Ringing In the New Year with Final Results

Well, it's that time of the year again.

Time to ring out the old

and ring in the new.

It's the time to recheck those lists

and evaluate how the year went. 

Okay.

Last year I followed along with Meredithe,

from the blog pomegranate and chintz,

who organized the 17 UFO's in 2017.

It was a big challenge.

The idea was to move those project forward and 

see progress.

It was a challenge that was positive, not one

to make you feel discouraged.

It worked!

Here's my list now.

10 out of 18 projects DONE and 

off the list.

That's about a 60% completion rate.

4 more that have been moved forward. 82%

And 3 things I just never got to. 18%

I'd say it was a positive quilting year.

Add in the extra projects that were new and not UFO's

and it makes me feel pretty good.

In fact,

with the encouragement of all of you

I'm literally singing out loud.

So what are the plans for 2018?

I'm thinking about adapting the original idea just a bit.

*****

6  "so close" projects (UFO'S) 

You just have to do it.

6  "just start" 

 I'm thinking about all those

projects where I've collected the fabric, the pattern, 

and it's just sitting in a pile

 waiting for me to find the time to start.

This year I'm going to make it happen.

6  "surprises"

Not quite sure what these will be.

Time will tell.

Check out Meredithe's blog, she's planning

something similar.

I'm hoping this plan will

keep me focused, yet, will be 

freeing and exciting.

Wishing you all a year

of immeasurable blessings and joy.

Until Next Time-

Kyle

It's a Wrap for 2017!

Twas the week before Christmas

and all through the house,

there was so much commotion

it wasn't fit for a mouse.

13 stockings

hung by the chimney with care

while I was busy baking

trying to keep flour out of my hair.

When suddenly down in the sewing room

there arose such a clatter,

everyone raced 

to see what was the matter.

Vintage Ocean Waves
65" x 55"

"No problem", I said

not wanting a scene,

"I just finished the final project 

for 2017!"

It was started in the 40's

and now finished at last.

Stitched by two quilters,

one present, one past.

Just like a puzzle

the pieces were unstitched

and then sewn back together

with nary a hitch.

My eyes how they twinkled

as I looked at what was done.

So much work

yet so much fun.

It's all quiet now with

The fabric and thread put away,
so I'll stop just to wish you all

a very Happy Holiday.

Until Next Time-

Kyle

A Good Ending

All good things must come to an end.

Things like...

Bee Hive hairdos?

Well, maybe that was a good thing to end!

For me this week it was

finally finishing my

leaders and enders quilt. 

A 17 UFO's in 2017 project.

Happy Memories Quilt

60" x 66"

It all started last summer with a free

pattern from 

Temecula Quilt Co.

It was to be a fun summer project.

I decided it was time to dig into my scrap bags and

use only what was there.

A couple of large trash bags worth of 

pieces had taken over a large portion of a closet.

It was time to use it or

pass it on.

It took a lot of cutting,

counting,

and a long time sewing.

I used the leaders and enders approach

and kept working on it for well over a year.

There were lozenger blocks ( 2"x 6") to make along with

and broken dishes (3") and nine patches (4.5").

Combine all those different fabrics together

and what do you get?

A quilt filled with happy memories. 

A quilt made with

fabric pieces from so many past quilts.

It was a trip down memory lane.

It was machine quilted by my friend, Debi,

who kept the swirling feather pattern simple.

When it came to the binding,

it had to be scrappy too.

I found tucked away in the hidden part of a cupboard

some binding pieces

wrapped sweetly on antique wooden spools.

Perfect! 

Use them up!

Yes, all good things do need to come to an end.

Don't you agree?

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Stolen Moments

This month's sewing

on my 17 UFO's in 2017

has only happened

 

with stolen moments of time. 

A little bit here and a little bit there.

Most of the items on my list
really don't have to be done by any particular time,
except for one.

#14 Make two new Christmas Stockings

 When my sister was 1 and 
I was 3 our mom made us our Christmas stockings.

Nothing elegant,
or Shabby Chic
just pure 50's.

 They were made out of felt,
sequins and  embroidery.
In fact, they are actually a puppet.

 So when Running Man and I were married in 1973,

 I made him a stocking to match mine.
It was the start of a family tradition. 

The number of stockings have grown over the years.

 Last year there were 11
and this year, well, there will be 13.

 With my stole bits of time
I've been sewing sequins,
and embroidering Santa faces
for the newest members of the family.

  
Each stocking from one generation
to the next shows a bit more wear.
 The colors may have faded a bit, but there
are many Christmas memories tucked inside each of those stockings.

With my stolen moments
the stockings can now be hung by the 
chimney with care,
In the hopes that Saint Nicholas will soon be there.

Until Next Time-
Kyle

September's UFO List

Despite the fact that I'm 

in full swing of being a nanny Nana

I've made some progress on

my 17 UFO's in 2017.

Any forward progress is 

a reason to celebrate.

A couple of weekends ago

 there was challenge

to "sew a jelly roll".

To be honest, I don't buy 

many precuts,

but looking over my UFO list 

 I remembered I had 

"make a Mondo Bag"

I knew it was a sign.

Time to work on this.

I combined a well cured

Fig Tree jelly roll and a 

very mature pattern and 

started sewing.

A long time ago I have made lots of the 

Quilt Smart Smart Bags.

All this bag takes is 

two fat quarters,

one for the bag and one for the lining.
And, of course,
the Quilt Smart fusible
preprinted interfacing.

Making a Mondo Bag

was just as easy.
The fusible interfacing has
all the necessary lines printed on it,
where to cut and where to sew
and what direction to press.

Using a jelly roll is a quick

way to get a variety of  2.5" squares.

Cut, fuse, sew.
Nothing could be easier.

 

 Here are the squares fused to
the interfacing.

If you're careful, you're

 able to get enough squares for two Mondo Bags

out of one jelly roll.

One bag for you and one for a friend.

Once you've bought the pattern,
you can buy the interfacing panels separately
and make as many as you want.

Over the years

I've had bag envy with many

of my quilting friends and their Mondo Bags.

The size and shape is perfect

for carrying beautiful quilts 

for show and tell to your local guild meeting.

Well, mine was finally done

and became my show and tell

for September.

Look.

Another project off the list.

There are several projects

that are getting close to being done.

It's going to be a sprint

to the finish.

I've appreciated Meredithe's

fun UFO's list and accountability.

I have actually stayed pretty focused!

Until Next Time-
Kyle

A Winter Finish in Summer

How quickly, it seems,

we can go from this...

to this...

With a few flips of the calendar pages

the seasons change.

I've continued to work on and 

even finish some of my 17 in 2017.

My most recent finish,

"Let It Snow" will be ready and 

waiting when winter decides to return.

 Let It Snow

37" x 30"

This was a delightful free BOM wool applique

pattern designed by Stacy of 

Buttermilk Basin.

The reason it was on my 17 in 2017 list

was because it was last year's free pattern!

 It's still available on her website for purchase,

if you're interested.

I found the black flannels for the backgrounds in my stash,

and the wool as well.

Years  ago I bought this wool skirt at the Goodwill,

 felted it,

and who knew years later it would become snow.

The blocks were fun and easy.

By simply changing the cardinal to a blue jay

it personalized the block for my neck of the woods.

(No, cardinals here)

Adding some buttons or

 beads is another way

 to make a pattern your own.

I had planned to add a more extensive border,

but it just wasn't in me to keep going.

I simply quilted in the ditch and

 

 added some snowflakes in the borders.

I'm simply going to let the blocks

speak winter.

Another finish from my list.

It's a great way to enjoy the summer.

Check out what others have finished on their lists

by visiting Meredithe's blog,

Pomegranate and Chintz

 

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Discovery!

Last week I shared with you

how silly my mind can work.

I like to take one of the strategies

from the game of Parcheesi

and compare it to working

 on multiple quilts simultaneously

and then being rewarded with 
multiple finishes!

What's not to love about that!

Well, this week my fourth man (quilt) 

made it Home.
Tah Dah!!!

First, let me clarify, that my
finish is a finished top,
which was one of my 17 UFO's in 2017!

Discovery
65" x 65"

 It is the 2016 mystery quilt
designed by Petra Prins
for Quiltmania magazine.

Yes, you've probably noticed that 2017
is already half over, but I'm so happy to
have this sewn together.
I "discovered" that it's rather
hard for me to keep up with mystery quilts.

*Besides I like to cheat
and be a few months behind.
That way I know where I'm headed.
(I wouldn't have made a very good explorer.)

The design included lots of appliquéing,
fussy cutting,
English Paper Piecing,
and playing with Petra's
wonderful Dutch Heritage Fabrics.

I also "discovered" that I love these fabrics!
The only place I was able to find

 them here in the states
was at Web Fabric. com


 I didn't work from a kit
but used other fabrics from my stash

 
for the background pieces and borders.
It changed it up a little.

The center of this quilt
is designed after a compass rose
found on nautical maps
showing the points of the compass

or a mariner's compass block.
The Dutch were part of the Age of Exploration
and Discovery.

The most challenging part for me
were the final stars in the final border.

The kite shape points created
a very narrow tip and getting the seam allowance
to tuck under after basting them around
a paper piece was difficult.
I would have done better with good ol' needle turning.
 That was another part
of my sewing "discovery"
with this quilt.

Now when I "discover" some time
I might work on getting this quilted.
****

Until Next Time-
Kyle