Quarter 2, FAL 2017, my list

Quarters Two and Three tend to be my most productive.  That said, while I get a lot done, I also tend to start a lot more than I can actually finish...which keeps my GIANT Wips list constantly replenishing.  Ah well.  At least I never get bored.


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.)

I bellydance in my "spare" time.  When my knee cooperates.  In theory, I'm losing weight to combat knee issues.

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, STILL awaiting hand quilting)


2.  Tula sampler block quilt, version 1 (top and back done)  I need to get some king sized batting still.



3.  Round robin Improv  (top pieced)



4.  Milky Way Sampler, hosted by Blossom Heart Quilts (I was going to do this as a BOM but I caved and bought the pattern...so I COULD, in theory, finish this one.)



5. Chocolatier BOM, hosted by Gen X quilters (again....just a WIP)


6.  Slow Snail Quilt, hosted by Gnome Angel (top done and basted)


7.  Tula Sampler, V.2 Cotton and Steel (started)


8.  The Honey Pot Bee, hosted by Molli Sparkles (again a Wip)


9.  Do.Good.Quilt, Serenity Circle, April Quilt


10. Snail pouches


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.  Maker's Tote 2


18.  Trail tote 1 (ditto)


19.  Trail Tote 2 (ditto)


20.  Smorgasboard quilt (still hand quilting)


21.  Iris quilt


22.  Project 48 quilt  (Top basted)


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. Lawn tunic


29.  cat head for dad (I can only sew a few heads at a time before my hands get sore)


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 (at long-armer)



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.  Pincushion project



46.  Love scrap quilt


47.  Tula Pink Skull quilt (basted, awaiting quilting)



48.  Tula The Hood quilt (This one is my #quilttheweightoff quilt project)..It's, um, stalled, pending some much needed weight loss.



49.  Grocery bags (3) for Ginny


50.  Long Time Gone QAL


51.  Aviatrix



52.  Urbanologie BOM, hosted by The Intrepid Thread


53.  Summer Solstice quilt


54.  Heather Ross Tank for Katie


55.  Secret Sister projects


56.  Postcard for Sisters Fundraiser


57. #seamonster swap (secret secret)


58.  Bobbin wallet clutch


59. quicker by dozen quilt


60.  Art student tote








Knitting

1.  manticore socks



2.  Peacock mittens  (still on mitten #1)



3.  Scrap blanket


4.  slip stitch socks


5.  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.  Tula Future Garden quilt


9.  Steampunk (I have one block cut)


10.  Tree quilt


11.  Triforce Throw


12.  Fish quilt

Finish-A-Long 2017, Quarter 2 link up

It's time to link up your list of unfinished projects that you propose to finish in Q2 of the FAL. I truly hope you are facing a new quarter with a brand new list - because you finished so many UFOs in Q1!

The FAL is hosted by a community of bloggers across the world. 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. Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q2 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

InLinkz.com

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. Please ensure that you have at least started your projects - pulled fabric with a pattern is now considered a UFO, and remember it is only finished projects that will get you an entry toward the above listed prizes. So while we love to see your bee blocks, the "finish" is when they are a completed, usable project. It is very helpful if you tag your list as #2017FALQ2yourname 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 Q2 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 Q2 proposed finish linky party will stay open until 11 pm EST, April 8, 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

Finish-A-Long 2017 Tutorial

Welcome to the tutorial week of the Finish-A-Long!
If you haven't already, check out the other posts by the lovely ladies of the Finish-A-Long!

• March 27 - Abigail of Cut & Alter
• March 28 - Sandra of Sew of Course
• March 29 - Judith of Just Jude Designs
• March 30 - Marci of Marci Girl Designs
• March 31 - Me!!!!!

I decided my tutorial would make use of the many charm squares I have *ahem* hoarded over the years.

My Tutorial: A Polaroid Mug Rug/Snack Mat

I've liked the Polaroid blocks I've seen up and about the internet.  (I know there was a swap of them a while back.)  I don't have a plan to make a quilt of them immediately, but I have some cool charm squares from a fussy cut charm swap.
I wanted to use a couple of them to make something I could use every day.
Mug rug/snack mat it is!

I took the tutorial on making the tiny versions and amped it up for a bigger size. (Aside:  Karen over at Capitola Quilter is AWESOME, and I have been lucky enough to meet her in real life.)

For each mug rug, I used a 5 in charm square, 2 strips of white Kona measuring 2 in by 5 in, 1 strip of white Kona measuring 2 in by 8 in, and 1 strip of Kona measuring 3 in by 8 in.  I also used a piece of batting, approximately 9 in by 10 in.  For the back, I used some Kona charcoal, a piece about 8.5 by 7 in.

First sew the side strips on.

Then sew the top and bottom strips on.  (If at this point, you want to make a GIANT polaroid block, just add some darker sashing to make the polaroid "pop" out.)

I attached the batting by sewing around the "picture" part of the Polaroid.

Then I trimmed up the Polaroid block (with batting attached) to 8.5 in high and 7 in wide.

I sewed the back on (by placing right sides together and sewing around it, leaving a 2 in opening for turning) with a 1/2 in seam.  Hint:  Don't do what I did and leave the opening on a corner.  Your corners will look better if you leave the 2 in opening in the top or the bottom middle instead.

Clip the corners, turn inside out, and press.

Then sew a 1/8" topstitch and you're done!

If you wanted to be extra awesome, you could embroider a message on the Polaroid before you sew the front to the batting!


I hope you liked the tutorial!  I will probably make a mondo polaroid block quilt at some point, since I can't bear to have all my 5" fussy cut charms live in a box forever. *cough* hoarder *cough*

Don't forget to link up your finishes to the Finish-A-Long here and start drafting your next quarter's list!