New Quarter -- New Stitching Goals!!

I'm finding the challenge of setting finishing goals "out loud" very motivating! 

How about you?

For the first quarter of 2016, I finished four of my six target projects so for the second quarter, I'm rolling over the two unfinished ones.

I made progress on this scrappy blue Crosses quilt.  I decided who is it for (a graduation quilt for my neighbor yard helper) so that increased the motivation.  I'm ahead of schedule since he doesn't graduate until 2017, but there are two of them, twins, so there will need to be a second quilt as well.  I'm still waffling about the size -- if I stay at the current 45" by 60", the left half is completely pieced and the right half is cut and laid up on the work wall.

It's also serving as a vehicle for the tidying and thinning out of the abundant blue stash I own.

(Can she reduce it by 25%?)

The other roll-over is my funky bird quilt.  I got it completely pieced and the backing prepped during the first quarter so now it's ready for some quilting!  Can't wait to finish this one! 

My Bug Hut medallion from a round robin bee has been laying in the "layered and ready to quilt" stack for a year.  I have been undecided about whether to machine quilt it or hand quilt it with pearle cotton using a "big stitch".  The real road block though is that I'm not sure I like the appliques I added at the end - some or all of them may come off.

Nathalie, my cohort in Paris, led this sew-along over a year ago.  Recently, I've been watching her on Instagram burn through a group of quilt tops that needed quilting and I was reminded that I have this little beauty all ready to layer and quilt. 

I think I might even have a little person in mind to receive it!

This quilt top has been intimidating my quilting muse for quilt a while now.  It's in two halves so it will be easier for me to manipulate at the machine.  The backing fabrics and batting are decided, but I know it's going to be the hardest of this group of finishes to get moving.  There are so many little details to the piecing and so many colors!! 

It might be good to tackle this one first?

Finally, I'd love to finish this twin size quilt and pass it along to a friend who is redoing a bedroom in which this will be perfect! 

It took me forever to embroidery/applique the 12 blocks which were given to me when I was in high school by a friend whose mother had made her start the project when Gretta was in high school.  The blocks are at least 70 years old at this point. 

I'm looking forward to seeing your second quarter goals for the 2016 Finish-A-Long in the link-up which runs from April 8 through 16.  If you haven't joined the challenge yet, give it a try.  You can participate via Flickr or Instagram if you don't have a blog. 

All the information and a list of sponsors (there are prizes at the end of each quarter) are HERE!

Between blogging and Instagram, I am filled with inspiration and excitement about my quilt making these days.  Today is my 296th post!!  I appreciate your interest and encouragement so much! Writing my bi-weekly posts motivates my work and I'm currently organizing a celebratory post with some giveaways for the 300th which will be April 22 (if I stay on track)!

I'm stitching (yea) and painting (yuk) this weekend in NE Ohio, USA because the weather is going to be stinky -- yes, I know April showers bring May flowers but snow is not rain!!

Mary Huey

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