2016 Finish-A-Long Q1 - The Dream List

A finish-a-long!  What a great concept! 

I've been noticing the Posts and Links for the Quarterly Finish-A-Long on other blogs, this is the first time I'm creating a list of projects to finish. 

Like several of the others who have already posted their lists, I've done a terrific job of starting different projects, but haven't been good with following thru and finishing quilts.  For a long time I didn't know how to do more than piece fabric.  But I have been learning finally how to finish a quilt. It takes me time, but I can baste and quilt and put on a binding now!

So this year my focus is on following thru and finishing quilts for my family and friends.

Once I decided to join in the Finish-A-Long, I went thru boxes in my new sewing room. I found 24 mostly old, old projects that I hope to finish this year. There are more, but I couldn't find them tonight so they will be pushed to the next quarter/year!

1.  Sharon Craig Half Log Cabin (around 1992).  A local quilt shop (Rosie's Quilt Shop on El Cajon in San Diego) organized around 50 people to each cut strips from a dark fabric and a light fabric.  We brought it to the store and they then organized packets so we all got one of everyone's contribution.  Then we used Sharon Craig's method for making half log cabins (that reminds me I have a regular log cabin too to finish up too - where is that?). Making the half log cabins was so much fun, I went to the store and bought tons of fabric so I could keep making them!  So instead of a twin, this is a king top.  It can't be the first thing I work on this quarter as I have so far only done lap or block quilting, but I found it tonight so it's on the list.  I realize I've been telling people I have fabric from my Godmother and mother, but really it's this quilt that was responsible for me buying and so having a ton of fabric that I'm not crazy about...  I only needed a strip from each, but had to buy what ever the minimum was...

2.  Quilt in a Day Tulips (around 1991).  This was my second quilt top.  I made this for my Godmother, but she only got to see the blocks.  She loved tulips and this sort of grey green.  I made the blocks from Eleanor Burns' book, but thought the setting wasn't interesting so I modified the sashing so the tulips were more random.  It was supposed to look like the seeds for the flowers had been flung on the field.  To get just the right shade of the green for the border I flipped the fabric over.  People looking at it though thought the I had goofed in my flower placement.  Oh well. I pieced a back from left over fabric.

3.  My First* Pieced Quilt Top - Stars and Planets (1990) I took a class when our son was three, so I remember the year! I have star blocks in all the colors of the rainbow, but my DH thought I should limit the number of colors so I picked these. I had wanted to make the quilt with solids, the teacher insisted I get fabric with a little design in it. It was boring to make all the blocks the same size so I made some that were smaller and added the HST border and some plain blocks on the top. I finished the extra long twin top and our little son admired it. Then he asked where the planets were! So I took a class to learn how to make circles (see quilt #6 on this list) and searched for just the perfect fabric to represent each of them. This time I only needed a few inches, but again had to buy what ever the minimum was. I either sewed quarter circles together or appliqued circles on the fabric with stars. (Pluto was too small for me to manage with fabric so I painted it on). The planets are sized to be correct relative to a one inch earth. This was going to be the back of the quilt. When I was working on this, our son asked where the sun was. I should have said he was the sun, but that didn't occur to me. I was overwhelmed so I put the quilt away... I could add the other color blocks to make the quilt fit the top of a king bed...  * This is my first completely pieced quilt top, after taking a class.  In the early 1960's with my mom's help, I started cutting pieces for a quilt with 1/2 inch seams, it was finally put together, quilted and bound in May 2012. The finish is blogged here: huge star quilt. My numbering system is off!  : )

4.  Husband Quilt - (2013) I cut fabric while we were in Cambridge.  I had one idea for the top, my DH had another.  Since it's for him it will be made the way he wanted.  Hopefully this quarter!  This post shows the various versions of the quilt.

5.  Irish Chain (around 1991) My third quilt.  I liked the idea of an Irish chain, but thought it was too simple so made it a triple!  I was surprised that the dark blue ended up being so large in the design. I put it on a table to show off, but a candle dripped on a piece of fabric so I'll have to figure out how to replace that piece in the middle of everything before quilting it.  But because of Leah Day' videos, I do believe I have the skills now to finish this one!

6.  Farm Scene Sampler (1991) I took a class to learn how to do curves so I could make the planets for my son's quilt.  The project was very good as we also did y-seams, applique hearts, miter corners and I also learned that if it doesn't fit to add more fabric or change the pattern!

7.  Cultural Fusion - Windmills (2015)  I was so fortunate last summer to take a day long class with Shajata Shah!  Had so much fun making the windmill blocks from her wonderful book, Cultural Fusion.  I hope to make all of the quilts in her book, in a timely manner.  These purple windmills will be flying off to a friend in Sweden when the quilt is completed.

8.  Tumbler (2011)  I sewed these in leader and ender fashion but then it took over as it was so much fun to sew these pieces (cut with a Studio GO from an adult education class) and arrange them so the colors were sort of clumped together.  This quilt is being made for our friend in Colorado.  This post shows the basted (since 2014) tumbler project. Now I know how to quilt the project, and since it's basted, it will be first on this list to be completed!

9.  Large Blocks (2013) When I was in Cambridge, an online Liberated Quilting friend, Audrey, gave me a great Freecycle sewing machine so I was able to sew.  I bought fabric and made these large blocks.  They were going to be a quilt for my DH but he wanted more black in it.  So it will be a quilt for me I think! This post has the image of the blocks on bed top.

10. Chinese Coins or Made Fabric (2011-ish) I found a stack of fabric in my mom's things that was mostly around 6 inches square.  I cut strips while in a class, with the intent to make a Chinese Coin quilt.  But I might make a Liberated Wedding ring quilt instead.

11. Leah Day Building Blocks (2014)  I got started, then things happened and I didn't continue working on this.  I found the blocks tonight so they are on the list to finish!  These posts show the blocks I've finished.  The rest are organized in baggies according to Leah's directions.

12. Marston/Moran Workshop (2012) - I was very lucky to attend a multiple day workshop held by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran.  Before the workshop we were given preparation assignments to make parts for a quilt.  In theory I was supposed to have enough I guess that I just put the parts together to create a quilt.  That didn't happen for anyone I think in the class.  It was so exciting to see the quilts they have in their books in person and to meet them and other quilters.  As I recall I have just a few inches to fill in then can put the top together.

13. FMQAYGQAL (2012) - This was an online group organized by Laura/QuokkaQuilts that practiced FMQing, the blocks are all made and quilted.  I just have to find them and put them together and finish it up. This quilt is going to be a wedding present for one of my husband's students. Click here to see the posts about this project. This was the first time I used precuts for a quilt!

14. Wonky Shoo Fly (2010) - I won these blocks from the Block Lotto. I had been putting them together with solid blocks and practicing FMQing in sections.  Here is a post with a photo of some of the sections that are completed.  I have to find the blocks, but they will probably be one of the first projects I work on this quarter after the tumbler is quilted.  Each block is a different Leah Day Free Motion Design.  I even have a category on my blog to use to show all the progress on this project!

15. Liberated Round Robin LibRR1 (2011) - This was the year I was really getting going with my quilting.  I organized an online group - The Liberated Round Robin - and we worked on creating a liberated quilt.  I started mine with pieces of blocks that I got in an online liberated quilter fabric swap.  Here are my posts about this project.  I have two more rounds to add, but I'll have to find the project and pieces first!

16. Paper Pieced Deer Pillow (2015) - My son and his new wife had several pillows with deers on them on their wedding registry. After searching the web, I found a really nice paper piecing pattern from Julianna who lives in Poland that I'm going to use for one of the pillows. I have the orange/grey version finished, but I made a mistake in my piecing so will either correct that one or will make a new one with green/black/brown fabric.

17. Fused or Pieced Deer Pillow (2016) - For the other deer pillow, I may fuse the silhouette of a deer on fabric that will go with the paper pieced version.

18. Small Blocks (2010) - I made these with left overs after making the larger sized wonky shoo fly versions for the block lotto. These will make a nice little quilt for someone!

19.  Fused Circles (2014) -  I used a Studio GO to convert some beautiful Kansas City Troubles strips to fused circles.  I was going to do my interpretation of ChristaQuilts Abacus - but thought I would used the stitching from the Leah Day Butterfly project to practice FMQing.  I have many pieces ready, this might be the time I actually do it!

20. Friday Block Party (2011) -  For my contribution, I found free block designs that were in the shape of animals.  I made a lot of these blocks, and also some traditional blocks all with the grey background.  When I find the blocks, and the time, they would go together pretty easily in to a nice child's quilt. Posted progress here.

21. Quarter Circles (2011) - I had access to a Studio GO so cut a range of solids in blues and yellows with the quarter circle die, so I'm committed to these colors.  Perhaps this quarter I will be inspired to finish sewing these together and actually making a quilt!

22.  Cow Pillow (1991) - This was FMQed as part of a workshop, the back is perfect but it's done on not very nice looking muslim so would be better as a pillow.

23.  Lone Star Pieces (around 1991) - Eleanor Burns is from around here so if you take any adult education classes or quilting classes we are exposed to her sister's great demos and her books all the time.  In class I bought a ton of her books as we were given 30% discounts.  The lone star seems so complicated but with her directions was really doable even for a beginner like me.  Except I got too confident and impatient and didn't double check my angles for the last cuttings, so the angles are off.  Maybe this year I can improvise and make a quilt of the pieces.

24.  Whole Cloth Pillow (2012) - I followed along for Leah Day's instruction for a lot of the 2012 project.  This whole cloth piece doesn't look nice enough on the back to be part of a quilt, but would make a very nice pillow.  Blogged here.


Like the rest of you, I have new projects that I'm working on, and like some of you, I have even more WIP lurking in boxes waiting to be found again!

It's been fun for me to go thru boxes with these projects and remember them.  I've been so focused on new projects that I sort of just pushed them aside.  It's nice to have this finish a long to help me on my way to having finishes.

I'll be happy with any progress on finishing these this quarter!

Thank you all for for organizing the FAL!

Here are the 2016 Finish-A-Long Q1 guidelines:

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 2016 Schedule and the Rules for the FAL are on my permanent FAL page, let me know if you have any questions.