Reviewing Old Goals - Part 2

I promised a quilt parade today of quilts that fulfilled my final goal of 2022 - Numerous TBA Quilts. Basically, I was giving myself a lot of leeway to make whatever quilts suited my fancy at any given point throughout the year. 

I made a lot! Some were quilted; most were not. But perhaps they will be quilted soon, as this year's goals are ambitious in the long-arm quilting area.

Let's start the parade; these are presented in no particular order. I'm numbering them just to see how many there are.

1. Cottage Green. This one was also quilted! We used it on our bed all summer.

2. 4-Patch Delight. A wall hanging; it is quilted and displayed in a basket in the dining room.

3.  First 3-Yard Quilt.  Made in April while at retreat.

4. Rosy Stepping Stones.  After we learned that we were having a granddaughter, all the pink quilts started!
                                                

5. Small Rosy Stepping Stones. And leftover bits were used, as well!

6. Everhart Baby Quilt. Quilted and gifted.

7.  McKenzie Baby Quilt. Quilted and gifted.

8. Spring Double 9-Patch. This look a lot more sparkly in the book; mine looks a bit washed out. Unsure how to proceed.

9. Second 3-Yard Quilt. Quilted and gifted to Erin for Catherine Alice.

10. Autumn Green. Sort of a 'cousin' to Cottage Green, above. Both green fabrics were bought at the same time, and the patterns show the importance of block construction.

11. Copy Cat Creation/Kaffe Fassett Baby Quilt for Cate. Quilted, gifted, and being used!

12. Pink Single Irish Chain. Gave to Cate at Christmas time, and it resides here for when she visits.

13. Scrappy Red Nines.  This quilt top was finished right at year's end and it has already been quilted, first thing in 2023.

Lucky 13!! That's some grand total. I cannot be disappointed with this number or this variety. And so many are quilted already! It was a banner year for babies and baby quilts.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Reviewing Old Goals - Part 1

Every year since retiring I have made sewing and quilting goals, and by all accounts 2022 was one of my more successful years as far as completion goes. I fondly recall my big success of '17, when I finished all those UFOs - gosh, what an undertaking. I am so glad to have done that. The success of '22 may well rank a strong #2 behind '17.

Numbers 1-6 and 8-9 are all successfully completed, meaning they were all made. Some are quilted, finished and gifted (1 & 2), while others are quilt tops awaiting quilting (3-6 and 8-9). I also finished 11, 12, 14, and 15.

Click here (#1) and here (#2) to see the two baby quilts. Below join me in viewing a little quilt parade of the others finished throughout the year.

Goal # 3 was the red and white Double Irish Chain. Finished in July; I still might add borders.

Goal # 4 was Great Granny Squares. I worked on this mostly at April's retreat, finishing it soon after.

Goal # 5 was Mini Trip Around the World. This was started here at home and finished while at Retreat. It's not very big, but it sure is pretty, and was totally fun to make.

Goal #6 was Temecula Baskets. This was a carry-over quilt from 2021; I finally finished it in February.

Goal # 8 was Ohio Stars from our block exchange. I took my stack of stars to April's retreat, and made this quilt top while there. I am still thinking about adding a border.

 

Goal # 9 ended up being combined with #12, making Lil' Orphan Scrappy with the William Morris fabric.

 

Goal # 11 was Ocean Ripples, a Kaffe Fassett quilt top finished in March.

So what about those things I didn't do? Goal #7, continue working on Lake Effect, is carrying over to yet another year. I really ignored it last year, and vow to be more diligent in giving it my attention.

I don't think I spent a single minute thinking about getting out those Blockheads UFOs - goal #10. Consequently, at least two of these find themselves added to the new goals for 2023. I promise I will finish these Blockheads quilts - someday!

Goal # 13 basically got ditched early on. I thought it would be fun to do another sew-along with Sharon and Dee (like we did in '21) but, alas, we found our lives going in all different directions, so I scrapped it.

Down at the bottom of the list are two goals added almost as an afterthought to my list. I am glad I added them, as I was motivated to see how far I could get on both. Goal # 14 was to quilt at least 24 quilts on the long arm machine, and I exceeded my projected goal with 28. Have a look at the page dedicated to tracking my long arm quilting.

Enough for today. That last item on the list - Numerous TBA Quilts - lends itself to a great big quilt parade, so come back tomorrow for that bit of fun.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

2022 Yearly Review

I generally don't get around to wrapping up a year until at least a week into the new year, so I am attempting to be more proactive this time around. Shall we take a walk through the quilting highlights of 2022 together?

January was spent in Florida, so actual sewing was extremely limited. I took some things to work on, but did very little. This one little quilt is all that was made start-to-finish, and it has been quilted since, so it really is finished!

 

In February, I got down to some serious sewing business. Not only did I make a colorful baby quilt and Temecula Baskets, I also long-armed a couple of things! In looking back, I am rather impressed by my productivity.

One-year-old Emery makes regular use of her colorful quilt, and my basket quilt is still folded over a hanger in the closet.  

In addition to the quilt tops, I made progress on the long arm with the baby quilt pictured above, and a quilt top from years earlier.

March through December, I stepped up and stayed focused on quilt tops and long arming. The enjoyment of so much sewing has made the year one of the best yet.

The page dedicated to this year's finishes outlines all the particulars, if you care to investigate. There is another page dedicated to quilts that have been long armed, and I've separated the finishes by year.

As I look back on the year's accomplishments, a few quilts are worth singling out; finishing them has really given me quite a bit of satisfaction. First, my goal to make Lyn Wilder's pattern called Lil' Orphan Scrappy with my stash of William Morris fabrics. It was a gargantuan project, and many years in the planning. It came together beautifully, and once I figure out what to back it with, I will quilt it.

Making a red and white Double Irish Chain was one quilt that I was also proud to make. The red I used came from fabric that was in my grandmother's quilt things that I now have. It is the cheapest of fabrics, and this quilt will NEVER be able to laundered, as the red will just bleed like crazy all over that white. I plan to add a label that says as much.

And the last quilt I will highlight is Great Granny Squared. I used fabrics that are bright and cheerful, and it will be gorgeous once quilted.

I mustn't finish a review of the year without including some major progress with the Tin Lizzie long arm machine. I continue to grow in confidence with the machine and goals for the new year will definitely involve much more long arming. Even with the occasional catastrophe with the dreaded "eyelashes" have all been, in the long run, useful in teaching me valuable lessons.

Quilting all the Special Kay quilts was a special goal to meet, as well as a sweet baby quilt for our darling Catherine.

Now, that mention a bit ago about next year's goals presents a project that I continue to work on. Hopefully, I won't be so long in finalizing it as I was this past January.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

Reviewing Old Goals

Each January I make a list of goals I hope to accomplish in the next 12 months; additionally, I recap the previous year's goals to take stock of how well I did. I have not yet posted this year's goals, although I have begun working on a few of the items that will be listed. I plan to share the '21 goals tomorrow; today, let's look at how I fared at accomplishing all that was on my 2020 list.

Clicking here will take you to my post that reveals the goals for last year. To avoid having to do that, I pulled just the list to reference in today's post.

 

This past year became such a different year, everyone will agree, and things that one planned didn't always pan out. I cannot blame my non-finishes on the virus, but it may have factored in.

The first 4 items on this list are gifts, only 2 of which are actually in the hands of the recipients. I completely finished and gifted the first two items. I have made the Everhart wedding quilt, but have not yet quilted it, and that goes, too, for Garrett's baby quilt.

Other finishes include the quilts and flimsies listed below. Clicking each link will explain some details, and show you some pictures, if you are interested. As a point of clarification, my listed name might have changed by the time I wrote about the quilt. (For example, Blue and Yellow Stars became Dreamy Stars.)

6-Summer Nights

7-True Blue

8-Frankfort Girls' Sew Along

10- Kim Diehl quilt

11-Larkspur Quilt

12-Blue and Yellow Stars

13-UFO - Purple and Green Thimbleberries

16/17-Diagonal Madness was made with KF fabrics, so I really did both in one quilt.

18-Scrap-busting focus (more on this below)

19-Two-color quilt - Lady of the Lake

20-Test Block 30s Quilt

21-Impromptu Projects - besides #19, Lady of the Lake, I made a scrappy table topper (counts for #18, too), Peachy Surprise, Summer Breeze, Larkspur 9-Patch, and Larkspur Topper.

I feel pretty darn good that I was as successful as this for my goals. It certainly was a year that presented its fair share of hiccups, but at least in the quilt-making area, I feel as though I prevailed.

Two big fails: #9 - quilting 2 quilts per month on the long arm. I really do want to get this goal going in a big way. You all know how many quilt tops I have made here and they MUST be quilted. You can be sure a goal very similar to this is again on the list for 2021. 

Dreamy Stars, above, is one quilt worth highlighting, as I stitched it and quilted it all in the same calendar year. That is an amazing feat. I hope I can get so efficient that I am doing this as the norm, and not as an anomaly.

Another fail is #14 - the UFO called Row-a-Month. That thing is so old, and the part that needs to be dealt with is applique. Well, I am pretty busy with my ongoing WIP, #15-Lake Effect, which is presenting enough applique for now. Row-a-Month is just gonna have to wait.

A moderate fail is #5 - working on the Blockheads is fun, but I fizzle out on them; I have them nearby, and work on them occasionally. I will get back to them, eventually.

Sorry for another word-laden post, Peeps. Clicking will get you lots of pictures, though, so have at it!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

2017 - The Year of the UFO Projects

What a successful year I have had with completing my 12 UFOs! It is hard to explain the mixed feelings I have had during the past year as I have worked on this challenge.  Ever-so-many months or years ago, each of these projects was begun with eager anticipation. They took a back seat at some point to more pressing efforts, some waiting in a holding pattern lots longer than others.

As I worked through this past year on the UFO assigned to each month, I wasn't always a happy camper, as the efforts became WORK. I wanted to move on to new stuff and fun things. However, I had such good success in those early months, I really wanted to keep myself on pace to finish them all. That's when the drudgery factor began setting in - about halfway through the year. I suppose it was that June UFO that got me - it was such a bugger to figure out. I may have taken awhile to finish it, but I did it eventually.

Now that they are all done (full disclosure: I am doing borders on December's UFO today) I am so very pleased with my accomplishment. This is worthy of a celebration!

I thought I'd use today's post to bring together all 12 UFOs to show off  the fantastic finishes I've managed. I feel like this challenge has been a very long, yet very satisfying endeavor.

January - 19th C. Reds 

February - Lorraine

March - Small Kaffe Tumblers

April - 9-Patch Strippy

May - Navy Monkey Wrench

June- Flag Day Farm Medallion - the only one not finished in its assigned month.

July - Wishes QAL from 2014

August - Hexie Table Topper - smallest UFO of the year

September - abbreviated Farmer's Wife Sampler 

October - Tell It to the Stars QAL from 2014

November - Dusty Trails

December - Large Kaffe Tumblers

I will work today to get the borders on this last one, and will replace the picture when I have a finish. All of these are quilt tops (except that table topper from August). Do I dare dream to quilt a few of these on that long arm machine I have set up and waiting??? I would love to, and you know you will hear all about it if that comes to fruition.

Now, as I look ahead to 2018, I do not even want to think about finishing a UFO. I do still have a few. (Or more than a few, if we are honest with ourselves, right quilters?) I may decide that doing one every 3 or 4 months will satisfy me. I don't want to repeat the pressure I put on myself to do one a month, that's for sure! I will just wait and see how I feel in a few months.

I hope you have enjoyed following along with my '17 UFO Challenge. It's been fun looking back at the quilts. Three are hand-pieced (April, May, August); one is entirely my own one-of-a-kind design (June); over half are scrappy, as opposed to color- or theme-oriented. I think these 12 quilts adequately represent my wide-ranging preferences.

I just discovered that a blogger had a 17-for-17 UFO project going on for this year; while I did not participate in it, I may try linking up with it; click the link to see what others have finished this year. I am also linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Happy Quilting, Friends!