friday Block Party" 12 inch-ers ... I decided that I had done enough blocks in that colorway to make a throw that would see use one month out of the year. At least that is the plan when we have the insulation and the nice new window in. Right now my Christmas quilt is covering the open space where the window goes in the East wall of the living room. Our lovely pink insulation and the bare studs can be seen in the photo as well - but HAVING insulation is nice and cozy! No wonder it was so hard to keep our house warm last winter, there was NO insulation in the walls at all.




Next comes the January UFO, #6 on my list from the last post - for Judy L's "UFO CHALLENGE". I started this one as a BOM in about 2006 (?? is that right, Kerstin??) in two different color ways. I really like the Asian fabrics, but some of the blocks aren't my very favorites. Makes a nice throw, though. Since I had to put away all my Christmas stuff, I need a throw for my couch. This little throw is small enough that I may decide to try topstitching it on my machine, but right now it is in a bag with it's binding and backing... ready to go down to Kerstin in California. ALL DONE!
I'm still working on Kaylin's Grad quilt, but I've moved the deadline to Valentine's day... I think that is possible. I chose a block for her quilt that I used to complete this one, since I had only seven - and one didn't really match the rest. Kaylin's blck is the one in the upper right of the photo. I'm getting pretty good at HSTs; there are 200 of them in her quilt!