It's a Brand New Year

Happy New Year to you all out there in Blog-Land :)

First up, since it's Sunday, which means it's Stash Report Sunday (thank you Judy), I start with zip, isn't that fun? nothing in, nothing out (yet)!

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards

Next, Judy has chosen our UFO Challenge project for January. #5 . That means I'll be working on The Puzzler, a project from the Nov. '05 issue of Quilters' Newsletter. I think that's a good choice. It makes me happy. I have the piecing done and just need to sew the pieced border to the main pieced top, then layer, quilt and bind. It's expected to measure 70"x89" when done, and 'quilting' is still a bit intimidating unless I do just straight lines, lol.

This shows the main piecing of the quilt, very scrappy, and each block a sample of different blocks within.

Here it is laid on a bed with the side pieced borders laid next to it. Once the borders are on all the way around, I'll need to decide how I want to quilt it...for me, that's the real challenge, I think even moreso than actually quilting.

So, let's get rolling into 2012.

Quilt #028, #029, #030 Mililtary quilts

#028: Some of us ladies in my church fellowship group decided to make some lap quilts for the military members who were either in our group or the family member of someone in our group. This is one I did the piecing on and others helped with the other elements of the project. The pattern for this project came from American Patchwork & Quilting, August 2005. I really liked the adaptation of the skinny 'rail' used in this rail fence pattern. I could make this one again. These military quilts were also tied rather than quilted otherwise. We needed/wanted to finish the project quickly and give them all out at the same time. Some were mailed and a number of them were displayed and handed out during our group's Sunday morning meeting.

#029: This little number, is high on my I will do it again list. I love Log Cabin patterns and this one in patriotic colors is very striking. And did you notice that cute little star that looks like an X at the four corners of the center block? I found this pattern in American Patchwork & Quilting, June 2003 . Very scrappy of reds, whites and blues from my stash. This photo is only of the top as the other 'many hands' finished it while I was away on vacation and I didn't get to photograph the finished quilt.

#030: This one went to my own nephew who is in the Air Force. He's been deployed to the Middle East, I believe until Spring. He and his wife are expecting their second child in mid-April.

I designed it myself with some simple blocks and using some old fabrics from my stash that I picked up from somewhere or was given. Of the three, it's not my favorite; maybe it's the fabric selections...they don't scream patriotic red, white and blue even though they are shades of red, white and blue. The photo makes the red look, well, more red than it truly was. As to who got which quilt, I had no part in that selection, and again, this was worked on by many others as well.