throw a wench in the works

Monday, January 9, 2017

FAL, My List, Quarter 1, 2017

Those of you who already follow me know I'm the EXTREME list maker....like HUGE lists.
And I invariably get distracted by the shiny and end up making a bunch of stuff that wasn't even on my list. (Squirrel!)

It's class play season, so I expect that to be the norm again. I haven't designed the costumes yet, so I have no idea what I'll be sewing/knitting for the show in February. Oh, for those of you who are new, I write, direct, produce, yada yada, a class play for about 30 kids a year. I have about a month to pull it all together. Then I collapse in a heap and eat bon bons. (I wish.)

For the new folk, here's a quick low down on me:

I'm a teacher in Atlanta. I live with a lovely husband, a slightly moth eaten looking tuxedo cat, and a super lovey now deaf cocker spaniel.

I'm more than a tad obsessive compulsive/ADHD.

I make quilts. I pretend I don't sew garments, but I am still trying to learn. I have two patterns I tend to make A LOT.

I sew quilts for Hospice, on my own and with the Serenity Circle from do.good.stitches. It's my way of honoring the legacy of my grandmother, who used to knit and sew for charity.

I tend to be addicted to quilt alongs. Maybe some day I'll run one myself.

I'm a geek. I love Doctor Who, Orphan Black, Dirk Gently, Star Trek (in all forms, old and new), and Star Wars (with a few of the new trilogy that I still refuse to make eye contact with).

Cotton and Steel is my spirit animal. (You are bound to see a bunch of it in my quilts.)

Without further ado, the list of crazy. A bunch of these are BOMs. I know I can't likely finish them this quarter, but I want to keep them on my radar. (The sad thing is this isn't my entire WIP list.)

Sewing

1. Violet Craft's Lion quilt (it's pin basted, awaiting hand quilting)

2. Tula sampler block quilt, version 1 (top almost done)

3. Round robin Improv (top pieced)

4. Milky Way Sampler, hosted by Blossom Heart Quilts

5. Chocolatier BOM, hosted by Gen X quilters

6. Slow Snail QAL, hosted by Gnome Angel

7. Tula Sampler, V.2 Cotton and Steel

8. The Honey Pot Bee, hosted by Molli Sparkles

9. Do.Good.Quilt, Serenity Circle, slab quilt (It's the Jan quilt for my circle.)

10. Timber Quilt (it's actually already a top)

11. Lloyd and Lola quilt

12. Test Tank for Katie (cut)

13. Hospice 1

14. Small World

15. Maker's Tote (I got as far as cutting parts out and then fizzled on bag making)

16. Pool Tote 1 (I cut it out intending it to be a Christmas present and then fizzled)

17. Pool Tote 2 (ditto)

18. Trail tote 1 (ditto)

19. Trail Tote 2 (ditto)

20. Smorgasboard quilt (awaiting hand quilting)

21. Framed quilt

22. Project 48 quilt (It's actually already a top.)

23. Sushi Washi (Cut..I have to learn how to rethread my serger because I ran out of thread)

24. Octopus top

25. Cross Quilt improv

26. Patchwork City quilt

27. Sprout mini quilt (Patchwork from Scrap class)

28. churn dash for hospice

29. cat head for dad

30. fairy/butterfly for MIL (it's been sandwiched, waiting to do reverse applique)

31. triangle skirt (cut...awaiting the aforementioned serger rethread)

32. Purple improv

33. HST play

34. Tangential quilt

35. Single Girl quilt

36. Meadow quilt

37. Meadow mini quilt

38. Project Linus quilt

39. Galaxy dress/washi (see serger rethreading..I cut a bunch of these last time and ran out of thread)

40. Arrow skirt (see serger note)

41. Itty Bitty Broken star quilt

42. Tear Drop quilt

43. Dr who shoes (need to resew one and elastic both)

44. Hospice 3

45. Infinity Scarf Project

46. Love scrap quilt

47. Tula Pink Skull quilt (it's already a top as well)

48. Tula The Hood quilt (This one is my #quilttheweightoff quilt project)

49. Grocery bags (3) for Ginny

50. AMQGQAL

Knitting

1. manticore socks

2. Peacock mittens (still on mitten #1)

3. Scrap blanket

4. slip stitch socks

5. Pussy hats

6. Katniss Socks

Bucket List for 2017 (NOT INTENDED FOR THIS QUARTER'S FAL LIST)

1. Tula Tumbler quilt

2. Tula Butterfly Quilt

3. Sujata Shah's Organized Chaos

4. Forest Fancy quilt

5. Sloth quilt

6. Epic Halloween quilt

7. Urbanologie BOM, hosted by The Intrepid Thread

8. Tula Future Garden quilt

9. Aviatrix

10. Steampunk (I have one block cut)

11. Tree quilt

12. Triforce Throw

13. Fish quilt

14. Iris quilt

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Finish-A-Long Linkup, Quarter 1, 2017

2017...are you ready for a new year? A new year a new list! (It's ok if you've decided this will be the year of new projects or clearing out old ones!)

As you are probably aware, the 2017 FAL is remaining global - a community of bloggers across the world, jointly hosting the FAL. Our hosts are:

Rhonda - Rhonda's [Quilt] Ramblings - USA

Nicky - Mrs Sew & Sow - Great Britain

Jess - Elven Garden Quilts - Australia

Abigail - Cut & Alter - Great Britain

Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada

Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA (me!)

Lucy - Charm about You - Great Britain

Sarah - Sew me - Northern Ireland

Judith - Just Jude - Northern Ireland

Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada

Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA

Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA

Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

Social Media Director:

Sandra - Sew Of Course - Ireland

For those of you who are new to the FAL, it is a place to find motivation and encouragement to complete those unfinished projects that are hanging about becoming UFOs. Every quarter you post a list of projects you hope to finish in the next three months, and then at the end of the quarter, you post a link from your blog, Flickr or Instagram of each successful finish from your original list.

Each finish is an entry for wonderful prizes from our sponsors. There is no penalty for not finishing a listed project, so feel free to make your list long or short, as you wish. The 2017 Schedule and Rules for the FAL are on my permanent FAL page, let me know if you have any questions. Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q4 of the FAL - you can see each of their prizes listed under their logo (think about visiting them and saying thank you):

Just Jude Designs - 2 PDF Patterns	Sew Sisters Quilt Shop, $25 gift certificate	Charm About You - 2 PDF Patterns
Fat Quarter Shop, $50 gift certificate	Elven Garden Quilts - 3 PDF Patterns	Tartankiwi - $25 gift certificate
Blossom Heart Quilts - 3 PDF Patterns	Mad About Patchwork - $50 gift certificate	During Quiet Time - 3 PDF Patterns
Happy Quilting - choice of 3 patterns	Cooking Up Quilts - 2 PDF Patterns	Sew Sweetness - 3 PDF Patterns
Knotted Thread, $30 gift certificate	The Littlest Thistle - Camp Bag Pattern Pack	Green Fairy Quilts - $15 gift certificate
Quilting Jet Girl - 2 PDF patterns	Sunny Day Supply - $30 gift certificate	Make Modern Magazine - 3 six month subscriptions
Clover & Violet - $30 gift certificate	Sew me a Song, $20 gift certificate	Imagine Gnats - $40 gift certificate
Studio 39 Fabrics - $25 Gift Certificate	Laurel Bee Designs, 2 pin bowls for 1 winner

As you may recall from last year, there was a return of tutorial week at the end of each quarter, between the opening of the link for finishes and the day that link closes. Are you enjoying this? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below! This will take place each quarter. Each host works hard to put these together so I hope you are visiting their blogs to encourage them.
If you have a tutorial that you would like to share, please let me or another host know.

It's time to round up those projects you want to finish over the next three months, take a photo of each one and make your list. In order for your projects to be eligible, they must at least be a tangible project at the start of the quarter. That means, at the very least, a fabric pull matched to a pattern, a quilt top needing to be quilted, or a half knit jumper. I love seeing your bee blocks, but they won't count unless you happen to be turning them all into a fully completed quilt!

It is very helpful if you tag your list as #2017FALQ1yourname when posting on social media: Flickr, Facebook & Instagram. Using the same hashtag over the quarter when sharing progress or finishes before the link, helps the hosts find your original list quickly - especially when this is done over a 3 month period. IMPORTANT: Don't forget to link your finishes up when the quarter closes.

The 2017 Q1 link for your list of proposed finishes is now open below on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs. You need only link your list once, on one blog - and that link will show up on all of the blogs. If you are using Facebook, Flickr or Instagram, link a mosaic and put your list in the description. Katy of The Littlest Thistle has a great tutorial on how to link-up if you need it.

We also ask that you become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others - visit and comment on their lists. We all need encouragement to get those finishes done, so please share some of your own too. When creating your list there is one thing to remember....No deductions for not completing something so ..... Aim High! Nothing to lose!!!

Well Now..... Get those lists together and get linked up. The Q1 linky party will stay open until 11 pm EST, January 14, 2017- as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link. Remember: you only need to link up on ONE hosting blog and it will automatically show up on all hosting blogs.

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday, January 6, 2017

2017 Finish-A-Long Announcement!

Hey! Surprise!!!

I get to be one of the hosts for the Finish Along of 2017. I'm super excited. There is an amazing group of women running it this year. (I'm kind of shocked I'm in the same group.)

Here are the other hostesses with the most-esses!

Rhonda - Rhonda's [Quilt] Ramblings - USA

Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

Nicky - Mrs Sew & Sow - Great Britain

Jess - Elven Garden Quilts - Australia

Abigail - Cut & Alter - Great Britian

Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada

Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA (Me!)

Lucy - Charm about You - Great Britain

Sarah - Sew me - Northern Ireland

Judith - Just Jude - Northern Ireland

Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada

Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA

Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA

I've pattern tested for Jess for a long time and have had the pleasure of meeting Karen in person many years ago at Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City. I've gotten to know a few of the other ladies from blogging over the years.

EEEEP! I'm so excited!

I've added a page with all the lowdown on the Finish-A-Long's history and links, buttons, etc. on the blog.

There will be more updates coming soon. If you haven't already, link up your 2016 finishes!

If you've not been a participant to the Finish-A-Long before PLEASE consider joining up. It's a fun group, lots of cheerleading, no judgement. I will continue to be my OCD self with CRAZY lists.

Big thank you to the quilters who hosted 2016!!!