Final finish of 2013

This is probably my final finish for the year.  I can't believe I almost forgot to take pictures of it!  I had already wrapped it up, then realized I needed a picture. So it isn't the greatest picture, taken late at night,but at least it is done.  I finished the baby rag quilt I needed for Christmas.

I actually also finished all of the blocks for the "Three bean salad" quilt mentioned in my previous post. I hope to get the top together after the holidays.  Here's to clearing up more of that "to do" list in 2014! I am linking this to A lovely year of finishes, A Passion for Applique's Nothing but UFOs and Quarter 4: 2013 Finish Along

I was only able to complete two of my projects on my fourth quarter to do list.  This baby quilt and the red and green rag quilt. On this baby quilt, I ended up pulling some of the darker blue from another planned rag quilt to make it work with the color scheme the family chose.  However, even though only two from the list were completed, I did make progress on some of the other quilts and also completed some projects that weren't listed.  Here is to a more productive 2014!

December goals

Wow, I can't believe the year is almost over!  I am already setting goals for weeding and cleaning in January. But first, let me try to finish up some projects for this year.

This one needs to be pieced and ragged for Christmas.  This is my goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes

I also hope to get the rest of this Three Bean Salad quilt pieced together:

Finally, I would love to get this quilt basted...I think trying to get it quilted is ambitious, though maybe possible after Christmas. This one is all pieced and the border is on it.  I am also linking to Nothing but UFOs on A Passion for Applique

Let's see if I can finish the year in a big way!!!

November finish--just in the nick of time!

Nothing like pushing it right to the deadline. I spent most of yesterday ragging this quilt. This evening while watching a movie with my husband, I finally finished it up! Yea--one Christmas present complete! Since I just finished it at 9:30 this evening, I couldn't get the best pictures.  It is much prettier in person. Goal accomplished for A lovely year of finishes.

November goals

I can't believe it is November already! This year has flown by!  Last month was busy for me, so I didn't achieve my goal of piecing the top of my "Three Bean Salad" quilt.  I was able to get all of the main blocks pieced and was halfway through the setting triangles, but a day trip to New Hampshire yesterday for "The Quilter's Gathering" quilt show and fabric shopping took up my last day to try to get it together. I am still hoping to work on it this month--but now Christmas and December deadline projects must come first.

My goal for November's installment of A lovely year of finishes is to complete this rag quilt. It is a Christmas present for my parents that will go perfectly with the new colors in their living room. It is wintery themed and since they live in Buffalo, NY-that should be appropriate until about....May! LOL




Now I am adding two more goals for A passion for Applique's Nothing but UFOs challenge I am adding two more projects.  The next is a baby rag quilt I have had set aside for awhile. Some of them came in a set that I loved. Since this picture was taken, I have decided to add a darker blue to go along with the nursery colors.  I can't wait to put this one together!  (I have so many flannel charms cut, I need to get more of these blankets together.)



Finally, I am going to add "Three Bean Salad" into the mix.  I would love to at least get the top pieced.  I am not totally crazy with the colors anymore---I guess you shouldn't let six years go between starting and finishing a project! LOL  I love the fabrics separate, but together--I don't know--too yellowy or something. I really am not crazy about the main print anymore there is one clump in there that is tooo dark or brownish or something. But we'll see how it looks when it is finished! Like I said earlier, all of the parts are almost pieced--now I just need to join them together and add the borders.

Q4: Finish Along To do list

Here is my to do list for the next quarter of the 2013 Finish Along at She Can Quilt. However, I have several Christmas gifts to work on, so I don't know how much will be accomplished from the list.

1.  These have been cut since I first discovered the Scrappy Trip Along craze on Flickr--back in January!  These strips have been moved from the chair in my craft room to the guest room, back to the craft room when guests arrived and now, I want to actually work on it! I actually got to put two blocks together this past quarter! I love it!

2.  A lap quilt from a pattern titled Three Bean Salad by Miss Rosie.  I loved the colors of the sample so much, I decided to replicate them!  This is partially pieced, one I usually take to the guild sewins.

3. A quilt top made during Pleasant Home's Sew Scraps Along 2012. The top is actually all pieced, I just love this picture, so I need to quilt and bind it.

4.  A quilt top started during Thought and Found's Oh my stars BOM last year. I only have about eight of the fifteen LARGE stars completed.

5. I hand pieced this sampler over 17 years ago. It was a class I took to occupy my time while my husband (then boyfriend) went away to college. It needs to be quilted and bound.

                                        

6. I actually bought this top at a auction my guild held.  However, I want to do some redwork in the open blocks and then quilt and bind.

                                    

7.  I finished this top in February. Now it needs to be quilted and bound.

8. Star Surround QAL.  I am not happy with the yellow fabric for the surround. It was so much brighter when it was folder up! I also mixed up where I placed those color corner pieces. So, I kind of set this aside.

9.  Another QAL that I started but then fell behind.  I don't want all of these projects to just start piling up.

10.  A Christmas gift I started back in March. I set it aside because first I was looking for the red flannel and then I kept looking for a white with snowflakes to mix in. However, I have decided to just go with these fabrics. They look much prettier in person-I will have to take a picture in the daylight.

11. Another baby rag quilt I had cut out and then set aside. Since more babies are coming-I better get these made and ready! (No babies for us, but others in the family.)

12. Yet another baby flannel cut out. These were set aside because I needed to get some more blender flannels.  I can't wait to work on this one! Love the patterns.

13. This is one of the first quilts I ever started, over nine years ago!  I have most of the blocks together, I just need to sew them together and piece the border. This one is a wall hanging. I kind of have put off finishing it because I wasn't crazy about the fabrics anymore, but it is starting to grow on me again.

I still have a few more projects started in the closet, but think this is a pretty good list for now! I can get those others photographed for next year.

A Lovely Year of Finishes: October goal

I can't believe it is already October!  I have a couple Christmas presents and a couple baby rag quilts to work on. Sooo.....my goal for October is to finish one of those, right!? Wrong! I am still looking for a fabric for each of those projects.  As a result, for A lovely year of finishes I have chosen to get this top pieced for October.  I started this quilt last year and haven't touched it since the one day I worked on it at a guild open sew.

 A lap quilt from a pattern titled Three Bean Salad by Miss Rosie.  I loved the colors of the sample so much, I decided to replicate them!  This is partially pieced, one I usually take to the guild sewins.

September Finish

This month I attended a one day quilt retreat sponsored by my guild. After dinner we were going to have to move to a different room in the retreat center where it was thought handsewing might be better to work on. So, my goal was to get the flannel quilt all pieced before dinner so that I could work on ragging it the rest of the evening. Well, I was able to get it altogether and still had a half hour before dinner! I was able to get about half of it ragged that evening. The rest was easily finished that week.

Ugh! Of course it is sideways. I forgot how to turn them.....

I also worked on the Star Surround QAL. However, I am not happy with the yellow fabric for the surround. It was so much brighter when it was folder up! I also mixed up where I placed those color corner pieces. So, I kind of set this aside.

I am linking this up to:  A Lovely Year of Finishes, 2013 Finish Along, and Nothing but UFOS in 2013

Bloglovin'

Since Google Friends Connect may soon disappear, I decided to add bloglovin' as another option for following my blog. Just trying to get it set up now.

bloglovin'

September goals

I can't believe it is September! I need to change the wreath on my door....tomorrow. Today I am setting my sewing goals for the month and weeding through my scrapbook supplies to get ready for a tag sale at my local scrapbook store.

Since I am attending a one day quilt retreat on Saturday, I hope to get a jumpstart on my projects! The first project is that pink and yellow flannel rag quilt that has been sitting in my retreat bag since the last time I went. My goal is to completely finish it, sewing and ragging, by the end of the month.  This is my goal for A year of lovely finishes and one of the projects for Nothing but UFOS.

My second project is a QAL that I fell terribly behind on--after the first week. LOL! Right now I have four of the nine centers completed.  I would like to at least get the top completed. I have only finished one quilt completely, so that quilting finishing part doesn't come so easily to me yet. I have the hardest time figuring out how to quilt the darn things!

Finally, I would love to get this scrap quilt finished.  I think I am going to use a simple straight line pattern, so it shouldn't be too difficult. I hope.

Fingers crossed, I would love to get all three of these goals accomplished.

August finish

August was a busy month, having company for several days and then going away for a wedding. As a result, I didn't get much accomplished on my to do list.

I was able to finish the eight pillowcases. YEA!!!! They are finally off the backs of the chairs in my craft room. It looks neater already!

I am linking this up to A Passion for applique's Nothing but UFOS in 2013 challenge and She can quilt for the 2013 Finish along.

More August goals

I just came across the blog A passion for applique and her Nothing but UFOS in 2013 challenge.  I love these challenges because they force me to stick to and complete some of the projects I start and set aside. So, my three goals for August are:

1. These eight pillowcases I have had cut out since December. They are currently hung over the backs of the chairs in my craftroom.

2.  A rag quilt I started last year.

3.  This quilt needs to be quilted and bound. I just keep using this picture-because I miss this sweet girl!

August goals

For A lovely year of finishes, my goal is to complete these eight pillowcases that have been cut out and draped over the chairs in my craft room, since December!

July finish

I finished this rag quilt just under the wire!  I finished ragging the edges a couple hours ago and was able to snap a picture before the sun went down!  It hasn't been washed yet, so the edges aren't all curled yet. I finished in time to link up to A lovely year of finishes and also the  2013 Finish-along. Here is the link to my "to-do" list for the quarter To do list

Q3: 2013 Finish Along

Here is my to do list for the third quarter of the 2013 Finish Along. Most of the list is a continuation from the last two quarters.  Hopefully I will get several of these completed...though there are several new things I want to work on too! :)

1. I did add my Scrappy Trip Along strips. These have been cut since I first discovered the Scrappy Trip Along craze on Flickr--back in January!  These strips have been moved from the chair in my craft room to the guest room, back to the craft room when guests arrived and now, I want to actually work on it!

                                                
2.  A flannel rag quilt that needs to be pieced and ragged! LOL  This one is just to have on hand for those new babies.

3.  A lap quilt from a pattern titled Three Bean Salad by Miss Rosie.  I loved the colors of the sample so much, I decided to replicate them!  This is partially pieced, one I usually take to the guild sewins.

4. Eight flannel pillowcases I am in the process of completing for our Guild charity.  Pictured here are the main part of the pillowcases. I was in the middle of cutting them out, but set them aside to work on the baby quilt listed in number one.

5. A quilt top made during Pleasant Home's Sew Scraps Along 2012. The top is actually all pieced, I just love this picture, so I need to quilt and bind it.

6.  A quilt top started during Thought and Found's Oh my stars BOM last year. I only have about eight of the fifteen LARGE stars completed.

7. I hand pieced this sampler over 17 years ago. It was a class I took to occupy my time while my husband (then boyfriend) went away to college. It needs to be quilted and bound.

8. I actually bought this top at a auction my guild held.  However, I want to do some redwork in the open blocks and then quilt and bind.

9.  I finished this top in February. Now it needs to be quilted and bound.

10. Another rag quilt I had cut and set aside. I really hope to finish this and the girly one above before a great niece or nephew is born this summer.

Second quarter finishes

I started out a little better this quarter....though personal events derailed my sewing goals.

I ended up finishing my Dilly Dally quilt and the baby quilt.  Little did I know that only a month later we would be saying goodbye to the sweetest kitty, pictured below.  I will cherish the pictures I took of her on this quilt while I was working on it.

I am linking this post to the second quarter for 2013 Finish Along.  Here is the list I posted at the begining of the quarter Q2 to do list.

June goal AND now, July goal

Edited July 5, 2013: Since June ended up being a horrible month for my little family-I didn't get any sewing done. Thus, I am submitting this flannel quilt as my July goal also.

For the month of June, I hope to finish this flannel rag quilt. It is all cut out and I have four rows together so far. This one of for a nephew and his wife, who are expecting a wee one any day now!  I originally didn't plan the blue, but think it adds a nice touch.

I am hoping to complete this for A lovely Year of finishes and the 2013 Finish along.

"Dilly Dally" is complete (how appropriate is that title!?)

I did it! I finally finished my first larger quilt!  I find it ironic that the pattern was titled Dilly Dally, since it seems like that is what I did while working on it.  To be honest, I wasn't sure this one was ever going to be finished! There was even a point when I started to strongly dislike this quilt for all of the troubles and worries I had while completing it. In the end, I loved it and seriously considered keeping it for myself...However, it was completed and given to my goddaughter after her Christening.

There was a brief period of panic when I thought the blue marking lines weren't going to come out of my borders. I had tried using water, as the directions stated, but it didn't work.  As soon as I arrived at my Mom's I told her we needed to go to Joann's to get a fabric eraser. It didn't work.  We were told to try some vinegar, that didn't work.  By then it was late so we decided to just throw it into the wash, thinking perhaps I hadn't used enough water  when trying to blot at the markings.  After the wash, the lines were still there. By this time it was late the night before I needed to give it away-so I decided that it was going to have to be this way and threw it into the dryer.   SURPRISE!!! When I pulled it out of the dryer--the marks were gone! Here is my goddaughter enjoying her new quilt. As soon as we laid her down on it she spread out her arms and legs, as if to say-this is all mine! LOL

Her older brother truly appreciates homemade presents.  When he saw this quilt he stated, "This quilt is beautiful! Grandma, you should have Aunt Kim teach you how to make one."

I am so glad I finally finished it! I have an even bigger appreciation of all the domestic machine quilters out there!  I can't wait to try some more quilting-I see it takes ALOT of practice.

I am linking this up for my May finish in a  A lovely year of finishes  It was also one of my goals for the 2013 Finish Along at She can quilt.