PhD in 2018

In 2018, Gail from Quilting Gail hosted a PhD program (Projects Half Done) to encourage completion of UFOs and trying to prevent creating more.  There were two parts to her challenge:

• Make a lit of all your UFOs at the beginning of the year and finish at least half.  
• Complete all projects started in 2018

I was successful on both parts!  My UFO list had 29 projects.  I completed 19 of those 29 projects!!!

The second half of the challenge was harder for me.  I like to start projects!  But I resisted a lot.  Because I have a lot of time off the second half of December, I made a deal with Gail that projects started during that break would not count.  I actually didn't start very many during that time this year anyway, as I concentrated on my UFO list.




First, my list of UFOs from the beginning of the year with completion dates.

Project		Date Completed
I Wish You A Merry Quilt Along	1	1-13-2018
Growth Chart for friends	2	1-15-2018
Aqua/Brown doggies	3	1-21-2018
Monopoly	4	2-11-2018
Happy Weekend/Green I Spy	5	2-19-2018
Secret Project version #1 (Message in a Bottle: Pirate Monkeys)	6	3-10-2018
Secret Project version #2 (Message in a Bottle: Red, White, & Blue)	7	3-14-2018
Owls	8	4-15-2018
Mollie’s baby quilt	9	4-16-2018
Scottie Dogs	10	5-18-2018
Elephants –became 2 projects (pink)	11	5-27-2018
Savanna	12	7-28-2018
Sports I Spy (project with my son)	13	8-9-2018
Canyon	14	8-26-2018
Color Block I Spy	15	9-17-2018
Elephants –became 2 projects (rainbow)	16	10-7-2018
Rin	17	11-24-2018
Vintage Holiday (renamed Winter Memories)	18	12-28-2018
I Spy for Mom	19	12-31-2018
Bookshelf quilt	20
I Spy for our bed	21
Snowmen	22
Doggone Cute	23
Magical Forest	24
Lion Pillow	25
Giraffe Pillow	26
Laura’s quilt	27
Dandelion Embroidery	28
Food themed picnic blanket	29

Next, my list of projects started in 2018, not counting those started in the last two weeks of the year.

Started in 2018
Jan & Don’s quilt		2-17-2018
Amy’s Baby Quilt		6-23-2018
Patriotic Stars (Bee Blocks)		6-24-2018
Scrap Dance: Square Dance (Mystery Quilt) became 2 quilts		7-29-2018 8-20-2018
Pumpkins Aplenty		8-25-2018
April’s baby quilt		9-15-2018
Happy Birthday Banner		9-28-2018
Fireburst Mystery		10-21-2018
Fall QAL		12-04-2018
Bumper 2 Bumper (Rainbow Scrap Challenge)		12-16-2018
Fire Monkey’s quilt		12-24-2018
Devin’s baby quilt

Those started in 2018 were mostly Quilt Alongs (5) or baby quilts (3).  You'll notice one baby quilt is not actually completed.  I've got about 12" of binding still to hand-stitch.  I stitch my labels into the binding and I'm waiting for baby's name and birth date so I can put those on the label.  

In total, I finished 31 projects in 2018!  Thank you, Gail, for such fantastic motivation!

Gail is doing a PhD in 2019 program, too, you can get info here.  I'll be participating again (list coming soon) to see if I can do as well as I did this year!

Reflections on 2018 and Plans for 2019

As the year winds down, it's time to look at the goals I set for 2018 and think about plans for 2019.  Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl inspires others to set goals through her 2019 Planning Linky Party.


First, let's look at my goals and see how I did.

2018 Goals

Goal: Maintain Commitments
I kept up with both my online bees and was a part of the Modern Plus Signs Blog Hop to promote the fantastic book by Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs and Paige of Quilted Blooms.

From the Modern Plus Signs Blog Hop

Goal: Finish The Big Five
I had five bed-size quits on my list this year.  The smallest of those (twin size) is about one hour of television from being done.  The others, not done.  But I'm optimistic that I will finish at least two of the remaining "Big Five" in 2019.  Reality is that I just don't enjoy making large quilts, especially layering and quilting them.

Goal: Track Fabric Usage (aka use more than I buy)
I did this faithfully for the first six or seven months of the year, then I got behind.  I wouldn't blog a finish until I calculated the yardage used.  This meant I got behind and gave me a chore. I decided the calculations were taking up precious sewing time and stopped tracking.  I know that I used way more than I bought, though.  I did pretty well at not buying much this year.

Goal: Try simpler version of Quilter's Planner
I tried the Quilter's Planner in 2017 and it didn't work for me.  I bought a pretty blank book for 2018 and turned it into a tracking notebook.  It worked well for about six months, twice as long as I lasted with the planner. It turns out that the blog and a simple Word document are all I really need to keep track of finished projects, so I'm calling this successful since I figured out what works for me.

Goal: Remember that "It's okay watch from the sidelines and still be inspired"
That phrase is in quotes because it comes directly from Diana at Red Delicious Life. This was my second year using this goal and I think I did fairly well.  I did several Quilt Alongs but I kept up with (or at least eventually finished) them all.  And there were some I planned to do that I decided either the timing was off or I didn't love the design so I skipped them.  I'm calling this a success.

Tish's Fireburst QAL was my favorite this year.

Goal: Clean Up/Organize Sewing Room
This is always one step forward, two steps back for me. 

Goal: 12 Quilts for Project Linus
I blasted through this goal with 16 quilts donated to my local Project Linus Chapter and a quilt to go to those impacted by Hurricane Florence.

Quilt going to those impacted by Hurricane Florence

And a Personal Goal: Learn SpanishI took two semester-long classes at the community college where I work.  It's a good start, but I have a long way to go.  Taking the classes cut way into my sewing time.  I'm glad I did it, but I'll be taking a break for at least the first half of 2019 due to some family commitments in the beginning of the year.

2019 Goals

Goal: Maintain Commitments
I'm in just one bee this year, Stash Bee, and I'm a Hive Mama.  My other bee is moving to a different format where we can choose what to be involved in.  I'll be working on charity blocks with that group, as hostess in January and then I'll make blocks for the other two quilts throughout the year.


Goal: Balance Old Projects with New Ones
This is one area where I did really well in 2018.  Thanks to the PhD (Projects Half Done) Challenge with Gail of Quilting Gail (full update on my PhD coming soon!) I completed a lot of projects that were started prior to 2018 and *all* projects started in 2018.  It did feel limiting sometimes to not be able to start new projects, which is where the balance comes in.  I don't have a super concrete idea of what this looks like, but to quantify I'm thinking completing at least 7 of the 10 projects started prior to 2018 that are not yet completed.  I also have a loooong list of possible projects for 2019 (from fabric I already own), so maybe not more than 6 that are started by not yet complete?  Those are good to shoot for.


Goal: Limit Buying Fabric
This one is hard, but I have so much fabric.  And, as mentioned above, a looooong list of projects/potential projects with fabric I already have.  I really, really want to focus on using what I have.  I was given two Christmas gift certificates; my plan is to buy any fabric needed for QALs with those certificates or use what I already have. Beyond that, perhaps an occasional background fabric to use with fabrics I already own.


Goal: 25 Charity Quilts
My annual goal has been 12 quilts for my local Project Linus chapter.  I knocked that out of the park this year with 16.  I'd like to donate 25 quilts in 2019.  A minimum of 12 will be to Project Linus, others may go to things like Hurricane Florence or other needs that I can help meet.


Goal: Involvement in Online Quilting Community
I think this is one I haven't written down before.  I get so much out of the online community, I don't want to forget that those online connections matter to me.  This could take many forms, and really I'm looking to continue what I've been doing.  I've participated in the Finish Along since I discovered it in 2015 and I like to visit projects that catch my eye and comment.  I love Quilt Alongs and I have my eye on a few for 2019. I like chatting with the quilters whose bogs I read regularly and with those who comment here.


And so that's my look back at 2018 and my look ahead to 2019.  Happy New Year!

Winter Memories

I like to keep a hand sewing project around for trips or other times when I'm not able to use the sewing machine.  I'm always on the look out for projects and I pick things that don't have a timeline, as my goal is to have something to work on, not to finish it as soon as possible.  But of course eventually I finish the hand work and then it becomes a UFO. I've had the stitching done on this for a few months but was stumped as to how to finish it.  Then I found inspiration in the form of rick rack and it's done now!

The pattern is Vintage Holiday by Tina Lewis and was in the December 2014 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it.  It looks like my childhood.  Our side street had a great hill and when it snowed, everyone from the neighborhood would gather at that street and sled down. (This was in Virginia; side streets were not plowed).  One year, there was construction nearby and one of the parents ...borrowed a road barrier and put it at the top of the hill so cars couldn't come down.  Anyway, these happy sledders remind me of sledding with everyone in the neighborhood.

When I finished the applique, I was not sure what to do with it.  Here's what it looked like at that point:

Pretty, but missing something.  I also wasn't sure how to bind it, because as you may be able to tell, this is felt.  So I decided to just add a backing of another piece of white felt.  I zigzag stitched the two together and then I added the rick rack.  I'm pretty sure this was my first time using rick rack!  I love how it looks, and it kinda adds to the vintage vibe.

I changed up the design a little.  The original was a pillow and it had words on it.  I didn't want the text because I wanted it to be winter and not necessarily Christmas, so I removed the words and added another sled.  There was also originally snow on the red background.  When I got to that part, I decided 1) that I didn't need the snow and 2) that I really didn't want to applique teeny tiny circles.  I'm actually really happy with it without the falling snow.  But I had already cut out all those teeny tiny circles.  Anyone need a baggie of tiny felt circles?  There are three different sizes.  They have freezer paper on one side.

Winter Memories (originally called Vintage Holiday, since that is the name of the pattern) was #12 on my list of Q4 goals for the globally-hosted Finish Along.  It was also on my list of UFOs to finish to earn my PhD (Projects Half Done) with Quilting Gail.