Oh Me, Oh My

With only a few feet of binding left to sew on Noah's quilt last night I was feeling discouraged for only finishing two quilts this year.  What have I been doing with my time?  How could I have accomplished so little when it seems I'm always working on something?!  Later in the evening I was organizing some digital photos and as I scrolled through a large, unsorted file, I had a different perspective.  Lots unfinished, for sure, but progress toward finishes, too.  (Though maybe too many beginnings for one year.)  These are some of the photos of quilt parts I saw.

Quarter Cabins.  I have a nice stack of these little 4" blocks and have been thinking of making a strippy quilt with them.  Barely an idea, no real idea what to put in the strip between the log cabin strips.  I'd love to participate in Julie's Log Cabin Lunacy.

Sweet Land of Liberty.  This was a sew-along hosted by Lori of Humble Quilts.  I started late then couldn't keep up and was considering either not finishing or turning the blocks into little medallion quilts.  I was thrilled to learn that she'll be hosting the sew-along again next year, this time on Cheri Payne's Facebook page.  Reprieve!  I have a second chance!

Red and brown four-patch blocks.  These scrappy blocks make me think of strings of rubies.  I became disinterested in this, or maybe discouraged or bored or uncertain how it would look when finished, but an image of it quilted flashed through my mind last night.  I just need to cut and sew, cut and sew.  The larger double four-patch blocks will finish at 3", four together to make a diamond/square will finish at 6".

The Blue and the Gray.  The red crosses on the right will become cornerstones in the sashing for the blocks on the left.  I've been collecting fabrics for the sashing pieces which will be cut at 5½" x 9½".













Linda Brannock's Flowers.  This is a sew-along on Facebook.  I started late on this one, too.  Most people are about done with theirs.  I've finished one more flower than is in this photo, have the pattern for the next block, and will have four more blocks to make plus half-triangle squares for the sashing.

Cheri Payne's Everyday Patchwork.  These need sashing, cornerstones, border, and applique on the border.

Little Spools.  These will finish at 3".  I have enough for a small quilt....  Or I could make more but I don't really enjoy making them.  These were leader/ender blocks suggested by Bonnie Hunter a few years ago. 

These aren't all the quilt blocks/quilts I have in progress, just the ones I've worked on this year.  While they don't amount to finishes, I can at least see that I've made some progress.

Oh me, oh my.  So many options, so much to do!  From these I will choose my monthly goal for November.   (And I will not start another quilt until one or two of these is/are finished.  I will not start another quilt....  I will not start another quilt....  I must not join a sew-along....)

--Nancy.
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Quilter's Riddle?

Q:  When is a straight line not a straight line?

A:  When I sew it!  Yes, I have a hard time keeping long, straight seams straight, especially at the beginning and end.  Not to worry, though:  I have plenty of strips to practice with and, if all else fails, I have an acrylic square and a rotary cutter.


This is how I think the quilt may look -- unless I decide to change something about it, maybe the color or size of the corner squares or the color range of the strings themselves.  The strings are sewn into blocks but the blocks are not cut to size or sewn together. 

And this is how the blocks look without the corner squares.  I think the corner squares help unify the quilt.

I'm linking this post to WOW at Esther's Blog and WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  Thank you, ladies.


Happy quilting to you!

--Nancy.
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Finish-A-Long

I'm relatively new to quilt blogging and I recently learned about the 2013 Finish-A-Long (FAL) at She Can Quilt and From Blank Pages.  Whew, do I need this incentive and encouragement!

I have these quilts to finish, several of which have been waiting for a few years:

1) a large churn dash (layer and quilt)

2) a double Irish Chain (layer and quilt)

3) a small churn dash (layer and quilt)

4) a High Five (layer and quilt)

5) a box variation (layer and quilt)

6) a String-X (binding)

7) a Sunday Morning (finish sewing blocks)

8) Easy Street (cut blocks, sew blocks)


Below are the rules for the 2013 Finish-A-Long from She Can Quilt. 

The Rules for the 2013 Finish-A-Long (FAL)

1. The FAL will run quarterly. You can join in for any quarter or for all of the four quarters in the year.

2. The basic idea is that you will identify and photograph unfinished projects (UFOs) that you want to finish in the upcoming FAL quarter. The concept of the FAL is to get those projects done and out of your sewing room. These need to be projects that you have actually started and are not finished. Finished projects are generally things that will finish into a finished item, not parts of projects like quilt tops or bee blocks: while a quilt top is certainly a UFO that can be part of the FAL.

3. You will prepare your list, blog about it, and add your blog post with your list to the link party at the beginning of the quarter. If you are not a blogger, you can link a flickr photo which has your plan in the description. This link will be open for a week at the beginning of each quarter.

4. Over the 3 months of the FAL quarter, finish those projects. Feel free to post about them on your blog and post pictures in the FAL flickr group. You can post your progress, your problems and your finishes.

5. At the end of the quarter there will be a new linky party where you will link a blog post (or flickr picture) showing off each finish on your FAL list. Projects must have been on your FAL list for the quarter to qualify and you will need to link to or reference the place you posted that list in your finish post. You will need to link each finish separately so that each project will be in the running for a prize. There is no penalty for not finishing a project that was on your original list. This link will also be open for one week.

6. Rhonda and I are talking about a special prize category too, and there will be more on that later. Maybe the oldest UFO that was finished, for example. If you have other suggestions let us know. For now, do include interesting details about your projects in your FAL list post.

7. During the week between the end of the quarter and the start of the next one, there will be tutorials on my blog from guest posters to enjoy as a reward for the finishes. If you would like to present a tutorial, please let me know (shecanquilt [at] gmail [dot] com).

8. There are also prizes, which will be drawn at random from the finishes that qualify. These prizes will be from the sponsors of that particular round of the FAL.

9. The FAL is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

I don't know how many of my unfinished projects I can finish this year but I'd be thrilled to complete at least one each quarter.  That would be great progress for me!  Join in if you'd like.  Add the button to your blog if you'd like.  And learn more here, too.  You'll be able to link-up beginning January 7.


I'm linking this to Small Blog Meet at Lily's Quilts.


--Nancy.
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