UFO Busting #8

The good news and the bad new.  The good news, I have a finish.  The bad news, not a UFO.  I haven't revealed the finish on the blog yet, because the weather has been too rainy get any photos.  Hopefully, I can find a non rainy moment this weekend and snap some photos.

I did manage to sneak in some sewing time on two ongoing WIP's.  Block 11 Four Square of the Sewcial Bee Sampler.  I am itching to see all of these blocks come together, but slow and steady wins the race.  My next problem is locating block 12.  I pre cut all my blocks back in July and some how have misplaced the baggie containing #12.  So do I keep searching long and hard or give in and cut and make the block.  I know full well that if I do that, I will find the bag like two minutes after I'm finished.

And one of the next blocks in Cindy at Stitchin at Home's Medallion Quilt.  I technically have enough blocks made for the quilt.  I'll lay them out this weekend and decide if I'm going to use the extra Churn Dash block I've made or the last of the blocks released.  It will just depend on how I'm feeling about the colors.

I do want to announce that the closing for signing up for the 2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop is approaching next week.  Have you signed up?  If you have been blogging for more than two months and less than three years, I sure hope you have.  I think we are all going to have a blast and learn lots.  If you want to learn more about the hop and sign up please check out this post.  We have a long list of sponsors with some pretty awesome prizes we will be giving away each of the four weeks of the hop.  Check back here on Monday, when I would like to discuss exactly what the hop posts are about.  Don't let fear of writing that post hold you back, I promise it's easy.

Now let's see what you've been up to.  This week I wanted to feature Kate from Smiles From Kate and her Circle Quilt UFO finish.

Kate's finish makes me happy all the way around!  I've been following Kate ever since she started this quilt.  It's been fun to watch it grow and evolve into the finished top you see today.  I love the way she fearlessly tackled free motion quilting and tamed this beast on her domestic machine.

So what have you been up to this week?  Did you get distracted by me, or are you conquering those old projects one stitch at a time?  Link up and tell us all about it.  Feel free to grab my button on the side bar and let everyone know you are busting your UFO's and WIP's and staying on task.  Or at least make them think that :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Blocks on the Brain

I guess you could call me block head this week...I'm all about the blocks.  Last week Pat Sloan introduced to us Katja Marek the January 2018 Aurifil BOM designer and her block Dresden Dreaming.  At first glace of this block I froze...English Paper Piecing.  I've never tried EPP before.  With the craziness of work right now, I really didn't feel mentally prepared to try.  Luckily for me, I came to and read on.   Pat suggested a different way of making the block using applique.  This seemed easier.  I also realized it could help with my EPP dilemma with the October 2017 block.

This is my version of Aurifil's October designer, Helen Stubbings and her Hugs 'n Kisses block.    I love how both turned out and it sure does feel good to have all of the 2017 blocks complete.

And this is my failed attempt at a color wheel with all the blocks...it ended up more like a color sideways tear drop?  The wind was blowing horribly and rain was not far away.  There was no time to grab a ladder, so I just started pinning...but I think you get what I was getting at.  I'm sure they will look better in a quilt lay out.  Dear Pat Sloan, I'm like a kid at Christmas.  I can't wait for the layout!

David, Sandra, Anja and I have still been plugging away with our social sewing experiment, of texting and making the Sewcial Bee Sampler Blocks.  This week we completed blocks 8 and 9.  Just like the kid at Christmas thing...I'm dying to stitch these blocks up with the dark blue Moda Grunge sashing fabric.  To scratch my sewing itch and prevent myself from sewing ahead, I laid them out to give myself (and you) a preview...I'm in love.

I also took some time to catch up on Cindy at Stitchin At Home's Medallion Quilt.  I thought I was several blocks behind, but once my tote was pulled out I found I was caught up all but this block, the Cross Point Block.  Me actually caught up, trust me I was surprised too.

Speaking of blocks...New Kids on the Block...no, no...New Kids on the Quilty Block.  I'm super excited to announce that on Thursday February 1st we will be announcing the sign ups for the 2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop being co-hosted by myself, Beth at Cooking Up Quilts, Sandra at mmm!quilts and Jen at Dizzy Quilter.

If you have been blogging for more than 2 months and less than 3 years, I hope you will check in with one of us on Thursday to find out how to sign up.  If you have any questions, please ask.  If you have been blogging for more than 3 years please pass the word along to your friends.  Mark your calendars for the hop dates, not only will you meet a batch of new quilt bloggers, but there will be lots of prizes from our amazing sponsors.  See you on Thursday!

Today I'm linking up with Let's Bee Social, Midweek Makers, Linky Tuesday and BOM Away.

UFO Busting #3

Some weeks you crush things other weeks you don't.  This week was feeling like a "you don't" week.  I'm going through major withdraw.  The struggle is real right now.  My eye is twitching and I'm having trouble not throwing caution to the wind and start every new quilt along I read about.  This is harder than I thought it would be.

I have made the decision to start Pat Sloan's 2018 mystery BOM, Let's Go Camping, (though I probably wont' start till March).  My guild will be sewing on this one as a group as the year progresses, so it would be extremely unsocial not to join in, right?   

This past weekend, while the snow fell, I spent some time doing some social sewing working on the Sewcial Bee Sampler by Maureen Cracknell and Sharon Holland.  I probably should have bowed out from sewing because for what ever reason, I was in a cranky sewing mood.  It all started with block 6.

My block in Paradiso is on the right and David's in Bee Creative is on the left.  See any difference?  Mine is sewn together wrong.  I was so frustrated with my border strips being kind of wavy that I didn't even notice I turned my blocks wrong.  For now it stays as is.

Next up, block 7.  This is where Tish has a small melt down and starts dinner.  I pre-cut all my blocks back in July.  When I pulled out the pattern and fabrics, I couldn't remember what was what and of course me being me, planned to construct the block a bit different than the pattern.  This only added to the problem.  Super Dave was flying through his block like a hero.  While I pouted over the Instantpot in the kitchen, Dave to the rescue, was able to figure out my fabrics and with a few additional cuts, I was back in business.

This week I worked on a WIP in the form of the 2017 Aurifil BOM.  I tackled the December block by Amanda Murphy called Tightrope.  I was extra careful sewing all those little 1" white strips.  This quilt is still lingering on my WIP list.  I still have the October block to finish and I'm waiting on Pat Sloan's quilt layout.  I've also decided to participate in the 2018 BOM.  I love the small challenge that comes with piecing some of the blocks.  Plus I don't think I could call myself a good thread girlfriend, if I didn't participate in the Aurifil QAL.

As I leader/ender project while working on all these blocks, I started another kind of WIP project.  I unearthed a pile of strip sets, left over from making blocks several years ago.  I'm glad a hung on to them.  I started making little 16 patch blocks for a baby quilt.

Here they are in phase 2 of construction.  The fabric line was Moda Flirt by Sandy Garvis.  

This is going to be adorable!  I have sashing fabric already pulled.  I'm hoping to stumble onto some border fabric this weekend.  I know a local shop that did still have it.  Below is my tentative plan.

So that's about it for what I've been up to.  Ron's Quilt aka Not Turning Twenty quilt is still looming over my head.  I'm determined to start quilting on it this weekend.  David was nice enough to remind me that he did not piece this quilt 6 months ago like I originally stated.

It was exactly a YEAR ago.  Oops...time flies.

I wanted to highlight a finish from last week's linky party.  

I absolutely love this Cars quilt made by Marti at Marti's DIY!  It has very cool detachable garages for the cars that can be removed in a flash making it perfect for snuggling as well.  If you missed it from last week, please hop over to Marti's and read about it here.  I would have had hours of fun with is quilt when I was a kid.  I loved cars as much as my dolls.

I also wanted to point out Julie at Pink Doxies post from last week for a few reasons.  Number one...

This!  It is a challenge project she is working on and will be posting about on the 1st of February.  What you see above, is one of four mandalas she created using ice dying.  It as been waiting for a while for her to come up with a project for it.  Let me tell you, I have personally, with my own little Tisha eyes, viewed these mandalas and I LOVE them!  I can't wait to see exactly where these little beauties are headed.  And two, the post talks about her finding quilting/life balance and staying energized.  Both are subjects we discuss when we talk on the phone.  I also like to think of her as my QAL Sponsor....she is helping me to not lose focus and abandon this UFO quest I am on.  She keeps me from binging in QAL's.  Quilter's problems, right??  Make sure you hop over and check out Julie's post here.

Now it's your turn?  What have you been up too?  Are the squirrels and quilting gremlins calling you?  Are you stuck and don't know how to finish something?  Do you have a UFO finish to celebrate.  Or are you pouting in the corner because you got distracted or frustrated?  Link up and share with us.  Feel free to grab my button below.  We are all in this big boat together.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Let's Get This Party Started and Annoucements

Let's start with the first big announcement...I am happy to share that I will be one of the co-hosts for the 2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop!!!  I'm so excited (and a bit scared I've never really hosted anything) to be participating in this event.  It's one I feel very strongly about and support.  I owe this hop to many of the online quilt friendships that I have.  Participating was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Registration for the hop will open on February 1st and we will be sharing more information and details in the coming days/weeks.  If you have been quilt blogging for less than 3 years I hope you will consider signing up.  It's a great resource to learn more about blogging and make friendships that you will treasure.

Speaking of such things....

I had the pleasure to meet Karen at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats this past fall at a retreat at Julie at Pink Doxies (who I met from the 2015 NQBBH).  I participated with Karen in the 2016 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop.  I discovered when she linked up to my UFO Confessions post last week that she was lacking in some bee blocks and part of her UFOing would be to make additional blocks for her quilts.  I did the only thing I could do...I hive crashed again.

Hopefully, these two Cheerio/Lifesaver blocks and 

this Wanta Fanta block will help a bit.  Another cool fact about these blocks are: they contain a bit of orange fabric that Sandra sent me when we did the Rainbow Rose QAL, it contains an orange bit from a charm pack I won at a give away from Preeti at Sew Preeti Quilts (a 2014 NQBBH alumni I believe), and orange from the bee blocks I sent to Helen at Midget Gem Quilts (who I met during the 2015 NQBBH).   

My next bit of New Years sewing was sewing with my dear friend, Sandra at mmm!quilts (you guessed it, I met her during the 2015 NQBBH)  We decided earlier this weekend we would not let the miles that separate us keep us a part.  The Sewcial Bee Sampler hosted earlier in the year by Sharon Holland and Maureen Cracknell has been on our bucket list since it first started.  We vowed that we would eventually make this quilt together.  No time like the present.  Our only rules are we sew the blocks at the same time.  This weekend we texted back and forth with each other as we sewed.  I see Facetiming in our future as well.  As the count down to the new year was on, we found ourselves with block one and two finished.

Then earlier today, we made time to piece together block three.

I look forward to piecing the other 22 blocks over the next couple of weeks with her, as we find time to sneak them in.

I hope you pop back over on Wednesday when I share my latest UFO finish.  I squeaked one last one in at the end of the year.  Then I will officially start the weekly UFO Busting Linky Party on Saturday, January 6th!

The party will be pretty relaxed.  If you are working on a UFO come share it!  Need help with a UFO come ask for help.  Starting to work on a UFO come link up, and lets talk about why it became a UFO.  It also applies to WIP's as well.  I just love talking about UFO's because it always makes non quilters get a strange look on their face.  So I hope you will join me this year on Saturdays and watch the quilting skies to see what we can see.  Was it a bird?  Was it a plane?  No!  It's a Sun Bonnet Sue from 1985 :)

 Today I'm linking up with Main Crush Monday.