Great Granny Squared UFO

Yes, I did manage to finish my UFO for April as part of the All People Quilt UFO (Unfinished Objects) challenge by the end of April.  The binding happened while traveling, but it happened.  I quilted this top on my sewing machine and it took some time.  I love its crinkle look after washing and drying it.

It will be a great pop of color in the smaller quest room with all of its browns.

This room gets used more in the summer when the grand kids come for visits.

This pattern comes from Lori Holt's book "Great Granny Squared" and she included directions for a label for the back, so I did it all.  I made this quilt from 2 layer cakes of Lori's Vintage Modern line as well as two yards of her "fat quarter" fabric which has four different fat quarter like prints per yard.  See more here.

I was going to use Kona White for the backing as I had for the front.  But when Lori's Flower Patch fabric line came out, I just had to use the pink background fabric for the backing instead.

The mini has been on the wall for awhile.

I made it from the left over fabric from my Great Granny project.  The pattern can be found in "101 Fabulous Small Quilts" compiled by The Patchwork Place.  I enlarged the applique piece to 125% and used all pinwheel blocks for the surrounding border.

I am now working on the #12 from the list for May.  It is a Christmas quilt.

February's UFO

All People Quilt randomly choose #7 for the month of February so I have been working on last year's American Patchwork Quilting Sew Along, "Tone it Down."  In Spring of 2014 I finished 4 blocks and then put them in a dresser drawer as I moved on to a more pressing project.  I had recently purchased a dessert roll of Le Bouquet Francais French General Fabric on sale so decided to use it for the main colors fabric and use light neutrals from a variety of sources.  I soon found myself buying an additional layer cake of Le Bouquet and a layer cake of Primiative Gatherings Shirtings to provide the scrappy look that I wanted.  The fabric stayed in a storage box for almost a year until  I made 12 more blocks this month and then decided that was enough.  I would like a 4 block by 4 block square quilt just fine.

On Saturday I sewed the blocks, sashing, and corner 9 patches all together.  It pretty much used up most of the neutral fat quarters I had on hand.  Even as a square quilt, it will look great on a double bed in the quest bedroom.

The Irish chain parts are different reds and rose colors.

The circles are mostly blues.

There are also some dusty yellows and greens from the Le Bouquet Francais collection.

This is the most complicated pieced quilt that I have made.  I really do like the final result.  It will remain a UFO for awhile as the quilting and finishing will be on the back burner for awhile as I work on some other timely projects.  The Challenge does seem to be pushing me along.

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!