Possibilities, #1

     Do you love January as much as I do?  Its all about possibilities; making the UFO list, listing the year's goals, making the bucket list of new quilts to make, deciding between all of the challenges or blocks of the month to join.  Top of the list was the Bonnie Hunter Mystery.  The big reveal was New Years Eve and I put one block together on New Years Day to see how it was going to look with my color scheme.  I substituted blues for the purple and lavender, then at the last minute substituted the only purple in my stash for the green. Here's my block....

I'm so glad I left out the green.  I'm still trying to use green and black blocks from Grand Illusion that I wouldn't use in the quilt.  

     Next up was cleaning and organizing my stash closet.  It wasn't too bad except for the repro fabrics.  I keep my Civil War stash separate from the rest.  Here is a before picture; 

Pitiful, isn't it?

    Something had to be done, so another bin was created.  I separated into  lights and darks.

One of my top goals for the year was to use more of my 

                                                   Civil War stash, so this should help.  

 There is a Stashbuster challenge called BookIt that I signed up for.  The premise for it is to choose a book setting on the shelf and make something from it.  I chose Pattern Play by Lynn Roddy Brown, which contains many CW patterns.  From that, I chose Shattered Dishes.  I have always loved the block Broken Dishes and this block just expands it a little.  The pattern as pictured takes 32 blocks, so I will make 3/month.  Love those violet  setting triangles, so might have to look for something similar.

Here's my 3 blocks.

     I didn't really like the method for making the blocks, so adapted the directions to use 3-1/2" strips which fits into my Scrap Savers system.  

     My other new project is an adaption of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  We decided to do something similar within our quilt guild, called Scrap Basket Challenge.  We decided on 12 different colors or styles of fabrics and draw one a month.  The category drawn for January was solids.  On Pinterest, I saw a spool quilt made with black backgrounds and thought it very striking, so decided on that.  I am making 6" finished spools, using the stitch and flip method, but you could make them any size.   I will make 10 blocks per month.  I have a very small stash of solids, mostly Kona's, only the blue came from scraps.  The others were cut from FQ's (so much for the scrap busting plan).  

     More about "Possibilities" later.  For now, I'm back to the sewing room to 

Keep on Stitchin'

Judy

Accounting for the Year

     Do you like to keep numbers on quilting and sewing projects?  Until the last few years, I didn't do it either.  About three years ago, I started keeping a little notebook and by 2015, had graduated to a three ring binder and computer generated charts and forms.  I know, a little crazy, but I love it.  First, it was a UFO list, then it was stash accounting.  Now it is weekly to do lists, block counts, etc.  You get the idea.  I've created a monster and it is me.  Your eyes are probably glazing over by now, but here goes.

MY STATS!  2016

20 total quilt related projects completed.  Most were at least lap size.
8 UFO's completed out of 14 declared.
17 New starts, 12 completed
162.5 yards of fabric purchased
107.8 yards sewn (making the 100 yard dash)
>350 blocks sewn (the exact figure is on Shelly's Prairie Moon blog)

If you have any interest in seeing any of my worksheets, leave a comment and I will email to you.
Now, onto 2017 Goals.  You do that, don't you?

GOALS!  2017

UFO'S - 12  ( hope to finish at least 9)
Use more scraps in my quilts, think of them first.
Reduce purchases, equalize purchases with usage
Reduce Civil War stash (it is totally out of control)
Utilize my Accuquilt GO more, revise my planning to fit the dies I have.

Planned New Starts:
Yellow and grey Sew-In challenge ( I purchased fabric last May, must be done by May 2017)
Scrap Basket Challenge ( a guild activity which I will talk about in a later post)
BookIt Challenge (a Stashbuster Yahoo Group challenge)
6 Charity Quilts, 4 crib size and 2 twin size.

A very modest plan for new starts, I know, but I am constantly getting distracted by the next new thing.  I know myself well.  That list will grow before the year is out.
Enough writing, I need to sew.
Judy