Back from the beach!

Good Morning quilting friends,
I missed my usual Tuesday post, but this time for a good reason.  My husband and I spent a few days at Hilton Head enjoying beautiful weather, golf and long walks on the beach.  We decided to go after Labor Day to avoid the end of summer crowds and had a great time.  I didn't take quilting along, but did take a knitting project along to work on in the car....it is a new project and this time is for myself...a wrap in a very simple pattern made in handpainted mohair.  I think it will be ny new take along project.   But, I have made progress on my hand quilted project and am almost finished with the quilting on the Moda Stars quilt on the quilting machine.   I have two borders to do and then binding.  Don't think I will have it for this month's meeting, but by next guild meeting for sure.  I am then going to do a cuddle quilt and see if I can do feathers on the quilting machine.  The next big project is a Christmas quilt that I have had  for at least 10 years.  I finished the top at Bethelwoods last year so quilting is all that needs to be done.  I think it is doable don't you?

I am trying to make sure that I spend some time every day on one of my projects.  It is helping me to stay on track.  I also took a look at my quilt to-do list and I am making pretty good progress there, but the list is long and I have a way of adding to it!  One of the things I may tackle is to rearrange my sewing room.  I think if I change the direction of how my cutting table sits I may be able to get some extra room to move around and won't feel so cramped. 

Hope that all of your projects are going well...would love to know how you are progressing on yours.
Until next week,  keep on quilting.....Vicki

Oops! I missed August!

Hi Quilting friends,
  Sorry I have been a blogging slacker, but the heat of the summer and travels conspired against me for blogging.  I have however, been working on some UFO's as have many of the folks in the guild.  At the end of August we held our second drawing in the Finally Finished Challenge....Floy, Anne and Joyce walked away the winners.  The next drawing is at the November meeting so keep working on those UFO's and who knows, you may not only win a prize, but perhaps what you make will become a perfect Christmas gift!

  I am excited today because I have almost finished machine quilting one of my UFO's.  It will probably be a couple of hours more, but since I started this particular quilt at least 10 years ago and finished the top at Bethelwoods 2 years ago, it will be nice to get it done...look for it in an upcoming post!  I have also finished one of the four panels on my Amish quilt.  It is looking fairly good, but I have to confess that I am not a fan of hand quilting for big projects!  As I get older, I find that I am drawn to smaller, easier  and quicker to complete projects.  After I get these projects done, I have several smaller projects to tackle, wall hanging size, and am hoping to get them done by the end of the year so I make my goal.   In addition, I have several other projects on my agenda...so wish me luck.  In the meantime.....all I can say is to keep plugging along on your UFO's.  The one I am quilting now (machine)  I spent a lot of time agonizing on finding a quilting pattern that was "just right."  I finally decided just to put it on the maching and pick something that I could get "finished" and for me, that became something that was "just right."  Sometimes, I think we get in our own way and block progress. Not everything has to be perfect....sometimes Finally Finished is perfection!

Enjoy the photos of some FFO's from Elaine and Sylvia....and keep those photos coming!  I really enjoy seeing them and sharing them.  Until next time ( and it won't be a month from now, promise)  happy quilting!  Enjoy the holiday weekend!  Vicki
 

Off to the Mountains

Hi Firends,  I am going to get a short post up before leaving for the mountains for a short stay.  I am packed with both quilting and knitting projects.  Unfortunately, the UFO I am working on is a bit to bulky for the trip so I have packed a quilt with binding to finish and some handsewing as well as some beautiful new yarn.  I don't know how much time I will have, but at least I should get some things done.  My handquilting is coming along.  I almost have one of 4 sides done.  Only one circle of feathers to go on this side.  I am trying to work on it a little each day, and while I don't always make that goal, I do get to it most days.  I have learned to just keep at it and not to beat myself up when I don't make the daily goal.  It has helped me to stay focused and less discouraged.
Today I received a photo of a lovely wallhanging that Penny finished for the challenge ( see photo).   I am pleased that so many folks are participating and finishing things.  I even had someone sign up at our last meeting...it is never to late to start finishing things.
I know that it is hot and that quilting is sometimes not optimal in hot weather, but keep at it.  Until next time, Keep quilting...Best,  Vicki

Handquilting again

Well friends, first my apologies for not getting to this recently.  My daughter and now my son have visited and since they are so far away most of the time, I let many things, like the blog and a quilting group go.  But right now, I have a few minutes, so I wanted to share my progress on the old UFO.  After looking at many patterns and not finding anything that would fit well, I decided to try designing my own. What turned out to work in the space was 5 intlocking circles of about 11" in diameter.  Then, just for fun, I decided to add some feathers to the mix and an interior design.  It took a couple of times to get the direction of the feathers right, but think that I have it down.   Oh, and did I say that I am basically freehanding the design (except for the circles) so they aren't exactly even, but it is turning out to be quite interesting.  I have included a photo of  part of the panel.  Once I get this one done there are only 3 more sides to go.  This may get finished after all!   Oh, as for the handquilting....it is improving as I go along but the point is that I am on my way to finishing this thing.  Will be going away for a week soon and I may take this along to see if I can make progress.  My strategy has been to try to do a little every day and it seems to be working.

The challenge for the guild is also going well.  Every meeting I have prople coming to me to tell me that they have finished something (or 2 or 3).  It is great to see so many people having success.  At the next meeting, there will be a UFO adoption day where each person in the challenge can "finish" a UFO by having it be "adopted" by someone else with all of the materials needed to finish the project.  This will give folks the opportunity to rid themselves of something that they really don't want to finish but didn't think it right to just throw it away.  The purpose of this whole exercise is to get unfinished thing out of our lives, so in my book, giving it away fits the bill!  Will have to see how it works in practice.  That's it for now....until next time, keep on quilting!  Best, Vicki

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

June already!

Well, friends, after a short break I am back and hoping to be able to find the time to post weekly once again.  May was a whirlwind month for me, and last week had an activity each day!  Needless to say, I haven't been doing a whole lot of quilting, although I have done some.  Even if I can get a little done each day, it gets me closer to finishing something.  Right now I am working on a wall hanging made of orphan blocks that I purchased about 3 years ago in my old NJ guild's annual garage sale.  For a mere $4 I got 8 blocks of yellow flowers in a basket on a navy/black background, as well as additional fabric.  What a bargain, or so I thought!  As I was organizing my fabric I came across the blocks and decided to take a closer look.  Well, the blocks were not very square and the seams were rather uneven, so I tried to see if I could press them and with the help of steam and starch, to square them up.  Three of the blocks would have had to be disassembled and then reassembled, so I decided to use the 5 OK blocks as a wall hanging.   It is turning out OK, but even with my best efforts, there are some flaws, but I actually rather like how it is coming out so I am working on the quilting and hope to have it finished soon.  As soon as it is done, I will post a photo.  Guess the moral of the story is to look over orphan blocks really well,  although in this case the extra fabric was worth at least the $4.

I also finished a  summer purse that was donated for the auction.  Had learned the technique using the twister tool and decided to make something out of the trial rather than having a small piece left over. (See photo)

The second installment of the Finally Finished Challenge continues to produce results.  So far 16 FFO's have been reported  and several of those items have been donated for the auction.  Katie finished some summery pillows and Mona finished a lovely quilt.  Please be sure and let me know if you have completed an item, and if you want to share how long ago you started it, that is always fun too!  Everyone involved in the challenge is  making it a success, and that makes me happy!

So as we start June, try to find some time in the summer to work on a project!  It isn't too early to finish something that could be a Christmas gift .....it will be here before you know it.  Be sure to let me know of your completed items...I love getting those e-mails.   Until next week, happy quilting

Where does the time go?

Hello to all of my quilting friends.  Here it is mid-May and I can't believe how quickly the year is passing.  I am still recovering from my trip north, and when I got back, I decided that before I tried to do any additional sewing I had to get reorganized in my sewing room in order to be able to get anything done!  It was an undertaking I can tell you.....I had new fabric (that I needed like another hole in the head) to put away, fabric left from old projects that needed to be cut into strips and pieces and put away, as well as sorting various pieces of batting, threads and embellishments and finding them a home.  It took about 3 days and it got worse before it got better, but finally, I was able to walk  around easily and actually get some sewing done.  It is much easier to create when the space around you has a sense of order.  This isn't to say that I can't create in chaos, believe me, I can, but I don't get distracted as easily in a neater room which I think makes me more productive.  I have made a concerted effort to pick up at the end of every quilting day, I have to keep at it because as I get older I swear I have adult ADD and get disorganized more easily.  But all I can do is to keep trying.

I am quite excited that as the second  section of the Finally Finished Challenge started that at least 14 UFO's have become FFO's.  What a great start to the second phase of the challenge.   I am hoping that all of the participants can keep working towards their goal.  Take a look at the FFO that Carol completed, so nice.   And please, if you have a photo of your FFO, send it to me so I can include it in my posts.

Until next time, Happy Quilting!

Finally Finished Pillow Shams

Hi Quilting Friends,

This will be a short post because I am leaving tomorrow for  my Mom's 91'st birthday celebration, but before I did, I wanted to let you all know that the deadline worked again!  I was able to finish the pillow shams that match the my daughter's wedding quilt...the first of my FFO's.  These shams have been haunting me a bit because I wanted to get them finished by their 3rd wedding anniversary (May 10) and I have to mail them tomorrow before we leave.  Having a deadline works as does making a list! 

Yesterday I made a list of all of the things I needed to get done by today and this blog is about the last thing that I have to do.....it felt really good to cross things out today as I completed them.   I think when I get back, I will go through my UFO list and perhaps make a realistic list of what I can finish before December.  Maybe being able to cross things off the list will be motivating especially if I post the list in my sewing room.

I'd really like to hear from my readers if a list and/or a deadline has worked for you as motivation on your UFO's or if you have other methods that work.  In the meantime, here is a photo of the completed shams.  I will be back next week with a new post.  Until then, enjoy your quilting time.....Vicki

The Magic of Deadlines

Well Friends, here I am again working on a UFO and under a deadline....seems to be working for me although I hope I haven't waited too long to get this done on time (by May  2).  The project I am working on right now is a pair of pillow shams that match the quilt I finished for my daughter and her husband, and was the inspiration for the challenge in the first place.   The reason for the deadline?  Their third wedding anniversary is May 10th and I have to get them done and mailed by the 2nd.  They are being made from two blocks that were "left over" from the finished quilt.  Fortunately I have just enough of the accent fabric to use as the border.  They are coming along well, I have one quilted and the other one goes on the machine when I finish with this post.   I have talked about deadlines before, but they seem to be almost "magic" when it comes to getting things done.   I am sure that I am not the only one who had worked into the wee hours of the morning to finish a project for an event.   So my suggestion for all of you is to create a deadline for each of your projects whether it is because it is going to be used as a gift or even if it is something for yourself!  Deadlines are magical.....give them a try!

The Finally Finished Challenge really had a great beginning with 49 people from the guild participating and as of last month 33 projects were completed!  I hope that the summer months will find people to be just a productive!  I have posted some photos of the latest finish project that people have sent me.   If you are participating in the challenge and have finished a project, please let me know and send a photo!  I will try to post at least one photo from each person that sends something to me.

Off to work on the shams.  Until next time...Vicki

Back to Reality!

Hello to all my quilting friends.  Sorry that I haven't been on the blog for awhile, but as you know, I was out of the country visiting with our family in Chile.  We had a wonderful trip, enjoyed so many fun times with family, visited 3 vineyards and tasted lots of nice wines!  I also had a chance to do a "quilting 101" demo for 2 of my sisters-in-law and one of their friends.  Although my Spanish is limited as is their English, we did quite well and if we hit a snag, my husband was in the next room to translate.

My sister-in-law, Monica enjoyed her new quilt (my second Finally Finished Object) which is on a single bed in her new apartment.  While I didn't get any quilting done, I did get a lot of inspiration from things that I saw from the rows of grapvines and grapes in the vineyards, to the carvings on a stone arch of the Mapuche people of Chile to the hyroglifics of the Rapa Nui that lived on Easter Island, and handwork of these groups.  I am including photos of some of these things for everyone to enjoy.

Finally,  the first third of the yearlong challenge is coming to a close.  At the Guild meeting on the18th we will have our first drawing for those members that joined the challenge and have finished a UFO. I have included a couple of photos of FFO's that Floy H shared with me. If this applies to any member reading this blog and you have not already informed me of your UFO, be sure to do it before the meeting starts so that you can be included. 

By the time the next installment of the blog is up, I plan to be able to share which UFO  is the next target on my list.   Happy quilting!....Vicki

Week Nine- Second UFO finished!

Today we leave on our trip to Chile.   Since I still have a little time before heading to the airport, I wanted to share my 2nd Finally Finished Object with you.   Some of you may have seen it before the binding was done at the last guild meeting.   Well, I am happy to say that the binding is done and it is safely packed in a suitcase ready to be given to Monica,  my Sister-in-Law.  This project was only about 3 years old, so it was rather new to my UFO stash.  I am glad to be able to cross it off of my list.

Actually, I have the rest of the members of the Finally Finished Challenge to thank for keeping me accountable to my goal of finishing projects.   By agreeing to be UFO chair this year, I became accountable to all of you and am trying to meet my objective of finishing projects.  In this first 9 weeks I have discovered that finishing UFO's has a lot in common with losing weight.   For those of you who don't know me well, in the last 2 years I lost over 50 lbs with Weight Watchers and have so far kept it off for 7 months.  There was a lot of accountability in that for me and now with the challenge I feel it again.  Whenever I blog, it reminds me of my goal of finishing projects and helps keep me focused on the next one.  I may not finish projects quickly, but I am keeping at it.  Sometimes I just get a quilt pinned to the frame.. a little thing, but sometimes I only lost 4 ounces, also a little thing.  But little things add up and accountability to this blog helps me to be accountable to all of you!  And everyone that signed a card for the challenge became accountable to the goal they set.   I hope that you all reach yours.   I will try to post next week from Chile, but until then Chao!--Vicki

Week 8- The Magic of Deadlines

Hi everyone,  I hope this finds you all enjoying the spring weather....I have been using the nice days to get the yard semi-ready for planting, but have been supressing the urge to "dig in the dirt" and plant things until we are back from our trip to Chile.

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been working on a quilt to take to my sister-in-law as a house warming gift.  My deadline for completion was this week, and I am pleased to report that even with a second picked out (but much smaller) ball of thread it is finished! And, a couple days early to boot.  For me, there is something about having a hard deadline to meet that makes me find a little more time in each day to work on my UFO's.  Now I have to decide which project to tackle next.   I guess I will decide while I am on my trip.  Based on my success with deadlines, whichever project I pick to work on will have a deadline for completion....it helps me focus on what needs to be done.  I think I have always been this way, although while in college there were many things done at the last minute to make the deadline. I did less procrastinating on projects in my work life because of potential consequences and now I am a little better at planning ahead, but deadlines still help!

I think that they helped Patti finish one of her UFO's because she needed to send it off somewhere.  So, deadlines are like magic, they help us to create time and get things done.  Give it a try and let me know if it helps you!

I don't know if I will get a chance to post the next 2 weeks or not because of our trip to Chile, but I will try.  Tuesday we got an e-mail from two of my sister-in laws asking me to teach them how to quilt while we are there.  While they knit, weave and do  other things, quilting is something that is not common in Chile (although I did see a quilt shop in Santiago).  They thought it would be nice to learn something completely new.   I am taking them a rotary cutter, mat, ruler, some fabric and a few ideas for a couple of simple projects.  Wish me luck because I speak a little Spanish and they know a little English which will make things interesting!  Hopefully I can post some pictures from our sewing session.

Until next time, happy quilting.  Best, Vicki

Week 7- Time challenges

Hi Everyone, can't believe that this is week 7 already.  We continue to have a great response with another 10-12 folks signing up for the challenge at the last guild meeting.  Folks have started to finish things and we have quite a few entries for the first quarter.   I am making progress on the quilt I plan to take to Chile in a couple of weeks. I have most of the quilting done, just have to take it off the frame and turn it to do the side borders.  Will get to this once I get this post done.   Am also working on some Little Dresses for Africa that I plan to have done by Monday too so I think that I will be sewing a lot this weekend!

Last week took a short trip to Michigan to see my Mom and some other family members.  Has a great time!  While there we had a celebration for my Mom and Step-dad's 31st wedding anniversary.  It was a wonderful day with them. Also got to see my nephew's son play in a basketball game, fun time.  We stayed with my brother Terry and his wife Carol.   Carol is one of my favorite people and we always have fun together.   Carol is a nationally recognized fiber artist and is probably best known for her dolls, but she has many pieces in galleries in Michigan and has been featured in several shows. Last year, one of her dolls made it to the Houston show.  I took photographs of some of her work and in one photo you will see one of a series of mixed media torsos that she has done recently. After spending time with her, I always find myself inspired to try new things.  I hope you enjoy seeing some of her work here.

I also have a photo of a quilt that Sylvia finished on her new quilting machine!  It is beautiful and Sylvia now has a FFO (finally finished object) to be proud of!

My tip this month is to be persistent.  Keep working on project a little at a time, even if the working is just trying to figure out when you will have time to quilt.  I am also trying to re-organize my sewing room so that I am more efficient when I go in there.  It is a work in progress, but then so am I!

Until next time, hope you enjoy the photos, and keep the FFO's coming!-- Best, Vicki

Week Six- Finished Projects

After our last Guild meeting I was quite excited because even more people signed up for the Finally Finished challenge and there have been at least 6 completed projects so far!  We now have 45 people signed up for the challenge who want to finish a combined total of 173 projects....that's a lot of quilting by the end of November!  I am posting a few of the projects that were completed and displayed during Show and Tell.  Can't wait to see what projects are completed by the next meeting!

I have made some good progress on the quilt that is on my machine, although I have to admit that yesterday I spent most of my time working on taxes (Yech!).  Today I hope to get another couple of passes done.  Now that I have the bobbin situation taken care of, it is going much better!  Hopefully this will be added to  the list of completed UFO's soon.  I also have to confess that I still have some things in my sewing room to put back together after my trip to Bethelwoods..right now I am walking around the piles!

I won't get much done this week as I will be going to visit my Mom in MI for a few days.  Look forward to getting back at it in earnest next week.  Will take some hand work along in the meantime.  My tip for the week, when you are quilting, turn on some music in the background.  I find that the music helps me focus on the work at hand and when I am on my quilting machine helps me to get into a rhythm.

Until next time...keep quilting!   Best, Vicki

Week 5- Back from the woods

Hi all!  Sorry to be late with this post, but I am still trying to get myself organized from my weekend away, Quilting in the Woods at Bethelwoods.  For anyone who has never been on a quilting retreat, this is a great one to try.  It is close enough to home that if you forget something that you must have, you can get it quickly,  but it is far enough from everyday distractions to get a lot accomplished in an environment of like-minded women.   I was able to finish the quilt square I started in Barb Mosley's class, and a quilt top for a holiday quilt that I started last year (but bought and cut out about 5 years ago).  I won't post a photo of the quilt top until it is completed (it is one of my UFO's)

Other folks also showed projects that they had completed at the retreat in prior years  (see photos), shared techniques, and Theresa practiced her English paper piecing with us as well as shared some beautiful handwork that her mom had done. 

The weather was lovely and the wildlife was enjoying it as much as we did!  Now that I have come back from being inspired, I have to put my sewing room back together and put this inspiration to work on a UFO or 2.

My tip for this week is try to stay focused on the project you are working on.  I find that I have a tendency to let my mind wander to everything else that needs doing instead of my current project.  I find that if I make myself focus on the work at hand I can get more accomplished in the time I have.

Enjoy your week!  Until next time enjoy your quilting!  --- Vicki

Week 4- Picking out stitches

Well,  here it is another week already, and I had hoped to tell you how much progress I had made on the quilt I put on the quilting frame...Just wish I could.  Not that I didn't get anything done, but not all has gone smoothly.   It started out so well....I got the top border quilted with a pretty butterfly design, then in the inner border I free handed a small wave....all was going great!  Then it was on to the body of the quilt.  Since this is a sampler quilt, I had decided to just stipple the interior and throw in a flower periodically.  The first 6 inches of quilting went well.  Then, I had to change the bobbin and the trouble started although I didn't know it until I had quilted at least another 8 inches.. It was then that I noticed that I had not put down the presser foot, (which is necessary on my machine), and, when I rolled the quilt, the bottom was a mess, all loose and needing to be picked out!  To avoid taking the quilt off of the machine, I crawled underneath and spent about 2.5 hours picking out the stitches. ( Note the photo of my big ball of thread).  But, I am ready to start again and this time my machine carries the post-it note that says, "IS THE PRESSER FOOT DOWN!  (I find I need these more and more as I get older)  But progress is progress and I am starting again where the good stitches left off.

I am hoping to make some progress on some of my other projects when I go "Quilting in the Woods."  Weather postponed this event and I am packing up once again.  I hope that I can show you a few more of my works in progress when I get back.

My tip for the week, try to find a time almost every day to work on a project.  Set a timer for 15-30 minutes and just work that long.  If you get into the project and have more time, that's great!  But don't think that working for 15 minutes won't make a difference, it will.  15 minutes, 6 times a week is an hour and a half. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.  Until next time...happy quilting!  Vicki

Week 3- My first UFO is a FFO!

Hi everyone,  hope you are all on your way to a finished UFO.  I am happy to report that I finished my first UFO project last night....the placemats and napkins that I was working on while gone.  When we got back from our trip, I had one more binding to finish and the emblems to satin stitch to the napkins.  I am really happy to have this done and it is giving me a push to get on to the next project. So, I am coining a new term here  FFO (Finally Finished Object).  May there be many more in our futures!

My next project is a lap quilt that is now at least on my quilting machine.  My strategy for getting this done is to set a deadline, which will be the March guild meeting.   I can be pretty certain of the finish date because I have decided to take this quilt to my sister-in-law in Chile.   We are heading there for a wedding at the end of March and Monica (my SIL) will be our hostess while we are there.  We are hoping for a less eventful trip than last year when we arrived the day after the big earthquake...we are hoping for smooth skies and quiet terrain while there.  This trip we hope to visit some of the winerys that we missed on the earlier visit due to earthquake damage.  I also enjoy the varied terrain and the old building which are a source of inspiration to me.

Speaking of inspiration...on our trip to St. Petersburg, Fl, we had the opportunity to visit the Dali museum.  It is a new facility and houses so many interesting and inspiring works.  While some of the paintings led me to believe that Dali was seriously disturbed, they were none the less beautiful and very creative.  Even the museum was creative, many windows made up a dome shape that had such interesing curves because each of the triangles were of a slightly different size.  It was a very fitting setting to house the works of Dali.
I have added a photo of the museum to the blog post... hope that you find it inspiring!

Let me know if any of you have come up with a strategy for finishing your projects.  It would be great to share them with members of the guild!

Week 2- Roadtrip

As I said in my last post, I am getting ready for a roadtrip so...I was getting placemats ready to be bound.  I did get somewhat farther in that the binding is on all of them and 3 of them are finished.  I plan to take the last 3 on the road so that they will be finished by the time I get back.  I figure that several hours in the car should get them done.

I also loaded one of the quilt tops I want to finish onto my quilting machine.  I have also decided on the design for the quilt, but the actual quilting won't start until we are back from our trip.  Made a bit of progress on my project from Barb's class.   Getting it done by guild should be doable, but I make no promises....I will just do my best.   And that is what I want from anyone following my blog....just do what you can when you can. Any progress is progress!

So, until next time  keep moving towards the finish line.

Best,
Vicki

Week 1

Hi Friends,  just wanted to update you on my progress on finishing my UFO's.  Have to be honest and say that I didn't get as much done as I had hoped, but I did get something done.  The first thing I did was to decide on the top projects that I want to finish.  These include:  placemats and napkins, 2 quilt tops to get on the quilting machine so that they can be finished, a snowman wall hanging, and finish 2 quilt tops that are in varying stages of completion....(these are coming to Bethelwood with me next month).  What I did get done was to make the binding for the 6 placemats and get it stitched to two of the six.  I am getting these ready for an upcoming road-trip so that I can stitch them down then.

My strategy for the UFO's is to start with a smaller project that can be finished in farily short order.  I figure that this will give me extra incentive to work on the next project, etc.  I am hoping that this works and will keep you posted on that.

Also,  I am working to finish a table square from Barb's "working with striped fabric" class last week.  I want it to be a NewFO (Newly Finished Object) rather than an addition to my UFO pile.  My goal for this piece is the Feb. Guild meeting or sooner.

Guess that is it for this week....let me know if your UFO's are moving towards the NewFO category!

Getting Started

Thought I would start by sharing how this all started.   Last year I was asked if I would consider being Chairperson of the UFO's (Unfinished Objects)  for the York County Quilt Guild.  I agreed to take on this challenge because I probably have 10 or more UFO's in my closet, and would like to finish some of them this year. 

I considered several activities to encourage members to participate and couldn't decide on anything...then two things happened.  First, I finished 2 projects in December by my self-imposed deadline.  One of these was a sweater I started for my daughter in the spring, and the other was my daughter's wedding quilt (she has been married going on 3 years).  But what was more exciting about the quilt is that it was once a UFO!  I actually started it when my daughter was about 10.....it took 18 years, but it was finally finished!  I felt great!

Just after finishing I saw a piece by Gail Blanke who wrote a book "Throw out 50 Things."  The idea was that it is liberating to get rid of things that clutter our lives and keep us from moving forward.  Then it hit me....my UFO's were cluttering my creativity and keeping me from moving on to new things, new techniques and new quilts. 

So....this year I am introducing the Guild to the Finally Finished Challenge.  Anyone who wants to participate is welcome.  I have 5 projects that I am challenging myself to finishing by the Guild meeting in November. I hope to finish more,  but think that 5 is a realistic goal. 
I will use this Blog to keep you updated on my progress, provide encouragement, suggest strategies based on what has worked for me.  So now, let's get started....

1.  Decide on how many projects, and give yourself  goal date.

See you next time!
Vicki