Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Finished! Project Bags: Round 2

Earlier this year, I took a class for these project bags.  I liked them so much, I got a bit carried away and made what was essentially a triple batch.  The pattern makes 4 different sizes, S, M, L, & XL.  For this second round, I made 2 XL and 3 of each of the other sizes.

Not the greatest picture, but they are all there!

One of the small ones was made for a friend's upcoming birthday.  She may actually get more; she recently saw one of the large bags I had a project in and she loved it, so I suspect I'll give her a few.

I really like these, and one of the reasons I made so many is that I have been reorganizing and I'm really trying to 1) stay organized and 2) actually finish things.  Getting distracted by things like ridiculous numbers of project bags doesn't help, but I do like using them.  I also used only fabric I already had, and it was particularly fun to pick out fabrics and use some of the ones I had been saving.  One of the medium bags is a fat quarter of Alaska's state flower that I bought on my honeymoon.

Project bags filled with projects!
This is a Quarter 2 finish for the Finish-Along hosted by Adrianne at On the Windy Side.
Click here for the original project list.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Quarter 2 Goals

In January, I discovered the Finish-Along hosted by Adrianne.  One thing that I really love about the finish along is that I realize I'm not the only quilter with a zillion unfinished projects! I definitely have more inspiration than I do time!

 In Quarter 1 of the finish-along, I completed 6 projects. I am very pleased with that. My list for this quarter is super long. I'm thinking of it more as a list for the rest of the year (and probably beyond!) and I'll just keep rolling projects over. An asterisk (*) indicates that the project was on the list for Q1. 

Many of the projects I added for this quarter were actually started before last quarter, I just knew I wouldn't get to them in the short-term. I am also trying to do at least 2 Project Linus quilts per quarter, using up fabric I already have and utilizing fairly simple patterns. 

Project Name/Description Project Type Project Status at start of quarter Completion Date
Project bags, round 2 bags 2 left to finish

Blaise's baby quilt Child size Top completed

Katie's baby quilt Child size Fabric & pattern chosen

Verona's I Spy Twin bed size Some cutting done

Emily's I Spy Lap size Some cutting done

Pepper Tote Bag In process

Paper Piecing project Bucket list/mini quilt 1 block completed

Winnie the Pooh quilt (project Linus) Child size Fabrics chosen

Magician/Star quilt (project Linus) Child size Fabrics and pattern chosen

Food picnic quilt Huge 40 or 50 blocks completed

Laura's quilt Double/queen Piecing the top stage

Savannah Lap size? Bigger? Piecing the top stage

*“Sarah” (to be renamed) Wall hanging Layered

*Geoff & Laura's wedding quilt Bed sized Layered

*Alaska cutout quilt Wall hanging Layered, quilting begun (hand quilting)

*White/pastel dogwood quilt Lap size Top completed

*Rainbow I Spy Child size Top completed

*Last big 9-patch Child size Top completed

*Debbie quilt Bed size Top completed, repair needed before continuing

*Elephant ticker tape quilt Bucket list/wall hanging Embroidery outline completed

*Dinosaur quilt (project Linus) Child size Fabrics chosen

2 ½ inch strip I Spy quit Child size Fabrics chosen; most cutting done

Puffin Kit (wall hanging) Kit


I don't have pictures of everything, mostly because I'm recovering from a stomach bug and just don't have the energy to pull everything out.  But here are a few photos, to document that these projects really do exist:

Baby quilt for coworker, top completed.

Round 2 of the project bags.  Just 2 left to finish!

Project Linus Quilts: magicians/stars, Winnie-the-Pooh, and dinosaurs.


Pepper Tote.  I usually don't do "three dimensional" projects.  The Project Bags made me brave.  Starting this may have been a mistake. 

Food picnic blanket.  This is one that I don't expect to finish this quarter, but I would like to work on.


I spy quilts for me (in project bag), a coworker's baby (pile with moose on top), and Verona (not pictured).

Paper pieced project.  Sigh.  Not at all sure about this one.

Elephant ticker tape quilt.  This one may be the only non-finish from Q1 that I really did make progress on.  The outline for my elephant is stitched, and I've pulled all my purple scraps (in that project bag!), so now I just need to, you know, actually fill in the elephant.

Again, I have no illusions that I will get all of this done in 2015, let alone in Q2.  But setting goals is helping, and I really am trying 1) not to start new projects and 2) when I do, to at least use up what I have and not buy new fabric.

2015 FAL at On the Windy Side

Thursday, April 2, 2015

First Quarter Finish Along: Report

I've been doing the finish-along hosted by On the Windy Side.

2015 FAL at On the Windy Side

In the first quarter, I finished 6 projects.  Yay!  Here is the rundown of what I had in progress and what I actually finished:

Project Name/Description Project Type Project Status at start of quarter Completion Date
Project bags Bags Fabric chosen February 1
Animal I Spy Child size Layered February 8
Butterfly quilt (project Linus) Child size Top completed February 16
Dogwood wall hanging Wall hanging Layered, quilting begun February 28
Monkey quilt (project Linus) Child size Fabrics chosen March 9
String quilt I spy Bucket list Strings sorted March 22
“Sarah” (to be renamed) Wall hanging Layered

Geoff & Laura's wedding quilt Bed sized Layered

Alaska cutout quilt Wall hanging Layered, quilting begun (hand quilting)

White/pastel dogwood quilt Lap size Top completed

Rainbow I Spy Child size Top completed

Last big 9-patch Child size Top completed

Debbie quilt Bed size Top completed, repair needed before continuing

Elephant ticker tape quilt Bucket list/wall hanging Pattern re-sized to my liking

Dinosaur quilt (project Linus) Child size Fabrics chosen