My January UFO Assault Campaign

As 2019 began, I determined not to set lots of specific goals in the hope that it would give me more flexibility (and less guilt) to pursue new opportunities and ideas. 

I set one specific goal for January and one general goal.

My general goal was "to deal with 10 UFO's during January" -- I purposely did not say "finish" because that makes progress or elimination equally successful tactics!

This quilt adapted from a magazine pattern (my pieces are larger, I am machine piecing rather than EPP, and the quilt is smaller - crib/throw size) was very exciting when I started it early in 2018.  I had all the flowers together in a snap and then bogged down when faced with the background hexagons.

So it was first up.  

It took an evening of sorting, laying out, and contemplating to get the piecing back on track.

I set the flower units with two background hexagons and made six half-flower units to fill out the staggered vertical rows. 

I am using these half hexagon pieces to build a straight edge on the left and the right edges. 

Using the "set-in piecing simplified" technique for all the y-seams means I'm work on two rows at a time -- glad for pins to keep everything straight.

I finished listening to Barbara Kingsolver's new book, Unsheltered, as I pieced.

Good book as always, though hard to hear some of the ideas she shares about our culture -- true ideas, but hard to acknowledge those truthes. 

At this point I have the left side row to piece and then the two long vertical seams -- results should be that I'll have a finished quilt top by the end of January -- yea!!!

I'll organize a backing and binding and add it to the "to be quilted" shelf to await it's final purpose! 

That's one!!

Winter finally arrived on Ohio's North Coast this weekend.

(This is a breakwall at a downtown Cleveland marina on Sunday - I love the ice sculptures that are created along the shoreline by the wind and waves.)

Since Saturday was really cold, snowy, windy, bad roads - I stayed in my studio all day and faced this "pile of shame" that sits right in full view by the ironing board!

Theory behind stacking the pile there is that I'll have to look at it often and be motivated to deal with it?!?  Right . . . . . . 

(Don't ask how long it's been there!!)

I changed the thread on my serger and finished two pre-printed apron panels that I could not resist at some point in the past.  I even used the serger to cut the apron pieces apart -- just follow that solid black line with the little red mark on the right side of the presser foot!!

The aprons really are cute!!

They are now in the "gifts to give" drawer for some future purpose! 

I've been tossing "orphan" blocks in that pile for "potholders" as I clear out teaching samples so I layered up four and quilted them.  I would have done more but I ran out of Thinsulate for the inner layer (two layers of dense cotton and one of Thinsulate).

I raided my overflowing box of  2 1/2" strips for bindings!

So much quicker than searching the stash! 

Finished!!

These may end up in my own kitchen since the current stock is looking pretty tacky. 

Finally I turned these two tiny orphan blocks into a notebook cover and mug mat.

Keeping the notebook, gifting the little mat!

All the rest of the orphan blocks are going up for adoption and are packed up for the retreat I'm attending this weekend.  

I'm committed to hand stitching only this trip!  This afternoon, I gleaned work to take along from the messy library table in the living room.

Block #2 from the #sharksdinner2019BOM is coming -- all basted and ready to stitch together! 

This is the only new project I allowed myself to start in January and I'll be caught up when I get home!

The rainbow panels for my newest version of Brigitte Giblin's Nundle Dilly Bag are packed and will come home ready for the lining construction next week! 

I have several hundred hexies basted and ready to add to my version of Marge Sampson-George's Dodecagon quilt.  I'm determined to get this top set together over the next couple months so I can start one of Marge's other EPP designs called Mrs. Peach.

If you follow me on Instagram, I'll post my progress over the weekend. 

Such a little pile ready to be loaded into the car?!?

Feels like something is missing.

Maybe I'll throw in the socks I want to finish knitting this month? 

I anticipate a total of six finishes for the month plus letting go of a stack of orphan blocks and a couple small quilt tops as well as getting one top ready to quilt.

TEN less UFO's

Well done, Mary!!

Maybe I'll try for "eight" in February -- fewer because the main reason I was able to get to ten this month was each one was small.  The more UFO's I eliminate, the bigger the remaining UFO's are and the more time required for a successful assault.

I hope you have a stitchy weekend!!

Mary