First Quarter Goals and Two Finishes

The Finish-Along, which is a global effort of the needlework community, is at least 6-8 years old. In that time, it’s grown in size so that as of this year it’s being held exclusively on Instagram. There we can link up via hashtag, both for goal-setting and goal finishing. It’s much easier for those who tally the results. There are prize drawings at the end of each quarter, and everyone who finishes a goal gets an entry into the drawings for each completed goal. I’ve already published my list on IG for this quarter, but I wanted to share my rather ambitious list here for for my blog readers, and to help keep me accountable.

REGULAR QUILTS

1.   Pineapples Two

This is a quilt that’s been on my list for over a year. I keep recycling this picture, but in reality I have lots of these yellow strips sewn into strip sets and cut. I just need to start assembling pineapples!

2.  Nine-Patch Madness

This was a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project for 2019, and I have all the blocks in all the colors made. It just needs to be assembled, etc.

3.  International Sisters

This is an ongoing project. Each month I make several of these Sisters blocks in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month using African fabrics. Most are earmarked for small wall hangings (as the backing to African fabric) for a Harambe Humanitarian fundraising effort. However, I make one or two blocks every month (not in African fabric) for my personal quilt, which I’m calling International Sisters; the donation quilts are called Harambe Sisters. Here are a bunch of Sisters in all types of fabrics:

4.  Lemon-Lime

This is another one that I’m anxious to sew for the daybed in the guest bedroom. We finally got the room painted late last fall. Then I had carpal tunnel surgery, and then the Holidays came. Now I can get back to work in there; specifically, cleaning the carpet, rearranging the furniture and hanging things back on the wall. AND MAKING THIS QUILT.

5.  Low Volume Strings and Things - FINISHED 2 OF THEM!
BLOGGED ABOUT HERE. 

The cutting is done. Doesn’t that mean I’m about halfway there? 

6.  Garlic Knots

I still need to sew a couple colors of blocks for this one. I’ll sew either when we get to them in the RSC, or when the mood strikes me. Garlic knots is a long shot for this quarter.

SMALL QUILTS and QUILTS FOR KIDS (QFK)

I do a lot of quilting for Quilts for Kids, but I only count as finishes those quilts that I sew from scratch myself, then quilt and bind.

7.  Little Orphan Scrappy - FINISHED! (Read on)

When I first published my list on Instagram last week, this was still an unquilted top, as I was waiting for my Bernina to return from its annual servicing. The quilt is a mash-up of various orphan blocks in my stash, pulled together to coordinate with some inspiration fabric.

Now it’s a completed (and donated) quilt. Here’s the final shot showing it with its scrappy border, complete.  It measures 42x48”.

The back and label:

8.  Another Kitty Quilt for the Grandcats - FINISHED! (Read on)

Again, this was just basted at the beginning of the quarter. Now it’s done. It measures 42x48”. It was my OMG (One Monthly Goal) for January. I’ll be linking up to the OMG Finished Goals post at Elm Street Quilts.

The backing fabric is more of the cat food cans in a different color way. The wide stripes in this one are aqua; the first one I made (in December) had lime green stripes.

9.  String Stars (multi) - FINISHED!
BLOGGED ABOUT HERE.

Another string project for QFK. This one will have varying colored stars with multi-colored strings. This is what I have already:

10 -11.   On Ringo Lake. (2 quilts)

This has been on my list forever. To move it on, I’ve decided to make two smaller quilts (rather than one huge one) out of the blocks I have on hand. One will be a straight set and one will be on point. The picture below is what it looks like at the current time. Most of that will get unpicked and reworked. Maybe I can rekindle my interest in this one to get it off my plate.

12.  Brown and Blue Polka Dots - FINISHED!
Blogged about HERE.

I’ve shown this one on the blog. The brown fabric was donated to me. Some of it was cut in squares and the rest was in a couple smallish pieces. I added the aqua blocks and made it work. It’s awaiting its turn to be quilted.

13.  Green Scrappy Quilt. - FINISHED!
BLOGGED ABOUT HERE.

Another one shown on the blog. It’s actually farther along than the picture below shows. By the weekend I should have a finished flimsy to show, and may perhaps even get it basted by then.

14.  Harambe Sisters Quilt

See my remarks under #3.

15.  Green and Pink Patchwork Quilt - FINISHED!
BLOGGED ABOUT HERE.

This is another project I’m finishing up for a friend who donated the cut blocks to me. She also donated all the leftover fabric, so I’ve already sewn the blocks for the front and pieced the back. And the dark green bindings are also cut. This is actually ready to be basted, and there was only a couple hours of work involved.  The fabrics are at least 25 years old!

16.  Panel Quilt for Quilts for Kids (QFK) Challenge

In between all my regular sewing (and quilting for QFK), I’m going to try to finish up a quilt for the QFK panel challenge. Maybe add a couple blocks or borders? They want us to keep it simple, as we had hundreds of kids quilt panels donated. The goal is for the chapter to get them all done this year. Last year we completed and donated (to hospitals and EMTs, etc) 2,004 quilts. This year, in 2020 our goal is at least 2,020! Anyway, each finished quilt earns an entry into a quarterly drawing for some lovely fat quarter bundles donated by Quilts Etc.  I checked out two panels would like to finish them both, but am only listing one in my goal list.

WALL HANGINGS AND MISCELLANEOUS

17.   Aviary Collage Wall Hanging

I’m a bit apprehensive about starting this one. This first picture is the final Aviary project, as designed and made by the talented collage artist Emily Taylor (from whom I took a class last year).

Unfortunately, this is what MY quilt looks like so far.

Yeah. Ugh. Sorry about that. I just pulled it out and snapped a pic of it, wrinkles and all. The pieces are just pinned and they are not permanent. I haven’t really introduced this on the blog yet, but when I do, I’ll show you my fabric and planned color scheme. It will get better, trust me.  :-)

18.  Another Color Scrap Bin - FINISHED! 
Blogged about here.

I’ve done one in green - made of scraps and made to hold scraps. Now I’d like to do one in blue. Or pink. Actually, all the colors, but I’ll see what the next chosen scrappy color of the month is for February or March.

That’s my list. It seems like a lot to do in a quarter, and I realize I can’t get it all done. But remember that most of these are smaller projects, and many are half or almost done already, Let the finishing begin!!