The Old UFO

Well, I spent the week looking for a quilting pattern for my Unfinished Amish Quilt.  I was looking for a border pattern that needed to be about 12 inches wide and although I found some nice things, nothing was quite large enough.  So, after looking at the quilt and trying to decide what to do, I decided to wing it...that is, I decided to draft my own pattern.  It will basically be 5 interlocking circles with feathered edges, with a feathered motif in the center.   I drafted it out with chalk right on the quilt and have part of the first circle done.   I haven't done much hand quilting in awhile so it may take me some time to get it done but I am going to try to work on it at least 30 minutes a day.   It is taking me a bit of time to get comfortable with the needle and thimble and my stitches may not be the smallest or most even, but I am sure that they will get better as time goes on.  I never had quilted a feather motif before so thought this was a good place to start.  When I get more done on the first border I'll post a photo so folks can see what I am up to.

I am considering having a UFO adoption day as a part of the Finally Finished Challenge.  This would be an opportunity for people that have a UFO that they know that they will never finish to find another quilter that might be interested in "adopting" it.  For the person giving up the UFO, this would fulfill the goal to finish with that UFO and would count as a completed object for purposes of the challenge.  And for the quilter that is willing to "adopt" a project, it gives them a chance to have a project that is "new" to them.  I will be working out the details of when adoption day would take place and criteria for placing something up for adoption.  If anyone has an opinion on this, please leave a comment.

Guess that is it for now, hope everyone is finding some time to quilt or otherwise create during the summer.  Hope you all have a great 4th of July....happy quilting!....Vicki

The old UFO

Well, here I am again, a little late...but it has been a busy week.  With the Appetizers and Auction at the guild meeting (which was great fun) I got a bit sidetracked.  In my last post I talked about the next project I am going to work on (among several)  the first real quilt I started probably 25-30 years ago.  I did get it out to see exactly what I needed to do, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I only have one border left to do, and it doesn't look quite as big as I remembered it!  Now I am on the hunt for a quilting pattern for this last border.  It is about 10 inches wide and while the rest of the quilt has fairly geometric patterns, I am thinking of something floral or feathered.  That having been said, I will probably choose something that can be done fairly quickly so that I can finish it this year.

In addition to this project, I am currently working on two baby quilts for twins expected in the next month or two.  I have one top done and the other started.  I used fabric from my stash as well as other blenders acquired from the Quilting Nook.  Should have both quilt tops done before Monday and then will focus on quilting them and getting them finished up. And finally, I have started working on knitting a scarf for Operation Gratitude as a part of a group of folks.  It is a good take along project and it will be a nice way to send something to our troops overseas for the holidays.

The summer weather and outdoor activities have kept me from doing as much quilting as I intended, but I think that is part of the natural rhythm of life that slows down to match the heat..but that is just me.   Please let me know how your summer quilting is going and what you are working on.  I am also interested to know if the hot weather impacts the progress of your projects.

Until next time, happy quilting--Vicki

One more FFO done!

Well readers, I did it!  I managed to finish the wall hanging that I was working on last week.  It really turned out better than I expected and will be a nice addition to my guest room. Hope that you like it! Now, I have to decide what to work on next.  Even though the weather is hot and working on a big quilt seems too warm, I may get out the first big quilt I ever started and finish the hand quilting.  I think it will be my next TV project.   Does anyone else out there have TV projects, ie, something that you work on while watching your favorite programs?  I usually try to do something, partly because it helps to keep me from snacking, and also because it is a good way to make progress on projects while spending some time with my hubby.  A little about the quilt I am talking about....I think I started it not long after I started some quilting (doll quilts).  This was about 1983 or so.....I didn't start with a lap quilt, instead I went for what is probably a full/queen Amish style quilt that I decided to hand quilt.   Not that I did anything real complicated....it is just big!  I only have the outer border to finish and would really like to try to get it done.  I probably did everything wrong on this quilt.....fabrics may or not be 100% cotton and the backing is a percale sheet (no wonder the quilting has been difficult)! But, even with all of that, I am determined to finish this by the end of the year.  It is something on my list that I want to finish mostly because it is the first one I started.  So look for updates on my progress in upcoming posts and let me know if any of you have projects like this hanging around.  I'd love to hear about them.

I am also excited to share the good news that two more members of the challenge have notified me of their FFO's this week.  Sylvia finished a lovely quilt and Stephanie finished a quilted flag just in time for display for the 4th of July!  Congratulations to both of you for keeping with it!  Check out the photos of their finished projects and my new wall hanging!

Hope you are all managing to keep cool this hot week!  Staying inside and sewing on a hot day seems like a good thing to do to me.  So until next week...happy quilting!  - Vicki