Working on 3 neglected projects

First up is a project I started back in October of 2015. Sure, I have UFOs that are much older than that, but the fact that I started this for a show being held in 2017, and it is still unfinished speaks volumes for how I feel about entering shows. Here, it is--my 2-color, mini Burgoyne Surrounded--frozen in time.

After completing my first mini Burgoyne Surrounded (seen below) I made the very uncharacteristic decision to enter a quilt show. Not with that quilt, but with one I was yet to make.

I was a member of our state quilt guild at the time and they had their Ruby Jubilee coming up in a couple of years. They were planning on a traveling Red/White quilt show around the state to celebrate the event. We were encouraged to make quilts to enter. There would be no judging--just voting by viewers on their favorites. Sounded non-threatening to me, and I decided I could make this a 9 block quilt (wasn't sure I could work with just 2 colors for more than that), and enter it in the "Mini" category of the show. I got busy on the quilt, but when the entry information became available, I saw that there was not a mini category. I had attended a few shows by the state guild in the past, and had seen a mini category, but apparently for this show they had decided to just lump everything together. For some reason that took the wind out of my sail and I never finished the quilt. And I have still never entered a show.

I have slowly worked on this now and then over the years, but it has been a while since I last pulled it out. I decided it is time to get this little quilt top finished. Using those pieces in the first photo, I completed all the 4-patch, 6-patch, and 9-patch units, and then did the critical sliver trimming that makes such a  difference in mini quilts. 

Next I sewed the pieces together by rows, and then sewed the rows together.

When sewn into a quilt, each block will finish at 3 3/4", and there are 97 pieces in each block. Crazy, huh? Seven of the 9 blocks are now completed, and the pieces for the other two blocks are laid out on design boards, and should be completed in the next few weeks.

The next neglected project is the labeling of my little quilts. Seven years ago I did a post about labeling quilts without labeling them. In that post I explained that I always attach a label to my quilts--I just don't always write on the label. At that time I bemoaned the fact that I'd had a stack of 45 little quilts that needed labeling. Well, it happened again.

Hubby took the photo of me above, left, while I was hard at work writing labels. On the right is the photo I took when I had completed the pile of almost 60 quilts this time around. I would go to my blog and work backward, writing dates and info on 4 or 5 quilts. Next I'd go back to the table, find those quilts, and fill in the labels.  Then the process would start again. I really hope to do better going forward, and finish the labels before I consider the quilt completed.

The third neglected project that has received my attention this month is my Churn Dash quilt for Chooky's SAL last year. The blocks finish at 9". A few of them have a 3" block in the center, and three of those have a 1" churn dash in the middle. I had all of the blocks made when they were supposed to be done, but I never made the deadline for the assembly of the top.

Still not there, but getting very close.

The empty space is the row of sashing I am currently sewing together. At the time of the photo the row above that space was not yet attached to the upper half (which is all sewn together). All the blocks below the blank space still need to be sewn into rows. Once this is all assembled I will be auditioning borders to make the quilt as large as desired. I am leaning toward a dark blue that would be similar to the sashing, but no decisions have been made.

It seems like most everyone I know is currently dealing with difficult, stressful things. You may be familiar with the following saying...

"When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half of the time."

I'm thinking we could be right almost all the time these days. I want to choose kindness, even when faced with the opposite treatment. Not easy--it has to be a very intentional choice, but I'm working on it.

Until next time,

Be creative and be kind.

Janet O.

We have had such a snowy winter, and have more in the forecast next week. I like winter--and I don't even ski, but I also don't have to shovel the snow. I used to enjoy shoveling, but shoulder and back trouble have made it off limits for about 6 years now. I can still enjoy the views of the snowy countryside and mountains. The dirt road along the edge of the family farm gives some great vistas on my evening walk.

This is looking east--the sunset is behind me, but the glow reflects onto the tops of the mountains across the valley.

What do you think?

Is it possible to label quilts without labeling them? I think so. See these quilts?

View from the loft of 34 of the 43 little quilts finished this year. The other 9 have been gifted.

These are all of the little quilts that I have finished so far this year, that haven't been given away.  I have sewn a label on every single one! I am so good that way.  Where I am not so good is actually writing on the label. This is how the backs of these quilts appear--this is just a sampling.
 
Lovely and pristine, aren't they? Kind of hate to spoil it by actually writing on them. : )

As I began to gather the quilts from their various resting places around the house, to my horror I discovered that some little quilts I finished LAST year also sported naked labels. Shocking!
How did this happen under my watchful eye? Oh, I remember now. When the last stitch has been taken on the binding, I always tell myself I will fill in the label in a little while--and then I never seem to get to it, unless I am giving it away.

So ALL of these embarrassingly bare quilts (45 of them) were gathered and stacked on the dining room table.
 

Let the labeling begin!! I have had to spend much time scrolling through my blog to make sure the info I am putting on the labels is correct. Good thing it was all documented somewhere!

I don't worry about having a beautiful label, but I do believe in labeling quilts--eventually. Whew--1/3 of them are done now. I needed a break.

So I turned my attention to some wool work. Poor photo, but it shows that progress has been made.
 

This is all sewn together and is about 15" x 19" inches right now. Needs borders.

Will put a second border on this. Almost added a cheddar border, but now I'm not sure. I need to audition a few more Fall colors before deciding. This photo shows me I should have used a darker green on the pumpkin stems.

My swap partner in Randy's pincushion swap has finally received the package I sent her, so I can share it with you. I made a boxy-style mini log cabin pincushion for Joy at The Joyful Quilter blog.
I added a package of my handcrafted soap. You can't tell through the packaging, but one soap is a spider (cute, not spooky), and the other one is a web.  Just the things you would want to use for washing up, right?

Randy and I kind of ended up swapping pincushions as well, unofficially. I sent her one with the little quilt swap we just did, and she returned the favor with this little red/white beauty, wrapped lovingly in some strips of fabric that you know will find their way into little quilts. : )



 





I remembered to get a photo of my "80 minutes a week" challenge project before it was all gone. Another success! Gluten Free Orange Pecan bread. Yum!! (Actually, the recipe is for Orange Walnut Bread, but I am allergic to walnuts.)

Something is in the works that I hope to share soon. It involves a newly released fabric line in my favorite color, and one of my most favorite quilt blocks.

Until next time,
Janet O.