26 Projects: Getting the Quilt House in Order

As I said in January, I am working on getting my quilt house in order. This means finishing projects and tidying. I spent a lot of time last week doing a minor reorganization of my fabric closet. I bought a couple of project bins that will corral some of the stacks of fabric I am fighting with. I also made progress on some projects, which is the whole point of this exercise.

Finished 2018 Quilt Projects

Finished 2017 Non-Quilt Projects

  • YM’s hat – finished and sent
  • Cowl – finished and presented

Doing Good

In Process
The  ‘In Process’ is used to denote projects on which I am actively working or pretending to stitch. I try not to put away projects, because that will ensure I never work on them.

  • City Sampler – blocks all made. Need to sash the blocks and put the top together. Due to some issues I had with my seam allowance, some of the blocks are smaller than others, so I will have to adjust them in some way – either ripping and resewing, adding a piece or two to the block or with sashing. This is sort of a sticking point and while I consider this quilt ‘in process’ I hadn’t worked on it in awhile until I took the blocks to the BAM Sew Day and started measuring. Once I know what I am facing for each block, I can move forward.
  • English Paper Piecing Project– half hexies – I have mostly been knitting while I watch TV, but I did make some half hexies in anticipation of making another star.
  • FOTY 2016 – Squares are up on the design wall and being arranged.
  • FOTY 2017 – pieces cut. Need to layout and start piecing.

Still WIPs
I still have WIPs. Who doesn’t, after all? A project in the ‘UFO’ category means I am stalled. A nicer way of saying UFO is a WIP. The list is a lot shorter and the projects are newer, for the most part.

  1. Aqua-Red Sampler – I need to lay the blocks out and put the piece together.
  2. BAMaQG Color Round Robin – no progress.
  3. BAMaQG IRR – I will either quilt it and donate it to charity or use it for the Big Stitch class I am taking at QuiltCon.
  4. Handbag Sampler – this is a project about which I had forgotten. I haven’t even found a picture of all the blocks. The blocks were teaching samples when I taught a sampler class the time before I started writing the quilt class sampler tutorials. I actually don’t know exactly where the blocks are, but I have an idea and will crawl up in the far reaches of my fabric closet soon and find them.
  5. Lobster – I still have more stitching to do and then I need to quilt it.
  6. Octagon 9 Patch: In the past week or so, I have started to sew pairs together as leaders and enders. I am not convinced this is a great idea, but I want to make progress, so I will make it work.
  7. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. No progress.
  8. Pies and Points from Victoria Findlay Wolfe class. No further progress. I need to focus on this and it is not up high enough on the list yet.
  9. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I am stalled on this again. Again, I didn’t capitalize on the excitement I got from my career counselor and now the feeling is lost.
  10. Serendipity Lady Quilt: no progress.
  11. Stepping Stones #2 – I checked the design and have the border block designs complete. I will have to inventory what units I have that will be needed to make up the border blocks before I am ready to sew.
  12. Under the Sea: class project; like the design and am happier with the colors. I had an idea for it, which didn’t end up working out. I would like to finish it soon.
  13. Black and Red quilt – This came about because of two other projects. I made a whole bunch of bias tape as part of my failed attempt at doing the Mighty Lucky Club a few years ago. Another part of the inspiration came from my class with Tina of Little Blue Cottage fame. This was going to be for a nephew, but I think it will be for one of my SILs and BILs. I have rectangles cut and some bias tape ready. My next step is to sew the bias tape to the rectangles like pickup sticks. I don’t have any photos of this, so you’ll have to trust me.
  14. Half Rectangle donation quilt – I want to work with half rectangles and the 16 patches we make for the guild. I have the blocks made and the cool ruler I thought would work for this project. Now I need to gather the fabric and just do it.

Small Projects in Process

  • Hansel and Gretel dolls and accessories for my little niece. The quilt is done and all the other pieces are ready to be stuffed.
  • EPP Travel pouch gift – Main pieces are all cut and I am sewing various bits together.
  • 2 gift Sew Together Bags- most of the fabric is cut and the zippers are purchased
  • Another Sew Together Bag for me – most of the fabric is cut and the zippers are purchased
  • 1 gift Sew Together Bag – nothing cut
  • Mel Beach quilted piece – I want to make it into a pillow cover

Ready for Quilting

In Quilting Process

  • En Provence – at Colleen’s. She hasn’t quilted it yet, because we can find the right color thread for the blue.
  • Ta Dots & Stripes Quilt (was called last time Dots & Stripes HST Quilt (or Something) ) – Finished piecing and is at the quilter
  • Planned Improv – this wasn’t on the list last month for some reason, but is now with Colleen ready for quilting.
  • Thanksgiving tablemat – I have the correct feet and just need to get busy.
  • Theoretically, the Tarts Come to Tea is in the quilting process, though I haven’t worked on it in a while.  See above.

Binding

Nothing at the moment

Hunting and Gathering

  • 30 Something: I am still cutting 1.5 inch squares. I am pretty sure I have the 800 I need, but I am not ready to sew them together yet, so whenever I have a chance I cut more I cut more. It will give me choice when the time comes. I’ll have to think up a new name, too. My next step will be to figure out if I need to cut other sizes of squares and switch from cutting 1.5″ squares to cutting the new size.
  • Blue Gradation Quilt: cutting 2.5 inch x 4.5 inch blue rectangles. It has to end sometime. I wasn’t sure I was ready to put this together, but I think I am. I might do a couple of gradation quilts in a row just to get the practice.
  • Blue Lemonade: cutting blue, green, purple 2 inch squares. I used a lot of these squares for En Provence, so I am slowly cutting more.
  • Pink Gradation Quilt: cutting 2.5 inch x 4.5 inch pink rectangles
  • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I might have to cut some more background fabrics. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
  • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering. I am supposed to be cutting a variety of greys for the background, which required the purchase of a new template. I should be able to get going again

Other

  • Stepping Stones #3 using the Macaron pre-cuts from Hoffman. I have all the fabric in pre-cuts and am just waiting for space (and desire) in my schedule.

I’ve used just under 19 yards of fabric so far this year. Not shabby.

What’s on your list?

Author: JayeL

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.