2013 Goals and Lists

2012 was a year of finishes and while I haven't finished all 12 of my UFOs slated for 2012, I've made a huge dent in them and I'm very happy with my accomplishments.  I made 3 king sized quilts in 2012 (1 for a wedding, 1 for my bed and one for the king bed in our B&B).  One of those was a UFO.  2 were new projects.

While I will definitely continue to plow through my UFOs, I am feeling like 2013 will be a year of skill building.  If you're anything like me,  you tend to shy away from projects that you fear may be beyond your skill level.  I've had fabric set aside for at least 3 years for a Lonestar quilt.  I've been too intimidated by the technique to venture forth and get it started.  Well, in 2013 it will happen!  I want to learn and will be practicing on a scrappy Prairie Star quilt from Fons & Porter that I recently saw on their lonestar video.  That will accomplish a few things - it will put some scraps to use and as there are many smaller lonestars in this quilt the repetition will help me master the technique.  Then I'll go for the big one.

I've already learned a few new techniques with the 60 degree angle ruler and am looking forward to seeing where this all leads me.

There will also be a lot of baby quilts in the next year as we have another bumper crop of babies due in our church congregation and our church quilting group makes quilts for all of the babies born to families in the Church.

These hands will not be idle in 2013.  That's my prediction.

Happy New Year!  What are your quilty goals for 2013?

Mavis

Easy Street Progress...

With all of my Christmas sewing projects out of the way now, I returned to forging ahead on my Bonnie Hunter 2012 mystery quilt, Easy Street.  As of last night, here are all of the units happily dwelling together:

I'm hoping we get to play with yellow next (Bonnie's green).  Bottom left corner is step 5 units which I'm calling "Stuffed Christmas Geese".  Centre bottom are the yellow 3 1/2" squares which I expect will be either a centre block with geese around and maybe some of those 4 patches?  I bet Bonnie will be starting to put these units together starting with step 6 which is to be released next Friday.

Until then, there are Christmas preparations to happen.  I have some stocking stuffers to wrap.  All the grocery shopping is done, thanks to my DH who braved the crowds in the stores yesterday.   I'm just so glad to be caught up to this point and be waiting for the next step.  Wow!

Merry Christmas!
Mavis

Done! Last quilt finish before Christmas...

This quilt will be delivered tomorrow to the recipient who has no idea it's coming.  And that's what a surprise is supposed to be right?  It's going to a gentleman that I have known since 1979.  He is a very special person in my life and this quilt is my gift to him.  He is one of these kind and generous people that prefers to be anonymous so I don't want to dishonour him by spilling the beans as to who it is.  He has shown me so much kindness and generosity over the years of our association that I decided about 3 years ago that one day I would make him a quilt.  Well, tomorrow my husband will deliver this to him while I'm at work.  And I'm very excited that it's done and that it's for him.  I sure hope he likes it.

I'm calling it Toscana because it reminds me of Italian ceramic tiles.  Besides being a Christmas gift, it also qualifies as a finished UFO, bringing my total this year to 6!!  That's 6 fully finished quilts plus 3 (almost 4) quilt tops done.   My goal was 12 for 2012 but I don't think I'll quite get there. But I'm very happy with what I did accomplish.

So, without further adieu, let me introduce you to TOSCANA:

 

Each block is a 4 patch kaleidoscope so, yes, they are all different.

It's definitely time to tidy up the sewing room.  And then bring on Christmas!  I'm done and so happy.

Mavis

Toscana

In between Steps 2 and 3 of Easy Street, I thought I would work on a UFO.  I chose this one because there wasn't that much left to do on it.  I had all the blocks done and the sashing pieces cut.  And I love that I was able to push on through to finish the quilt top before getting back to Step 3 of Easy Street.

As I was working on it, I was wondering what I should do with it when it was done.  Who should it go to?  Where is its forever home?    I do pray about these things.  I consider quilting a ministry of love and comfort.  I'm not doing it to hoard a bunch of quilts for myself and my family.  I give my quilts away as an expression of my love and care for people.

I was so pleased when I had the light bulb moment about who this quilt is for.  It is for a very kind and generous gentleman in my life.  He has done so much for me through my life that I don't even know where to start.  I have wanted to reciprocate so many times,  but until now there was nothing that I could do but learn to say thank you and receive his gifts.  I am beyond blessed to think that I can now do something for this man that is a unique expression of my appreciation for him, his character, his kindness and his generosity.

I am hoping to get this quilt on my frame tonight to quilt it, but until then, here is the quilt top, which I've named Toscana.  The kaleidoscope blocks remind me of Italian tiles, hence "Toscana".

  

Here's a closeup of the tiles:

So there you have it!  Another UFO very, very close to completion and then I'll be ready to start Easy Street Clue 3.

Until next time,

Mavis

Living on Easy Street...

I actually don't live on Easy Street.  I'm sure I have struggles like the next person, but I sure love it when Bonnie Hunter hosts a mystery quilt and I can get distracted by something fun to do.  And I really, really love the name of this latest mystery started on November 23rd ~ It's called "Easy Street" and Bonnie has said in the online posts that she's had a busy year and so have we and that it would be a simpler quilt!  So, with that, I decided to dive in and start this mystery, even though I have wanted to avoid starting anything else until the UFO pile is shortened.  I am weak.

The link to Bonnie's blog for the pattern is here.  She's chosen some gorgeous and fresh colours for this mystery quilt.  Me?  I have just finished 2 purple quilts, and turquoise in Orca Bay so I am just not feelin' it for those colours.  So I looked at the colour wheel and decided that I am going to do the grey constant with the black on white.  That was my starting point.

Here are my step 1 four patches in the grey with black on white (and happy little dance for me ~ they're done!)

Don't these remind you of a winter sky?

The second clue came out yesterday and I am literally in shock that it's Saturday night and I'm done step 2.  What got into me?  I'm never caught up.  But anyway, here's my step 2 flying geese.  My red is Bonnie's purple.

My other colours are a cool blue and school bus/dijon yellow.  I love the yellow with the grey, and the red with the grey and even the blue with the grey, so I'm quite sure I will love this quilt and I have a suspicion that it will look modern.  That will be a twist on my previous Bonnie Hunter mystery quilts.  They have all looked very traditional.  This will be more edgy.  I can feel it!

I've also cut out my bricks for the future (which is what the early birds got to do!)

Here are both steps and the bricks happily tucked away in their box awaiting clue #3 due out next Friday:

I'm loving these colours and it's been a very enjoyable project so far.

Gee, what can I maybe finish off while I'm waiting for clue #3??

Until next time,
Mavis