Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Setting March Goals

It’s time to set my OMG (One Monthly Goal) for March.  OMG is a monthly incentive program for quilters, seamstresses and needleworkers (etc.). We set ourselves a monthly goal, and if we complete it are entered into a prize drawing. I’ve been participating for a couple of years or more, and my current running streak is 14 consecutive months of setting a goal and completing it.


But this month may be my undoing! I’ve had the following quilt in my backlog of UFOs for more than two years. This month I’m going to move it along, come hell or COVID-19. So, I’m linking up to Elm Street Quilt’s goal-setting post and then will set to work.

Here is how my Bonnie Hunter quilt “On Ringo Lake” has looked For.Ev.Er.  What I’ve finally decided is that instead of one huge, complicated quilt, I am going to make two smaller quilts. So, my first step will be to deconstruct what I’ve got so far. And then I’m going to simplify the setting(s) and sashing and see what I come up with


So, to summarize, my March OMG is to (1) deconstruct the existing half-quilt and (2) reconstruct it into one (or likely two) smaller, simpler quilt tops. I’m anticipating that I’ll have lots of leftover sashing components. So be it; they’ll go into my stash for use in the future.

And speaking of stash, I had a very sweet surprise yesterday. Bruce brought a Priority Mail box down to my studio. I wasn’t expecting anything. It was from my sweet friend Nann (With Strings Attached), and it was stuffed to the gills with fabric scraps! If you know Nann, she is the queen of both scraps and acronyms (she is involved in so many volunteer groups). She labeled the box as a B.O.R.S. (a box of random scraps). Well, thank you dear Nann, because you are O.A.Q.F. (one awesome quilting friend)!


The picture doesn’t do them justice of course. Just that baggie of black and white scraps (center top) took me two (heavenly!) hours to sort through! I realized that the drawers I’ve been clearing out by making my scrappy fabric bins will now be filled with neutral and low-volume scraps (black, brown, gray, white/black, etc). But it’s all good! I’ve already pulled all the yellow, gray, black and white scraps from what Nann sent, added some of my own scraps and fabrics and will be making (this spring) a fun kid quilt with those. And that floral in the bottom right corner just screams for orange, yellow-orange and blue squares to help it along.

And if that wasn’t fun enough, this weekend held another surprise. Preeti and I chatted/face-timed for an hour or more on Sunday! She is a hoot. We were sharing blocks, fabrics and ideas. When I came upstairs after the call, Bruce said “it sounds like you two were having fun down there”. I hope we do it again soon! And we floated the possibility of going to the Sisters quilt show in Oregon possibly this year or next.

But, coming back down to earth today after all that excitement, I’m all about laundry setting goals for March. So, besides the deconstruction and reconstruction of On Ringo Lake above, I’ll quilt a couple kid quilts for Quilts for Kids. I help out our long-arm quilters by doing a few of the smaller kid quilts every month. As well, I’ve brought home two panels for our chapter’s challenge to get over 100 donated panels made into quilts this year. Here are my two panels, along with some fabrics I’ve pulled as potential borders, backing, etc.

The panels were folded up into baggies, so I selected them solely by the exposed colors (BRIGHT!)
The idea is to keep these quilts as simple as possible so the group can whip through them this year.  On the first quilt below, there are four blocks to cut out and do something with (add borders?) and I may add that blue fabric hanging on the left as a quilt border if necessary. The check print on the right will be the back/binding. I could do some fun wavy quilting.


The next one will probably be a bit more straightforward. I am just going to add that green as a border around the quilt and call it good. It’s cute as is and doesn’t need to be chopped up (like the one above). Again, as simple as possible.


Yesterday I broke down and ordered a roll of Warm and Natural batting (40 yards) from Amazon. For years I’ve used the Warm and Plush, but it’s pricier and only comes in 25-yard rolls. With all the kids' quilts I’m doing, it makes more sense to save the thicker stuff for personal quilts and use the basic lighter weight for the kid quilts.

And finally, I’ll be working on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of Teal/Aqua for March. I’ve already made headway, but I’ll show that on Saturday. I am hoping I have enough of that color to do a Creature quilt in March. And if a squirrel project crosses my path, I may have to run off to chase it...

10 comments:

  1. I'm in the same boat with ORL. You've inspired me to take another look and see what I can do with my pieces/parts.

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  2. I, too haven't yet completed On Ringo Lake. All of the components have been made, including the sashing, but I don't have a design wall, which I think I need, to arrange the units for this quilt. But, I really need to do something to finish it up. And, I'm not saying that's the oldest UFO I have...no way! It's just that I love the colors and design and would love to be able to actually use it, in my lifetime. What is almost as bad, is that I am struggling with completing the new mystery quilt for the same reason. I continue to plug away at it, as I am determined to finish it soon, lest it become another UFO that I will never go back to. I am having trouble with webbing it since it is set on point and has setting half squares. And, of course, I don't have a design wall...

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    1. I want to add that Frolic also has pieced sashing.

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  3. Wow!! What a post! Acronym Queen was SEW generous with her scraps. You've got quite the bounty there! Kudos for making such quick work if developing a plan for use.

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  4. Hi Cathy! I hope this month isn't your undoing with your fabulous 14-month streak. That would be a shame plus you really want to wrangle Ringo. Those panels are cute and should be a snap to play with. And finally, all those scraps from Nann! How cool and nice of her to send them your way. It's almost like a new fabric hoard isn't it. Hmm, how should this be used?! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  5. It's good to remember that some super cute panels can just have simple borders added and BOOM! You're done. Most recipients of quilts don't care that there aren't more seams. It does feel a bit like cheating, though, doesn't it? I'm behind on my blog reading, but I enjoyed seeing all your finishes from the last post, and that bag of scraps from Nann is just luscious. OPS (other people's scraps) are the best :)

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  6. For On Ringo Lake, I think I'd try to figure out what I wanted to do with it first, then deconstruct only what I had to. You may be able to take the end bits off all the rows and then just put them together not on point. Apologies for the unasked for opinion, though!! As in all things, you need to do what works for you!

    I'm on my second 40 yard roll of Warm and Natural. I love how long it lasts! :)

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  7. I was instantly drawn to that orange, yellow and blue daisy fabric from Nann. I have some panels I should pull out and get finished up. They would probably make good quilts for Wrap a Smile. I wish I had room to store a roll of quilt batting. Good luck with all your projects for March.
    Pat

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  8. Happy seam ripping! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck with your project.

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  9. There have been interesting setting variations for ORL. Hope you'll come up with something that appeals. (I contributed ORL to the ALA auction last summer. At the conference in January I had a nice conversation with the man who bought it -- he said he kept going back to the bid sheet to be sure he was the high bidder -- and he really, really likes the quilt.)....Glad the scraps have a good home!

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