UFOs

I have a problem.  I create UFOs (unfinished projects).  More than is necessary.  I blame other quilt makers and quilt shops.  I see and then I want to sew.  Even when there are quilt blocks a plenty waiting to become a quilt top, I start another.  My goal in 2015 is to get a grip on my ever expanding UFOs.

All People Quilt started the "UFO Challenge 2015" a month ago.  I also like to make lists, so I thought that this just might work.  It is pretty simple.  Print off the sheet from APQ web site, list a UFO project, one for each of the 12 months of the year, and wait for APG to give you a number at the beginning of each month.  January became the month to work on UFO #4.

On my list the Swoon Quilt I began over two years ago was #4.

I purchased a kit from American Quilting in Orem, Utah with a discount coupon.  I didn't even realize it was a take on Camille Roskelly's famous "Swoon" pattern until I got it home and explored the contents of my kit.  In the store, I just loved all that red, white, and blue made into stars and how cute it looked on their antique bed.

My kit included what I thought were 24 fat quarters, a Swoon pattern, a list of supplies needed, a whole bunch of Kona cotton, and binding fabric.

I was soon cutting, oh, so carefully, my fat quarters to get the right amount of squares and rectangles from each of two fat quarters for each block.  I made six.  Life happened and I put my six 24 1/2 inch blocks away in a dresser drawer until later.  It turned out to be much, much later.

The Swoon pattern called for nine completed blocks.  When I reopened the project box for January's UFO, I counted 12 more fat quarters not six.  To be bed sized I guessed that this quilt kit must make a 3 by 4 block quilt, 80 by 104 inches instead of a square 80 by 80 inch quilt.

I cut and stitched and cut and stitched six more blocks and then something terrible happened.  All that Kona cotton had disappeared without sashing being cut!  Did I in a time long, long ago decide to make a different size quilt and add more fat quarters?  I was now on the hunt for more Kona cotton the correct color.  JoAnn's had a 60% of coupon for fabric but had just a small piece not quite the right color called Bone.  The Cotton Shop was having a sale on Kona Cotton at 20% off.  Same problem, a small amount not quite the right color once again Bone.  What to do, what to do?

My solution:  Continue the Kona cotton hunt, perhaps at American Quilting.  Take the three extra blocks and add six more!  Buy lots more Kona cotton and make two 80 by 80 inch quilts.  Pull them out for the use of the grand kids who end up on the two Aero Beds on the 4th of July week.  Much better than the ugly bottom of the stack quilts or blankets they usually get.

Now I'm waiting to use the February coupon at the Cotton Shop for "buy 2 get 1 free fat quarters" to add to the red, white, or blue fabrics I found in my leftover fabric stack.  I have added another UFO!  I have six more blocks to make.  It never ends!

A finish and more

I finally finished the machine quilting and binding of a baby boy quilt for a good friend of my DILs'.

They wanted a neutral look with grays.

I used my trusty old Yellow Brick Road pattern circa 2000 for this fat quarter quilt.  I used six fat quarters plus the border fabric.

I added the golds after finding the focus fabric with the deer and aspen trunks.  The backing is Bunny Hill fabric.

I added some curvy lines in the quilting after discovering that I could use this decorative stitch on my new Bernina with the walking foot.  I really like how this quilt turned out as it isn't in my usual color range.  I hope it helps keep Sampson warm.

I also made my 14 red star blocks from October's Saturday sampler.  They are 5 1/2 inch blocks.  Can't wait to see how this all goes together.  The fabric for every star was a different red.  The background for every block is a different tone on tone white.

I also put together two more Swoon blocks.  That makes six with six more to go.

I also hand stitched a bit on my Civil War Sampler Quilt in the background.  It too is almost reaching the half way mark.

This has been my leaders and enders project. I am using the cut off corners on the Swoon flying geese blocks.  I've been sewing them together and making windmill blocks.

Each Swoon block supplies enough trimmed off corners to make four pinwheel blocks.  I should have 48 of them when finished.  I hope that I come up with a good idea on how to use them.

If you should decide to make your own Swoon quilt, I highly recommend not using directional fabric, ie., the stripe above.  Each block takes two fat quarters and the cutting is tight.  Look closely at the stripped block and you will see that I simply did my best.

Current Sewing

These are my latest sewing projects.  Two more swoon blocks for a large quilt for these are large blocks.  I have also gone back to a bit of hand quilting on the frame in the background.  It can't be just a room accessory forever.  I hand quilted another handful of blocks.

I finished block number 8 of my "Night Before Christmas" quilt.  Just one more block to go and I can sew it all together.  My block 8 has more appliqued stars than the pattern.  That tiny gray star by mouse's hand covers a mistaken nick of the scissors.  I added other stars blend it all together.

I also hand appliqued a bunch of these blocks as part of the Saturday Sampler I am participating in at American Quilting.

This Saturday I will find out what the next step will be.  I've never done a program like this before with not knowing the ending from the beginning.  It is kind of exciting.  I also like the impetus to finish each month's blocks knowing that completed blocks mean no additional $5 fee. 

This week's sewing

Company has left so I have not only been cleaning and doing laundry but have been cutting and piecing.  I missed cutting and piecing but enjoyed my company and the fun times we had.  A time for every season or something like that.

I started and finished this quilt top for a new baby boy born on Monday morning.  His parents like neutrals and I found it very fun to work with a different color scheme.  I adapted this top from the pattern "Yellow Brick Road" by Atkinson Designs.  The backing and binding fabrics I will use to finish are also on the table.

I love fat quarter Fridays at American Quilting in Orem.  It was so fun to go through the store picking and choosing for this quilt.  The deer and the birch tree trunks fabric was my inspiration for the other fabric choices.

I also pieced together two "Swoon" blocks for what will be a nine block Swoon quilt.

I purchased the kit for this quilt on sale a year ago.

I am thinking that this quilt will make a good snuggle quilt for the red sofa.  If you look close, you will find that I had to fix a boo boo.  I sewed my white and red geese incorrectly and cut the fabric before I noticed.  Luckily, American Quilting also had a fat quarter of French General solid color red which matched the French General floral.  You can hardly tell, right?  Swoon blocks are made with two contrasting fat quarters plus the white background.  When cutting for these blocks, especially the outer color, one pretty much cuts up the entire piece of fabric.  There is no extra for flubs.  I've never made a 24 inch block before.  They are really big, but lots of fun!