I’ve finally made progress on Happy Quilting’s Happy Quilt Along.  All the blocks are finished.  Well, were finished I should say.   I had them laid out on the bed in the guest room.   I did the 4 x 5 layout which covers the top of the bed, but isn’t quite big enough to cover a whole queen size bed.   I was showing off to my dh when he asked “who’s this one for?”  I had no answer.  It’s just because.  He so doesn’t understand that a quilt project doesn’t need a purpose to be started.  Sigh.

Anyway, he liked the look of it in the room and after some discussion, I’ve  We’ve decided I should add some more blocks so that it can be the  bed quilt for the guest room.   I ordered the additional fabric last night.   Basically, I need about 16 more blocks.   So I ordered enough fabric to do 20 more.  I’m thinking I can use the remaining blocks to make a couple of pillow shams or throw pillows to finish it out as a set.

Here’s what we have so far. . . .

Lilac Hill Fabric ready to sew

A big pile of 16 patches

And, the inital lay out of the quilt, before upsizing.

All 20 blocks laid out on the bed

The walls are a pale green in this room and the quilt really goes well with it.   I could probably just add a block on one side of each row and 1 additional row, but I’d rather have it longer on the bed so that when 2 people are under it they’re both still covered.

I was hoping to move this one to a “waiting to quilt” status, but it’s going to stay a WIP for now.   It will be so nice to have a quilt I made actually on a bed in the house.

It’s been a while since I updated my project list. (It was April to be exact)  After reading a post on UFO’s at That Crazy Quilty Girl, I was about to comment and thought, hmmm, maybe I should see where I am.   You may remember that in this post I decided to change the terms I use to describe my status.    If you’d like to see my descriptions of these categories, they’re in the original post.

Back to Lisa Marie’s questions, she was pondering the state of UFOness in the quilting blog world.  She’s a start it and finish it girl and she was curious about those of us with UFO’s.    I came up with these descriptions because I don’t really like the phrase UFO.   It gives me the impression that the projects have been abandoned.   I don’t have any in that stage.   I have 1 project that I started and didn’t like.  I’ve added the fabric to my stash/scraps and consider the project over.   It’s not unfinished because I’ve now changed my intentions for it.  I’m never going to do it, so I don’t consider it unfinished.    I sometimes change my priorities.  For example,  I was working on the Happy Quilting QA  and Mod Times QA when I needed to go stay with my grandma while she had surgery, so I put that project on hold and found a hand project that I could travel with.   I’m really enjoying having a hand project, so I’ll probably continue to keep a hand project in progress.  While our house was being worked on and we were staying in a hotel, I took my sewing machine to catch up on both of these.    In the meantime,   I needed to complete a baby quilt I had been working on.  It was a combination of  hand applique and machine piecing , so I had been working on it in conjunction with the two QA’s.   Did I completely lose you?

Basically, I try to limit how many are “in progress”  at any one time.  Sometimes, I have a project come up for a specific need that has to take precedence over another project I’ve been working on.   Sometimes, like with the Paris BOM, I start but for some reason I don’t want to keep going.   In this one, it was because it was above my skill level at the time I started.   I’ve improved since then and now I’m ready to start it up again.   I kept in on my WIP list so that I wouldn’t loose track of it.    If I decide I don’t want to continue with a project, then I deconstruct it back into my stash.    Periodically, I stop and  focus just on finishing part of my WIP list.

I like to finish projects, but I also like variety.    I find that Quilt Alongs are a nice way to have some variety  as typically, I can’t sit down and finish one from start to finish as I’m waiting for the next step to be posted.   In between steps, I work on other projects.

So, on to my status updates.   Since April when I last posted this list,  I’ve completed 4 projects, added 1 project to the WTQ status,  Added 3 WIP’s, and moved 1 from waiting for inspiration to waiting to begin.   I think that’s pretty good considering we’ve remodeled the house and I’ve spent a few weeks out of town helping family.

WTQ:  Waiting to be quilted

1. Disappearing 9 patch (Maison De Garance) (still needs backing material)
2. Flower Patch (fun flowers)
3. Freckled Whimsy QA (12 days of Christmas)
4. Simply Silly (Make Life)
5. Mod Times Quilt (Finished in June) – I’m planning to quilt this one in the next few weeks.

WFI:  Waiting  for inspiration

1. Butterfly Quilt (using Grandma’s appliqued blocks):  Concept/Layout is designed, applique blocks are complete.   The inspiration needed is for my filler blocks.   I’m still searching for the perfect material.  I keep thinking I’ve found it and when I cut a few blocks, I realize it’s not right.
2. Dress Shirt quilt (using DH’s old dress shirts):   Again, I have all the fabric, just working out the concept of how to use it.

WIP:  Works in Progress

1. Happy Quilting QA (Lilac Hill) – 16 blocks completed, waiting for additional fabric.
2. Postage Stamp QA (Black and White Prints) – Blocks ready to assemble – need to pull a few seams before block assembly.
3. Paris BOM Quilt (Maison De Garance) – 1 Block completed, 11 to go
4. Freckled Whimsey QA (Happy) –  Fabric Cut
5. T –Shirt Quilt (old T shirts) – Shirts cut, waiting for interfacing (need to purchase)
6. Star Quilt (Travel quilt/hand project) – Center star and 1st row completed.
7. The Farmer’s Wife Sampler – 2 blocks done (goal is 2 blocks per week)
8. Hexalong  - Christmas Tree Wall Hanging – designed, fabrics chosen, ready to cut.

WTB:  Waiting to Begin

These are projects that I want to do and have queued up to do once time permits.  Either I already have the fabric for the project or I’m so excited about it that it’s on this list anyway.

1. Four patch Dog Bed (Stash)
2. Denim Quilt (using old blue jeans):   This was in the waiting for Inspiration category in April.  It’s now slated to be a tailgating quilt. and needs to be completed by Sept 1.
3. Diamonds (Brooklyn Heights)
4. Woven Jelly Roll Rug (Basic Grey Basics)
5. Swing Patch (Black/White/Red and  UGA prints)
6. Winter Moon (no fabric yet)

LIS: Lost in Stash

# Kits not started or in queue:  7

# projects (with fabric purchased) not started or in queue:  9

Completed Projects in 2010/ 2011

1. Hankie Quilt
2. Dino Rag Quilt
3. High Light Quilt
4. Easy Does It!
5. Grandma’s Bouquet
6. Verna Quilt
7. Four Patch Dog Bed
8. Sassy Slide
9. Deck Cushions/pillows (completed since April)
10. Oh Lollipop (lollipop) (completed since April)
11. Japanese Boxes (completed since April)
12. Mom’s Prayer Quilt (completed since April)

So, back in April, I posted about the Mod Times Quilt Along.   Between family obligations and things, I had to put it aside and only recently got to catch up on this great quilt.   I’ve got one more adjustment to make as I put the last 2 half blocks upside down, but  I wanted to share what’s done so far.

Step 1:   Cut the fabric.

Step 2:  Make the blocks

Step 3:   Sew the blocks together.

Once I fix the 2 blocks that are upside down, I can start quilting this one.   I’m really excited at how well it came together.   The inset seams were not nearly as bad as I thought they’d be.  I’m sure that’s because Jessica at Twin Fibers wrote such wonderful instructions.   Isn’t it just so cool to learn new things?

Well,  I’ve done it.   I’ve started a long term project.   I’m going to work on the Farmer’s Wife Sampler quilt.    Everyone else started weeks ago (doing 2 blocks a week), but with the house remodel and company,  there’s been no time to get started.    I’m not going to try to catch up, just start from here and work at my own pace.

I’ve decided I don’t want to do a completely scrappy quilt.  I’m going to use Normandy Court as my base and then add in a few scraps as needed for accent.

I’ve got my first 2 blocks done.  Block 40, the Frienship Block is on the left.  Block 29, Economy is on the right.

I really like how they turned out.  I’m looking forward to doing more of these.