UFO Progress

Judy's having us link up on our UFO progress this week, and if you've kept up with my few posts this week, you'll know that I was almost finished with Cumberland Mountain, a quilt I started in Sept 2006 and had last worked on in Jan 2009.  I am very happy to report it is finished.  Here now are some photos of the finished UFO quilt :)

Getting a true daylight sunlit photo with my wonderful helpers, Marty and Nick.

Laid out on a double-bed for size reference.  It works as either a coverlet, a large lap blanket, or something to drape over the sofa.

Mom, what? This wasn't made for me? 

It feels so very good to have a finish.  I've updated my Gallery, my 2012 UFO List, and my UFO Parade tabs to reflect my finish.  I didn't list it in my Get It Done 2013 tab so no update there.  Now, what to work on next?  I'm really dragging my feet on that one because I really, really want to work on some of my newer UFO's or start more new projects (I need an April NewFO, still time!), but I still have at least a half-dozen  other 2006 starts that need to be finished. I haven't sewn since I finished Cumberland Mountain, so really need to get moving.

Progressing On The UFOs

Those of us joining in on the UFO Parade and making an attempt to finish them, were asked if we had a plan, perhaps better would be to ask if we have a method to our madness, in getting the list of UFOs whittled down.  I can definitively say: "NO", I do not have a specific plan, nor any specific method of enticing or coercing myself to get them done, other than the mere fact of knowing that so many of them are as old as they are and that at least a few of them were started to be given as gifts. 

That being the case, I got to work on the one I posted about on Monday (here), which I last worked on  four years ago - it seems it was no more than a year or two ago but my records don't lie!  So yesterday I got my act together and resumed the quilting process.  My quilting is all straight line following either the zig-zag pattern of the blocks or the straight lines of the rows and columns stitching 1/4" on each side of the seams.  I've extended those straight lines into the borders, and am thinking I'll run another set of double straight lines down the middle of all the borders too. 
I've not developed free-motion skills adequate enough to do what I once considered doing in the borders and at this point really want to get "a finish" so will persist with what I am capable of and practice on the side.

When I was working on this yesterday in my not-so-well lit dining room, I noticed after about an hour of stitching that the stitching wasn't looking quite right in a few spots. Very loose and easily pulled up in loops.  Well, it was more than a few spots, it was all of the stitching I'd done for that hour, so yep, you guessed it, I spent the next hour removing all those stitches and redoing all my work.  Before resuming, I checked my bobbin & thread, checked the tension, and ultimately just re-threaded my machine.   It appears that the re-threading fixed whatever the problem was.

Also before continuing, I moved a floor lamp next to my work surface and now I can actually see my stitches as I work.  For the initial quilting along the zig-zag paths, I used a plain dark green thread.  Now that I'm doing the straight lines, I've switched to a multi-colored variegated thread for both top and bottom.  I'm guessing I have at most another 2 hours of quilting to do on this and then I'm ready for the binding.  It will feel really nice to have this finished.  And THAT just might be enough motivation to get some of those other UFOs done!

UFO Parade

Patchwork Times' Judy has invited us to post a parade of our UnFinished Objects.  

I have added a tab at the top of the blog where I'll track mine.  Most have a link to where I posted earlier progress reports on them. I'll add a few notes here too though.

For this first Parade post I'll list them all here:

• 1.  #010 - Country Charms/Dragonfly  This is my oldest, and I can't believe it's been 10 years and 6 days since I started it!  It's pinned and ready to quilt.
• 2.  #015 - Feathered Star   This is a flimsy, was paper pieced and started in Feb. 2006.
• 3.  #016a - bricks, vertical  This, and #016b, are both flimsies.  They started as one quilt but I realized I'd made more blocks than what I wanted or needed for the original size, so decided to divide them up and make it two quilts.  They both still need borders, and they were started...hmmm, my chart says 1905, uh, I think I need to fix that error, probably 2005.  I was probably working genealogy at the same time I was piecing ;p
• 4.  #016b - bricks, horizontal
• 5.  #017 - Lighthouse Farm  This is a small needle-turn applique project, not something I'm fond of, it may take a lonnnggg while to get this one off the UFO list.  It's pieces are cut, but I don't remember if I'd done any more than that.  Now that I've discovered fusible web, it may play a part in the process.
• 6.  #018 - Mystery Quilt:The Case of The Mysterious Voter  Here, I took a mystery class with Billie Lauder.  It's finished to the flimsy stage
• 7.  #019 - Asher's Quilt This name will likely change - it's the name of the pattern in the magazine.  Borders need to be added.  It was originally planned to be a missionary quilt but that group has been disbanded so not sure where it'll end up.
• 8.  #020 - Churn Dash/Hidden Spools  This is ready to be quilted, all pinned and ready to go.
• 9.  #021 - The Puzzler  We have another flimsy here, and it turned out really pretty.
• 10. #022 - Cumberland Mountain   And of course I just wrote about this one, it's partially quilted, and will be worked on in the days ahead.
• 11. #023 - Rooster  My All-By-Hand project, still in the blocks-need-to-be-finished stage.
• 12. #024 - Thank You For Our Bounty  Assigned, and needlepoint 'medallion' is finished, some fabrics are pulled, still considering a design.
• 13. #025 - Pumpkin Frost  The link explains it all...it's still in the 'gathering' stage.
• 14. #026 - Victoria's wedding quilt I began this for my daughter in 2008, for a wedding gift to her and her then fiance'.  They were married in the Fall of 2009, and it still requires borders.
• 15. #031 - Valentine wall hanging  Began in late 2009, it is also pinned and ready to be quilted.
• 16. #032 - Bella Luce  From here on, are my more recent quilts, this one is a flimsy.
• 17. #033 - Stairstepper  I have only assigned and kitted this one, no sewing, let alone cutting, has happened here.
• 18. #034 - Storm At Sea aka "Poseidon Loses"  I love, love, love this one, but did not love the process so much, read all about through the link.
• 19. #035 - Easy Street Mystery  Who doesn't know about Easy Street?  Through the link, scroll down the posting to see the image of mine in a different colorway than Bonnie Hunter used.  I've tucked it away for now as a flimsy, but haven't decided whether to add borders or not - it's already a fairly large piece.
• 20. #036 - Circle of Light  Another one where I posted about more than one quilt project, so via the link, you'll then have to scroll down to item 2 of the post to see a design wall initial layout - the blocks currently reside in a bin in the stash closet...not forgotten, just waiting on the back burner.
• 21. #037 - I Spy  This is really on assigned and pattern chosen, not a real UFO yet, but will be.
• 22. #038 - O Christmas Tree  This is another very recent project, now a flimsy, waiting for that quilting pin process.
• 23. #039 - Simple Tribute #2  I've also just recently assigned this one and cut and designated the logs for it.  It's a patriotic log-cabin and this will be the second one I will have made.  The first can be seen here and is shown as quilt #029.
• 24. #040 Pyramids

I have not included as UFO's the quilts I expect to make from all the spool sets, bow ties, and tumbler pieces I've recently cut as they are Leader/Ender projects.  Well, maybe the tumblers will become a 'regular' project, but for now, it's an L/E.  When I have sufficient blocks to make a quilt, then I'll add to the UFO list.  

The names may eventually change on some of these, but the #xxx number will always remain the same.  I've tracked my quilts since I began quilting around 1999.  Obviously, I'm not as prolific as are some, but I'm working on that :)