Did 2019 Measure Up?

Before January gets away from me, I am taking a moment today to check my success rate for the goals I made for 2019. I actually had two separate goals list - one was the normal type of list (like I did yesterday) and one was a "bucket list"  (and bucket list, part 2) from an online list published by American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

From my regular list, I planned to make quilts with 9-patches, large pieces, churn dash blocks and stars. I feel pretty good that all these things were accomplished.

Memoire a Paris; made in January 2019

9-Patch Exchange Quilt with the Frankfort Girls

Double 9-Patch UFO; made 2 quilts!

Moda Love; BIG pieces!

Weathervane quilt; BIG pieces!

Jelly Roll quilt incorporating 4-patch blocks.

Churn Dash mini-quilt.

Probably the biggest accomplishment of 2019 wasn't even on a list. Getting that long arm machine out of the basement, up to the spare bedroom and WORKING! was a monumental accomplishment. Then to think that I actually quilted several quilts on it impresses me even more. Wow. I still pinch myself at times.

Now, about that bucket list from APQ magazine. The list - 50 items! - is far too long to cover in its entirety, so I will mention the ones that I really regret not accomplishing:

***I wanted to make a quilt using solids, even bought fabrics for it, but never followed through.
***I wanted to make a 2-color quilt.
***I wanted to make a quilt which combined 9-patch blocks and snowball blocks.
***I wanted to finish a Christmas project before Christmas; remember that Roman Holiday mini-quilt I was hand quilting? Still not done. *bummer*

Let me list a few bucket list items that I accomplished! These are worth mentioning:

***Learn to applique.
***Make an embroidery project.
***Finish a UFO - I finished 3!
***Donate pillowcases to a charity. Another charitable donation was the OSU t-shirt quilt I made for my husband's college fraternity. I have a future post about that quilt planned.

That about sums up 2019. Now on to accomplishing great things in 2020. This year promises to be even better and more productive.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Closing The Door on September

It seems impossible that another month has slipped by, but the calendar does not lie. In saying goodbye to September, I have to remark that while I had some serious issues with making myself blog regularly, I more than made up for it by getting a whole lot of stuff done.

If I revisit that list I made and shared as we began the month, I see that I set some rather lofty goals which did not even get touched. Item 6, for example, is one that will be moving to October's list. (Fortunately, that baby is not due until late December!)

But rather than focus on what I did not get done, let's see what I DID accomplish. Remember, minimal work is still progress, right??

1. All three baby quilts are quilted, bound and ready for babies. Yeah!
2. See yesterday's post for the reveal of June's UFO which is at last finished!
3. September's UFO is also revealed in yesterday's post. I had a really satisfying Friday morning, you know?!
4. I regret that I haven't made much progress on Emma's wall hanging, however I did get my triangle papers and have fabrics cut out.
5. I selected the wedding quilt from those hanging in my closet, but have not decided on a backing. You will recognize it, as I have recently finished it, but I will keep mum about it as I want it to be a surprise.
6. Nothing, as explained above.
7. 8. 9. Random stars, hexies and pincushions. Yes, yes, and yes. Some are featured in the collage below.
10. Block Swap blocks - only minimal work done here; I do finally have all the fabrics for the two or three blocks I still have to finish.
11. No one would ever accuse me of overdoing it on cleaning, but I have done some stuff; several tubs have been straightened and rearranged. As my cutting table is heaping with clutter at the moment, it just isn't all that visible to an untrained eye. *wink*

Some accomplishments that were not on the list include getting to spend a day sewing headbands with my nieces. We had such a great day together. My high school graduating class had a very impromptu get together with a classmate who was in from the west coast. On short notice, we had a decent turn out of about a dozen friends to reminisce with. And last, we served as kitty-sitter for our daughter's cat Rocky. He loves coming to the big house in the country, quite a change from his small apartment in the city.

I didn't include it in my collage, but Sharon and I did a jelly roll day together. For her, it went well. For me, well, there's a reason I've not blogged it. I promise to fill you in on the ugly details soon.I'm fixing a few things first.

Hope your September was fabulous! Let's see what kind of mischief we can make in October, okay?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

July's Highlights

When I taught, I often experienced a certain ambivalence about the way summer days just flew by. Those fleeting days of summer vacation went far too fast. And now, as a retiree of going on nine years, I find I am experiencing the same feelings as I see the calendar now turned to the final day of July. ~sigh~

This July has been particularly satisfying insofar that I managed three finishes, one of which is finished to the quilted and delivered stage; the others two are flimsies. Those three finishes are what you see across the top of my July collage below.

The middle row showcases one more time the two beautiful versions of 'Elizabeth' that Sharon P. and I made this year; a group of 4 zany Frienzies in the middle of an activity at Pam's house last week; and a stack of sweet corn representing the 24 quarts DH and I worked up for the freezer.

In the bottom row, you see one of the 4 pincushions I've made this month from scraps in the sewing room. Next is an early misty-morning  view of the bike path where DH and I regularly walk. We have worked our way up to 4 miles each morning, from a paltry one mile in the month following my May surgery. The final pic is from Saturday's delightfully relaxing day on the screened porch with several beverages and an engaging book.

I mentioned that I've made 4 pincushions, yet you have not yet seen #4. I made it yesterday afternoon, and it took all of about 20 minutes.

The strips are random widths of scraps and it measures just slightly under 3" square. I have been taking a really easy approach to these, yet I have seen some from others that are intricately pieced. I might have to try one or two of those - just because. *grin*

My brain is busy coming up with a do-able list of goals for August, which I will share in the coming days. Have a great Monday, Peeps!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Welcome June!

Gosh, it just seems impossible that we turned the calendar to June today. I sure do welcome the warmer temperatures, the open windows (and the A/C, when needed!), the birds and flowers and blue skies. It's a gorgeous time of year.

Taking stock of the accomplishments of May, I find that I started stuff. And have plenty yet to finish. I guess finishing will have to be the work of June.

Early in the month I made the peach and gray baby quilt. It is still waiting to be quilted.

I spent a frazzled day or two fixing the border on All In A Row.

Then I cut out and began stitching Elisa's king-size gray quilt. It is still coming together.

I made a few large hexies for handwork with the Frankfort girls.

I made Chock Full of Charm with some scrumptious French General precuts.

And I quilted. Lots and lots and lots of quilting.

Doesn't seem like much, but I felt busy. And now here we are in June. I must finish the baby quilt. I need to just determine a day that I will focus entirely on it. I could quilt it and bind it in a day, and then deliver it before baby comes in July. That will be my goal.

I will continue to piece Elisa's big quilt, and hope to have the top together by the end of the month; perhaps I could even have some quilting done on it, too. I have decided that I will quilt it myself on the machine. I will explain how I think I will accomplish this as I approach the time to do it.

I will really work hard to have the 6-pointed star quilt off the frame and into its binding by the end of the month. It has been very satisfying work so far, and the finish is closing in - I can feel it!

Besides these plans for finishing in June, I have additional plans for starting more stuff! Starts are the next best thing to finishes, when it comes to quilts and quilting. I think I will organize my thoughts and bring you those in tomorrow's post.

Happy Quilting, Friends!