Flannel Flimsy

 One of the goodies in Carla's box was a stack of pre-cut flannel squares. Most of them were more or less 4-1/4 to 4-1/2" and the fabrics were mostly dark. Not enough by themselves for a project, but they were a good starting point. 

I trimmed them up to a consistent size, found some light colored flannel in the club's stash, and cut more squares of the same size. For more dark squares, I used some repurposed flannel shirts from my own stash. The plan was to end up with simple alternating light and dark squares, in masculine colors. 

After being sewn together at social sewing on a couple of recent Wednesdays, Carla's discarded flannel squares, along with a few friends, are now a finished flimsy. 

Because I won't be able to quilt this soon enough, I've given the top to the club so someone else can quilt it and we can get it donated before it gets too hot for a flannel quilt. The top measures about 53" x 67" so it's a good throw size. 

It may not be the prettiest quilt ever made, but there's a need for masculine donation quilts and I hope this one brings a quilty hug to someone who needs it. 

Link ups: Confessions of a Fabric Addict,  Alycia Quilts

No-Reply Comments

 Hello friends, 

I try to respond to all the comments readers leave for my posts, but if you are a no-reply commenter I'm unable to reply to you. Lately I've had more no-reply comments than usual. I love the comments and I'm glad you visit my blog. 

If you've left a comment on a recent post and I haven't replied, please know that I do appreciate your comment. Next time be sure to put your email address in your comment so I can get back to you. 

To those who've asked about the No Shame Train: Yes, I'll continue to post about the group after each monthly meeting and I'll share my progress. 

Thanks for visiting,
Jan

No Shame Train

 The No Shame Train is a sub-group of the PebbleCreek Quilters whose purpose is to get UFOs finished. The group is facilitated by two energetic teachers who are good motivators and presenters. They've run the No Shame Train in past years so they have "lesson plans" for each meeting. The No Shame Train is very popular; so many people signed up that we don't all fit in the Fiber Arts room, so we're meeting in one of PC's ballrooms. 

The first meeting was in December and the homework assignment was: 

- Write down how you define UFO

- Gather all your UFOs in one place and photograph them. 

- List them all or create a spreadsheet.

The second meeting was yesterday. We broke down into small groups and discussed our definitions of a UFO, and why projects end up in UFO status. We also shared ideas how we can help each other move forward. 

The No Shame Train leaders use the term UFO very inclusively, encompassing any WIP, kit, unstarted project for which fabric and a pattern have been pulled, and any other hobby such as scrapbooking, knitting, or whatever generates UFOs. It doesn't matter if it's a current project or many years old. 

In our small group there were as many definitions of UFO as participants. Such was the case in all the other groups as well. It doesn't matter, all are welcome and it only matters how you define UFO for yourself.

For myself, I define UFO and WIP separately. WIP is any project started within the last 12 months, or any ongoing project that can only be worked on periodically such as a BOM or my WIGSP. A UFO, to me, is any started project that's more than 12 months old. I don't buy kits and I don't count fabric pulled for a potential project that hasn't been cut. 

Because I moved last year I purged a lot of UFOs and WIPs before the move. I donated finished tops to someone who could quilt and finish them for a charity. I abandoned and discarded or gave away other projects that I was never going to get to. I had a couple of my mother-in-law's UFOs that I once had good intentions of finishing but never did, so I gave them to my sister-in-law and she will have someone from her church finish them. 

So that left me with the following projects, some of which I had completely forgotten about: 

 1. Winding Ways, hand pieced bee blocks, probably from about 2015 or 2016. I think there's one block missing and I don't have any more of these fabrics.

2. Sample for Kristen's quilt, 2014. My niece thought she'd like to make a quilt when she was about 12 so I created a simple pattern for her. I cut pieces to sew along with her so I could send her tutorials for each step. She never did start her quilt. She's in college now. 

3. Mineral Plus flimsy. Was going to be a Hands2Help donation a few years ago but it's kind of big for me to easily baste and quilt. Then life interrupted. 

4. Bright Strippy Race flimsy. Was an experimental strip pieced project from 2019(?) that I thought might become a patio quilt for my someday Arizona home. Or a donation quilt. 

5. Tessellated top, marked for quilting, with backing fabric. Pre-2008. At the time I lacked the skill to machine quilt it the way I wanted it to look, and I didn't want to hand quilt it. At 52" square it's an awkward size for an adult and the colors are not suitable for a baby. 

6. Star Spangled Spiral. Technically not a UFO to me, this unquilted top was a remake last summer for a pattern and teaching sample. My plan is to leave it unquilted for a teaching sample, then someday if I'm no longer teaching I'll quilt it and donate it as a QOV. 

7. Scrappy Nine Patch Stars flimsy. Made several years ago, also a teaching sample deliberately left unquilted. 

8. Kid quilt from squares given to me by Wanda in 2019. Kitted as an extra project to take to retreat in case I needed another project to work on. 

9. Also less than 1 year old, Batik Race. Since I cut way too many batik strips for my patio pillows and put the strips together race-style, this is left over made-yardage. There's enough here to make a large throw quilt, but I have no plans for it.

10. Self Round Robin. Started as a personal challenge to use a set of curved templates. Life intervened.

11. Leftover blocks, 2014. All Kaffe fabrics, from when I was making quilts for my book Cut and Shuffle Quilts, but I revised the pattern after starting them. I already have a Cut and Shuffle quilt in these fabrics. 

So this month's homework is to: 

1. Create a priority plan

2. Start

3. Set a goal for next meeting in February

4. Bring any completed projects for show and tell. 

YIKES!!!
I already have a lengthy list of goals for January and I'm teaching a Cut and Shuffle Quilts class later this month which is my big priority. I haven't taught it since before Covid so I have some prep to do. Plus, my book is now sold out and some of the class attendees didn't get one, so for them I'm creating a stand-alone pattern of one of the quilts in the book. Something is probably not going to get done this month, and this No Shame Train stuff is lower priority than my other stuff. I guess that's how come these projects are all UFOs. Wish me luck! 

PS - Could there be any more acronyms?!!! :-)

Snake Quilt Blocks

 In December I finished making the last of the blocks for my snake quilt. I have to admit, I'm tired of them. But here they are on my design wall. 

I need to fix the layout then kit up the blocks for assembly. Once the columns and rows are numbered and kitted up I can sew them together at social sewing on Wednesdays. 

The backing will be a pretty peach, coral and white vine print I found -  on sale! One of my goals this month is to get this top finished, the backing pieced, and the layers sandwiched and basted. I'll quilt this on my domestic machine with SID around the snakes and a simple crosshatch in the background. I won't get to it for a couple weeks, though, because I have deadline projects that have to come first. 

This quilt needs a name. I can't keep calling it the coral snake quilt even though that's descriptive, because there's actually a living Coral Snake, which is venomous. Not a comforting name for a quilt! Suggestions are welcome, please leave a comment. 

Link ups: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts,  Love Laugh Quilt

2021 Recap and 2022 Annual Goals

I usually publish a monthly goals post, but I also want to look at the annual goals I set for 2021 and see how they went, and set goals for 2022. I knew when I wrote the goals last year that 2021 would be out of the ordinary because of my big move from St Louis to the Phoenix area, and life would be full with moving and settling in activities. Now that I've been here nearly a year, let's see how it went. 

The biggest achievement, and the accomplishment I'm most proud of, is finishing HOW MANY, which was affectionately known as the WIGSP (Work In Glacially Slow Progress) for many years. 

HOW MANY  

2021 Goals Recap

1. Move to new home in AZ and get settled in.     Yes, enjoying AZ very much! 

2. Join quilt guild at Pebble Creek.     Yes, joined immediately after we got here in January and was recruited in March to be part of the Charity committee. 

3. Blog on average at least once a week; some weeks will involve travel so there may be stretches without any blog posts.     Yes, still mostly keeping up a twice-a-week schedule, with a few breaks.

4. Bind and finish the WIGSP, now known as HOW MANY.     DONE!!!!😀

5. Quilt, bind and finish Color Spoke. If possible, enter it into STLMQG's show in July.     Finished and sleeve attached in June. STLMQG quilt show was cancelled due to Covid in 2021. 

Color Spoke Challenge

6. Start a new long-term or complicated project or BOM.     Yes, Started Coral Snake quilt in June. Also remade Star Spangled Spiral and LCT QOV between June and November.

LCT QOV Remake

Star Spangled Spiral Remake (flimsy)

7. Continue making donation quilts as opportunities with PC Quilters become available.     Yes, working with the Charity committee every month on their projects including quilts, fidget mats, Zippy Strippy bags, and dog beds. Also making simple donation quilts to piece at social sewing.

Boy Donation Quilt, first quilt finished in AZ, donated to PCQ

Strippy HSTs, donation quilts for PCQ

8. If possible, enter Corona Medallion into CSQ's show in October (will require shipping it). If WIGSP is eligible, enter that too.     No, CSQ's show has been postponed until 2022. Corona Medallion was included in PCQ's window display of Dresden Plate quilts in March. 

Because of the move and uncertainty about Covid and the potential availability of vaccines, I kept my 2021 goals easy. Joining PCQ so soon after I arrived, getting vaccinated at the earliest opportunity, and participating in sew days, etc. as soon as Covid restrictions loosened up helped me meet people and become involved. I feel very fortunate that I've met so many welcoming and encouraging quilters here!

I finished several other projects not shown above, so here are pics of them:

Hands2Help, donated locally

Art Deco inspired baby quilt for great niece

Kool Kaleidoscope

Striped KK, donated to PCQ

Patio Pillows

Pink Striped KK

I'm having fun now that I've settled into a routine here, so let's look at the goals and plans for 2022. More of the same, please!

1. Participate in PCQ's "No Shame Train" UFO encouragement group and finish as many WIPS and UFOs as possible.

2. Continue participating in PCQ Charity Committee. 

3. Participate in Hands2Help.

4. Continue piecing simple donation quilts for PCQ.

5. Continue using the club's long arm to improve my quilting skills. 

6. Go to Ritter Ranch retreat in July

7. Plan/create/develop a new long term complicated project to work on, possibly a feathered star medallion or mariner's compass medallion or something paper pieced.

8. If possible enter Color Spoke Challenge into STLMQG show (July) and Corona Medallion and HOW MANY into CSQ's show (Oct.).

9. Continue blogging at least once a week. 

That ought to keep me busy and involved! And still allow time for fun outings, excursions, and trips. I'm looking forward to a great 2022 - Covid permitting. 

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe 2022!

Link ups: Confessions of a Fabric Addict,  Wendy's Quilts and More

December Stash Report and Goals Update

 Although I didn't blog much in December, I did sew a bit behind the scenes. With a couple of finishes I used some fabric, but I also bought some, so let's see if I overshot for the year or if I broke even. 

Split Complementary Color Challenge,

Blue with Red-orange and Yellow-orange

December Stash Report:

IN this month: 8-3/4 yards (5 yards backing for coral snake quilt.  3-3/4 yards from 35th Ave sale.)
OUT this month: 8-1/4 yards (Sock Monkey Plus top and binding, 6-1/4 yards. Color Challenge pillow front and back, estimated 2 yards.)

IN YTD: 103-3/8 yards
OUY YTD: 104-1/4 yards

Year End net change: 7/8 yards OUT 

Wow, that cut it close, I'd call that break even. 

I've had the pleasure this year of working on donation quilts with supplemental fabric from PCQ's stash. I do not count their fabric as either added in or used out when I tally my totals, so if a quilt was mostly their fabric and only a little of mine, I count only the small amount of my fabric used. 

Recently a club member, Carla, passed some fabric that she's destashing to the club by way of me because she knows I make donation quilts. She said to use what I can and put the rest in the club's stash. I'm not counting Carla's fabric in or out because she donated it to the club, just gave me the privilege of selecting from it first. I will use her fabrics only in donation quilts. 

Carla's Box of Destashed Fabrics for PCQ

Goals Update:

December Recap: 

1. Prep for and present a trunk show to PCQ at luncheon on Dec 13. DONE. Cut and Shuffle books are sold out and class in January is full with a wait list for a possible second class. 

2. Work on the PCQ Color Challenge. DONE, finished pillow. 

3. Participate in PCQ "No Shame Train" UFO group, first meeting Dec.14. Yes, participated and worked on "homework assignment." 

4. Quilt the Sock Monkey donation quilt, long arm booked for Dec. 17. Not quilted; back is prepped and binding is made.

5. Continue making blocks for the Snake Quilt. DONE; all the blocks are finished. 

6. Plan and kit up donation quilts using fabrics from Carla's box. DONE. Blue floral strippy is partially pieced and flannel squares is a completed top. Cabbage Rose tumbler is cut, laid out, and kitted up for piecing. 

7. Work on donation quilts at social sewing. Yes, worked on piecing flannel squares top and cutting Cabbage Rose tumbler at social sewing.

January Goals: 

1. Prep for and teach Cut and Shuffle class on 1/18.

2. Assemble the coral snake blocks into a flimsy and assemble backing. 

3. Assemble the blue floral strip top from Carla's box. 

4. Plan and kit up donation quilts from Carla's second box. 

5. Quilt something on the club's long arm. 

6. Participate in the No Shame Train and finish a UFO. 

7. Plan a new long term complicated and challenging project to work on over time. 

That's a lot and it will be a stretch to get all that done in January. For class prep, Cut and Shuffle books are sold out and I'll need to create and provide a stand-alone pattern for those taking the class who didn't get one of the last books. For donation quilts, Carla donated a second box of goodies; that'll be a future post. No Shame Train will continue for several months, and I'll post more about it next week. 

Leftovers from Carla, with a few of my own fabrics added. 

This will get navy strips between the rows and end up adult throw size. 

2021 has been quite a year! Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2022. 

Catching Up

I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas. It was quiet here; we didn't go anywhere.  We travelled and did the family thing at Thanksgiving. After that adventure it was nice to enjoy a quiet relaxing holiday. 

It's been awhile since I posted, so let's catch up a bit. 

I made good progress on my Split Complementary Color Challenge, a pillow cover in blue with red-orange and yellow-orange. 

I quilted the front and back panels, just minimal quilting in the ditch to hold it together. Then after a slight delay, I was able to get a zipper for it, install the zipper and finish the pillow. Voila!

I've also been playing with Carla's box and prepping kits for donation quilts. Remember her blue diamonds? I found some friends in my stash that play nicely with them, so I cut more and sewed them into rows. The rows are more or less assembled, and they'll be joined with some navy sashing for a throw sized quilt.  

More goodies from Carla's box are in the planning stages in my sewing room. Her flannel squares will become a throw soon. Her floral prints have been cut into tumblers using the club's die cutter and kitted up to become a throw at some point. 

These will all be donations to the local hospice or family services agency that PCQ supports. 

The other significant new development since I last posted is the "No Shame Train."  It's a sub-group of PC Quilters, with a goal to encourage us to finish our UFOs and learn how to not get bogged down so a project doesn't become a UFO. The first meeting was held in December, led by two good teachers, with the next meeting scheduled for early January. Homework is to locate, identify, and photograph all your UFOs. How you define a UFO is totally up to you, and can be non-quilty projects as well. 

That's it for now; monthly and year end recap, etc. coming soon. 

Link ups: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Love Laugh Quilt