UFOs, PHDs, PIGS, Ongoing Work

Whether you call them:

UFOs:  unfinished objects or
PHDs:  Projects Half Done or
PIGS:  Projects in Grocery Sacks

We all have  them--projects we start with good intentions that somehow get put on the back burner as something more exciting or more pressing has to get made.

Here are some of mine:

Diamond Jubilee--the quilt I intend to make to celebrate my 60th birthday--which happened two years ago.  This one is getting moved up the list, eventually...

I finished this top yesterday.  The hexagons are 1" and where made from a pack of 5" Charm squares, cut into quarters--the 2.5" squares fit the paper very well.  This was started at International Quilt Festival, Long Beach, CA 2009. For some reason, I didn't take any handwork with me and, of course, that was a mistake.  The great vendor, Cotton and Chocolate had a brilliant marketing plan:  They sold a "kit" packed into a plastic travel bag with their name and address on it, that included a Clover Desk Needle  threader, best notion ever, a spool of thread, a package of needles, and your choice of a packet of Paper Pieces shapes for English Paper piecing.  You purchased your choice of a MODA charm pack and they cut the 5" squares into 2.5" squares for you.  Sucked me right in.  All you needed to be sewing was a pair of scissors and they would be delighted to sell you those too, if you needed them.  They now include a Glue Pen for fast and easy basting of fabric to paper and today they even have a kit for machine sewing the hexagons, here.  This became my "take along" project for years until I finally buckled down to finish it.  Up next, it gets machine quilted. And, yes, I applique'd the hexagon top to the striped fabric borders; no way I was finishing it with the traditional hexagon zig zag edge.

Another favorite I am eager to return to:

Patriotic Pineapple blocks.  I really love this and lots of fabric strips are cut and ready, but, alas, it's not on the wall currently.

Today I took down my Lifetime Quilt to make room but here is what it is starting to look like:

This is my Leader/Ender lifetime project--I can't die until I finish it so I'm sewing it slowly...  Each half square triangle is 1.25" finished. Shown here are 5 blocks, each 20" square.  See the link above for step-by-step photos of my process.

Stella's Splendid Sampler needed more room so I  rearranged the design wall:

Only 16 more blocks to go, 8 weeks left.  I'm ready to see the end of this one.  The patterns are all free currently and available at The Splendid Sampler. A book is being printed for release after the project ends in early 2017.  It was more challenging than I expected but it's fun being part of a Facebook group of almost 24,000 members and who knows how many more who signed up with email.  Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson must be overwhelmed and amazed at the interest their little project has generated.

When Stella's Splendid Sampler comes down, here is what is going UP:

Sue Garman's Ruffled Roses--the Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show, 2011.  I still love it and am determined to finish it in 2017.  I wrote about my Turned Edge Applique' method here.  Having it prominently displayed on the design wall will be just what I need to get this one done. Guessing it will take me about two months to finish the top.  The pattern is still available from Sue's website:  here.

There are more projects I need to get back to, of course, but this is probably enough for 2017.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara