Cleaning out the UFOs

I feel like I am making great progress finishing up my list of UFOs.  Right now, I have them worked down to just 16!  That sounds like a lot but I will always be one of those quilters that always has a lot of projects on the go.  My goal is to get the list down to about 12.

I think I started the blocks for this quilt back in early 2017.  I had a bunch of vegetable fabric I had started making an apron out of in about 2014.  I failed miserably at the apron and stuffed the whole project deep into a cupboard.  I decided to play around with the fabric and turn it into an improv scrappy quilt.

All of the blocks have a fussy cut vegetable in the center and each scrap is completed in improv style using scraps.

It was fun playing with each individual block.  I tried my best to weave in more of the vegetable fabric to use it up.

My favorite block is probably the one with the fan-dancing carrot in it.

I used the background fabric as I constructed the blocks, which makes it look like fabrics are floating in the background.

On the back, I used a fun green print I had purchased at Connecting Threads.  I was hoping it was one of the ones on sale as I have used up everything I had.  

But it looks like they no longer have it in stock.

And I should note that the completion of this quilt was my February APQ UFO Challenge quilt.

I met my goal but I just didn't have any internet access to write about it.

That means I have already finished up two UFOs this year.  THAT makes me so very happy!

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March UFO Challenge

With a new month comes a new UFO project to work on.  The APQ project for March is number 8 - which is an easy one!

This scrappy zig zag quilt is the chosen quilt to finish this month.  Even though this project is one of my RSC quilts for this year, I went ahead and placed it on my list because I knew I needed to go in and backfill some colors and I didn't really want to wait for them to be called in 2019.

Now this means I get to start something new for a Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt!

I do have a list of the colors needed for the final blocks.  I have started out with prepping up a gray one while the gray scrap bin was out.

These blocks are so easy to sew, I am pretty confident I will meet my goal!

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So Scrappy for RSC19 

Oh, and if you are in need of some green fabric (which just happens to be the RSC color for March), Connecting Threads has a bunch of great ones on sale right now.

APQ UFO Challenge for February

On the tail of my successful UFO finish for January, I am hoping to keep up my momentum.

The number six was drawn for February.  Which means my Veggie Improv project will hopefully get finished this month. (Remember this one?!)

I was happy to see this project get chosen.  So many UFOs on my list, I know I am going to dig in and drag my feet on finishing.  But this one has all the blocks completed and I just need to sew the blocks together.  

I even have the background fabrics....so there is really nothing stopping me!

If you want to read more about the event, you can do so here.

If I can finish half of the twelve items on my list by year's end, I am going to be one happy girl!

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APQResolution!

I'm jumping in!

Every year, the folks at  All People Quilt host a UFO Challenge to assist quilters like me that end up with a long list of unfinished projects.  

Just how does it works?

You download their challenge chart and list 12 projects you want to make progress on in 2019.  Every month, they will draw a number and that is project you work on that month.  You can share your progress on Instagram or on Facebook.

January is item #3.

When I made my list, I already knew what item was going to be for January, so I listed my Splendid Sampler quilt in the third slot.  I did this to ensure I started out the year with a probable success.  

There is nothing wrong with wanting to start the year out right!

Feel free to join in if you want.

(You can read all about it here.)

If I get half the items on my list accomplished this year, I will call it a success!

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April UFO

In an effort to finish up some of my older (and neglected) UFOs, I am participating in the APQResolution UFO Challenge.  At the beginning of the year, I made a list of 12 projects and each month, American Patchwork picks a number, and that is the project you work on for the month.  You may not finish your item but hopefully you at least make some progress on it.

So far this year, I have scratched 3 items off my list!

For April, the number 11 was pulled so I will be getting this project out and dusting it off.  There is a LOT of work to do on this one!   It is actually two projects I am mashing together into one.  The floral applique blocks are from a project I started about a decade ago.  The Basketweave blocks I made using this paper-pieced pattern from Craftsy. 

If you are hesitant on trying foundation (paper) piecing, I use Carol Doak's method.  I still pull up sections of her Craftsy class for a refresher if I am working on something more detailed.  I find it to be a great resource.

But before I can start working on a layout, I guess I will be spending my next few evenings finishing up the needle turn applique on a few blocks!

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Riding the UFO Wave

At the beginning of this year, I made the decision that I was going to get to the bottom of my UFO pile. (Okay, you can stop laughing now....)  But I really do want to make a big dent in the pile!

Well for some reason, I felt inspired to pick a bag of fabric that has been sitting on the floor of my fabric closet for about a decade and finish up the quilt I had planned for it.

I am not sure that this is exactly what I had in mind but it was the path the quilt took.  The bag must have had about 30 yards of fabric in there and as you can see, I used very little of each print.  So I had a whole lot of fabric left over.

 Almost of the fabrics in the quilt are older Martha Negley, Carla Miller and Kaffe Fassett prints.  These prints are such an explosion of color!

The center fabric however was a last minute substitution.  I am not even sure when or where I got it but I have never wanted to cut into it.  The fat quarter I had worked perfectly.

My original plan was to use this Martha Negley print (I just pinned a piece over the pink one when it was on my design wall.)  I am not sure I made the best choice but I do prefer the pink center.

 Oh well, I am certainly not changing it now!

I was able to use a few of the remaining pieces in the bag for the backing too.  The rest went back into the Kaffe stash - which is now falling off the shelf.

This is the third older UFO that I have finished already this year.  I still have about 20 UFOs on the list but it is a step in the right direction!

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Neutrals Strata Quilt Finish

It is funny how setting a goal and having a plan really does help you get something finished!

Earlier this month I shared my plan to finish 12 older UFOs this year.  I numbered my list and will be working on one each month.

Quilt #6 was chosen for January which was a Strata quilt I have been working on for a few years.  The fabrics, I have been collecting for about a decade!

I am happy to report it is now a finished quilt!

With all the snow and rain we have been getting, an outdoor picture is not an option but this photo shows the lovely taupes, grays and browns in my fabrics.  I have been wanting to make myself a quilt in these colors for years and knew I really wanted the quilt to be just about the fabrics.

The fabrics were all cut in varying widths and then cut up into a handful of lengths.  I love the patterns that are created from the different sized strips and as fabrics and colors run together.

One of my all time favorite fabrics for the backing.  It is a Michael Miller print that I have been hoarding for years.  Knowing this quilt is for me, this was the perfect time to get it out and use it.

So I have already reached my goal of finishing a UFO for January!  I am feeling extremely good about the coming year already.  Maybe I really can get my UFO list down to single digits.   :)

I will also be sharing this finish with Elm Street Quilts for the One Monthly Goal Finish Along.

2017 is off to a great start!

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Strata Quilt - January OMG/UFO

One of my main goals this year is to finish up some of my older UFOs.  I have purged all of the ones I know I don't want to finish and I am left with 20 in various stages of completion.

To help in meeting this goal, I decided to join American Patchwork in their UFO challenge.  Essentially, you come up with a list of 12 UFOs and each month, they randomly draw a number and that is the project you work on for the month.  You may not finish it, but hopefully you will make some progress on it.

Sounds like a great idea to me!

For January, the number 6 was drawn.  Looking at my list, this is my Neutrals Strata quilt.  This UFO is not too terribly old.  I think it is a great candidate to start the year off!

As you can see, I have quite a number of pieces already sewn.

I had some time today to get all the pieces up on one of my design walls.  I was pleased to see I am further along than I thought.  It is silly how some projects get tucked away and forgotten when you are so close to completing.

I just might be able to finish this one this month!

So I am going to make this my OMG goal for January and link up with Elm Street Quilts.

What finishes are you focusing on this year?

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