2017 Wrap UP & 2018 Goals

I don't know about you, but this year has flown by so quickly for me.  It amazes me that it is almost 2018 tomorrow!  In looking back at what I accomplished on my goals for the year, I find that it was not as stellar as wished, but I did manage to finish up some of my long list of UFOs.  Here is my Excel spread sheet of my UFOs from last year minus the 6 that I did finish.  Now there are only 70 to go. This list started out with 160 projects  over 10 years ago when I started keeping track of them. There has been progress, but I hope to step it up in 2018.

A recap of sewing goals for 2017.

     Use 200 yards of fabric from stash --- used 155.18 yards

     Finish 1 UFO per month --- finished  quilting 7 

     Not buy any fabric --- bought 1/2 yd. and was gifted 3 fat quarters

     Make 5 QOV - made 8 (3 quilted, 5 tops to be hand quilted by our QOV 

I also made 20 bowl cozies for gifts, a few kennel quilts for animals of the fires in California,  pillowcases for charity and QOV, 3 baby quilts not on the UFO list and several group quilts with friends for QOV.  In addition to quilting, I finished several pairs of knitted socks .

I'm happy with the results for the year, but hope to use more from my stash and lower my UFO list by 12 or more.

Here's a few pictures in review of some of the quilts. 

60" x 80"

75" x 99"

71" x 85"

Back

60" x 78"

Melon Party - Flannel backing

72" x 92"

67" x 78" QOV hand quilted

Back of log cabin

Sapphire Stars - top

 Lucky Stars - top

Final Stash Report - 2017

Fabric Added  YTD- 1.25 yds

Fabric Used  YTD  - 155.18 yds

Net Used from Stash - 153.93 yds

My goals for 2018 include

-- Using 200 yards of stash fabric

-- Donating 5-10 quilt tops for QOV

-- Finishing 12 UFOs from my list - Picking one each month

-- Knitting some hats and mittens from my stash yarn in addition to socks.

-- Trying to blog more often

-- Cleaning out more clutter from closets and drawers

-- Enjoying quilting with friends at least once a month

-- Trying one new recipe each month

Thank you all for sticking with me through 2017 and being there when I needed encouragement and advice.  Although I don't mention it often, I really do love reading your comments when I post and hope to get more involved in blogging activities again.   Happy New Year to all.  I'm going to welcome in the new year with some knitting and hand mending. Take care and stay healthy. 

Linking up to quilt, paint, create for stash reports, Patchwork Times for UFOs,  QuiltingJetGirl, planning party and Slow Stitching Sunday.

UFOs for August

I have listed my goals for August in an earlier post, but they did not include pictures nor did I specify which were UFOs.  Since I signed up to participate in "Nothing But UFOs in 2013 Challenge", here are 3 UFOs that I hope to finish in August.

The first is my string quilt.  It was started at least 3 years ago as a leader/ender project.

The 2nd is Bonnie Hunter's  Easy Street.  I still need 1 more border and then to quilt and bind it.

The 3rd  is the red, white and blue baby quilt that just needs quilting and binding.

Updated with the correct picture.  Those tiny thumbnail photos start to look too much alike when you do this at 1:00 am!.  Sorry. 

I hope to get more things done in the month, but I will concentrate on these.    I'm linking up with Carrie of A Passion for Applique.  Hop on over there so see what others are working on in August.   

Get It Done & UFO Challenge

Where did April go so fast.  It seems like just a short time ago I was planning my Get It Done goals for the month.  What did I get done during the month, you ask?  Take a look-see, if you haven't been keeping up with my progress.
April Goals
1. Assemble Easy Street into a flimsy - Nope.  Still waiting patiently on the design wall.. 
2. Make 10 string blocks - yes - here
3. Quilt 1 QOV - yes - quilted 2 in April. picture here and here  
4. Quilt one of my UFOs -  yes - Winter Friendship Stars quilted and bound- picture
5. Make 4 pillowcases - yes
6. Finish prep on applique block - nada.  Can't get my mojo moving on this one.

I've changed a few priorities for next month and tried to be more realistic about some of my older goals.  With the warmer weather and the outside calling, it will be tougher to get sewing done. 


May Goals
1. Cut, piece & quilt a wedding quilt - This will also be a NewFO for May.
2. Make 10 more string blocks - only need 20 more then I can start designing a quilt layout.
3. Quilt another QOV or two
4. Finish knitting scarf
5. Make some progress on putting rows together on Easy Street.  You notice I am breaking this down into smaller steps to see if it helps at all.

I'm linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times and Carrie at A Passion for Applique..   Spend some time and check them out.

Design Wall Monday

My regular design wall is too crowded this week, so I'm using the floor and my sewing cabinet in addition to the wall --all because of being on a 4-day retreat.  My Winter Friendship Star went with me to the retreat and the top is almost finished.  It still needs one small inner border and a pieced border "yet to be designed" using the left over HST blocks.  Hopefully by next week the top will be done.

Winter Friendship Star

Another project I worked on and finished was the backing for the QOV,  posted on Stash Report.  Here is the top that I promised to show you.  This was donated by Cindy L and I really love this fabric and colors.  The fabric line is from Michael Miller, but I don't know the name of the collection.  Thanks Cindy.  I hope a female soldier receives this one. 

CL QOV

I'll show more of my projects from retreat later in the week as I get them off the floor!  Now I have to start getting ready for our upcoming quilt show this weekend - March 17 and March 18.  If any of you are near St. Louis, be sure and come.  We have over 450 quilts, lots of vendors, special quilt exhibits from Ricky Tims and Jackie Robinson (both who have ties to St. Louis) and lots more.  It's being held at Queeny Park near Highway 270 and Manchester.

Design Wall Monday

When Stack 'n Whack quilts were in vogue I jumped on the bandwagan and bought some fabrics that would lend themselves to this technique.  Well, I got ahead of myself and didn't get them all finished.   This fabric was bright tropical fish and it made great blocks when putting them in a circle.  My problem was I couldn't decide what background to put them against except black.  I wanted to make it for a small child and thought maybe black wasn't the right overall color for a bright cheery look.  What color background would you use to put these together?  Here's 4 of the blocks.  There are 8 total and they are all bright like these.

Twelve in 2012

At the beginning of 2012, I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish this year (in the hobbies category). They basically are the same things every year, only this year I am really going to try harder to accomplish them. So far in January I'm on track in every category.
They were:
(1) to read a book a month; check - Eleven on Top - Janet Evanovich
(2) complete 1 UFO per month; check - Twist and Shout
(3) finish a QOV per month and - see below (2 checks)
(4) try at least one new recipe every month - check - Cheeseburger soup

Here are the QOV quilts that were finished this month.

This top was pieced by Judy H.  It is made from mostly homespuns and is very soft and warm. I quilted a curly panto and put on the binding.  I'll make a pillowcase to match before it is given to our local QOV Chapter.












 The quilt below was pieced by Dusty P. using the Yellow Brick Road pattern. It has such cute fabrics in it --
Black bears, elk, fabric with fishing rods and fish, deer, moose, musical instruments and potting tools. I quilted a swirly pattern and bound it. Dusty made a matching pillowcase to put with it.

Thank you ladies for these great quilts.

This is an example of the labels we put on our Quilts of Valor quilts.  

Label on back of homespun quilt

Where did the day go?

Have you ever wondered where the day went? Or the week?  It seems like just yesterday was Monday and here it is almost Thursday.  I swear the days are getting shorter as I get older. 

Last night was the final wrap-up of our UFO challenge for one of my local guilds.  I was chairman for the 2011 year, so I planned a short program for the prize winners. The top winner (Mary Lou M. finished 22 UFO's out of 27 for the year.  That's an 81% completion rate.  Her quilts are beautiful and she does both hand quilting and machine. I'll try to get some pictures of her work at our upcoming quilt show in March.  Darla G was the second runner up with 19 finishes!   I feel like such a slacker with only 2 UFO's for the year.  Of course, I did quilt a lot of quilts -- just not mine or I started and finished a few in the same year -- these do not count as UFOs   Darn!

Things will be different this year.

  

Stash Report - Week #3

My numbers are better for this week's stash report -   yeaaah
Fabric In - 0
Fabric Used - 4.625 yds
Fabric In YTD - 0
Fabric Used YTD - 6.625 yds

I "almost" finished my 1st UFO of the year - a baby quilt.  I'm going to name it "Twist and Shout" because of the pinwheels twisting and the bright, loud colors shouting.  I still have the binding to attach, but that will get put on today and finished for sure tomorrow.  I'm feeling good about finishing something so early in the year.  Let's hope I can keep this going throughout 2012.

Hop on over to Judy's to see how others are doing.

UFO's for 2012

Here's my list for the UFO Challenge at Judy's Patchwork Times.
1. QOV - My Country Tis of Thee - needs quilting
2. Sudoku Symphony - needs quilting
3. Black & White wall hanging - needs quilting
4. Star-Crossed Christmas - needs quilting
5. Serengetti Sunset - pieced background + applique
6. Watercolor Easter Cross - blocks done
7. MTC quilt - top started
8. Noah's Ark baby quilt - blocks done
9. Blue/white 2 block quilt - need more blocks
10 Green selvage - started blocks
11. Bright Pinwheels - top done
12 Row Quilt - rows partically finished