2016 Finish-Along 1st Quarter Goals

The Finish-Along has grown by leaps and bounds with lots of us finding how good it is to set (flexible) goals and reach for them in quarterly segments.

I am linking up with Leanne at She Can Quilt (one of several international hostesses) to declare my goals and hopeful finishes for the first quarter of the year.

Without further ado, let’s get started!


1.   Layers of Charm Quilt or “Seeing Red"

I hate this quilt. It is a Fat Quarter Shop easy pattern, but since I didn’t have the precuts, I just used yardage. And I figured since there was so much waste in cutting the gray 5” squares in half, that I would just cut my own slightly larger and sew them on. What a time-consuming mess. I would have rather had the waste. So, I skipped half of the gray diamonds and called it good. Anyway, the quilt top is done and just needs to be pressed, squared, basted, quilted and bound. Maybe next week when I can stand to look at it again. I`ll be taking it on vacation next month to give to my BIL, who loves red.

2.  Valentine Quilt.

I`ll just use the Disappearing Nine Patch method to whip this one up real quick before the end of the month. Use my stash. Make a Valentine quilt. Win-win.

3.  Birds and Bees Quilt.

I LOVE this fabric line from Tamara Kate, and designed a simple quilt on Pattern Jam to use the yardage I own. That is one of the great things about Pattern Jam (there are lots of others, and it’s free - check it out!) When you design a quilt, it can print out the fabric calculations for you. So, now I know I will have enough without having to do quilty math.  This will be a simple piecing job that I will take along on vacation, because I am taking my sewing machine.  Ten days without sewing is HELL, not a vacation.

4.   Finish the Farm Girl Quilt

All the blocks are done. It is just time to suck it up and sew them together. I learned so much about piecing and corner square triangles, flying geese, following directions, etc, during this Stitch-Along. But my first blocks are not great, and I may have to square them up to a slightly smaller size. Not looking forward to sashing them, either. And cornerstones. Oy. Can you say, “headache”??

5.  Make 2 Farm Girl Pillow Shams.  All I have left to do is piece the tractor block (a large one) for hubby, then construct the cases.  I will probably have the pillow shams done long before the quilt.


6.   Hoffman Digital Cityscape Wall Hangings.

Once I decided not to use this as the backing to Rainbow Orbs (it seemed silly to piece all around a 36x44” print when I needed a 80x96” backing), these fell by the wayside.  There are two of them, and I plan to do one for us and one for my son Shane, who is an artist that paints cityscapes.  I will piece 8” blocks to go around the print to frame it, then quilt and bind. And since I am a crazy-piecer from way back, it should go quickly. Once I start.

7.  Aria (Benartex) Big Braid Quilt.

I have had and loved these fabrics for over a year. Time to use them. Maybe a bedspread; I can alter the pattern as needed. I have yards and yards of this fabric. Probably enough for a front and back. But I can’t think about the back yet.  :-)   I’m thinking I probably won’t get to this during the first quarter, but I better put it on here just in case.

And that is my list. Lots of quilts, which will be a nice change from the 4th quarter of last year when I sewed enough pillowcases and zippy pouches and the like to use up just short of 30 yards of fabric.

 Until next time!!